The Secret of Spruce Knoll (3 page)

Chapter 4

Before she opened the front door she could smell the enticing aroma of eggs and sausage. The wonderful scents made her realize how hungry she was. She stepped inside and let her nose lead her to the kitchen. The sight she came upon was almost enough to make her laugh.

Her aunt was spooning what smelled like scrambled eggs (though the color was way off) onto a plate. Egg was splattered all over her crisp white apron which still had creases in it from being folded and stuffed in a drawer somewhere. There were bits of egg clinging to her short black locks as well. Spilled orange juice was migrating across the counter.

Eren sprung into action. She grabbed a dish towel from above the sink and mopped up the orange juice before it could escape off the counter. Her nose warned her that the sausage was about to burn, so she spun and moved it off the burner as she turned the stove off.

“Aunt Sylvia, you didn’t have to do all this for me,” she said.

“Is it that obvious that I don’t cook?”

Eren turned to her with a raised eyebrow and a half grin. Sylvia burst into laughter. Instead of moving to the dining table, they sat down together at the bar to eat. Just like yesterday, Sylvia talked almost non-stop, pausing only to chew and swallow.

Though Eren hadn’t thought to leave a note, Sylvia had guessed she’d gone running. On one hand, Eren felt bad that she had overlooked such a simple courtesy. On the other, she thought it strange that Sylvia had guessed so easily. Had she been through her things and found all her jogging clothes? Or worse, had she found her diary? She didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do that, but the thought remained in the back of Eren’s mind. She didn’t really know this woman yet.

“So what’s the deal with this town?” Eren asked. Maybe if she steered the conversation right, she could learn more about that boy.

Sylvia began to explain about the different people that made up the town. The town was divided into four major lands, separated by the roads that came together in its center. There were several acres of common area around the center where most of the shops and common buildings were, the school, library and such. The northeast section was where the Tibetans lived, the southeast section the Romanians, the northwest the Irish, and the southwest—where they lived—was Mayan territory.

“Just be careful not to trespass onto someone else’s land. You’ll need permission to go onto anything but common land or Mayan land. People here like their privacy,” Sylvia said. 

“A town settled by four different races that are all prejudice?” Eren asked.

It seemed odd to settle into a small town if you didn’t want to be a community. She was used to communities like China town in the middle of L.A. but they didn’t care if others came into their ‘territory.’

“No honey, not prejudice—not at all. The town is very close-knit and supports each other. It’s just that these Societies like their privacy,” she tried to explain.

“Tell that to my parents,” Eren murmured around a mouthful of eggs. Privacy sounded like code for ‘I’m not going to tell you why.’ This conversation was starting to get frustrating.

“What’s that honey?” Sylvia asked, though there was an uncomfortable look on her face that said maybe she had heard her.

“Is it all right if I invite a friend onto Mayan lands?” Eren changed the subject. Clearly her aunt wasn’t going to tell her so she’d have to find out another way.

Sylvia’s face lit up and she worked hard to swallow her mouthful of food quickly.

“Absolutely. Have you met someone?” she asked.

“Yeah. A boy named Aiden,” Eren answered.

She watched her aunt’s face closely, trying to judge her reaction. Her eyes widened and she looked surprised and also, maybe a touch worried. Only in a small town could you say someone’s first name and have everyone know exactly who you were talking about.

“Aiden is a nice Irish boy,” she nodded with a knowing look.

She may not be a woman yet by adult standards, but Eren wasn’t a child anymore and she knew what that look meant. Plus, her aunt had called him an ‘Irish’ boy like that mattered. Her mother had fallen for an Irish boy. Since she was half-Irish and half-Maya Eren didn’t really see why her aunt should have a problem with it. Even if she wasn’t, it shouldn’t matter. It was the 21
^st
century after all!

“I can feel a ‘but’ in there. Is it because he’s Irish?” Eren observed.

“No, no. He is a good person and of course that doesn’t matter. I don’t mind if Aiden comes here, but please promise you won’t go to his house. His adopted family and ours have been at odds for some time. They may be… less than welcoming to you,” Sylvia said.

She wouldn’t look up from her plate. There was a long moment of silence that was very unlike her. The energy around her bordered on hostile and fearful. It made Eren wonder what else there was to that story. But now didn’t seem like a good time to press her aunt. She wasn’t exactly forthcoming with the knowledge today.

“No problem,” she answered.

Sylvia perked up immediately and began chatting away. But Eren’s mind wandered, going back to one comment. Her family and Aiden’s adopted family were at odds. What could that mean, and why hadn’t he said anything about it? It was time she started getting some answers.

Chapter 5

When Sylvia retired to her room to read Eren lingered in the living room writing in her journal. The moment her aunt was out of sight she tossed the journal on the couch and dashed to the bookshelves beside the entertainment center that was oddly without a television. There were no photo albums or yearbooks. No help there. Many of the books lining the shelves were leather-bound volumes of classic novels, history books, and encyclopedias. There were also a lot of books on art and famous artists. While that was interesting, no help there either.

There were no pictures anywhere on any of the shelves. That was stranger than the lack of a television. Maybe something out of her direct line of sight would be more helpful. She settled down onto the hardwood floor and folded her feet before her so she could lean forward.

A brown leather binding on the bottom shelf caught her eye. It was titled
Life In A Society
. Hadn’t her aunt called the people of Spruce Knoll “Societies?”  The author listed on the binding was Zolin Yaretz. Yaretz was her mother’s maiden name.

Eren pulled the book out and opened it. The publisher was listed as Spruce Knoll Press. A tingling sensation crawled across her skin. This was getting stranger by the moment.

The cover page said
a novel by Zolin Yaretz, 3
^rd
edition, first edition published in 1812
. It must have been written by her great grandfather or something. Her mother had never said anything about having an author in the family. Then again, it was originally published a few hundred years ago by a small press most people had probably never heard of. Yesterday her aunt had called the people in town “Societies.” Stranger and stranger. She turned to the first page.

It was not written like a novel at all. There was an academic flavor to the words and layout. It read almost like a manual or a school book. The first chapter was all about finding a Society and how a person’s energy had to bond with that of the other members of the Society. From the sound of it, one didn’t have a choice in the matter, their energy chose for them. At the mention of energy the tingling sensation that had been crawling over Eren intensified until it almost hurt. Fear started to churn in the pit of her stomach. Could there be a connection between her sensitivity to energy and her great, great, grandfather writing this novel?

She shook her head. That was ridiculous. The strangeness of this place was starting to get to her, making her see connections where there couldn’t be any. Still, she wanted to read more, though she convinced herself it was just out of curiosity.

A floorboard creaked and footsteps sounded from upstairs. Eren closed the book and put it back on the shelf. She could always sneak a peek at it again later, but if she took it then Sylvia might notice. While that could spark a conversation, Eren didn’t trust her aunt to tell her the truth. For now she would see what she could learn on her own.

A quick adjustment to line the book up with the others made it look as though it had never been touched, she hoped. By the time Sylvia made it downstairs, Eren was back on the couch with her journal in hand.

Chapter 6

The next morning, Eren spent a bit more time on her appearance. She actually turned the light on, which helped tremendously. Once her long hair was smoothed back into a tidy ponytail, and she settled on her third outfit, she rushed downstairs.

As she crossed the living room she slowed and tried to get control of her racing heart. She didn’t want to ruin the potential friendship—or the chance of it becoming something more—by seeming too overzealous. Turning the charm on and ensnaring Aiden wasn’t what she wanted to do. She actually wanted to get to know him, and that surprised her. L.A. boys had the depth of a mud puddle, not much to get to know. However, Aiden made her think of that clear, deep river.

That train of thought wasn’t helping matters. With a shake of her head, she pulled the door open and squeaked in surprise. Standing there with his fist up as if preparing to knock, was Aiden. His surprised look melted into a smile and he burst into laughter. Eren stuck her tongue out at him before succumbing to laughter herself.

Slapping him on the shoulder, she stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

“You scared me!”

“I noticed,” he managed through a fit of laughter. He was practically doubled over and gasping for air.

Eren was glad he was distracted because it gave her a moment to gawk at how fantastic he looked. There was some sort of gel in his brown/blackish hair, making it stick up in even wilder disarray than it had yesterday. On other boys it might have looked silly, but he made it look incredibly good. He wore a tank top but that was okay. She thought maybe it would help her keep her wits about her.

Once the laughing fit passed, he grabbed her hand and pulled her after him. They ran for a few miles, crossing the bridge and returning back. It was refreshing to run with someone who could not only keep pace with her, but didn’t tire out. Back home she’d been on the track team and had been one of the fastest runners. No one could match her endurance or speed. Her coach had talked about the Olympics.

When the warm morning sun made its way above the treetops, it found them sitting on the Mayan side of the river. Eren had told Aiden about her aunt’s warning not to trespass and he had simply agreed that it was good advice. It irked her that even he was acting mysterious but it also occurred to her that this stranger knew her aunt better than she did.

“What’s my aunt like?” she asked.

“She’s nice. Talkative, but nice,” Aiden said.

“I don’t even know what she does for a living.” 

It was frustrating to know absolutely nothing about the person she lived with. Eren was starting to get the feeling there was a lot about not only her aunt, but this town, that she didn’t know.

“She helps manage the recycling plant in town. But I think her real job is something on the internet. She travels a lot, whatever it is. Before you came she didn’t live in Spruce Knoll, she just visited a few times a year. But I hear she grew up here,” he said.

Eren wrapped her arms around her knees and rested her cheek on her forearm. She watched Aiden’s thoughtful face as she mulled this over. The sunlight made his eyes look like honey, it was very distracting. He must have felt the weight of her gaze because he turned and smiled at her.

“What, do I have something in my nose?” he asked.

Laughing, she slapped his arm and shook her head.

“Ouch! You’re abusive,” he teased as he rubbed his arm.

They laughed together before returning their attention back to the unending flow of water. There was so much more she wanted to ask him, but it would sound crazy and she didn’t want to turn him away. He was the closest thing to a friend she had right now.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“I was just thinking how sad it is that I know so little about my own family.” It was only half a lie.

“Now you’ll have the chance to find out.”

He was so optimistic. She loved that, it was something she could definitely get used to.  Lately there hadn’t been much room for optimism in her life and she thought maybe it was about time for some. Maybe if she worded it carefully enough she could get a bit of info without sounding like a freak.

“So what’s with the whole trespassing thing? She seemed pretty intense about that,” Eren asked.

It was hard to tell, but she was pretty sure out of the corner of her eye she saw Aiden go stiff. But when she turned to look at him, he seemed as relaxed as ever. Crossing her arms over her chest, she narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. His smile wilted a bit and his gaze shot to the sun. He stretched dramatically and stood.

“People in this town just like their privacy,” he said as he offered her a hand up.

The vague answer only made her more curious. It was odd. About everything else he was very open and talkative. She wanted to stay right there until he opened up about it. But, the morning sun was slipping away and she didn’t want to chance Sylvia burning the cabin down trying to make breakfast. Besides, he clearly wasn’t going to give up any information. Stifling a sigh, she accepted his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

“I don’t understand,” she said.

“You will soon.”

This time he succeeded in distracting her by wrapping his hand tighter around hers. Thrills coursed through her when he placed a supporting hand on her lower back to help her up the embankment. By the time they reached the road, she’d not only forgotten her question, she couldn’t even remember what they’d been talking about.

***

That night Eren had way too much energy to sleep. For nearly an hour she lay on the daybed. Though she was staring at the stars, she saw nothing but Aiden’s face. Finally, the restlessness drove her from bed. She snuck down and tried to read more of the
Life In A Society
novel, but it just couldn’t hold her attention. More than that, it’s repetitive mention of energy was starting to freak her out. After a chapter about the leaders of a Society, called Rectors according to the novel, she put it back and wandered upstairs.

She dug around in her suitcase until she found her paints. Soon she’d have to accept the fact that this was home and unpack, but not tonight. There was something else she had to do right now.

In the back of the large walk-in closet she had found several blank painters’ canvases. Whether her aunt had put them there for her or not, she wasn’t sure. If not, she’d buy her a replacement for the one she was going to use. She carried it and her paints to the loft and sat down at the easel. After splashing the whole canvas with a midnight blue, she fell upon it with several different brushes in a trance-like state.

It was always this intense when she painted, like she was pulling the image up from deep in the canvas. Only when she ran could she come close to matching the feeling of freedom and passion that she felt when she painted.

This was why she didn’t want to be an Olympic track star. Her idols were not famous runners, but Michelangelo and Botticelli. Her mother used to complain that most kids her age didn’t even know who those men were. Eren had argued with her saying she remembered very little about being her age. She had always been quick to laugh and admit that was true.

When Eren finally stepped back from the painting, Aiden’s hazel eyes were staring back at her from the canvas. She had captured his likeness perfectly. But more than that, she had somehow ensnared a bit of his essence. It was in the cute smirk that was a half smile, and in the sparkle in his eyes. She almost felt embarrassed staring at it because it felt like he was looking back at her. He would think that was funny.

Part of her hated that he affected her like this. It was hard to forget how her last boyfriend had dumped her the moment her life had become complicated. Aiden didn’t seem to be anything like that guy, though. Still, she’d have to be careful and keep up her guard.

Laughing at herself, she gathered up her brushes and went back to her room. Tonight there would be no bad dreams of wolves and fangs in the darkness. Of that she was certain.