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I was ready to go apple picking at once. I could just imagine recreating the delicious sugary pie my Grandma had made in this very kitchen.
Luckily, the kitchen door was to my right. There was even a coat hanger with three hooks on it beside the door. And hanging on one of the hooks was a thick gray cardigan that looked hand knitted.
I pulled the sweater on and noticed that it still held a faint, sweet scent—like the ghost of old perfume.
Grandma’s scent, I thought and pressed the collar to my nose to inhale deeply. Yes—there it was. A sweet, powdery, floral scent that was interwoven with the smell of bread rising and sweet things baking in the oven. How could I have ever forgotten that scent?
Feeling nostalgic for things I had only just remembered was strange, but it was a strong feeling, nonetheless. The younger version of myself I remembered from visits to Grandma’s house wasn’t the shy, anxious, timid woman I had become. The younger me was fearless and adventurous, ready to take on the world. And most of all, she had been happy. That was an emotion that had been in very short supply for me my whole life—but especially since my Mom had died.
Now I felt it again like the warm glow of sunshine on your face when you step out of a dark room. Was it possible that I really could be happy here? I didn’t know but I hoped so. If there was a way to regain some of the childish joy I had lost so long ago, I would welcome it eagerly.
Speaking of regaining the joy of my childhood, I had some apples to pick. Pulling the gray cardigan tightly around me, I reached for the kitchen door.
“Mmmrow?” Sebastian was suddenly at my feet again, curling around my legs inquisitively.
“Oh, got tired of exploring without me, did you?” I asked him. “Well, do you want to check out the backyard?”
He mewed again, this time with a positive note. Going outside was unusual for him—he liked the Florida heat even less than I did. But I couldn’t blame him for wanting to smell the brisk Fall air again—I wanted to myself.
“All right,” I told him. “But stay close—okay? And you have to come in with me when I say so. It’s going to start getting dark pretty soon and I don’t want you out alone at night.”
Sebastian purred and rubbed his cheek against my calf.
“Good—then come on,” I said and opened the kitchen door to let us out.
I had no idea what danger was lurking in the yard outside.
CHAPTER FIVE
The backyard sloped downward, as I said, so I went carefully. Beside me, Sebastian had no trouble, but I was extremely glad I’d been wearing my tennis shoes when I stepped through the door that led from my apartment to my Grandmother’s house. They gave me some traction that I would have lacked if I’d just been running around in a pair of fuzzy socks, which is my usual way when I’m home.
Despite the many fallen leaves, there was still plenty of greenish grass poking out. Also, most of the leaves had been raked up into huge drifts at the bases of a couple of the trees.
I frowned when I saw the leaf piles. Had someone else been out here, raking? Or did the house—Morris—take care of the leaves himself somehow? I’ve always loved fantasy books and Robin McKinley’s retelling of Beauty and the Beast came to mind—where the invisible servants take care of all the chores in the enchanted palace. Was it something like that?
I thought that it must be. After all, I’d seen no one else anywhere near and it was clear no one lived in Morris now. The rooms I had toured so far were neat, if somewhat cluttered, but there was a fine patina of dust on most of the surfaces. I would have to do some cleaning when I got back, I thought.
Down near the bottom of the hill I found the apple tree, just where my childhood memories suggested it would be. It was bigger than any apple tree I’d ever seen, with black bark, a thick trunk, and gnarled branches that reached for the sky with skeletal fingers. Yet somehow most of its leaves were still intact and peeking out from beneath them were the biggest apples I had ever seen.
I reached up and picked one. The tree seemed to shiver as I did and a sudden wind rattled its branches making a high, haunting note, but I didn’t think anything of it. I was too busy studying the apple in my hand.
It was so big I almost couldn’t get my fingers around it. And just like in my memories, it had a smooth, golden skin that was dotted all over with scarlet freckles. When I brought it to my nose to sniff it, the scent that came from it was absolutely heavenly. I could tell right away that this apple would be equally good for eating raw or for baking, which is kind of unusual.
My mouth was watering for the sweet-tart flavor and I was just about to take a bite when I heard a sound like a rumbling roar. Then Sebastian, who had been nosing at a pile of leaves under the next tree over, rushed over to me and began to hiss.
I looked down at my cat in alarm. All the hair on his body was standing out, making him look twice as big as usual, and his whiskers were trembling as he let out another full-throated yowl. His pointed ears were flattened to his skull and his eyes had narrowed to angry slits.
“Sebastian? What is it?” I asked anxiously. And then I heard the roaring again—only this time it formed words.
“Who the fuck are you?” a deep, rumbling voice demanded. “And what the hell do you think you’re doing here?”
CHAPTER SIX
Looking through the branches of the apple tree, I saw someone—no, something was coming. It was huge and green and it had glowing golden eyes and tusks poking out of its mouth. I’m not kidding—freaking tusks!
“Get the fuck off this property!” the growling thing demanded. “You don’t belong here!”
It didn’t have to tell me twice. Maybe in a romance novel, the plucky heroine would have tried to stay and reason with the monster but I was not that plucky—or that stupid. With Sebastian hissing at my heels, I turned and ran as fast as I could.
