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I will soon leave this all behind. I don’t regret this choice. An hour with Melody is worth more than a thousand lifetimes without her. Still, it would be a lie to say I won’t miss the soft rustle of the wind through the trees or the gentle cries of the songbirds as they navigate their not-so-eternal world.
Chapter Nine
Melody
“A nature preserve?”
The realtor regards me with a look that is too shocked to be disgusted. I keep my smile and remind myself that he hasn’t had the experiences I have and can’t possibly be expected to understand how beautiful my purpose is.
“Yes,” I reply. “I’d like to create a nature preserve. The Tranquility Nature Preserve. It will encompass the twenty-two thousand acres between the Warden Meadows and the Outrider Mountains. I would also like rights of first refusal on the fourteen thousand acres of new growth forest on the West Bank of the Hedge River.”
He stares at me, the disgust and shock on his face replaced by the wariness the sane show the insane. “Umm,” he says, blinking as he collects himself. “Um… well… I mean, it’s not completely out of the question. Your bid is, after all, rather exceptional. It’s just… all of it?”
“All of it,” I say gently. “This land is very important to me, and I would hate to see it turned into yet another planned community. Not that there’s anything wrong with planned communities. It just isn’t the right use for this land.”
“Have you considered… I suppose this is a rather foolish question, but have you considered how much money you stand to make if you allow some development? Plenty of people have an affinity for nature and would appreciate the chance to live, work, and play in a community that preserves the natural wonders of the world.”
I don’t waste my time trying to explain to him that the sanitized and manicured community the developers plan to build preserves nothing but a false-color image of the natural world and not the natural world as it is, as I’ve seen it. He wouldn’t understand.
“Thank you,” I say, “but I have memories of this place as it is right now. Exactly as it is. I’m afraid I couldn’t handle the thought of it changing in any way.”
His expression softens, and I see relief on his face. Now I’m not insane, merely an eccentric wealthy woman with more money than sense. He’s seen people like me all the time. I’m nothing to worry about.
“Well,” he says, shrugging his shoulders, “there’s something to be said for nostalgia. You understand I’ll have to reach out both to my client and to the development company to allow them a chance to make a counteroffer.”
“Of course,” I say.
“That being said,” he adds, “I seriously doubt that they’ll be willing to even come close to matching your offer. I’m fairly certain that we can expedite approval of this purchase. In fact, I’m certain enough that as long as you’re here, we can take care of the necessary paperwork. As soon as I receive permission from my client, I’ll file everything and contact you.”
“Thank you very much, Mr. Westin,” I say.
He stands, and I join him and shake his hand. Now that he’s convinced I’m possessed of a perfectly manageable brand of insanity, he smiles broadly and pumps my hand vigorously. “It’s been a pleasure working with you. I look forward to a long and profitable relationship.”
I dismiss the idea of working with him out of hand, but then reconsider. I will still have my trust, and in three years, that trust will mature. Once I have control of the money, I can easily invest and multiply my wealth, and if I can do that, perhaps there is other land I can rescue from destruction and save for those who truly need it.
That’s for the future, though. Right now, I’m concerned about the present.
I consider sending a text to Russel but decide I would rather surprise him with the news.
There’s something else I want to surprise him with too. Part of me wants to surprise him by showing up naked, but the chance that the other shifters might see me gives me pause. Perhaps one day, I’ll be comfortable enough with nudity to allow myself to be seen my them, but I’m not quite there yet.
So, when I leave the realtor’s office, I head to a department store at a nearby mall and select lingerie. I purchase a sheer tan bra and a matching sarong. I buy a rust-red ribbon for my hair and sandals for my feet. I drive to the apartment that I keep in town and get to work listing all of the items I’ll no longer need.
Some of the items will go into storage in case I get nostalgic for modern life and its amenities and decide I need a vacation from the simple life to which I’m committing, but most will simply be sold away.
I doubt I’ll miss it. I imagine that over the next several months, I’ll sell off the rest of my stuff.
Now comes the hardest part. Not hard because it’s a choice about which I’m unsure, but hard because it will hurt people I care about. Not seriously, and not permanently, but it will cause them pain because they won’t understand my decision.
I call my mother, and she answers, “Darling? Where have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for days.”
“Mom, I don’t have long,” I say, “so I need you to listen. Can you do that, please?”
“What is wrong, Melody?” she says, concerned. “Are you all right? Have you been kidnapped?”
“I’m not kidnapped, Mom,” I say, “I’m fine. I just need you to know a few things, and I need to tell you those things without being interrupted.”
“All right,” she says, a little warily. “If you’re in danger, Melody—”
