Radley's Home for Horny Monsters, Annabelle Hawthorne [howl and other poems TXT] 📗

had tumbled down from the trees along the street, creating a blanket across the hood. When he opened the door, several of them drifted in, landing softly on the driver’s seat. Sweeping them out, he got in and started the car. When he pulled away, the leaves spun in circles behind him, creating little green tornados in his rear view mirror.

Pickup at Mel’s, the home improvement store, was super quick. Mike grabbed an extra pair of work gloves and some garden shears on the way out.

At the grocery store, he picked up some basics, including coffee and a new coffee maker. He had seen one in the kitchen, but didn’t trust it to actually work.

He arrived back at the house, gathering up all of his bags in an attempt to make only one trip. Walking precariously between the stone lions, he made it to the front door and set the bags down to get his key out of his pocket. Holding the key to the lock, he slid it in and the hairs on his neck stood on end. He looked around, wondering if he was being watched. Turning the key, the deadbolt clicked open. He quickly pocketed the key, then knelt down to grab his bags.

The porch swing creaked. Mike watched it, the gears of his mind turning. He thought he had disconnected the swing last night. Yet there it was, swaying in a non-existent breeze. He walked over, then unhooked the swing and lowered it to the porch.

Shaking his head, he picked up his bags then walked inside, putting the swing from his mind.  He stacked his groceries up on the counter and tossed the bag of supplies on the kitchen table. Stocking the fridge first, he then organized the tools from the store. A few scrub brushes, a trowel, and a drain snake were tossed into the bucket he had purchased, as well as a screwdriver.

A knock at the door was followed by the sound of the bell. Mike walked back down the long hall. A shadowy figure was visible through the frosted glass of the front door. He opened up to reveal Beth, his great aunt’s estate representative, standing on the other side. She was holding a stack of files, but that wasn’t what Mike noticed first. Her dark hair was in a bun again, and she wore a bright red blouse, the top buttons straining to hold it shut, with a knee length white skirt.

“Mr. Radley,” she greeted him, a warm smile on her face. “I thought I would drop by and bring you some paperwork. There are several things the firm needs you to look over before we can finalize a transfer of assets. May I come in?”

“Um, yeah. Certainly.” He stepped back, and she moved past him, the smell of soap and lavender following her in. He shuddered internally, this human woman somehow ten times more daunting than the mystical creature upstairs. “Here, this way.” He led her to the kitchen, where she set down the pile of documents.

“It looks like you’re getting ready to tackle a project,” Beth said, picking up the trowel. “Hopefully nothing the Historical Society would disapprove of.”

“Just cleaning some gunk out of the fountain,” he told her. “Hoping to see it running soon.”

“Those don’t sound like the words of a man who is still debating keeping the place.”

“You’re correct. I’ve decided to stay.”

“In that case...” Beth slid one of the folders out and checked its contents. “This was an offer from that group of women I told you about. They call the firm almost every day, they’re absolutely in love with this place. I kind of look forward to telling them you saw their offer and still said no.”

“I hate to disappoint them, but the place is growing on me already.” Mike smiled, thinking of Naia. “Not sure why, but I feel like this is where I’m meant to be.”

“I’m very happy for you, Mike.” Her smile was genuine, crinkling the skin next to her eyes. “I know what you mean. I’ve been over here several times to make sure the place is being cared for properly by our interim team, and admit I’m a little sad that I won’t get to see it much longer.”

“Nonsense.” Mike waved a hand dismissively. “You’re welcome over here anytime. Besides, you’re the only person I even know in this town. My job doesn’t offer many opportunities to meet new people, so I’m afraid you are my entire social group.”

“I may just take you up on that.” Beth sat at the table. “I’ve been a bit obsessed with this place since I was a little girl. I was convinced a fairy queen lived here, probably until I was thirteen. I used to ride my bike past every day, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Your great aunt must have hired her, a young woman who I sometimes caught working in the garden. She had this brilliant radiance around her, almost like she was stuck in an old Disney movie. I half expected birds to circle around her as she broke into song or something. I won’t lie, I tried to figure out who she was once your aunt passed, but there weren’t any records.”

She chuckled, stroking the files with a finger. This action pressed her breasts together, causing a tiny gap to form between the buttons of her blouse. Mike stared into that dark space, wondering what color her bra was. “It’s silly, I know, but I can’t help but love this place just a little.”

“I’ve only been here one night. Trust me, I know what you’re talking about.” Snapping his eyes away from her chest, Mike leaned forward, opening the top file. “Ugh. This looks like a bunch of legalese.”

“In triplicate. These are some additional assets, plus some agreements I need you to sign since you are taking ownership of the home. Per the will, there are a few protective clauses, primarily stating that you can never bulldoze the home