Part 1
I inherited a cabin in the middle of the woods. The lawyer came to my house, explaining that my Father had hidden the cabin from my family. He did not trust anyone else in the family but me to keep the property. He also said the property needed to be protected. That was the stipulation of receiving the home. We could not sell no matter what. My boyfriend and I agreed with the lawyer we would not sell no matter what.
If we only knew what we were getting ourselves into, we might have said no to the home. We are here to share our story of inheriting a haunted and mysterious cabin in the middle of nowhere.
My boyfriend Scott asked me on our way to look over the property, "What happens if the place has ghosts or aliens land there?"
Laughing, I said, "Well, we will have paranormal or alien visitors." We laughed as we knew we were not the only creatures out there. But what we ended up with would turn our world upside down.
We drove up to the cabin, and I gasped. The home was the home of our dreams and in perfect condition. The land, barn, and greenhouse would need a lot of work. We walked up the stairs to the porch and noticed a river along the east side of the property.
Part 2
I was delighted with the property and when we turned to the door to go in, it opened on its own.
Looking at Scott, I said.
I guess we inherited a haunted house.
Walking in, I was in all of the beauty of the cabin.
The furniture was timeless and comfortable.
Our tour started with an open fireplace in the living room that continued to the kitchen.
I went to the kitchen and saw a vintage wood stove, an additional gas stove, and a refrigerator.
The cabin also had a large enclosed pantry.
Inside the pantry were three empty freezers and plenty of storage space to stock up for the upcoming hurricane season.
I stood in the kitchen and said, I know you're here and I can feel you.
I inherited this home from my dad and the rule is I cannot sell it.
I don't want to sell anyway, so if we could live together without problems, we would like that.
My name is Cami and this is my boyfriend, Scott.
We will be moving here in the next three weeks.
I will be coming here on and off to fill the pantry and some things I have for the house.
We are open to getting to know you.
We heard footsteps upstairs and the door to the attic shut.
I looked at Scott and he said maybe we should leave them alone for now.
They have been here a lot longer than we have.
We are not sure what the situation was before we arrived.
I agreed as we headed up the stairs and to the bedrooms.
We found a loft that overlooked the living room and to the backside was a master bedroom and bath which looked over the land behind the cabin.
On the other was another bedroom that was converted into a office and a small bathroom.
At the end of the hall that separated the two rooms was the door that led to the attic.
We decided to leave that alone for now and headed back downstairs to find an office.
Off the living room and under the stairs of the home was a guest bathroom.
Next to the stairs was a door that led to an attached greenhouse.
Scott looked at me and said, well, I know where you will be most of the time.
This home was perfect for us.
We went out the back door and down the stairs to wander the property.
Scott looked at the trees and said we will have to cut back and cut down some trees for safety.
We walked towards the river and saw it had a dock and seating.
Scott was excited to fish on the river and we knew we were home.
Part 3
We walked along the property and Scott pointed out all the trees that needed to be cut down and removed.
00:12
Scott was excited because beneath the trees that needed to come down, there was plenty that were growing.
00:19
One of Scott's passions was woodworking, and I could see him planning what kind of projects he could do with the wood in his mind.
00:27
All he would need to do was cut the trees down and add them to the wood boxes or his workshop.
00:33
We walked around the back of the property to the door that led to the greenhouse.
00:39
I stopped as we walked up to the greenhouse door and pushed the branches of the Bush away to reveal a second door.
00:46
We found a hidden workshop when we opened the door behind the Bush.
00:51
We went in and looked around.
00:54
This workshop would be the perfect workspace for Scott.
00:58
Looking at Scott, I pointed to the end of the shop at a ladder and said.
01:02
I wonder where that leads.
01:04
Scott climbed up the ladder and opened the Hatch.
01:08
As Scott went through the Hatch, he said Cammy, it leads to the pantry.
01:14
Come on.
01:16
One second, I said as I shut the door to the workshop.
01:20
Climbing out after Scott, we closed the Hatch and I said you cannot even see the door unless you are right near it.
01:28
We have been in this pantry a few times and I would have never guessed there was a hatch here.
01:34
Can you put a latch on the door so you can still work in the workshop downstairs and not have to go outside the house?He looked at me and said since we are both off tomorrow, maybe we should get a latch and a chainsaw.
01:48
I did notice, however, that there are wood boxes in the front and back of the house and greenhouse.
01:55
They are pretty big and can hold a bit of wood.
01:59
Besides that, I want to get a new outside lock for the workshop.
02:03
Before we leave, why don't we see what kind of space you have in the greenhouse?He didn't have to tell me anything else.
02:12
I was practically skipping to the greenhouse.
02:16
When we went in, I saw plenty of bins filled with dirt and rows of smaller containers for herbs on the wall closest to the door.
02:24
Walking through I saw a garden sink, compost bin and a work bench.
02:30
A bit further back in the greenhouse we saw an old wood stove to keep it warm on cold days if the temperature dropped too low, and another would box to the outside for easy filling.
02:40
Walking through, I felt a wave of calm and said I guess I will be planting a bunch of seeds and plants tomorrow.
02:48
With work in moving now, the sooner I get it started, the less work it will be for me to keep up with it.
Part 4
Scott laughed and said that's fine because I want to organize the workshop as well before we start cutting down trees so the wood can go into the wood piles or the shop for projects.
00:16
As we went to leave, I shut the lights off and called out.
00:20
We will see you tomorrow.
00:22
We went to the house we were renting and Scott said Cammy, make sure we can get Wi-Fi for work before we tell the park management we are moving out.
00:32
Laughing, I said I had the same idea.
00:36
You know, Becca and Mason will try bringing people in before we move out, and since they will not renew our lease due to them being too busy, I do not even want to give notice.
00:46
Scott went to our office and I went to our room to change.
00:51
I sat down, grabbed a notebook, and wrote down a shopping list of things we needed to get to start preparing the new house to move in.
01:00
I made my list of the items we needed and Scott walked into our room as I finished the list.
01:07
Tell me you're not making a list for tomorrow.
01:10
He.
01:12
You know me too well, I said.
01:16
Looking over the list, he said portable washer and dryer.
01:21
Yeah, I said.
01:24
We do not have a setup for a full size washer or dryer.
01:28
But I did notice there's enough wall space along the built in wall with an outlet and we could place them outside in that space in the greenhouse.
01:37
The sink is right next to it, so the portable washer can be filled from the sink and drained the same way.
01:44
I also found a small apartment dryer that can go in the same spot.
01:49
I checked the local lows and they have them in stock.
01:53
I was about to place the order for them when you came in.
01:57
I figured we could get everything we needed to make the house move in ready tomorrow between Lowe's, Walmart and Tractor Supply.
02:05
You have a lot of canning supplies on here in storage containers, he said.
02:10
Didn't we just get a bunch of supplies?Yes, we did, I said.
02:17
But once the house is ready, I was going to go shopping to fill the pantry and freezers to the brim.
02:23
Besides, do you remember the last time we went hunting with your family?You taught me to read the tracks and I saw wild pigs and deer tracks as we walked the property today.
02:35
If we back a pig, I want to save it all, including rendering fat.
02:41
Besides, canned pigs and deer last up to a year on the shelf.
Part 5
He nodded and said got it.
00:07
And that's a good idea.
00:10
When we get your plants done tomorrow and the cleaning plus my repairs, I think it would be smart to start shopping for the house.
00:18
After we got back home from the cabin, I called Shane and he said if we were willing would we let him and his mom stay on the land in the RV and they would pay us to let them.
00:29
He said Mason came by earlier today drunk and causing problems.
00:35
Cynthia and Shiloh know what's happening with the new house.
00:38
They said it would just be the RV Shanes truck and his work trailer.
00:43
The extra income would be good for when both of our jobs are slow.
00:48
00:48
What about Blackwater and waste?I asked.
00:54
Also, do you know a spot where they could park the RV?Yeah, I do, Scott started.
01:02
You know, the driveway goes about a half a mile back past the cabin and we are on 10 acres.
01:08
At the end of the driveway there is an open area.
01:12
I figured out a space where we could put a cement area down and he could park on the slab.
01:19
As for Blackwater, he can drive it to the RV center every few days to empty it.
01:25
Also, the area I am thinking of has water set up with a drain, so except for the toilet which is a composting toilet, we may be able to convert it to take the black water.
01:37
I can have a guy I know who does plumbing look at it and see if he can set it up.
01:42
Let's look into it and then we can give them an answer, I said.
01:47
I think you should call and see if your guy can come out tomorrow and look into it, since we will be there already.
01:54
I think this list is big enough and we can get drinks and food before we leave Walmart for tomorrow.
02:01
When schedules go live for work later tonight, I am taking some time off on that schedule and see if I can get some people to take my shifts this week.
02:11
I already sent an e-mail today to my boss explaining the situation and she is asking around now.
02:18
I have a feeling about the way things are going down here and I want us out as fast as possible.
02:25
I would not skip work, but Dad left me a lot of money besides the cash the lawyer gave us.
02:32
We have plenty in the bank for the future.
02:35
Besides, when I went to get the mail, Becca started grilling me about what we had been doing.
02:42
I told her we had been dealing with family stuff.
02:46
I do not trust them.
Part 6
Scott nodded and said.
00:07
I get it.
00:09
Yesterday while you were working and I was changing the oil on the truck, Mason came by and asked why we were gone so often now.
00:17
I told him you were home the whole time and I was at work and we went fishing one day.
00:23
I told him we were also dealing with a family thing.
00:27
I said we may be going out more.
00:30
That quieted him, but it was weird.
00:33
I know this will sound bad, but it seemed like he was casing the joint.
00:38
Thank God we do not have many valuables in the house, but we need to double check everything is locked and bolted before we leave tomorrow.
00:47
We should ask Shane and Shiloh to come by and check on the House while we are gone.
00:53
I said.
00:54
If he is going to be working on his car, we have a carport he can use.
01:00
Scott said.
01:00
You know that's not a bad idea and then he can use the tools I have as well.
01:06
That and we are supposed to have rain tomorrow.
01:10
I will give him a call while you order the washer and dryer.
01:14
If you want, I can throw a frozen pizza in and we can eat and settle in for the night.
01:20
What time do you want to leave?I would say let's leave at 7:00 AM.
01:26
Walmart and Lowe's open then, and we can hit all the stores and head to the house, I said, looking at the clock.
01:33
Oh, I have to do my schedule.
01:37
I know we have three meetings, but I am only scheduling for that and two small shifts so I can get the house ready and then slowly move all our stuff by the end of next week hopefully.
01:47
You want to be out of here.
01:50
He asked.
01:52
Yes, I do, I said.
01:55
I have felt anxious here lately.
01:58
When I sit at my desk while working, I have to shut the curtains now and work in the dark because I feel like someone is watching me.
02:06
Feeling that way is not something I enjoy.
02:10
Since the new house already has a lot of furniture, we may need to decide what we are keeping and getting rid of.
02:17
But honestly, Scott, I am ready for the change.
02:22
My phone rang and I said it's my boss.
Part 7
I answered the phone and my boss Melissa was calling to tell me.
00:08
Except for 2/2 hour shifts and three meetings, she covered all my remaining work shifts so I could move by the end of next week.
00:17
I thanked her and told her my plan for the following week as I selected my work hours.
00:23
As Melissa had known about my anxious feelings and the feeling of being watched, she told me she had shared a bit with the higher ups and they all agreed that moving to a safe and pleasant environment would be best for me.
00:35
When I finished the call, I shut the laptop after adding dates and times to my calendar and said my work is all set.
00:43
So we will get the House ready to move in by the end of this week and I will load it up.
00:49
Hopefully by Saturday we will start moving everything into the new house.
00:55
Scott was about to say something when we heard pounding at our door.
01:00
We looked at each other and we went to answer it.
01:04
I looked out the window and said it's Mason and he looks drunk as hell.
01:09
Scott and I opened the door and went outside.
01:12
Hey, Mason, what can I help you with?We will be coming by this week to do inspections.
01:20
I know you have not been home, so we wanted to give you time to get the house in order, he said.
01:26
What day, Mason?I asked.
01:31
I am still dealing with family business.
01:34
I also have work.
01:36
So I will be back and forth for the next two weeks and we will not let anyone into the house unless we are home.
01:44
It's a surprise inspection cami.
01:48
He said, getting upset.
01:51
It's whenever we want it to be.
01:53
Sorry, Mason.
01:56
That will not be happening.
01:58
I said.
02:00
For the state of Florida, renters rights.
02:04
We must get at least 24 hours notice and a set time.
02:08
You legally cannot enter our home while we are not here and you have to give us notice.
02:14
We will see about that, he said.
02:17
You want to be evicted?Go ahead and pull this crap.
Part 8
Scott stepped between US and said Mason, you have had too much to drink.
00:11
Cami is right.
00:13
We have to deal with many things due to a family issue for the next two weeks and legally you cannot pull this.
00:20
I think we will call the property owner and let him know what is happening.
00:24
And remember we do have the video feed to prove it.
00:28
Also, we have deadbolts on both doors that the owner permitted us to install, so while we are out, they will be locked and you will not be able to enter.
00:37
Do you understand?Mason stepped closer to Scott when we heard.
00:42
Oh, Mason, here you are.
00:45
I was looking everywhere for you.
00:48
Becca walked up and said.
00:50
What are you doing?I was letting them know about the surprise inspections this week, Mason said.
00:57
Becca, I was letting Mason know about renters rights and how you must give us 24 hours notice.
01:04
I have to be out dealing with personal family stuff and work a lot this week into next week, I said.
01:11
So the inspection will not happen unless we get 24 hours notice.
01:17
That notice has to give a time frame for when you will be here.
01:21
Becca looked at me and said you wanted to go this way, Cammy.
01:26
As I already told Mason, I said.
01:30
I will call the owner in the morning and discuss it with him.
01:34
If you will excuse us, we have a very early morning tomorrow.
01:39
Also, so you know, Shane will be using our carport tomorrow to repair his car because the rain report shows showers on and off all day.
01:48
Becca pulled Mason with her and they left.
01:52
Scott looked at me and said we will check to ensure all the curtains are closed in the morning.
Also, we need to make sure all the locks are fully locked.
02:03
I do not trust them.
02:06
We headed into the house to settle down for the night and I said neither do I.
Part 9
We woke up the following morning when our alarms went off.
00:09
Scott leaned over and kissed me, saying We are doing this today, right?I chuckled.
00:16
Yes, Scott, today we have to get ready for us to leave.
00:21
Hopefully by the end of next week we will finish moving into our new home.
00:27
Hearing a noise outside, I looked out the window and said how Shane can be such a morning person is beyond me.
00:35
Scott got out of bed and said it's from his time in the military.
00:41
He told me he never settled into a regular sleep schedule.
00:45
But for him it.
00:48
I am glad I left the cars parked in front of the house and the carport clear.
00:54
Making the bed, calling out to Scott, I said.
00:57
Let's get coffee on the way out.
01:01
I heard Scott Mutter from the living room.
01:03
Good idea.
01:05
I got dressed and grabbed my purse.
01:09
Joining Scott and Shane outside, I listened to their conversation.
01:14
When she was bringing the car over to get ready to work on it, he swore that Mason was trying to look into the house.
01:22
Shane assured us he or his mom would be around all day to ensure everything was OK.
01:28
Sitting at the table outside, I looked at the list and added a food saver and extra bags.
01:35
Scott walked around the house and checked all the screens and doors, video tapping them.
01:41
We were more sure now than ever that Mason wanted items from the house and would try breaking in.
01:48
We said bye to Shane and while we drove away we saw Mason walking around the community looking at houses.
01:56
I sent a text message to the owner telling him I needed to speak with him.
02:02
He replied almost immediately, saying.
02:04
Give me an hour.
02:06
Then I called the cable company and set up an installation at the new house for noon today.
02:13
We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts and got coffee and breakfast sandwiches.
02:18
We got to Lowe's and we grabbed everything we needed.
02:23
While I was checking out, Scott took our truck and picked up our online order.
02:29
He was surprised when he found a new table saw added to the order.
02:34
When I came out with blades and everything, we picked up for the garden and greenhouse, he said.
02:39
What is this?I shrugged and said something for your new shop.
02:46
I know you want to be able to create furniture and I thought that would be a good way to go.
Part 10
We heard Thunder in the distance and he said Thank God I had the top on the truck bed today.
00:12
I hope Shane can fix his car by the time we get home this afternoon.
00:17
If not, he can leave it there, I said.
00:21
I have a meeting at 10:00 AM tomorrow.
00:25
If we finish all the cleaning today, I will start going through everything in the guest room during work tomorrow, buying everything we said we wanted and bringing it to the new house.
00:35
I do not want to bring anything we cannot use or want anymore.
00:40
Since my work is minimal, the next two weeks if calls are slow and I have to work, I will bring my computer to whatever room I'm going to clean out and pack and sort while I am between calls.
00:52
We pulled into Walmart and Scott said, OK, let's get what we need, then we can get out there.
00:59
My guy will be there around 10 and I want to have the locks to the pantry and the shop done.
01:06
When I finish everything I need to do, I can help you go room to room and work on the greenhouse together.
01:13
We went into the store and Scott and I took a cart.
01:18
He went to the garden center and I went to the canning area and loaded my cart.
01:25
An older woman walked into the aisle browsing and said it's nice to see young ones being so prepared.
01:32
Smiling, I said.
01:33
Well, I am moving to a home further from town, so it is nice not to worry about getting to the store.
01:41
Looking at me, she said.
01:43
Well, I am sure you will be having an adventure then.
01:47
As she walked past me, she patted my arm.
01:51
Her hands were quite cold.
01:54
Turning to ask if she was OK, she was nowhere to be seen.
01:59
While I was standing there, Scott came from the opposite direction and said Cammy, are you OK?You look like you have seen a ghost.
02:10
Scott, I think I may have just talked to one, I said and explained what had happened.
02:17
Scott left his cart with me and walked the aisles to check and see if he could find the woman in case the woman was sick.
02:24
When he returned and shook his head, I said Let's get the rest of the stuff and head out to the cabin.
Part 11
Scott and I ran through the cleaning and paper products.
00:09
Then Lee grabbed a bunch of drinks and easy lunches we could eat when we came out to the cabin.
00:15
We went to look for a checkout and realized the only thing open was self checkout.
00:21
Scott grabbed 1/3 cartand when we scanned and loaded it, I paid for what was in it and he went to load it as I worked on checking out the rest of the items.
00:32
Once he left, a man in a Walmart uniform approached me and said, excuse me, miss.
00:39
Looking at him, I said.
00:42
Listen, my name is Mike and I am from security, he said.
00:48
Hi, Mike, I.
00:51
Listen, we cashed out the cart that left if that's why you're here.
00:56
Realization hit his face and he said, Oh no, that's not why I came to talk to you.
01:03
I saw you earlier in the Canning Isle.
01:06
Miss, that woman you were talking to was not in the store and just appeared at the end of the aisle and after she touched you and stepped away, she disappeared.
01:17
Scott joined us as Mike told me this and said, well Cammy, I guess you had a spirit follow you from the new house.
01:25
Mike, I said.
01:27
Thank you so much for telling me this.
01:31
I think she may be a resident of the home I inherited.
01:35
Do not worry, Mike.
01:38
I think she was enjoying watching me shop.
01:42
He laughed and said.
01:43
I understand that.
01:46
Every time I go fishing, I swear my grandpa is fishing with me still.
01:51
I hope you all have a great day and best of luck with your new home.
01:56
We headed to the truck with the rest of what we bought and as we loaded everything, the community owner called.
Part 12
We got into the truck and Scott drove us to the new house.
00:08
I answered the call.
00:10
Hello, Dennis, how are you doing today?Everything is good so far, Cammy, he said.
00:18
You do not usually text me so early.
00:22
Is everything OK?Honestly, Dennis, it is not, I said.
00:28
Were you aware that Becca and Mason are trying to spring surprise inspections on the residence?Telling people they can come in even if they are not home.
00:39
No, I am not aware of that, he said.
00:43
I spoke to Becca yesterday and she said they thought you were moving.
00:48
Dennis, you know I respect you.
00:51
I will be honest with you, I said.
00:55
Yes, we are.
00:57
But not for the reasons you think.
01:00
My biological dad passed away and he left me a home north of where we live.
01:06
I am not saying anything to Becca and Mason because they have been quite interested in what's going on in our home lately.
01:14
I also believe cameras are facing inside my house.
01:18
We should be moved out of the house within two weeks to a month.
01:22
It all depends on our work schedules.
01:26
I am sorry you lost your dad before you knew him, Cammy, he said.
I hold now I'll all about you moving.
01:35
What an amazing opportunity for you both and I will not say anything to Becca or Mason.
01:41
But cameras?Sounds ridiculous, right?I said.
01:49
My office is in the front room of the house, Dennis.
01:53
I am in that room 10 to 12 hours a day and the day after the lawyer came and talked to me, I started getting creeped out every time I would go in the room.
02:02
It does not stop until I have to shut the curtains.
02:06
But there is more.
02:07
Mason has been casing the hums in the community.
02:11
Shane has been house sitting as I deal with stuff for the new house.
02:16
But he told us as he pulled his car into our carport, Mason was standing in the trees watching our house.
02:23
We have everything locked, but it is not right.
02:27
He gets drunk and tries to fight people all the time.
02:31
Cammy that strong allegations, Dennis said.
02:36
I know, and I have the video proof if you want to see it, I said.
Part 13
No need, he said.
00:08
Listen, When will you be home working?I want to meet up with you before or after.
00:16
Tomorrow I have a meeting at 10:00 in the morning.
00:19
Then I was going to continue to prepare the new house, I said.
00:24
I do not want you upset with us because we are leaving, Dennis, but it's a beautiful home and property.
00:32
No, I am not the slightest bit upset, Dennis said.
00:37
I get it.
00:39
I would do the same thing.
00:42
What appliances do I need to replace at your house?Everything is ours, I said.
00:50
So the fridge and stove need to be replaced.
00:54
We are leaving the washer and dryer for the next tenants as a gift from us.
01:00
OK, I have those in storage anyway, he said before hanging up.
01:06
You're not the first text I got today.
01:10
I will follow up with everyone in the morning.
01:14
I will see you around 8:30.
01:17
We pulled into the driveway and pulled in front of the stairs and as we went to the front door it opened for us.
01:25
Scott walked in first, calling out.
01:28
Thank you.
01:30
He brought everything into the house and grabbed the locks and his drill.
01:35
He stopped to kiss me and said I will start in the shop because I have to drop the table saw there.
01:43
I got extra locks for the Greenhouses outer doors.
01:47
I also got locks for all the wood boxes that connect to inside the house.
01:53
I will finish with the Hatch to the pantry.
01:57
I have thought about building a set of stairs leading from the pantry to the workshop.
02:03
As he walked away, I said.
02:06
What are you saying? I will fall down the ladder.
02:09
He laughed as he went outside.
02:13
I started unpacking everything I purchased and said it was nice meeting you this morning.
02:19
If you want to talk, I am open to seeing you.
Part 14
I heard footsteps overhead as I finished unpacking and putting everything away.
00:11
When I finished, I pulled the washer and dryer to the greenhouse and put them together.
00:17
Placing the seeds and the plants on the center table, I heard a voice behind me say.
00:23
What is this?Hooking up the dryer and placing the vent out the window, I said it's to clean our clothes and dry them.
00:32
Going back into the house, I grabbed more plants and when I returned to the greenhouse, an older man was looking at the washer and dryer.
00:41
I told him I put the wash in the tall one, add water and it cleans the clothes.
00:47
The large silver machine dries our clothes so I do not need to hang up the clothes after washing.
00:54
He looked at me and said that is very modern.
00:58
Laughing, I said.
00:59
It's not as modern as some they have out, but it will suit us.
01:04
What is your name, Sir?He gave me a balance, said My name is Thomas.
01:12
It's a pleasure to meet you, Thomas.
01:15
I am Cammy, I said.
01:18
Do not think me rude, but I need to get the rest of the plants out here so I can clean the house before we start moving in.
01:26
You will see my boyfriend Scott adding locks to the house also.
01:31
Carry on, dear, he said.
01:34
I think the rest will come out to meet you soon.
01:38
I stopped and said Thomas.
01:40
I will be stocking up the house with supplies and moving our belongings for the next two weeks.
01:47
Would you mind spreading the word to all of the unseen members of the home?The rest of the day I will be going room to room cleaning to make the house move in ready.
01:58
Of course, dear, he said, fading into nothing.
02:02
Heading to the attic, I started to sweep and mop the floor.
02:07
By the time Scott had finished cleaning the shop and adding all the locks, we had the living room, kitchen and pantry to clean.
02:17
As we cleaned, Scott said.
02:18
I saw your stack of Mason jars on the floor and the food saver.
02:22
Good idea getting them ready.
02:25
Oh, Cam.
02:27
While I clean the workshop, I found a basket of old hand tools for furniture making.
02:33
Those would be mine, son, a voice said from the stairs.
02:38
We turned and found a gentleman in farmers clothing standing there.
02:43
However, as I cannot use them, I will be glad for you to use them.
02:49
Scott said.
02:50
Thank you, Sir.
Part 15
"We ain't formal around here, son," He said. "My name is Malakai. I lived on this land since eighteen twenty. I know you are Scott, as I heard Cami talking to Thomas about that wash tub for your clothes."
"Well, hello Malakai, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said. "We are almost finished here and will head to the greenhouse next if you and anyone else want to join us."
He nodded and faded out. We were finishing up when we heard a knock at the door, and Scotts guy and the cable company arrived. Scott left, and I showed the cable man to the office to have our internet set up. I left the cable man to do his work and finished cleaning the remaining rooms. The technician said, "I will be in and out. Where will I find you when finished?"
Scott walked in and said, "We will be in the greenhouse. Right through the door there."
We went to the greenhouse, and I started to go through the seeds and bulbs while Scott planted the plants we got. While we did that and waited for the cable technician to finish, Scott said, "I was right that piping is for black water and has a water hook up. So we can offer to lay cement this weekend, and they can move the RV to here."
"Good," I said. "When you make the pad, make it a little bigger so Shiloh can have a patio."
"Good idea," He said. "What do we want to charge them in rent?"
"I would say $600 a month. That is half of what Shiloh pays in rent now," I said.
We continued to work in the garden, and the technician came to the door. "Excuse me, Miss, if you have a moment, we can get your internet-ready on your computer and both your phones. Then you will be good to go."
Going inside we set everything up on our phones and the computer. The technician had me sign the paperwork and said, "Listen, I know you both probably walked the property, but you have a lot of bad limbs, and they are predicting a nasty storm system this fall."
"Thank you," Scott said. "We just walked the property yesterday, and this weekend, after I lay cement, I plan on cutting many limbs and thinning the trees."
We shut the door and went back to the greenhouse. I said, "The technician is gone, everyone. You can come out now."
Thomas and Malakai came out and looked over what we had planted. Thomas said, "The rest are shy, but in due time, they will introduce themselves as well."
We chatted with Thomas and Malakai as we gardened. Malakai asked us, "Who is Shane and Shiloh?"
"They are good friends of ours," I said. "They live in the community that we do, but have a home on wheels that we are going to let them move to the property to get out of the area we live. They will be towards the end of the driveway where the waste and water connectors are."
He nodded and asked, "Are they good people?"
"Yes, they are," I said. "Shane was in the military, and Shiloh was a teacher but had some physical issues. Being out here will help her."
Thomas turned to Scott, saying, "We will welcome them with open arms. Now, son, do you fish?"
Laughing, Scott said, "I sure do, sir. I cannot wait to fish the river."
"Good gracious, I believe you both will be perfect here," He said.
When we finished planting in the garden, we cleaned up the house, and I told the ghosts we would both be back and forth the next two weeks to bring supplies and our belongings. On the way home, we asked Shane and Shiloh to join us at the house. We offered to let them move onto the property. Then Shane and Scott planned on going out to the property to lay forms for the pad for the RV next to the water and black water hook-up.
Shiloh laughed as she said, "Well, Cami, I guess I will do the same as you and start going through everything in the house."
Shiloh and I sat talking while Scott told Shane we needed to thin trees and cut branches. Shane offered to help and said they could all use wood for grilling and their outdoor wood stove. We told him about our wood stove, fireplaces, and the fire pit area by the front of the house. When they left, Scott made sandwiches and asked, "Should I go in late? Do you want me to stay for when Dennis gets here?"
"No need," I said. "However, I will call you after Dennis leaves if there is enough time before my meeting."
We lay in bed watching a movie, knowing that tomorrow would be interesting. When we woke up the following morning, Scott left for work, and I moved my computer to a table in the guest room. I grabbed a garbage bag and a few laundry baskets. I grabbed my headset and mouse for the meeting, going into the guest room to start sorting. Going through all my old things was fun, but I realized I would not wear most of them anymore. I had two full garbage bags full of clothes and one full bag of hangers. That is when I heard knocking at the door. Pulling the bags behind me, I saw Dennis and opened the door. Giving him a smile, I asked, "Hello, Dennis, do they know you are here?"
"Hey, Cami," Dennis replied as I tossed the bags to my SUV.
I came down the stairs and said, "Please have a seat. I did not realize how many old clothes I had. I have to drop them off at the homeless shelter after I finish with the meeting."
He sat at the table and said, "No, but when I knock on their door, they will. You are not the only person who texted me, and they were very pushy and threatening to everyone. I may be moving another manager up here by the end of the week if they do not give me good answers. Also, I typed this letter out for you. I am releasing you from the remainder of your lease, and I had it notarized, so it's legit. You and Scott have been amazing tenants, and I hope he will continue to work in the community with his repair business."
I took the letter, put it in my sweater pocket, and said, "I am sure he will. Also, please do not tell them we are going. I have a feeling they are planning something."
"Your secret is safe with me," He said. "I have a guy walking around the park now looking for cameras."
"Dennis," called a man in Dennis's community shirt, walked up to us.
"Hey Larry, this is Cami," He said. "What did you find?"
"Cami was right, Dennis," He said. "I used our map of the cameras, and we have in the park for security and found twelve more. The last one I found faces your office window, Cami."
Dennis swore under his breath and said, "Cami, I am so sorry for that invasion of privacy."
He went to stand up when we heard, "Oh, Dennis, what are you doing here?"
Becca stood at the gate and looked scared. Dennis smiled at me and said, "Cami, I will speak with you later today about work for Scott I am planning. Becca, where is Mason?"
"He is at the house." She said. "What is going on?"
"I would get him and meet us in the office. I want to have a word with you both," He said.
Locking up my SUV, I went inside and continued with the closet after I set up with work. While I was setting up, I received a message from my boss saying, "Do not put your camera on and continue to do what you have been doing this morning."
During the meeting, I got a text from Shiloh that said, "What happened? I heard screaming from the office."
I replied to her, telling her about my conversation with Dennis and how they found the camera in the trees facing my office."
She replied with a message that said, "Shit."
My last message was from Dennis, and he said, "Text me when your meeting is out."
When our meeting ended at 11:30, I texted Dennis, and he replied, "I will be there in a few."
He arrived and said, "I fired them. They have three days to leave, or I will make things difficult for them. They could not tell me why there were twelve new cameras in the park that I never authorized or had access to. They could also not tell me why they wanted inspections. I have a manager starting this weekend, and I told him what is happening with you and Scott. Larry and I will be around today, removing all the cameras and handing them to the police. If the police need to speak to you, I will give them your number."
"Thank you," I said. "Now that I finished with work for today, I am heading out to get my house fully stocked. Being in the country, I am batting down the hatches and enjoying not having to go to town so much. If the police need to speak with me, tell them to call."
I went into the guest room, gathered all my work items, and put it back in the office. I grabbed the bags of the donations for the homeless shelter and loaded them into the SUV. While on my way out to Rural King, I dropped off the donations, then called Scott and told him everything that happened that morning. Then, I passed along the message that Dennis still wants to give his company work.
Scott said, "Well, I will contact him later tomorrow about work. But Cami, I am so sorry you had to feel that privacy invasion. Even though we are moving now, I am glad the community will be left in better hands. I need to return to work, but we should be out there to set the forms for Shane and Shiloh's RV later this afternoon. I love you, and be safe."
I do not enjoy shopping, but loading up the cart with things I wanted from Rural King was fun, and I bought out their stock of different-size mason jars. I wanted us to be as self-sufficient as possible, and with a massive pantry to fill, I knew I could now fulfill that. I grabbed sacks of oats, wheat berries, and other items for the pantry, and I lucked out as they were going to remodel the store and had all their food product at a discount. I made multiple trips inside the store and loaded the SUV down. After grabbing an iced coffee, I headed to our cabin in the woods. I pulled in right before Scott and Shane showed up to start their project. They helped me bring everything in, and I went to organize the pantry when I heard, "You do not want to go to the store again, do you?"
Looking up, I smiled and said, "We meet again."
"Hello, dear," The elderly woman from Walmart said, "My name is Ellie. I am sorry I spooked you that day. I was interested in what you wanted to do around here. Please accept my apology. I meant no harm."
"Ellie, you did have me worried for you," I said. "Would you like me to pull out a chair so you can sit down?"
"Yes, Please." She said. "Now, tell me all about what you purchased when you shopped today."
"Ellie, I lucked out today," I said. "I went to a farming supply store, and they are remodeling. All of their food items were on sale. Although, I will be doing a lot of purchasing in the next week or two. I will be going to the stores less often after we move in. Well, except for milk and eggs."
Malakai appeared and said, "Well, young one, chickens are not hard to raise. I am willing to give you and Scott pointers if you wish after you settle. Cows are a pain in the ass, but the reward of fresh milk and cream is always a benefit to the home."
"Well, I have a problem with milk," I said. "I love cheese and dairy, but I am lactose intolerant. So I drink milk produced from nuts or rice, depending on what I can get."
"You can get milk from nuts and rice?" Malakai asked, "Well, that is something. If you cannot drink plain milk, that is a good thing. How do you make the milk?"
"Well, Malakai," I said. "You first soak the nuts for two to four hours. Then drain and rinse them. You blend the nuts with a cup of water. The liquid is the milk. You strain the milk from the mash."
"Is that a waste of nuts, though?" He asked.
"For some, yes," I said. "I know many people who throw away the mashed nuts. But I do not. Once I drain the liquid, I lay the crushed nuts on a baking pan and dry them in the oven. I then process them into a powder or flour. It still holds the nutrients and can be used for flour or as a coating on food."
"See, that's why I like you," Ellie said. "You have a good mindset of a woman who should live in the cabin."
"I hate waste," I said. "I am always finding ways to reuse things."
Finding the new cleaning rags, socks, and t-shirts I purchased for Scott and me, I walked to the greenhouse and started a load of laundry. When I returned, I continued to talk with Malakai and Ellie as I put everything I purchased away. They visited for a while and disappeared. By the time I finished putting the food away, I had finished washing, drying, and putting the laundry away. Scott came in with Shane, and Scott looked at the progress of the pantry, asking me, "Got some good deals?"
"Very," I said. "Are you guys done for today?"
"Yes," Scott said. "How did the sorting go while you worked your meeting?"
"I donated four bags of clothes from the guest room closet to the homeless shelter, and I do not feel like I made a dent," I said. "I did get everything from Rural King put away, so that's a plus. I tested the washer and dryer with a load of items I bought, and that's good to go. Since I work and have a meeting tomorrow, I will be getting a bit more done in the house. I forgot to bring the clothes I sorted already, but I will load them in the SUV when I return to the house. It's also early, so I may work on packing when I get home. By packing, I mean throw it into laundry baskets and bring it here to unpack."
Scott laughed and said, "Alright. Well, let's get some takeout tonight, and I will help. I know I have a full side in the second closet in that room to go through. One good thing about moving is getting rid of things we do not need."
We went to leave, and I called out to the ghosts, "See you tomorrow."
As we all went outside, Shane said, "Did someone reply bye?"
I looked at Scott and said, "You can explain that to him on the way home."
When we returned to the rental, we found Shiloh reading a book on our porch. She said, "Oh, the drama you missed."
Scott ran inside and grabbed him and us all drinks. When he came out, he asked, "Okay, Shiloh, what did we miss?"
"Well, I was walking over to check the house while you were out getting the forms set for the RV," She said. "I came to your house from the back way just in case, and I am glad I did. Mason was pounding on the door, yelling for Cami. I yelled at him and told him you were dealing with family business. He was so mad. He told me you ruined everything, and he would get you. I saw Becca a while later, and she was so mad bringing boxes into her house."
"Well," I said. "Becca and Mason should not have done what they did then. In my heart, I know they are up to something, and knowing Mason's past, I would not doubt he was casing the joint."
Scott said, "I would suggest you both start packing to get ready to move. Who knows how many people they were watching? They may have done the same to you."
Shiloh laughed, "Oh, I packed most of my crafting cupboard. Then, I went through three bookshelves and purged my closet. Cami, if you could come by later, I can add my donations to yours for the homeless shelter."
"I will drive you home and pick them up. Scott is going to order pizza and pick it up," I said. "We plan on working in the guest room and adding more items to the truck tonight. I have a meeting at nine in the morning and work till one in the afternoon. I will be working then dropping the donations off and more shopping for the house."
We talked for a bit longer. I drove Shiloh and Shane back to their house so they could settle for the night, and I could load the donations in my SUV. When I returned, Scott said, "I ordered the pizza for delivery and checked the cameras. Shiloh was right, and Mason was mad. I made a copy of the video and emailed it to Dennis."
We went to the guest room, and I asked Scott, "Do we need the twin bed?"
"No, let's get the mattress in the SUV, and then I can add the frame while you continue to sort and pack," He said. "Anything you want to go over to the house, I can drop it off on my way to work so you do not have to double back and pack the SUV again."
"That sounds like a plan," I said. "You can drop everything into the living room, and I will put it away once I get there."
Scott finished taking apart the bed, and we found bags of clothes under it that we had forgotten about. We continued to go through the room. When the pizza arrived, we ate and continued with the sorting. When our alarm for nine at night went off, we stopped sorting. Scott added the stuff we decided to keep in his truck, and I placed the rest of the donations in mine. We agreed it may take longer to pack the house than we thought.
The following morning, we overslept, and Scott ran to bring things to the new house. Running into the office, I logged in for the meeting, and since I did not have time to move the computer, I just started to sort things on my old desk. Since our new office was big, I decided we should bring this desk for Scott to use since he had everything thrown on the kitchen or dining room table. I started packing my books during the meeting. I could not believe I had so many books and decided they were all coming with me. Those built-in bookshelves in the office would come in handy. By the time the meeting ended, I had packed most of my books and pushed the boxes next to the wall. Since I had time before I started my short work shift, I decided to go to the donation center. When I got back, Scott had just got home, and I said, "I work from eleven to one, remember? Don't worry, I almost forgot as well. I figured I had an hour, so I dropped everything off in the truck, and I have a few boxes of books to take to the new house."
He laughed and said, "You were running behind still?"
"No, just pure laziness," I said. "I decided to just stay in the office this morning. I figured between my work calls, I could sort more of the office. Oh, did you want my desk for the new office? I have the big one already there since I will be working at home all day, but if we bring this desk, you have your own for when you need one."
Scott thought about it and said, "That is a great idea. That way, my stuff isn't all over the kitchen table, and I can put the files inside the desk instead of a box. Let me know when it is ready. I will move it to the house. I think the big desk is in front of the front windows facing the room. I can put mine along the other windows facing the room also."
Going into the kitchen, I made us a quick lunch and said, "Sounds like a plan."
Scott kissed me and took his food to head to his next job. I grabbed my food and walked into the office. Sitting down at my computer, I loaded up my work for the day. Between calls, I went through some files in the filing cabinet. I shredded the files of everything I was purging and added the remaining to my keep box to put inside my desk at the new house. Looking at the bags of shredded files, I kept the bags to use in the wood oven and fireplace as fire starters. When I finished my shift at one, I logged off. I loaded the books and files into the car along with the paper shavings, making sure that everything in the house was locked.
Starting the truck, I heard Shiloh yell out, "Cami."
I pulled up to her, and she said, "Hey, go the other way. Mason and Becca have people taking boxes from their house, and I keep hearing Mason say he will see you soon."
"Good idea," I said. "Text me around five if you have any more donations. I took everything over this morning between my meeting and work. Scott is meeting me at the new house when he gets off work. Then we are back to continue going through the house."
"Oh good, I was going to ask," She said. "I have a few end tables I am getting rid of. Shane said Scott is off tomorrow, and they are pouring the concrete."
"Yes, they are," I said. "I am off tomorrow as well. I plan on doing major shopping after dropping off donations and such. If you want, you can come with me tomorrow and then out to the house."
"Oh yes," She said. "I would love that. I would love to meet the ghosts."
"Yeah, so far, we met three, but there are a bunch on the property," I said. "But let me get going. I am off to the bulk place today."
"Okay, Cami," She said. "See you later."
I turned my SUV around and headed out of the community at the other entrance. Heading to the bulk place, I turned up the music. When I pulled into the parking lot, I locked up the truck and went inside. I loved this store as everything was nonperishable and in bulk quantities or weight. Everything in the store was supposed to be placed in containers when you got home. Grabbing the massive box of freezer zipper bags, mesh bags, and a permanent marker from my purse, I started to shop.
When I filled my cart, I saw they had prebagged items in a clearance section, and Sandy, the owner, said, "We had way too much come in, and I decided to have a sale. There is nothing wrong with it just too much to keep in stock. You know how I am."
"Sandy," I laughed. "You kill me. Would you want to grab a second cart for me? I am loading up my new house, and I have plenty of Mason jars to store all this."
Sandy gave me a second cart, and I started at one end of the shelves and went to the other. I filled a second cart with all the different types of items she had. I was surprised to see a lot of spices and bouillons. Then I noticed she had freeze-dried meats and vegetables and added them as well. When I got both carts to the end, I said, "I may be back tomorrow."
After I loaded the truck, I headed to End of the Line Grocery. This store had many items that were right before their expiration date. Most people know many items can be stored and used after the dates if they are frozen or stored correctly. I walked the aisles. I filled a cart and headed to the checkout. As I was getting to the front of the store, I heard attention shoppers for the next two hours frozen food is 50% off. If you need an extra cart, we have them here. I turned around and headed to the frozen department. As I grabbed a second cart, one of the workers said, "I can take your cart up front for you. Just tell me your name."
"Oh, thank you," I said. "My name is Cami."
"Okay, Cami," He said. "My name is Ben. I will be upfront with the cart. Can I have you grab your drink and purse, please?"
I grabbed my drink and bag. Thanking Ben, I continued around the frozen department. Overfilling a second cart, I headed to the checkout, and Ben brought me the rest of my things. When I finished checking out, I was up to three carts. Ben helped me load everything into my SUV. I decided I may need more mason jars. Doing a quick run into Walmart, I ignored everything but getting the mason jars I needed. As I filled the cart, I heard, "I was wondering where you would be today."
Lifting my head, I smiled and said, "Hello, Ellie. I was going to be heading to the cabin in a few minutes. I had to work this morning. Then I went to the stores and found some great deals. I was worried I may run out of storage jars and vacuum bags."
"Oh good," She said with a smile. "Well, I will ensure one of the boys opens the door for you."
"Wait, Ellie," I said. "I have a question."
"What is it, dear," Ellie asked.
"How many are you on the property," I asked.
She smiled and said, "There are 105 of us. Not all of us are around all the time."
"Thank you, Ellie," I said as she faded away, and I went to the checkout after I bought almost all the jars they had and headed to the cabin.
When I pulled my SUV up to the cabin and parked, the door opened, and Malakai appeared near my SUV. He said, "I wish we could help you unload Cami."
Laughing, I said, "Never worry, Malakai, I get a good workout doing this."
When I finished unloading everything, I grabbed my bag and the Sushi I got for lunch and headed into the house. I pulled a chair out for Ellie and the guys and said, "Hello, everyone."
As I waited for the ghosts to arrive, I took a bite of my food and moved the mason jars to the pile. Leaving a big pack open on the table, I grabbed the first bag of frozen and started arranging the freezers. Coming out of the pantry, I saw Ellie sitting in her chair, and I said, "I told you I was coming home."
"Well, Cami," She said. "After seeing the piles of items, I understand why. Why so much food, dear?"
"Because Ellie," I said. "Before long, it will be storm season, and the way the economy is going, we need to be prepared."
"I miss the news," She said. "When I was a young girl, I read the paper after Papa, then my husband."
"Well, Ellie, if you wish, I will set the TV up so you can hear the news," I said.
Malakai took that moment to appear and seemed to lean on the Mason Jar pile as he asked, "Is the TV the thing the last guardian used to watch at night? The big box thing?"
"Do you mean my Dad," I asked.
"Oh no, Cami, not your Dad," Ellie said, patting my arm. "I guess you would be his great niece. He was an awful man, not kind at all. He died in the back forty, and your Dad found him. Your Dad stayed by the river in a tent. He was a good man, Cami. Your Dad just had his issues."
John walked in and said, "Maybe that is enough information for today. Cami, we will share things with you when you move in, alright? But for now, let me say your father loved you, but he made a promise to your mother about contacting you, and that broke him. So, my dear girl, why don't you tell me about everything here."
She said, "I hate it here."
"No one is keeping you here Karen," I said. "If you can you can move to the other side. You have been warned. Also I am turning the attic into a guest room and storage space so be prepared for changes."
I went back downstairs and everyone joined me as I explained all the items I was sorting and putting away. Karen started watching from the living and she slowly moved to the doorway of the kitchen. When I put a jar of oats in the daily use shelf near the stove I pulled out a chair for her. Slowly she walked over and sat down. Ellie gave me a look of knowing.
When I got to the freeze dry meat Malaki asked, "Freeze dried?"
"Ok as a farmer did you ever dry your vegetables for long term use?" I asked.
"Yes," He said. "Like corn and peas and oats."
"Okay take that concept," I said. "That is what we call dehydrating were you pull all the moisture. In freeze drying you take meat and it does a further process once it is fully finished it can store for up to twenty years or more."
Karen looked at it and asked, "How do you cook it?"
I took a mason far and filled it with hot water. I dropped a few pieces in a jar, "Okay that will take a few minutes to rehydrate. These were great deals. With the way things are going in the economy I am loading the house now to keep us stocked with food."
After about twenty minutes I drained the water from the mason car and took a paper plate and put the meat on it. Showing everyone the chicken pieces, I popped one in my mouth as I said, "See it plumps up and good to go. Oh this one is a garlic and herb flavor, that is nice."
It took me another thirty minutes to put everything away and then went to unpack the items I had for the office. As I bought the baskets back down stairs and went to unpack what Scott dropped off he came in. Coming over he gave me a kiss and said, "Hey baby I love coming home to you here a bunch more."
"Well welcome home," I said. "I was almost done unpacking all this."
Scott looked at the pile and said "This all goes to our room right?"
Nodding I went to answer as Karen walked in from the kitchen. She looked up and said, "Oh Cami I am sorry I didn't know there was company."
"Your fine Karen," I said. "This is my boyfriend Scott he came to help me finish unpacking and putting things away so we can get back to the other house and sort things we are moving here."
She nodded and asked, "Since I can turn pages I was going to ask if you could leave a book on the table that I could read or read to the other ghosts."
"Sure which book," I asked.
"I saw you had Lord Of The Rings," She said. "Could you leave that at the kitchen table with a chair or the chairs out?"
I ran upstairs and came back with the book, I placed the book at the head of the table and pulled out the chairs so others may sit. Scott and I grabbed the baskets from the living room and headed to the bedroom. We made quick work of unpacking and Shaun put all the baskets in my SUV as I swept the floor. Washing the mason jar and lid I placed them in the dish wash rack. When Scott came in he saw everything in the daily use cabinet and the storage and freezers. He laughed and said, "Well at least if there is an emergency we will be good."
"When we leave the house do you want to drop off everything that we are keeping and then I can take donations and shop?" I asked.
"Yes," He said. "Did you think about a guest room?"
"Funny you should mention that," I said. Leading him up to the attic I said, "When I was cleaning I realized the fan in here. We can build a wall there for storage with a door and insulate the remaining part of the attic."
He said, "I can start the room tomorrow after we pour the concreate. I have it being delivered at 8am. So once we smooth it Shane and I can build the patrician and put a door in. That way when we get to all the storage things we will be ready."
When we got back downstairs Karen was reading to Malakai. She looked up and said, "Thank you Cami. I just ask you please put a book mark in when you move the book tomorrow."
"Karen can you open and close the book?" I asked.
"Yes I can," She said. "Why do you ask?"
"Do you see the ribbon," I said. "You should be able to pull it forward and it will mark your place so you can shut the book."
She tried it and was able to move the ribbon. She then shut the book and reopened it. Looking at me she said, "Oh Cami Thank you."
"Your welcome Karen," I said. "Also I will be placing a small table and Reading chairs on the balcony so once we do that you will be more than welcome to read up there as well."
Malakai looked up and said, "Cami thank you when your father was here he got books for us as well and even though Karen can be grumpy she does read well and we love the stories."
Scott popped in and said, "Well besides the books we will bring a TV soon. We do not have cable but we can stream shows and movies for you."
"Scott we need to have our mail switched to here," I said. "I have everything done we should stop by the post office before they close. Have a nice night guys remember you will meet Shiloh tomorrow."
We got into our trucks and got to the post office in enough time to transfer everything to the new house. They told us they will let the post man know after two weeks to forward everything. Since we were there daily I said it could be effective immediately. When we left the post office I told Scott I had to stop at Shiloh's to get her donations for tomorrow so we can add ours in. After Grabbing Shiloh's donations I drove to the house. When I pulled up Scott was arguing with Mason and Becca was filming it. I got out of my SUV and said, "Get off my property now."
Scott looked at me and I said, "Babe just go inside I have the videos uploading now and I am calling the police."
Becca started to get up in my face and said, "We took out your camera."
"Really well that's funny because we have four cameras in this area so good luck Becca," I said. Scott locked our cars and we went inside as I called the police and Scott called Dennis.
I grabbed a bag of clothes from the guest room as we waited for the police. Scott pulled up the security feed on his laptop while he waited for the police. He looked at me and said, "Well I guess its something to do why we wait. What do you want me to do?"
"Can you get the biscuits in the oven while we are waiting," I asked. "There is a can in the fridge. The stew is done in the crock pot already."
Scott placed the pan in the oven when there was a knock at the door. He opened it and invited the police in. He explained to the officer the situation and said, "The owner of the community would like to speak with you as well before you talk to them."
The officer agreed and Scott got Dennis on the phone. After Scott handed the phone over I went and got another bag from the room and continued on with my sorting. The officer spoke with Dennis then handed the phone to me and said, "The owner requested to speak with you Miss."
"Hey Dennis," I said.
"Cami are you alright?" He asked.
"I am," I said. "Shiloh gave me the heads up they were mad when I was leaving this afternoon. I did not expect them to be here when I got home from the other house."
"Are you going to be home tomorrow?" He asked.
"No Scott is off tomorrow and so am I," I said. "I am still stocking the new house and working around my work. We were planning on leaving around seven. Well at least I am."
Scott looked up from the video he was showing the officer and said, "I was planning on leaving the same time."
"Scratch that," I said. "Scott was planning on leaving at the same time. Shane and Shiloh are going to be helping us tomorrow."
"Alright Becca and Mason needed to be out by 2pm tomorrow. I will be on site after 8am," Dennis said. "If not they get their final warning and 48 hours and then police will be involved."
"Sounds good Dennis," I said. "If you need me let me know I will be in town and can head back here if you need me to."
"Okay Cami try to have a good night," He said.
I hung up the phone and handed Scott his phone. Looking at the officer I asked, "Can I go outside for a moment I have to get baskets from my SUV I am using for the items I am not donating."
The officer looked at me and said, "I will walk you out. Will you be going outside again after that?"
"Yes," I said. "The people here do not know we are moving and I ask you not say anything to them. Scott's truck is holding the stuff going to the new home and mine is donations going to the homeless shelter. We had planned to get more packing done tonight as during the day we are working in the new house."
"Alright," He said. "After I speak to them I will come back and speak with you. I will walk you out right now so you can get your baskets."
He saw there was items in my SUV and I said, "My neighbor is going to be moving as well so I picked up her donations so she did not have to worry about them."
The officer waited until I was inside and went to talk with Becca and Mason. Scott was dishing up dinner and said, "Take a break babe and eat some."
We sat down and ate while we were waiting for the officer to come back. We were eating when we saw two more cop cars go past. When we were finished eating Scott put the dishes in the dishwasher. We grabbed the donation bag and the baskets and went into the guest room. We continued with the sorting and Scott moved the side tables we did not want to my SUV after we cleaned them out. I had him put the sitting table in his truck as well as the two lamps. We continued to pack when we heard a knock at the door. Scott looked at me and said, "I will get it, you keep sorting."
Filling another basket of clothes I was keeping I went to put them outside in Scotts truck. The officer turned to me and said, "Be safe Miss. There will be an officer in the park most of the night as the two people in question cooled down but they started to make comments to people who were walking."
When we went back inside Scott said, "Becca and Mason denied everything but the officer called them out after seeing the video. Dennis warned them on the phone when the denied they had till tomorrow to leave."
Shaking my head I said, "Lets just continue sorting. I cannot wait till we are in the cabin."
We kept sorting until our alarm went off. After we showered and got ready for bed we fell asleep to a movie. Around two in the morning we were woken up to yelling outside our place.
Scott got up and went to the window. Looking at me he said, "Stay here I will go see what's going on."
After he went outside I put on some sweats and went to the kitchen. When he came in he was shaking his head. He looked at me and said, "The police were coming through and they found Mason trying to get the door to a neighbors house open. I need to check our cameras."
There was a knock at the door and the officer came in. He apologized for the intrusion and Scott loaded up his laptop. He pulled up the time frame and we had a video of Mason trying to get into our shed and my SUV. Scott downloaded it and sent it to the officer's phone. When the officer confirmed he had it he wished us a good night and left.
Standing up from the chair I was in Scott said, "Well I guess we have a few more hours till we have to get up lets get some sleep."
When our alarms went off at six I groaned and said, "I don't want to."
Laughing Scott said, "Come on babe we can get a lot done today."
Rolling out of bed I said, "I cannot believe Mason tried robbing people knowing the cops were going to be in the park."
"Me either," Scott said. "Keep the volume up on your phone incase Dennis calls you."
Nodding I said, "Hey if you can that table in your truck goes in the loft area when you unload. Can you please put it upstairs next to the window. I will unpack the rest after we get to the house and put the food away."
He nodded and said, "Sure thing babe. I am going to get the cement laid and when that is done we are going to finish the attic and start cutting back trees. Shane and me should get a large amount of fire wood for us and them by the time we are done cleaning up the grounds."
"Oh i need to also let you know," I said. "I asked Ellie how many spirits there are."
"Am I going to be surprised with the number?" He asked.
"She said 105," I said. "But she said some are on the grounds only at certain times of the year."
"I will talk to Shane when we go out there," He said. "You may want to explain all of this to Shiloh."
I grabbed my bag and my water bottle. Getting my wallet out I said, "Well I am going to see how much I can knock out with the shopping. Just think baby we should be in the house by the beginning of June."
He came over and wrap his arms around me saying, "That will be a good thing. I am hoping by the end of next week we can be working on everything here and moved in by next weekend. I think you will be inspired to write more."
Smiling I said, "Yeah speaking of that. I was thinking about getting a second laptop to use for work and retiring my old one for writing only."
Kissing my forehead he said, "Cami buy one you deserve it. If you want to think about it wait till we are moved in. I want you to buy things you enjoy you work so hard. Think about it we can fish and you can bring your laptop to write while waiting for your rod to get a bite."
He walked me out to my SUV and I went to pick up Shiloh. While we headed to the homeless shelter I said, "Shiloh I need to tell you a secret about the property."
"What is it Cami?" She asked.
Sighing I said, "Its haunted."
Laughing she said, "Is that all? You told me already."
"By 105 spirits," I said. "However these spirits make themselves known and you can have full conversations."
"Well," She said. " I guess I will never be lonely. Will I meet some today?"
"Maybe," I said. "Usually they join us when we are unpacking and putting the stuff from the stores away."
"Well I hope I can meet some today," She said.
We pulled up to the shelter and they helped us unload the donations. They thanked both us and I said, "I will see you tomorrow I am sure."
When we left I said, "I want to go to the asian store but the bulk store had some really good deals."
"Well I am going to pick some stuff up today if you don't mind," She said. "Shane and Scott drove the RV over last night before he met you and its on the driveway. They wanted to charge us another $260 to hold it for another week. I can put the non perishable I buy inside in bins I have in there. I have to get more mason jars and I could have sworn I had a bunch at the house. Maybe I will find them as I clean everything."
"Of course," I said. "I can load the bed of the SUV as my third row is down and you can use the back seat."
We headed to the bulk store and grabbed carts. I went to the prepacked section and we both loaded our carts. When I grabbed a second cart I asked Shiloh, "did you need to shop the bins?"
"Not today," She said. "These package things will hold until I can organize the pantry room. I know the RV is a bit fancy but it was the one thing my husband wanted and bought before he passed. He knew I wanted one with a nice kitchen so instead of a third bedroom he made sure we had a nice pantry."
After we checked out we went to the local Tractor Supply and Doller General. As we walked the aisle I said, "I think we are doing good with space in the SUV. I think its time for the Asian store. Do not be surprised if I go in and out a few times."
We pulled up to the Asian store and we both loaded our purchases to the SUV a few times. When we finished we decided since we had some room we would go to the Dollar tree next door as it was the biggest in the area. We ended up doing a few purchases inside and finally filled the SUV to the brim. We drove out to the Cabin and Shiloh said, "Oh man this is beautiful I cannot wait to walk the property and explore."
The guys had just finished the cement when we pulled up and we brought all of Shiloh's stuff inside the SUV. Scott said, "This should be dried by Saturday or Sunday at the latest. Then we will get you set up so you can start moving your stuff in. Cami we will follow you so we can help you bring everything in and put it away. Karen was excited to see the table for the loft. When we left they were still reading in the kitchen. So we will put everything on the floors and counters so she can still read to Malakai."
When we got to the cabin I opened the SUV and grabbed bags and the door opened for us. Shiloh was following me in and I said, "That pile can wait till we get all this packaged in jars or vacuum bags."
We came into the kitchen and I said, "Hello Karen and Malakai. This is Shiloh. Karen would you like me to move the book to the living room as we may make some noise while we put all of this away."
Karen shut the book and said, "No your alright Cami. We were going to walk the property in a bit and we just got to a good stopping point. If you could leave the chairs and book for later we would appreciate it."
Shiloh sat on a corner chair and said, "Okay Cami what would you like packaged?"
"Could you package the dried goods I have some started jars there," I said. "There is more Mason Jars along the wall I may have bought out Walmart a few times."
With Shiloh's help we made quick work of getting everything put in jars and putting everything away. When we were done we went to my boxes in the living room and before long all of those items were put away. Looking at the time I realized it was only one in the afternoon. We decided that since we had time still we would start at Big Lots and Family Dollar. Even though I hated spending money I knew getting what we needed now would be easier once we moved in. While in Big Lots I found a laundry sorter I had wanted and many clearance and sale items. I decided since we were close to head to Sid's Meat Market. Explaining to the clerk I was moving in and trying to stock up he was more than willing to package everything to the weight I wanted. While I ordered at of the counter Shiloh started browsing the shelves. When I had purchased everything we started looking at the packaged goods and we both filled our carts.
Heading home we dropped Shiloh's items at the RV and headed back to the house. Scott and Shane were inside getting a drink and Scott put together my laundry sorter together for me as I took tags off items and placed the laundry in it until I could wash them tomorrow. Once Scott and Shane went outside Shiloh and I finished putting everything away and I left the almost filled jars on the center of the table. We decided it would be a good time to cook dinner and continue on sorting the houses. We found the guys and Scott said, "If you guys do not mind we are going to cut more wood until the sun goes down."
Walking over I said, "Sure babe. I am going to get dinner set up for when you get home. Is burgers and fries okay with you?"
Scott agreed, "Yes. We have another hour and will head home. Between Shane and I we got wood in the shop, In the wood pen for them and our wood bins as well. We got most of the front yard and along the path to the river cleaned up. By next week we should have a lot more done. We noticed there are marked trails all along the property. So we will start clearing them next week."
Shiloh and I went inside to get our bags and I set the chairs so everyone could sit as Karen read to them and called out, "I will see you all tomorrow."
We left and headed home. When I dropped Shiloh off she said, "Do not worry about donations from me tonight I may have over did it so I think I might make dinner and watch TV tonight."
"Okay Shiloh," I said. "Thank you so much for your help today and if you need anything call me please."
Driving over to the house I saw a truck parked in front. When I pulled up a man stepped out and said, "Are you Cami?"
"Yes I am," I said. "How can I help you?"
"Dennis hired me as park Manager and I wanted to introduce myself," He said. "My name is Mike."
"Hi Mike," I said. "I hope things calm down for the residents now that your in charge."
He chuckled and said, "Same. Listen Dennis explained everything and I am so sorry you went through that. I understand your situation and I just wanted to ask. Do you think the house will need many repairs once you move?"
Shaking my head I said, "No the house should be move in ready. Scott and I maintain the home and the most if you wanted is clean the rugs. We just painted last year and we did that in a cream color."
He let out a breath of relief and said, "Thank you. I know you were busy today so I will let you be. Let Scott know I will talk to him later this week. I will be in my camper at the manager house as they destroyed that house and I would like to hire Scott to do some repairs. Also they are out now. Becca just has to come pack a few more things tomorrow and she knows if she bothers anyone she will be charged with harassment."
Feeling a weight off my shoulders I said, "Thank you Mike. See you soon."
Grabbing the baskets from the SUV I went into the house I got the fries on a pan and took the burgers out to thaw. Deciding I didn't want to be in the spare room I went into the closet in the living room and before long had it cleaned out with only had a small pile for Scott to go through. When he came in he said, "I met Mike at Shane's house. I guess they trashed the house and needs someone to do a lot of drywall. I told him I would swing by at 8am to give him an estimate."
"Oh good I was going to tell you I met him when I got home," I said. "When I told him we painted last year and the house may need to only have the rugs cleaned he seemed relieved. Why was he at Shane's?"
"Oh they wanted to give them a year lease," He said. "Shane explained they were moving soon and asked to be month to month. But he explained his Mom was a neat freak so they would only need painting and rugs cleaned."
Looking at Scott I said, "Your exhausted babe. Do me a favor. Just sort the items from the closet that is sitting in there. I will load the items I am not keeping in the back of the SUV and the stuff I am keeping in the second row of seats. I will handle this and then make dinner so you can sit and relax."
"Oh babe I can still drop things off in the morning," He said.
"No its okay," I said. "I work tomorrow anyway till one give or take due to a meeting. I am going to sort and pack during the meeting and work. I will drop off the donations and then I wanted to go to Aldi's after. Then I will be finishing with all the shopping and next week I think I can knock out most of the house."
"Well besides the quote for Mike tomorrow," Scott said. "I only work until one. So instead of Aldi tomorrow how about this. We go to Sam's club since we do not have to rush home. We can get lunch there and load up. That way we can spend some time together and when you fill a cart I can pay and load it up in the SUV and my truck. Then we can hit Aldi up after bringing everything back and put it away."
"That sounds great," I said. "Do you want to sort or shower first?"
"I am going to sort first then I will bring the donations and stuff out," He said. "Did you put the donations out there yet?"
"No the pile of baskets are the keep," I said. "The donations are the boxes there on the chair."
Scott finished sorting the front closet and moved the donations to my SUV and the keepers to his. Then he came in and said, "Shower time."
I went and put the fries in the oven. When I heard our shower go on I started the burgers. Setting the table I got everything out and when Scott came out he asked, "Are those chairs in the sitting room the ones you want for the loft area?"
"Yes they are," I said. "I am going to put them on either side of the table."
"Okay I have to go past there in the morning for a job," He said. "I will drop everything off, including what you had to keep in your truck in the morning and then go to the job."
As I finished the burgers and fries I opened a cabinet and sorted some of our sports bottles and cookbooks. When Scott was done we sat down and ate dinner. Then I got ready for bed while Scott cleaned everything up. We tried to watch a movie but before long we both fell asleep.
The next morning Scott and I woke up and I decided that today would be a good day to start my closet during work. After making us a quick breakfast I moved my laptop to my bed and grabbed the baskets and boxes. I had finally made a dent and moved the donations to the SUV and logged in. I was surprised we were so slow and mentioned that in employee chat. My boss said it had been like that all week. I was happy about that as I continued to sort. When I finished my shift I put the donations in the SUV and grabbed a drink. Looking at the clock I logged into the meeting and continued on. Scott messaged me telling me he was running behind and would be about thirty minutes late. When he got home I was almost a quarter of the way through cleaning out the closet. When I finished filling a donation box he loaded the keepers baskets into his truck as I loaded the donations. After I put my laptop back in the office he followed me to the homeless shelter then to Sam's Club.
We grabbed lunch before we started to shop. When I had just about filled a cart he ran and got another one. He went to pay for everything and when he came back he was pushing another cart. We had fun getting everything bought and by the time we got to the perishable and meat are we filled both carts to the brim. Once we checked out we headed to Aldi and I was glad we had grabbed all my cloth shopping bags and baskets. As we did the same thing with Aldi but quicker due to the perishable we already had. When we pulled up to the house Malakai was on the porch. The door opened and after the first stack of items were brought in Scott said, "Cami start doing your thing and I will bring everything in."
I ran and started a load of towels in the washer then started putting everything away. As I kept the laundry going Scott kept bringing more in and when he was done he joked, "Well boss where do you want me to start?"
"Do you see that pile on the table. It all needs to be put in jars," I said. "There are labels and a marker there. There are some already started jars on the center of the table as well."
Scott got started as I continued to do laundry and put things away. I stacked all the meat so we could package them with the food saver in portions we could use. Getting everything done took a few hours but we finished and unpacked all the things we had with us.
Scott asked, "Is there a lot of laundry?"
"Not really," I said. "I have a load set up to do when I get back tomorrow. I think by Sunday afternoon its going to be going back and forth with trips to the homeless shelter and here with stuff we are donating and keeping. I know Shiloh will have stuff as well."
"I know I will help them get the RV set up once the cement is ready," Scott said. "I checked it this morning and I would say by early Sunday morning they should be good to go."
Looking at Scott I said, "Everything is cleaned up and the baskets are back in the SUV. What do you want to do for dinner?"
"How about I grab a Pizza?" Scott said. "When you get home just shower when you get home and we can watch a movie and eat out of the boxes. No need to make extra dishes."
We called out good bye and headed out the door. When I got home I did shower while waiting for Scott. When he came in he said, "Give me about twenty minutes and we can eat. I got us a pizza, boneless wings, breadsticks and a few cannoli's for desert."
"That sounds good," I said. Scott went to shower and I sorted a little more of the closet. When he came out we sat and watched a movie while we ate.
While we were eating I asked Scott, "In the morning can you put the coolers on the second seat of the SUV and the long one in the back of it?"
"You really want to finish shopping," He asked.
"Yes if I do a big circle I can finish everything in one big trip," I said. "If things go well I can get us here and we can eat leftovers for dinner. The shed is all your work stuff so I figured you can start that Sunday while I go through the house and the homeless shelter has started to take donations on Sunday till four."
"So we should be moved in by next weekend then?" He asked.
"As long as we can get everything done yeah," I said. "I figured our room would be last as our bed is going into the guest room as the mattress in the master bedroom is brand new."
When we woke up the next morning Scott put the coolers in the SUV and Shane walked up saying, "Mom said she will have donations by later tonight if you want to take them. I brought over some furniture today."
"Sure thing Shane," I said. "Scott said you will know more by lunch time when it comes to the cement."
Shane laughed and said, "I just want us moved in. Mom is ready to get over there to get her stuff she brought put away."
"I feel her on that," I said turning to Scott to give him a kiss.
"Call me when you leave your last store," Scott said. "We will help you unload."
After picking up a iced coffee and breakfast sandwich I drove to Target first. Walking through the store I grabbed their deals and filled a cart. Before I left the store I decided it would be smart to grab more mason jars. After Target I headed to Murphy's Market. I shopped their non perishable first and then their meats and cheese area. I was glad I had the coolers in the car for the perishables. Then I hit up Publix and Winn Dixie and shopped their sales. Going to Walmart I decided there was things I wanted to add to our house. I ended up doing a few checkouts and when I was finished I decided why not buy out there mason jars one last time. The last place I stopped was the Farmers Market. I was thankful for the different vendors and by the time I was done the SUV was filled to the brim. I called Scott and asked if they wanted lunch. Scott said yes him and Shane were starving. So I ran back into the Farmer's Market and grabbed a few burger and fries meals.
When I pulled up the guys were on the porch and waiting for me. Scott said, "Just start unpacking as we bring everything in.
I brought the food in and started the washer. When they brought the last of the items in Scott said, "I cannot believe you fit everything in the SUV and you got it done by one in the afternoon."
Laughing I said, "I will need to get basics like eggs, milk and bread before we move in but I got everything to keep us going."
Handing each of the guys a bag of food I opened mine to eat as I sorted and put away They ate and disappeared. As I was finishing emptying the last cooler Scott came in and said, "I will put those in the storage shed off the porch."
Looking around I said, "Did we lose Shane?"
He laughed and said, "Nope. The cement was ready so we moved the RV on it and set it up. He called Shiloh and since she found her mason jars he went to get her so they can start sorting everything she had bought the last couple of days. He told me that tomorrow he will handle taking things to the homeless shelter while they do what we have planned which is to sort and move. I think they want to be out by the end of the week as well."
"Oh good," I said. "I think the atmosphere here will be better for Shiloh."
He said, "So do I. So the guest room is done. What can I do to help?"
"Well I finished sorting the coolers," I said. "If you want to get rid of them first. All that meat on the table needs to be repacked."
After he put the coolers in storage he came back to repackage all the meat and added them in the deep freezer and the house freezer. He laughed and said, "After we bring the last of the freezer stuff from home there will be no room."
We finished unpacking all the items from the stores and I said, "I should just bring the laundry to the house to wash it there all three sections on the bin are full and the last load I washed will be dry in ten minutes. Those are the sheets for the new bed. I can put them on before we leave."
When we finished putting the sheets on the bed Scott said, "Are we having to finish just the house now?"
Sighing I said, "Yes."
Looking at my watch I said, "It is only 430. Why don't we go check on Shane and Shiloh? Then we can head home and get stuff packed."
Scott called out and said, "Remember everyone Shane and Shiloh are going to be here on and off all weekend to moving. They are allowed to be here."
Malakai called out, "We will watch out for them. See you either later or tomorrow."
When we got to the RV Shiloh insisted they were fine and Shane second her. We ate a quick dinner and Scott went into the shed to go through his work things he would be bringing over and I went out to the screen porch and sorted what we would keep and get rid of only stopping a few times to ask Scott if he wanted to keep something. In the end we only kept a few items.
After I put the donations in my SUV Scott came in and said, "I am running to the house to drop off a carload to my shop."
I said, "All the items left on the porch I want for the covered porch."
"I will load that up when I get back," He said.
When Scott left I went into my closet and continued to sort. I added a few boxes to the screened porch and more bags of donations to the SUV. Since I started working from home I didn't need an extensive wardrobe. Of course I kept my favorite pieces but I did donate quite a bit to the homeless shelter. When Scott got back I helped him load up the truck. With everything I had sorted he said, "I guess we will start tomorrow with going to the cabin to bring these items. I cannot believe how big this room is. It seemed smaller when we used it."
Laughing I said, "I agree. But that is another room we are done with."
"Speaking of," Scott said. "Is there anything in particular you would like me to do tomorrow?"
"Yes," I said. "Your closet. That way it is shut and done."
"I think I can do that," He said. "I want to get the shed finished to. I did add a few things to the SUV. What do you think will take you the longest?"
"The garage," I said. "Only because I have all the decorations for the seasons and holiday. I want to look through and see if I want to donate or keep. I know I have extra totes so I do not need to buy more. Everything coming over will be clean and I will be done with the laundry in the morning. It shouldn't take us long to unload and unpack."
We decided to go to bed early so we could get up early. After showering we laid in bed talking until we fell asleep. I woke up around five and could not go to sleep. While Scott was still sleeping I got up and sat on the floor in the sitting room going through the books. There were sone books in there I wanted to donate. I sorted two small shelves and put the donations in the SUV. When Scott came out of the room he asked, "When did you get up?"
"I woke up around five and could not fall back asleep," I said. "So I sorted these two book shelves. I am debating on keeping the shelves. I was thinking of one for the bedroom. To be honest I cannot decide."
Scott looked out the window and said, "Well it looks like we will be inside for a while today."
"Why?" I asked. "After the closets I was going to work on the outdoor patio while you worked on the shed."
He gave me his hand and I looked outside. Shrugging I said, "Well if it rains it rains. We have plenty to do right?"
Scott got dressed and we headed to the cabin after stopping for our morning coffee. When we go there we unloaded the furniture and Scott went to bring stuff to his shop and I brought my clothes to our room. After thirty minutes we were ready to leave and said, "See you later guys."
When we got home Scott went into the shed and I went to the outdoor patio. Knowing we did not have the room for a lot of the items I loaded the SUV full and when the homeless shelter opened for donations I ran a truck load over. When we got back Scott was getting into his truck and said, "I grabbed all the plants for the porch you want me to put them on the front porch right?"
"Yes," I said. "The last of the stuff here I am loading for the homeless shelter as we do have much more need for these. The area with the fire pit we have the chairs in the garage."
Scott left and I went to switched over the laundry. Then I opened the garage and started to sort the containers. By the time Scott came back I had already cleared a whole shelving unit. Labeling the containers with what was in it I added them to Scotts truck. He came in the garage about an hour later and said, "Shed is done and clean. Is the fishing gear going into the outside storage?"
"Yes," I said. "Did we ever get a lock for it?"
"I had a few extra in the shop I put one on when I went back earlier," He said. When we filled his truck again he asked, "Do you want to continue?"
"Yes please," I said. "The SUV is almost full so I will be taking more donations over."
When I filled the SUV I took it over to the shelter and they reminded me they stop taking donations at 415. I told them I would see them before then with what I had. When I got back Scott had loaded the totes I had in a pile and he said, "That storage area in the attic is nice and filling nicely with your decorations. Just think we will not need decorations until the forth of july."
Laughing we continued on and we finished packing up the garage. We went into the house and Scott and I went into the closets in our room. When Scott had finished loading his truck my alarm went off to go to the homeless shelter. Scott said, "Since I have just my clothes in the truck with garage stuff I will run it to the house. But after this everything will have to go in your SUV as I have a pretty packed work week. But each day I should be back by four so we can load up the big things to my truck then and bring them over at night."
"Sounds good," I said as I got into the SUV and headed to drop the donations. When I got back I put a frozen chicken parmesan and baked ziti meal pan in the oven. I went back to keep working on my closet which was almost done. By the time Scott got back I had loaded the donations and piled the things I was keeping in the living room. While Scott worked in his closet I went into the sitting room and added a small shelving unit to the pile and and put the other in my SUV as I did not need two. I finished sorting and when Scott came out to tell me he was done and added his keepers to the pile I was just closing the dividers after I vacuumed the rug in the sitting room which was now packed and sorted.
We talked as we carried the pile of donations from the sitting room and I said, "I have enough time in the morning to drop donations as they open at seven tomorrow and I can bring this to the cabin before my meeting at two. Any of your things I will leave on the couch as I plan on working on the last of the guest room tomorrow."
Scott said, "Shane said if you have furniture that needs to go over call him. He is off tomorrow and they will be packing and moving all day. I know most of their furniture is going to the homeless shelter as the RV had a lot already built in."
"Alright," I said. "I know that the bigger dresser is going to the center I was thinking if we take out the drawers I can sort them and add them in so we can out the bigger piece in now." We pulled all eight of the drawers out and then went back into the room. Scott went through his things an I went through the drawers. By the end of the night we had the dresser sorted and filled the SUV full. We ended our day early and had dinner. When we went to bed that night I fell asleep fast and did not wake up until our alarm went off that morning.
When Scott went to leave I went to drop everything off and then loaded the SUV with everything in the living room. I grabbed the additional few bags of donations and headed to the cabin. When I got there I unloaded the items and made quick work of unpacking. Adding the laundry sorter into the garden laundry area, I watered the garden. I saw that the seeds started sprouting. I sent a picture of the garden to Scott and went to the SUV to leave. As I was leaving Shane and Shiloh were pulling in and shane asked, "Do you need help with any furniture?"
"Not right now," I said. "The few pieces in the guest room are light so I should be okay. But if I do I will let you know. Honestly I know my couch has to go to the donation center. If you have time for that I can help before or after my meeting at two."
He said, "We should be back by noon. So when we get back I will drop mom off and come get the couch."
When I got back I had continued on with the guest room. I put the keepers in the middle and the donations in the back. When Shane came by at one I helped him get it into his truck. On the dining table was Scott's stuff that he would have to go through. I went into the office I logged in and my boss sent me a message, "Hey Cami i figured you were busy Friday. This is the list of meetings for next week there are still a few hours for work next week can you please put in your schedule outside the meetings and let me know how are things going."
I sent the reply, "OMG we got a ton moved on Friday I forgot to put my schedule in."
She sent a reply, "How is the move going will you be back the next schedule."
"I should have been back this schedule," I wrote. "I am taking what's left now but it will be nice to sit after the rush these two weeks."
"Well then you will like what your about to hear at the meeting," She said.
The meeting loaded and I started to go through the desk. The higher up announced that are team would be eligible for set hours with the opportunity to add additional hours as all meetings would now auto load prior to the schedule loading. They just asked if we needed a week with a change to send an email by Friday the week before so they could put in for the time off. They stated the meeting on Friday they would set up the hours. They also stated anyone on set hours would be able to put in their hours starting at noon after the meeting.
When we finished the meeting I went into the hall and packed up all of our memory shelves. Smiling I looked at the pictures and saw the mementos from the adventures Scott and I had done. We have been together for five years and living together here for four. We had talked about the future and marriage but we had not went any further than talk. Finishing the hall I went into the pantry. Boxing up the food in the pantry I made quick work of the pantry and was adding the items to the SUV when Scott pulled in. He said, "I needed to get a quote off the kitchen table."
Following him into the house he said, "You have been busy."
"I sure have the guest room, hall and pantry are done," I said. "We are having chicken patties or hotdogs for dinner. I was going to do a run right now and should be back soon. All the things I need you to sort are on the dining room table. I will see you soon."
He grabbed my hand and pulled me back. Hugging me he said, "We need to make sure the ghosts know our room is a ghost free zone."
Kissing him I said, "We will mention that when we move in."
Picking up my bag I said, "Love you."
He gave me a smile and said, "I love you too."
Doing my next run I got to the house and heard thunder in the distance. I brought everything in and unpacked it. When I was done I said, "Ellie and Karen can I speak to you?"
The both appeared and Ellie asked, "What's wrong Cami?"
"Oh nothing," I said. "Can you do me a favor? Scott and I understand you are all here and have no problem with that. But can you spread the world our room and bathroom are a ghost free zone for our privacy?"
Karen and Ellie smiled and said, "Of course Cami. Will you be coming back today?"
"I am not sure," I said. "If we do not come back tonight I will be here tomorrow after my work meeting and I fill the SUV again. We had made progress with packing yesterday that is why Scott came back the most as I was home packing. Scott works a lot this week but we should be moved in by late Saturday or early Sunday."
"The upcoming week I will be working a shorter schedule as I forget to set my hours and took what they had," I said. "Normally I work anywhere from 8am till seven at night depending on the day."
"Well we will all be glad once you are here," Karen said. "Oh and I love the chairs on the loft."
"Good," I said. "Well ladies I am off to continue packing and I will see you soon."
When I got home Scott was getting dinner cooked. When I walked in I said, "I spread the word that our room is private."
Scott kissed me and said, "Thank you. I have the baked beans in the oven with fries. Do you have the baskets I will go through the stuff in the dining room while that cooks."
"Good I am going to go through the hutch. Its pretty but it does not match the new house," I said.
"Well pull out the drawers and empty the shelves and we will add that to the SUV first," He said. "What about the dining room table?"
"That is going to," I said. "I love the table in the kitchen and we have no dining room there."
"Okay so what we will do is load the hutch and then I will the the legs off," He said. Then you can add the drawers. Just let them know the chairs will be coming after if we cannot fit them in."
I pulled the drawers out and went through the shelves. When Scott was done we carried the hutch to the SUV and added it in. He turned the table over and took off the legs adding taping the screws to the table. He stacked his keep pile in the living room and once we added the drawers to the SUV we were able to add the four chairs in. When we were done we ate dinner and got ready for bed. As we laid there I said, "Just think babe in a few days we will not have to rush and can relax after work."
Pulling me against him he said, "I cannot wait."
The following day was the same as other's. When we got up I ran the SUV to the shelter to be unloaded. It felt good knowing that the items would either be sold to help the homeless or helping the homeless who finally got a home. When I got home I finished my closet as that morning I discovered two boxes still on a shelf. Then going into the office I logged into the meeting. During the meeting I worked on cleaning out the rest of my desk and going through the files in it. By the time the meeting ended I had cleared out the desk and the top of it so Scott could bring it to the new house for his stuff.
When work was over I went into the hall and cleaned out the hall closet. By then I heard the door open and Scott came in for lunch. I stopped to make us some leftovers for lunch. While we sat at the table I said, "If your going past the new house you can take the desk and the chair with you. I can work at the table until we move. Its all ready for you."
Smiling he said, "Almost in the home stretch? I should be off by three so I will do that later today when I get back I am heading south now for a small repair job."
When he was finished I loaded our dishes into the dish washer and started it. I went back into the dining room and finished going through everything in there. I made a new pile of things for Scott to go through on our kitchen island. When I finished the dining room I closed off the shutter doors and went into the guest room. going through the stuff in the guest room I filled the SUV and after dropping off the donations I went to the house. Walking in I saw John on the couch looking out the window. I asked, "John are you alright."
"I am fine my dear," He replied. "Do you think there may be rain today?"
"Not as far as I have seen," I said.
"Good I may take a walk and see Shiloh," He said. "I introduced myself last night. Lovely woman."
"That she is," I said. "But I will talk to you later. I been getting the house done and we should be in by the weekend."
I made quick work of bringing things in and unpacking. When I got home I finished the guest room and closet as Scott came home from work. He sorted everything I left for him and I went into the office to start packing up that room. Moving my laptop and work binders to the kitchen table I went into the closet and realized this was our winter gear. I sorted my hanging stuff bagging some for donations and called Scott in. He finished all of his things and helped me go through the rest of the closet. When that closet was done he said, "Its almost 4 do you want to bring a last run to the donation center then we can meet up at the house. I am going to load the TV from the living room, TV stand, Desk and Chair to bring over since they are bigger things."
"Sure," I said. "Do you want help loading it?"
"No your good," He said. "We are almost done and we may be moved in by Friday after your meeting. I get off of work by two that day. "
Sighing I said, "That would be great."
When I dropped off more donations the person who accepted said, "Oh my how much more do you have left?"
Smiling I said, "We should be done by Friday afternoon."
He smiled and said, "Well we re thankful for all the donations."
I stopped to grab Scott and I some coffee and headed to the cabin. When I got there he was outside with Shane and they were in deep conversation. I asked, "Everything alright."
Shane looked at Scott and then to me and said, "Mason is out. I took my Mom to the bulk and end of the line store earlier today and we saw him. He said he is not done with you. Him and Becca blame you for their mess."
Looking at Scott I said, "Babe I think we need to get security cameras set up here. I know they have the high end solar power ones. We also need to get a gate up on the driveway and make sure the fencing s good along the property."
Shane said, "If things go well we should be moved in by this weekend. I can help you put up the camera's then as well as a gate."
Scott nodded and said, "Cami when you go out make sure you go with someone. I am going to call the officer who came out and see what can be done when we head back home."
We unloaded my SUV and my Scotts truck and headed back to our place. When we got home Scott said, "The officer said that he is going to speak with his supervisor and call me back."
Going inside I continued to pack up the rest of the office. I finished when Scott came in and said, "I left a basket with a few work outfits in it for me but my side table and dresser are cleaned out. We were using them in the guest room right?"
"Yes," I said. "Along with the big chair in here yes."
Scott loaded the furniture and said, "I can take the frame to our bed over as well and then we will just have the mattress and box spring if you want? I have enough room."
"You know what go for it." I said. "I am a almost done with the office. Oh you have a pile of things in the corner of the room."
Scott went through his pile and added them to the truck. I said, "You want help with getting furniture up the stairs?"
"No you can keep going here," He said. "Shane is there and is waiting on me to help me get theses bigger pieces in."
An hour later I finished the office and shut the door. We had gotten more then half the house done fast and would be more than done by the time I was finished with my meeting on Friday. While scott was out I looked in the fridge and decided we have enough leftover and lunch meat we could have for dinner. Going into the living room I cleaned out the closet in there. Putting the few things for Scott in a pile I shut that door adding to my SUV. Since the SUV was full I went into the bathroom and grabbed the laundry. Leaving an empty basket on my dresser I grabbed a few outfits for the next three days and went through part of my dresser. When Scott got back I was halfway done with my dresser with more donations and a few more baskets. I loaded the baskets and stuffed in the donations in the back.
We went to the kitchen and made plates of leftovers for dinner. Joking I said, "Well babe we may be done before Friday."
He looked at me surprised and said, "You think so?"
"Yes," I said. "I think we can either get take out or eat the small packaged stuff in the freezer that's open. The last of it can be brought to the house. We are almost out of stuff in the fridge. I found paper plates so once I wash these dishes we can use the paper plates and plastic silverware. Besides all the remaining rooms are almost empty. The only furniture we have to decide on is the kitchen table. I was thinking as you made it we can put it in either the greenhouse or you can use it in the shop. The chairs we can take to the donation center. As for my dresser I can pull out the drawers so that can be brought over."
"Cami you are a miracle worker," He said. "How about this. we go get the drawers out after dinner and load what you have for the freezer tonight. Then we can bring it over since its only six right now."
"That sounds good." I said.
Placing the dishes in the sink I decided to do them in the morning. We got the dresser cleared off and the drawers stacked along a wall and we loaded the dresser and empty drawers into the truck. I grabbed a basket and put the freezer food we were taking with us now into it. When we got to the house I went in and put the food in the freezer and then I helped Scott get the dresser up the stairs. We walked over to the fishing dock and looking down the river I saw a man standing in the water. I pointed him out to Scott. That's when we heard, "That is Willie. He passed when his boat turned over in the twenties. He is a nice guy and leaves everyone alone."
We turned to see Malakai leaning on the rails of the dock. I said, "Does he just stand there in the water?"
"No," Malakai said. "You will see his wet footsteps before you see him. He is a nice lad just quiet. He is sad for the loss of the life he would have had. His wife was with him on the bank and tried to go get help. We were helpless on our end. The guardian at the time had been out for the day."
"Malakai how long has this land and house had a guardian?" I asked.
"As long as the property was here," He said. "You are the next in a long line Cami."
We walked back to Scott's truck and went to the house. I started to think about how little I knew about my heritage. When we got home I went to sleep and dreamt about the land and the cabin. Walking the grounds I walked the paths and at the back of the property I saw a foundation for a home. Then I saw the home grow and I saw a man and woman. The woman wrote in a journal and added it to many more along the shelves. Then time flashed forward and I saw a young man burying a box near the foundation. He looked up at me and said, "Find the journals."
I woke up with a gasp scaring Scott awake. He hugged me and asked, "What happened."
I told him about the dream and he sat up saying, "Cami we will find the journals if they are there."
We went to settle back in bed when the alarm went off. I chuckled and said, "Well at least my dream decided to wake me at the alarm instead of the middle of the night."
Scott laughed and said, "Come on. They way you are going we will be able to get the house done in the next day or so and will be moved in by the weekend. When do you work today?"
"I work between one and three," I said. "My plan is to get the living room done today. As well as most of the kitchen. I also may go to the store to get the basics we need now for the house since I avoided them when I did the big shopping trip."
We got up and started our day after I did the first run of donations and stopping at the house to unpack. When I was done unpacking, I went to the greenhouse and checked on the new plants growing. Ellie and John were in the greenhouse when I got there.
"Cami dear, Good morning," Ellie said. "The garden is starting to grow wonderfully."
"Ellie good morning to you as well," I said. "I am very happy with the progress."
John said, "We love gardens and this is as close that we have right now."
"Well John," I said. "We should be in here in the next day or so. So when we start living here I have big plans for the property which include walking paths and outdoor gardens."
John exclaimed, "That is splendid. I will tell you you will see a lot more of us on the property. But no worries my dear they have all been watching you, Scott, Shane and Shiloh and are excited to have you here."
"Well after I water the plants I am heading home to pack," I said. "You will be seeing Scott and I later today."
I finished watering the plants and when I got home I decided it was time to finish packing the living room. By the time I had to start work I only had a small amount left to do so between calls I went through things in the kitchen. When I finished work I was able to finish the living room and by the time Scott got home I was ready with another load for the house and donations. He road with me and when we pulled in I said, "Maybe we should see about paving the driveway?"
"That may cost a bit but we can get estimates," He said.
"I know," I said. "But when rain season hit this is all going to be mud."
He nodded and said, "I can do the work if you want we can price the material."
Smiling I said, "That would be great as I am also planning a bit of gardens and thought about doing cement or paved walk ways."
"You are planning on a lot," Scott said.
"Yes I have," I said. "While I was working I took some of the money I got from the inheritance and moved money to an account I rarely used for home projects. I mean these projects will take time but I figured I can put a little money in there every paycheck. So my work paycheck will be split between savings, home improvement, my personal account and bills."
"Well remember when I get paid I will be putting money in the bill account as well," He said. "But I like the idea of putting money into the account to improve the property. So I will transfer money to that account as well. You just have to give me the info to do that."
"Sure we can do that when we get home," I said parking the car.
Going in we made quick work of unpacking what I bought and I said, "Babe we could be in by late tomorrow after my meeting."
He hugged me and said, "Finally."
Looking around I said, "This finally feels like this is our home."
We went home and continued to pack. Scott said, "Cami lets wash the comforter and blanket today so that is done,"
He went to wash that and I worked in the bedroom. Looking at the clock I said, "Scott its only 4pm. We can be moved in tonight."
Looking at me he asked "Do you want me to take the bed over?"
"Yes," I said. "We only have a box of donations and its not even full. If we box everything else up when the comforter and blanket are done we will be done."
We finished packing the master bedroom and bath up. Then I grabbed the last few things from the laundry room. Shane helped Scott load the table into his truck and I decided to keep the bar stools from the table for his shop and the kitchen. Grabbing the garbage can I sorted and cleaned the fridge because we decided to leave it for the new tenants as well as the stove since we had no room left.
When the last of the things were packed at 6pm we called Mike over to do a walk through of the house. When Mike was done I told Scott I was going to run to the store and get the basics. Going into Publix I grabbed everything we needed for fresh foods. Driving down the driveway I parked in front of the house and Scott came out to greet me. We quickly unpacked the remaining items and made both out bed and the one in the guest room. Since I had picked up subs for dinner we took the subs outside with a bag of chips. Sitting on the porch we ate and talked.
Looking at Scott I said, "This is about perfect."
He gave me a grin and said, "It sure is. So did you want to pay all the way back to where Shane and Shiloh are?"
"What would be better asphalt or cement and do we need to get permits for them?" I asked.
"Well time and price wise we could get reusable concrete forms and lay concrete in designs if you want," He said. "Then you can use the forms for pathways as well. We can look at forms online over the weekend and do a little at a time. The only reason I didn't do that with the foundation for Shane and Shiloh was because we needed it done so they could move. But we can get the forms and I can mix the cement. I was considering getting a mixer anyway for my business. I can even buy the forms to use for my business as well."
"We can look tomorrow night," I said. "The first path I wanted to do was from the house to the dock. That way we have a nice path and I was going to get solar lights to go with it. The ground is still over run with brush and leave so I am not sure if the grass is even alive under there. If not I would love something that will give good ground cover."
"We will find something," He said. "I don't know about you but I am ready for a shower and bed."
"Same," I said.
We walked into the house ready for bed and we saw Karen at the table reading to the ghosts. We called out good night and headed to sleep. I am not sure if it was being in the new home or our lives taking a step in the next direction but I went to bed feeling content and happy.
Waking up the following morning Scott pulled me close and said, "We don't have to rush today."
Turning to face him I said, "Its wonderful right. I do not have anything to do before my meeting at noon."
He looked at me and asked, "What do you have planned?"
Smiling I said, "That is a surprise."
He gave me a look as we walked down to the kitchen. He asked, "No hint?"
Smiling ai grabbed a cup of coffee and said, "No hint at all."
He made himself coffee and asked, "Well when will I see the surprise?"
"It will be here when you come home for lunch," I said.
He came over and gave me a kiss. "No hint?"
"Your going to be late," I laughed. "No hint at all."
He left and Ellie walked in asking, "I heard the word surprise?"
"You did indeed Ellie," I said walking into the pantry grabbing burgers out to put in the fridge to thaw. "Scott loves to grill but we do not have one. I am going to go to the store and buy him one with everything needed."
"Oh that sounds delightful," She said.
"I have a meeting at one for work so I am going to run to the store to get it now. I need buns for the burgers and I am going to buy another computer." I said. "I will be home in a bit."
These two items were the last two big items I had planned on buying. Pulling into Walmart I parked next to the garden center and headed to get hamburger buns and then electronics to get a new laptop. Finding everything I needed I paid for those items and headed to the garden section. Walking among the grills I found one that was big and did charcoal and propane. I had them bring one up and I paid for two full tanks and a few big bags of charcoal. I also got all the extra's and had them load it into my SUV. When I got home Scott was already there and I said, "You were supposed to be at work till lunch."
He laughed and said, "I had to go north so I had to grab and early lunch."
Handing him the keys I said, "Well your surprise is in the back of the SUV."
He opened it and looked at me and back at the grill saying, "Babe is that why there are burgers in the fridge?"
Walking up to me he hugged me and said, "Thank you Cami, This is the best surprise. Lets unload this baby."
He saw all the extras and I said, "There is everything you need for grilling in those bags. I got a huge wooden basket so you can store the items in as well."
I helped him get everything on the porch and he put the charcoal in our outdoor storage. Leaving everything on the porch he said, "I am so happy I only have two jobs after coming here. I will be putting this together as soon as I get back."
We walked inside and he made a sandwich to bring with him. He took the sandwich he made and headed out the door. I made myself a quick lunch and headed to my office for the meeting. When we logged in I announced I was moved in and would be back to work regularly once the new schedule drops for the next schedule that posts. There were cheers and smiling emojis and my boss asked "what about the creepy feeling you had?"
I explained what had happened and the security camera. Everyone agreed it was so much better for me to have moved and we started the meeting. We went over everything we needed and after the meeting I headed out to the greenhouse and worked in the garden for a while. Then I went and grabbed a notebook and walked to the dock. Looking at the front go the dock to the house I decided I wanted to lay a path and edging along the path. I also decided I wanted the path to veer off towards the river and along the walls next to the river. going to the front of the property so I can start working in sections.
When Scott came home I had my old laptop in my lap and I was looking up reusable pavers. Scott came and sat next to me and looked at what I was looking at. He asked, "Are you trying to decide which one you want?"
Pulling up another screen I showed him the cart, "I want this one for the driveway and the parking area. But I want something different for the pathways. After work I walked down to the river and sketched this out. This is from the edge of the house where it will connect to the parking are down to the dock. Then from the path I will have a path going to the front and back of the property along the edge. Then I can work in sections planting boxes or grass. I also looked into no mow grass and I am intrigued especially once we clean up the property. It would be a lot less work."
Scott looked at the options I was looking at for the path and he said, "Did you want basic or a design?"
"Honestly I think I may go with the same design as the driveway and parking area because then it would all match," I said.
He walked to the grill box and said, "Keep looking and we will order it after I put this guy together."
Sitting in the porch chair I watched Scott put together his grill. I must have been comfortable because while I watched him put the grill together I dozed off to sleep. Scott woke me an hour later saying, "Cami love are you sleeping?"
I heard Malakai say, "She dozed off an hour ago Scott. When I walked up I noticed her eyes were closing."
Scott chuckled and said, "She over did it the last few weeks."
Sitting up I said, "I guess I fell asleep. Sorry its been a long week and I still have one more day till I am off of work."
Scott looked up and said, "Don't you have that big meeting tomorrow?"
"Yes," I said. "I have to be on at 11am and its going to set up the new schedule starting not next week but the week after that. So next week I think I may start the gardens and walk ways."
Scott smiled and said, "Speaking of the gardens while you were sleeping I added a few different paver types to the cart which ones do you want?"
I did look and chose the one for the driveway and two for the walkways. Showing Scott he took the laptop and placed an order. When I said I would pay he said, "Cami I can use them for the business so do not worry they will be here on Saturday."
Malakai laughed and said, "Cami you remind me of my wife she was so independent as well."
"Malakai I have a question for you," I said. "Before this cabin was there a smaller cabin at the back of the property? Maybe from the original watchers?"
"There could be there is a part of the property that no one can go onto," He said. "Well none of use spirits can. We can walk out there this weekend if you want to see it?"
Scott said, "We would be thankful if you want to show us Malakai."
Malakai looked concerned and asked, "May I ask why?"
Looking at him I said, "I had a dream a few days before we moved in and the woman showed me journals and said, "Come find us."
Malakai looked troubled and said, "Your the first person I had heard of her trying to speak with. Just promise me you will be careful?"
Scott looked up and asked, "Malakai is there something your not telling us?"
"Honestly Scott," He said. "I am not sure. You have to understand us ghosts cannot go to some areas on the property. We do not know why its just the way it is.
Standing up I said, "Malakai thank you but please do not worry about it. Now that Scott and I are here we will figure it out. But no worries now its time for fun. Scott are you ready to get the grill going and we can grill those burgers up. I have already made the sides and toppings so we are going to enjoy this."
We ate our freshly grilled burgers and looking at the spot in front of the house I said, "Hey Scott Do you think we could extend the patio?"
"What are you thinking?" He asked.
"Maybe extending the patio out a few feet so we can place a table and chairs to eat outside," I said.
Scott looked at the patio and said, "Let me look into it. I bet we could extend it a few feet and add on to the original railing."
When we finished dinner we walked over to Shane and Shiloh's RV and found them moving more items in. We knocked and Shiloh said, "Oh hey guys come on in. We are about to finish the last of the move tonight and in the morning."
Smiling I said, "That is great news Shiloh. How about this you guys come over for dinner tomorrow Scott can grill something good up?"
Scott looked up with a sly grin and said, "Oh no I have to grill."
We all laughed and after they assured us that we could not do anything to help, Scott and I continued to walk the property. Looking around I said, "I would love to start making paths around the property. We also need to make sure all the walls and fences are secure."
Scott took my hand as we walked and said, "We have plenty of time for that."
Taking a breath I said, "We sure do. It will be nice after next week I will be on a set work schedule so no more having to do a schedule and I can focus on writing and working a long the property."
"Sounds like a plan," Scott said.
"It is," I said. "What do you want to cook for tomorrow?"
Scott said, "We can check when we get in and maybe we should make some fresh bread to go with it?"
Quietly I said, "Oh no fresh bread. You know I may do a test batch because I have not used this new oven. Although I may just open the kitchen up and use the wood stove. I mean I have wood in the basket and wood in the holders."
Scott looked surprised and said, "Well its not to hot so we should test everything out while we can. I can start it before I go to work tomorrow to get the wood on a good burn if you want."
"Yes please," I said. I would love to use the wood stove while we can to keep the electric down. Also we need to look online I know we have the river but we cannot swim in it. I was thinking before we start the property or while we are doing it we put a pool in."
Scott looked surprised and asked, "Where do you have in mind?"
"Funny you should ask," I said. Taking his hand I lead him a short way from the house and said, "The ground has a drop and I thought that would be a perfect natural ledge."
Scott looked over the area and said, "This would be a great area. Lowes just put up a display yesterday with the pools they are selling. We can go look at them this weekend if you want?"
"Yes that fun," I said. "I wanted to look for the journals but I want to settle in. Plus it will be getting warmer out and the pool will be such a good idea to swim in when the temps hit 100 degrees."
Scott put his arm around my waist and said, "Well I think we can do it all this weekend. But for now its getting late and you have that meeting and I have work in the morning. I suggest TV and bed."
When we got home we cleaned up from dinner and got ready for bed. I looked out the window and saw lights moving out in the woods. Calling Scott over I pointed the lights out and Scott said, "Cami that does not look like flashlights."
We heard Malakai voice outside the door, "Cami, Scott if your available I need to point out something."
It was Malakai and Scott went to open the door. When he did Scott asked, "Is everything alright Malakai?"
He nodded to the window and said, "I assume your seeing the lights.
"Who are they Malakai?" I asked.
"Bandits," He said. "John is with Shane and Shiloh right now keeping them in the house. In the way of ghosts they are more like poltergeists. There are three of them. Jim, Max and Sam. They can be annoying but are mostly harmless. They were chased to the property in 1800's where they met their demise."
"What do they want?" I asked.
"To cause a ruckus," He said. "I warned them already the new lady owner is not someone to be messed with and they have not come towards the living areas yet."
"Well," I said. "I may have to speak with them tomorrow night. No worries though I will handle it tomorrow. Thank you for your help Malakai."
He faded and left as we watched the lights for a while longer before climbing into bed. We were in bed for a while when we heard a thunder storm roll in. We cuddled closer in bed as the thunder crashed outside. After a while I fell into a fitful sleep. When I woke the next morning before my alarm I was so happy that all I had was the meeting. I went downstairs and made a pot of coffee and mixed up two batches of bread. One for the regular stove and one for the wood stove. I am opened the windows in the kitchen and started the wood stove. Going into the pantry I went into the big freezer and took out some chicken breasts for Scott to grill tonight and placed them in the defroster in the main stove.
I grabbed two of the left over burgers and made us some breakfast burgers with bacon and egg on them. When he came down the stairs he saw I had his coffee made and sandwich wrapped for him to take with him. He stood next to the fire and said, "Cami I would have started it."
"I know," I said. "But I wanted to see if I could do it and I did. But I will say we will need a lot of wood for storm season and the winter. I used a lot of small cuts to start it before I put the log in. I guess as we do pathways and clean up the property we will get more."
Scott leaned against the counter and said, "Well I know Shane and I will be cutting back trees as well once they move in fully to keep the property safe. But I need to head to work I will see you this afternoon. Did you take anything out for me to grill?"
"I took chicken breasts out and I am going to make some cold sides later," I said.
Giving me a kiss he said, "Then I will see you after work."
I went to our room and grabbed the dirty laundry to start. Then I grabbed my cleaning cart and started to clean the house from top to bottom. Keeping track of time I finished cleaning and went into the green house switching over the first load of laundry. Looking over my plants I decided after work I am going to trim up my herb plants and dehydrate them to store. My alarm went off and I went upstairs for the meeting.
During the meeting they announced a set meeting schedule. Once they gave us our meetings they gave us our set work schedule. They offered to let us work later at night but it was not necessary. When we were almost finished with the meeting we were told the meeting schedule would start this upcoming week but the work schedules would start the following week.
When I finished the meeting I went to the greenhouse. Watering the plants I worked around the garden as I did all the remaining laundry in the house. I was in such a groove that I didn't notice Scott leaning in the doorway watching me. When I turned I saw him and he said, "I see you have things in the dehydrator. Did you make the sides?"
Smiling I said, "I was going to make pasta salads but I have small potatoes and stuff to make a garden salad so when I am baking the bread in the wood oven I am going to put the potatoes in with them to bake. Shane and Shiloh should be here around seven for dinner."
"Sounds good," Scott said, "Oh I want to take you out Saturday night. We have not had a date night since we started the move. Wear something nice as I want to take you somewhere fancy."
"That sounds great," I said. "I cannot wait."
He looked up and said, "I need a shower and will be ready to help you out in a few."
"Take your time," I said. "It's only 3pm and we have plenty of time."
Scott went into shower and I worked in the garden a little bit longer. Going into the kitchen I shaped the bread I was making and prepared it for a second proof. Laying it on the wood stove I covered it with a towel and prepared the potatoes to go into the oven with the bread. Pulling out everything to make a large garden salad I grabbed a few eggs and hard boiled them for anyone who wanted to add them to their salad. Then I set the table for us to eat dinner.
Scott came down and said, "You have everything ready?"
"Pretty much," I said. "I figured you would want to marinade the chicken breasts. I placed them on a pan in the oven. I am going to peel the hardboiled eggs incase anyone wants some on their salad. I think this weekend I want to go to the farmers outlet and get some garlic and potato starters for the greenhouse. We have the bin that lines the back window that would be great for the garlic and the potatoes would be great for the bin in the center. Everything else is growing so well."
Scott agreed and said, "That would be great. Also we can look at a pool like you wanted as well. It is getting warmer and I think we should put one in as we can't swim in the river."
"Oh I am so excited," I said. "Our life is finally getting on track and things can only get better!"
Pulling me into a hug he said. "Oh I agree life cannot get much better. I am going to get the chicken into marinade."
I had the bread set to the second proof on the wood stove while I made the salads and prepped the potatoes. When the oven was ready I placed the bread in with the potatoes. As I turned from the stove we heard a knock at the door. Scott opened it and let Shane and Shiloh into the house. Shiloh looked at the wood stove and said, "Are you not hot?"
Laughing I said, "A little but I wanted to try it out. But after the last few days even though the house doesn't get that hot I think I am going to get some portable AC units for the house. I do not want to get heat sick."
"Good idea," She said. "So what can we do to help?"
Scott looked at them and said, "Nothing actually. Shane I do want your opinion on something outside. Cami thinks we need to put in a pool for everyone to use. She found the perfect spot and I want to see what you think about leveling and putting a pool in."
Before I could say anything they guys ran out the door and I said to Shiloh, "Do you want to see the greenhouse and how much it has bloomed."
She followed me to the greenhouse and said, "Wow Cami you are doing amazing. What are you planning on putting in the empty bins?"
"I am getting onions, potatoes, and garlic bulbs tomorrow when we get the AC and pool," I said.
"Well if your okay with it I want to make a small chicken coop," She said. "Also maybe put a ten by ten greenhouse next to the RV if your okay with that?"
"I am fine with both," I said. "When I was searching in the small barn we have I noticed there is a chicken coop attached to the barn."
Malakai appeared and said, "That was because we had one there. It does need work as well as most of the barn."
Shiloh laughed and said, "Oh no Scott will have to do some wood work."
We all chuckled and I said, "Well we will look at it later."
Walking to the oven I took the bread out of the oven and said, "Oh they look good."
Malakai walked over and said, "Now Cami you did a wonderful job. You remind me of my Ella when she would make bread."
"Ella," I asked.
"She was my wife while I was alive," He said. "I had died before her and watched as she passed away. But she crossed over unlike me."
"Malakai may I ask why you did not cross over?" I said.
He sighed and said, "When I was alive I was not the best husband or father. I loved my family but I was obsessed with the land. My obsession was bordering on paranoia as I connected my soul to the land. I was lost in madness when the sickness took me."
Shiloh looked up and asked, "Sickness?"
He sighed and said, "I died during the small pox outbreak that hit the area. During a moment of madness, while Ella has slept in the bedroom I ran out to the woods during a storm I was struck by lightening."
"Oh Malakai," I said. "I am so sorry."
He chuckled and said, "Don't be sad for me. I have been here close to two hundred years and I love this land. I am happy you want to take care of the property and home. You can come to me about any and all advice with what can be done on the property."
Smiling I said, "I appreciate it Malakai as I plan on doing a lot on the property. Starting with the barn."
Scott walked into the greenhouse as I said that and said, "I was thinking about the barn myself what do you want to do with it?"
Looking at him I said, "I want to make it into a functioning barn. Maybe one day get a few horses to ride around on. Like I used to have when my Grandma was a live."
Shane looked at Scott and said, "She is gonna turn this into a farm mark my words."
We all laughed and I said, "Would that be a bad thing."
Shiloh said, "Not at all. We all love animals and I cannot wait to see what can be done on the land. I would be glad to help. Health allowing. Besides if you all decide to give me Grandbabies, the children would thrive on land like this."
"Well lets not count our chickens before their hatched," I said. "This land will be a work in progress."
As I said that my stomach growled and Scott said, "On that note if you ladies will set the table I think the men fold are going to get the grill going so we can eat."
Scott grabbed the chicken from the fridge and went outside with Shane. Shiloh and I set the table inside and placed the bread along with the sides on it. We sat in the living room talking about my plans to clear the land with Malakai and John when Scott walked in with the chicken container and asked, "So Malakai how many kids are on the property?"
John said, "What month is it?"
Looking up I said, "It's the end of May."
Malakai had a puzzled look on his face and said, "How many did you hear Scott?"
"Just one," Scott said. "Why?"
John sighed and said, "That sounds like Anna but she is a bit early. She usually pops around Mid June. Anna is a child spirit who died of influenza in 1840. Her parents were migrants and camped at the front corner of the property. She is harmless and she will normally stay out of the house. Do not fear she is only here for a month or so and goes back to the other side."
Shiloh said, "That is so sad."
Scott headed to the kitchen and grabbed a plate. Coming back he said, "Well we saw her running through the trees and she seems curious."
Malakai laughed and said, "She is. She was a brilliant child and she loved to learn. Her parents were devastated by her death. But in that time the flu was deadly."
Pulling out my phone I added Anna to the list of ghosts on the property and Karen asked, "Cami what are you jotting down?"
Chuckling I said, "I have a list of you ghosts to keep everything and everyone straight in my head. I love having you all here but I wish that everyone had closure and be with your loved ones."
Ellie appeared and took a seat as she said, "Sometimes Cami that is not possible. But be assured we have made our peace with the situation and we are happy roaming the grounds and visiting you all. Do not be sad for us dear as we all have become our own family and are okay. But the list is a good way to keep track of us."
Scott and Shane came in with the food and we went to the kitchen to eat. The ghost joined us and we sat, ate and talked until late into the night. When Shane and Shiloh headed home and the ghosts went to where ever the go. Scott and I went to bed.
The next morning there was not an alarm set and I was woken up by Scott when he brought me a coffee and a breakfast sandwich in bed. Sitting up he joined me and we ate watching the back of the property from our window.
Scott said, "We are very lucky to have such a wonderful view. So when your up awake and ready why don't we go to the stores. But there is no rush today."
Sipping my coffee I said, "It is so nice not to have to hear the neighbors going anywhere or rushing to work."
"So I figured we would go to Lowes for the pool," Scott said. "They have a larger selection and they also have the air conditioners we want."
"They may have the starters for the plants I want as well," I said. "If they don't we can go to the farmers store."
Scott chuckled as he said, "Well the farmers store is hosting the farmers market today. I know how much you like that."
Stretching I said, "Well I guess I should get up so we can get going."
Scott said, "Take your time Cami its going to be a stress free, relaxing day."
"So where are we going tonight?" I asked.
"Oh well I cannot tell you as its a surprise," He said. "But I can tell you your going to love it."
"No hunts?" I asked.
Leaning over he kissed my forehead and said, "Not a one. See you when you come downstairs."
Getting up I washed up and got ready for my day. When I was done I headed downstairs and went to find Scott. When I could not find him in the house I called out, "Have any of you seen Scott?"
Ellies voice called out, "He is walking back from Shane and Shiloh's now."
Walking outside with my bag he came around the corner and I asked, "Everything alright?"
"Everything is fine," He said. "Shane is going to be cutting back some of the trees near the RV and he asked my opinion on the mini greenhouse and chicken coop for Shiloh. Are you ready to go?"
"Sure am," I said.
He opened the door to the SUV and said, "Your chariot awaits."
We went to Lowes and when we pulled in we went to look at the air conditioners first. We ended up buying four standing units and one for the attic room that could go in one of the windows. Once we had them on the cart we went to the pools and picked out a larger one for the area we wanted to put it in. After we loaded the pool to the cart we went through the garden area and I picked up the bulbs I needed for the greenhouse. When we were finished shopping we headed back home.
As we pulled up to the cabin I asked Scott if he wanted any help with the AC units or pool. He handed me the bag with all the bulbs and said, "Go and garden I know you want to."
Going into the house I ran up to our room to grab the laundry basket. Starting a load of laundry I started planting all the bulbs I got for the garden. As I continued to garden I kept seeing Scott peek in at me. Ellie appeared and asked, "Are you alright Cami?"
"Yeah I am fine," I said. "Scott is acting weird."
"I am sure he is fine Cami," She said. "A man likes to look at the woman he loves."
Smiling I said, "Well I love him as well."
She faded away and I continued with what I was doing. Scott came in later that afternoon and said, "Why don't you start getting ready?"
"How nice should I dress?" I asked.
"I am gonna be wearing a dress shirt and dress pants," He said. "Give me about ten minutes to shower and I will be out so you can shower and get ready."
Before I could say anything else he was up the stairs. I switched the laundry to the dryer and took the hamper up to our bathroom. When he got out he kissed me and said, "Take your time."
After I finished my shower I got ready and headed downstairs. Scott was watching TV with John and Malakai. When I came down Scott stood up and said, "Cami you look fabulous."
"Thank you," I said. "I am ready when you are."
We went out to the SUV and we arrived at our favorite Italian restaurant. When we walked in the hostess said, "Hello Scott and Cami! We have the table ready that you requested Scott."
Going to the table we enjoyed our night talking and discussing what we would be doing on the property. After desert we went back home and when we pulled in I noticed the path to the dock was lit up with lights. Scott took my hand and wed me down to the dock where there were flowers in vases in the shape of the heart.
Turning to Scott to ask him what was going I found him on one knee and she had a ring out. He said, "Cami we have been through so much over the last few years. I cannot imagine spending the last of my life without you. Will you marry me?"
I was speechless for a second then I said, "Yes.Yes I will"
We heard cheering as Shane and Shiloh came up the walk. Shiloh was carrying glasses and Shane had a bottle of champagne. The ghosts were behind them and Ellie said, "Oh this is the best thing that has happened here in such a long time."
We sat on the dock celebrating for a while and when we went inside the ghosts has mysteriously vanished. Before heading to bed I realized that this was going to be the next chapter in our life and I could not wait.
Comments
Post a Comment