Page 3 of Silas

There are so many places that I can’t wait to walk through. I have the distinct feeling that these are locally owned and operated. Something I rarely experienced before. A cool breeze, carrying the scent of wood-smoke and frying bacon, cuts through the air, pulling my coat tighter as I quicken my pace toward the diner’s warm glow.

The restaurant is bustling with activity at eight o’clock at night. Opening the door, I am greeted by the hostess asking how many. I hold up my finger, signaling that it’s only one. She nods and walks me over to my table, handing me the menu. I couldn’tstop giggling; the food names were so silly and cute, each one more delightful than the last. I mean Stuffed & Creamed French Toast? I love that they have so much fun with their names.

I feel the presence of someone beside me as I flip through the menu. Looking up, I find the sweetest looking older woman. She looks like everyone’s grandmother. I immediately feel at ease in her presence.

She gives me the warmest smile, “Welcome to You’re Bacon Me Crazy. My name is Gail. I will be your server tonight.”

A smile graces my face. “Hi Gail. My name is Nova.”

Her smile never falters. “Well, hello Nova. It’s lovely to meet you. I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Did you just move to town or only passing through?” she asks.

I dip my head down. “Is it that obvious?” I feel my face warm with embarrassment.

“Well dear, I’ve been living here my entire life. I have watched almost every child grow up and every young couple find love. I don’t think there is a soul in this town that I haven’t met yet. That makes you a fresh face to get to know.”

“That makes so much sense. Yes, I am new to town. I literally just got here twenty minutes ago. I bought the blue cottage on Aspen Street.”

“Ah yeah, I saw that it no longer had the for sale sign in front of it. I was waiting for the owner to show themselves. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Nova. Do you know what you would like to drink?”

“Oh yeah, can I have the hot chocolate? Do you happen to have peppermint to add to it?”

Chuckling, she pulls out her notepad. “Ah, yes, we can do that for you. Would you like whipped cream and chocolate shavings too?”

“Seriously?! Hell yeah, I will take those too! You are a woman after my heart already!”

“I will mentally note down that food is the way to your heart. Especially, chocolate and whip cream. Take a moment to look over the menu while I put in your drink order. I’ll be back shortly.” She smiles as she turns away.

Opening my menu back up, I scan through all the options. There are so many items I would die to try, especially their take on cheesecake. Running my finger along the menu, I spot made from scratch waffles with whipped cream and sliced strawberries. I know that it’s dinnertime, but damn, that sounds amazing.

It doesn’t take long for Gail to come back with my steamy cup of hot cocoa. She places it in front of me and I almost melt into a puddle right there. It’s beautiful. A gorgeous swirl of fluffy whipped cream, covered with shaved chocolate, and little wisps of steam rise above it.

“What do you think?”

I smile up at her. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m glad you love it. So, Nova, what brings you to our tiny mountain town?”

“Uh, I accepted the Kindergarten teacher's job at Rock Stream Elementary. I just graduated and wanted to find a place far from the hustle and bustle of New York City. So here I am trying out this new adventure.”

“We are glad to have you here. Did you decide what you would like to order for dinner?”

Giggling softly, “don’t judge me, but I want the Waffles with whipped cream and strawberries.”

“No judgment from me. Breakfast for dinner is always a choice in my book. Alright, I am going to put your order in but if you need anything,” scribbles and rips a paper, “be sure to call me anytime. Even if you just need someone to give you a tour around town.”

“That is so sweet of you. Thank you.”

Hours later, laying in bed, listening to the crickets chirp, the wind howling, and the quiet, I realize the biggest change to small town living will be getting used to the lack of sound that comes with big city living. New York City is known for being the town that never sleeps and you will never find a moment that is quiet enough to hear the wind howl.

Howl.

Shooting up in my air mattress, my heart is racing. What was that? Howl. Is that a wolf? Is it normal for them to be this close to town? I know I moved to a mountain town, but I can’t imagine that it’s normal for a wolf to be this close to houses. Shifting to place my feet on the ground, I hear the howl once again and pop out of the bed. Wrapping my robe around myself, I slip my feet into my slippers, snatch my phone from beside my pillow, and flick on the flashlight feature. It’s a joke of a flashlight, but it’sthe best I can do without any of my belongings with me. I pad my way over to my back door and crack it open.

Swiping my phone back and forth, I look out towards the back part of my property to see if I can see the wolf. With how close that howl was, I would have expected to see the wolf standing in my backyard. I see a flash of white towards the back corner of my property by the largest fir tree. Glancing into the shadows, I see a pair of piercing blue eyes staring back at me. “Argh!” I rush back inside and lock every lock on the door. I rushed around the house, the floorboards creaking beneath my feet, double and triple checking each lock.

I couldn’t believe it—a wolf, so close to my house; I could almost smell its musky scent. Settling into life here is proving to be quite a process. I didn’t have “wolf as possible pet” on my Bingo board for this year, that’s for sure.

Toeing off my slippers and hanging my robe back on the back of my bedroom door, I pad my way back to my air mattress. Snuggling into my blankets, I flip my laptop open and click the Netflix app to put on a cute little Christmas movie to fall asleep to. I definitely will have to play background noise until I adjust to the quiet.

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