#ffnl chapter

The moving truck rumbles over the gravel driveway. Spider barks excitedly on the seat next to him, maybe she remembers this place. The old rustic cabin was a bit of a fixer upper. There were visible cobwebs hanging from under the deck. The place was secluded, and it’d been a while since someone lived here. It would need some cleaning but from the outside there appeared to be no real damage to the house. The yard also needed to be mowed a bit, at least some around the house, so it was walkable. It was taller than Spider, and he was sure the second he opened the door he would lose her in the undergrowth.  

With a sigh, he got out of the truck, leaving the driver's side door open for Spider. She yips wagging her tail which makes her whole back shake. She does a little hop onto the center console, then another little hop down onto the driver's seat. The truck was too high up for her to jump out by herself, so she stared at him yipping and wagging. He lets out a soft, breathless laugh at her adorable face. He lifts her little body up until she is at eye level with him. She stops yipping but her tail keeps wagging. He brings her close and nuzzles his face against hers. “I love you my silly spih der.” He says in his pet voice. 

He sets her down at his feet to let her run off and do her business. He wasn’t too worried about her getting fleas or ticks in the tall grass. He’d gotten her a flea collar knowing she’d be more likely to get bugs from their new proximity to the wilderness. It would need to be replaced in a couple of months, and he would need to check later to make sure it was working, but he wasn’t worried. At least about the bugs. He was a bit worried that she’d run into a snake or bear and get herself hurt. He assured himself he’d hear a rattle or notice something as big as a bear wandering by, but anxiety doesn’t tend to listen to reason. These thoughts bounced around his head as he walked around and opened the back of the truck. The door made a loud noise as it was pushed up. The sound made his shoulders and stomach flinch. It is just a door. There are only boxes inside. Despite that, a vivid image of someone emerging from the back and lunging at him played in the back of his head as he grabbed the first box.  

It took him a second to muster the will power to turn his back on the truck despite knowing it was just in his head. The box felt light as he carried it, but he was sweating a bit from anxiety. Approaching the door, he grabbed the knob to ensure it was locked. To his relief, the knob stopped him from turning it all the way. He braced the box between his body and the door as he pulled the keys from his hoodie pocket. It made a quiet ear-piercing jingle that made him wince. It seemed like everything was too loud today. The door opened smoothly into the lightless house. It revealed a bland barren basement. The floor is cold with uncovered concrete. The walls were covered in shelves. Despite the basement being above ground, it was mainly meant for storage. The stairs leading up to the main floor are straight ahead. He takes a deep breath to calm his racing heart. No one was in the house. He stood frozen staring at the stairs, mustering the courage to go upstairs.  

“Fuck this” he says under his breath setting the box down on the cold floor. He went back to the car and grabbed his cane from where it was resting against the passenger door. He catches it as it falls from the door opening. It’s metal and has more length than his pocketknife. He makes two clicks with his mouth and calls out “Spider!”  

She comes bounding out from the foliage jumping over patches that were difficult for her to walk through. She wasn’t quite a guard dog, but maybe she would alert if someone was inside. He waits until she stops by his side to walk towards the house. She follows, seeming to understand her presence is required. She trots into the house relaxed and unbothered. With Spider by his side, he was able to go up the stairs. Some of the steps creaked under his weight. Seeing him go up, Spider followed after. She runs around the top floor excitedly. Her little paws patter on the floors as she lets out occasional yips of joy. He stays frozen at the top of the stairs for a few minutes listening.  

~~#*#~~ 

It was dark outside now. He managed to get all the boxes inside after checking every room in the house.  Spiders' stuff got set up first, and he was currently working on unpacking his bedroom things. He could hear her collar clink against her metal bowl as she ate in the kitchen. The sound echoed through the empty cabin as he mindlessly unpacked the box in front of him. It contained figurines and plushies of one of his favorite characters. He threw the plushies on the bed to be organized later. He took the figurines remaining in the box over to his wardrobe. He configured them on top of his wardrobe until he was satisfied with their positioning. They only took up about half of the wardrobe’s surface. This place was starting to feel like his home... at least this bedroom was. He glances over at the clock on his nightstand. It read ten forty-one. He wasn’t feeling tired but decided to get ready for bed knowing he had to wake up early tomorrow to drive back and return the moving truck to avoid a late fee. Then he could visit the fishing shop when he got back to get what he’d need to start his new job.  

He was lying in bed. It was twelve fifty-three the last time he checked the clock. Spider was curled up on his right fast asleep. The house felt safe, but he still couldn’t find sleep. He’d even taken some edibles in an attempt to get a good amount of sleep for tomorrow. Despite that, he was still unable to drift off. He glanced at Spider. She was laying on her back with her paws reaching in the air. Her side was firmly pressed against him. With a sigh he rolls onto his stomach and looks out the window at the front of the bed. One of the most majestic sights meets him.  

A beautiful white deer is eating grass in his backyard. Its white fur shines ethereal in the darkness. Standing at the top of the slope, it lifts its head revealing a marvelous set of antlers. A four pointer and more beautiful than anything he had in his collection. They appear rounded at the ends and look velvety soft. Though it’s standing too far away for him to see its eyes to tell if the deer is albino or not. It didn’t matter; it was so stunning. As if a star had graced Earth with a physical form. It was a sign and a mistake all in one. It was so beautiful that he believed he could be better.  

~~#*#~~ 

Getting his van back was egregious. It made living out in the middle of nowhere even more desirable. He knew he still needed to stop by the fishing store to get supplies, but he was relieved to be one step closer to collapsing into bed. Spider was already napping in the back of the van. Her little doggie bed was relatively secure in the back for long trips such as this one.  

He pulls into a parking spot in front of the shop. The sign reads Price’s Bait ‘n Tackle. Spider immediately rouses from her nap. Her ears perk up in attention at the vehicle stopping. She runs up between the front seats and nuzzles his elbow curiously while he works up the confidence to go inside. His palms are sweaty despite his iron grip on the steering wheel. He stares ahead at the building. It appears to be made of old dark brown wood while the roof was made of some kind of metal. It definitely looked like one of the older and rundown buildings in the community. His vision starts to get a little blurry and his breathing starts getting heavier. Panic starts to set in at the prospect of going inside until a small weight is lightly pressing against his chest. Spider is standing on his lap with her back legs and bracing her front paws on his chest. He blinks and a few tears fall down his cheeks. She cautiously sniffs at his chin and perks up when he pets her side. When he looks down at her, she takes it as a sign of her job done and falls back to all fours. He looks towards the glass doors. There wasn’t a no animals allowed sign visible. Places up here did tend to be looser with their animal policies. He cups Spiders face in his hands. “Okay baby, are you ready to go inside?” He asked gently, his voice only shaking a bit.  

She stares adoringly at him with her squished face. He wipes his face with his sleeve, getting rid of any evidence of his breakdown before opening the van door. Spider hops down confidently much more comfortable getting out of the van than she was getting out of the moving truck. He follows her, letting her sniff around outside a bit before calling her to his side to go in. She trots dutifully at his side.  

He opens the door and a little bell rings from above him. It causes him to flinch slightly; Spider pauses at his side. The man at the counter glances up when the pair walks in. He’s wearing a muted red button up under brown fishing overalls with black straps. The bucket hat he’s wearing casts a bit of a shadow over his eyes, making him look even more intimidating. He quickly darts into an isle to hide from his gaze. Spider follows him unbothered by the man at the counter. Her paws make a little patter on the wooden floors. He makes his way around the store until he gets to the hooks and lures section. He looks through them, eventually deciding on a two-dollar bobber as a starter. It was very basic with the top half being red and the bottom half being white, but it would do as a starter. He takes a deep breath before bringing the bobber to the front counter to pay. The man behind the counter watches him walk up with a stern glare. The bobber makes a plastic clacking sound as it’s placed on the counter. The man looks down at the bobber before looking up at his face with a raised brow. 

“That all today kiddo?” The man asks in a gruff voice. There was a bit of an accent to his words, but it was difficult to make out with how low his voice was. The way he said it made it sound like he was disapproving of the purchase. He looks down nervously at the bait on the shelf in the counter facing him. He grabs a small container of bait and sets it next to the bobber. 

“Yessir.” He says, forcing his voice to be steady. The man looks at the prices and types them into a cream-colored older model of cash register. He looks anxiously around the wall behind the man as he’s ringing up his purchases. There’s more fishing supplies hung up behind him on the wall. Above one of the areas with supplies hung up on the right is a sign that reads retired GONE FISHING. To the very left is a small shelf with a radio and small boxes of hooks. Under that is large fish mounted on a wooden plaque with a golden name plate with something inscribed in it. Though it was too far back and too small to read from where he was standing. Under the fish was an older sign with the store name on it. Under the sign was another shelf, but this one had books on it and a lidded box. He didn’t recognize any of the titles on the shelf.  

“That’ll be five dollars kid.” He looks up from the cash register trying to catch his eyes. Instead he looks down and gives all his attention to pulling a five dollar bill out of his wallet. In his periphery he sees the man shift behind the counter. He lets out a huff before asking “is that supposed to be a dog?”  

“Excuse me?” He responds defensively and a little off guard. The man gestures and his gaze follows it to Spider who is standing by his side with her whole butt wagging in excitement. 

“Is er that little... critter following you there supposed to be a dog?” He huffs in response pulling out a five-dollar bill. 

“Yes, she is a dog.” He places the bill on the counter to avoid accidental contact.  

“Ain’t a proper dog” He mumbles, swiping the bill from the counter and entering it into the register. The total rings up as zero and he puts the items into a plastic back. 

“I haven’t seen you around here. You just passing by or are you the one that just moved in?” He was hesitant to give an answer, but he’d be seeing this guy around anyways. He sighs breathlessly before answering. 

“Yeah. I just moved in yesterday. Had to take the truck back today.” He mumbled out an answer. He reaches his hairy arm across the counter. 

“Name’s John Price. Nice to meet you, kid.” He hesitates before shaking John’s hand. It was a strong and firm handshake that he returned with equal firmness while giving his name. John’s hand recedes and grabs the bag with his purchases, placing it on the counter. “Well, I guess I’ll be seeing you around then.” 

He timidly takes the bag. “Yeah. See you around.” He says quietly before leaving. He opens the door and realizes Spider is still standing at the counter staring at John curiously. He makes a clicking sound to call her over. Her head whips around to the noise before looking back at John one last time and following.