This weekend we continue with Delia who last week had discovered a well several yards into the forest behind her new house in New Hampshire.
Delia awakened to the sound of crying. She sat up in bed and glanced at the old-fashioned alarm clock with its two bells, fastened on top. It was 3:36 a.m. according to the clock dial. In her pajamas with small Spongebob cartoons, she darted towards the window which faced the front of the house. Below, the narrow stone path which led to the dusty unpaved road was dark, save for some smooth stones which marked its border. The road meandered and wove its way into the woods beyond where a classmate lived a few miles away.
Delia fell into a daydream as she stood by the light of the stars as she glanced outside the window at the road which wove further towards town. A stiff breeze portentious of a coming winter issued from the window. Delia shivered, but still kept standing, gazing out. She pictured herself visiting the classmate who was in most of her classes since the girl was also in tenth grade. She was musing about how she could try inviting the girl to go and explore the woods with her and perhaps go on a short day hike. Nice thought, she mused. Perhaps she’ll see her by the lockers or in the cafeteria before the girl joined her friends who exuded a sense of disdain for Delia. She was too new. For now. What was the girl’s name?
A screech issued from somewhere, awakening Delia from her reverie. Delia quickly pushed the window down, shutting it and turned the lock. She self-consciously touched her hair, tousled, but styled short in a bob. Then, that screech again.
Closer.
Above the roof.
Suddenly, she hugged herself, a bit perplexed at the sound. Quickly, she backed away from the window and wondered what it was. Perhaps a bird or even a bat. She pulled the curtains shut, and a stick fell from the wall behind the curtain. It was the stick she had used to rubber band a cosmetic mirror to when she tried to see what was at the bottom of the well.
That’s it. She would invite the girl, what’s her name, on an adventure and take her to the well. Perhaps she can entice the girl to go down to the bottom and check out what was all the stuff down there. Neat things she might want to have. Some people’s junk are other people’s treasure, her mom used to say. She’d have to remember to put on her dad’s old shirts so as not to look so scraggly if her mother catches her after school.
A plan. Delia smiled to herself, thinking it might work. Then, they would go out to the movies and the girl would invite another girl to share the popcorn and they would all go camping. Maybe boys too. Maybe they would find all sorts of stuff they could sell at the local consignment or barter for better things, like the hair comb she saw the other day this girl was wearing.
What if the screeching she heard was coming from the well? What if there was something down there? No, she thought. She wouldn’t mention that to what’s her name as that would surely scare her. Tomorrow she would see where this girl’s homeroom was and then wait for her when the bell rang. Worse comes to worse, she could always go back to the well and see what was down there with her mirror. Alone. By herself. Then, once she’s seen what was there in the bottom, she’d have some very interesting conversations to lure them to come.
Content, a plan in place, Delia yawned and tossed the stick in a corner of the room. She climbed back to bed and closed her eyes, facing the curtained window. This time, she didn’t hear the screech.
NEXT WEEK: Will Delia succeed in getting the classmate to come with her to the well? What’s in the bottom of the well? Subscribe to find out and get the story direct to your inbox!
