Chapter II: A New Life

Fawna stumbles across an old, run-down farm and is given the task of rebuilding it.

                Fawna kicked a nearby branch that had fallen off of a long dead tree, which caused the heel of her right shoe to snap. Stumbling slightly, she clutched her now sprained ankle in pain "Oh drat... drat, drat, drat!" she cursed herself angrily. "This was a stupid idea. I'm going home and begging Greg to take me back! Being his mindless trophy is better than dying out here in the middle of nowhere!" she shouted, turning around to go back, limping heavily due to her injured foot and the broken heel of her shoe.

                "Tom! Tom, there's someone out there!" a wobbly old voice rang out from the tiny house with the light shining in the window. Before Fawna had a chance to do or say anything, two figures ran out of the house, one of them carrying a large axe. Fawna's irritation turned into blind fear and she screamed, desperately hoping someone would hear her and come to her aid. As the figures came nearer, Fawna dropped to her knees, crying for mercy.

                "Please! Please don't kill me! I'm sorry for trespassing! I just want to go home!" she sobbed, cowering in fear. The figures stood over her and much to Fawna's surprise, they were an elderly couple. The woman was in a flowery night robe with hair curlers in her grey locks. The man was wearing a ratty old t-shirt and overalls. Scratching his stubbly chin, he seemed to ponder for a moment before helping Fawna to her feet.

                "Well, Rita would ya take a look at this flashy gal," he chuckled, referring to Fawna's white glittery stage dress, her heavy makeup which was now streaming unattractively down her face from all the crying she had been doing, her perfectly styled hair and stiletto heels. The old woman named Rita gave a hearty giggle.

                "She sure does look strange. What's your name there, deary?" she asked, leading Fawna into the tiny little house. Fawna cleared her throat nervously.

                "Fawna. I'm from the city... I'm... I was, a bar singer," she told them in a faint, wispy thread of a voice. "I wanted to make a new life for myself out here, but now I'm thinking that it was a mistake. Is there a way I can get out of here?" she asked them. The old couple gave each other thoughtful looks before nodding as if they could read the other's thoughts. The old man scratched his chin again and leaned closer to Fawna.

                "Well, just hold that thought for a moment, there," he told her. "Rita and I have run this here farm since we got married over fifty years ago. Our children never had an interest in farming and left to get jobs in the city. Now that we're old and feeble, we haven't been able to take care of things the way we used to. We had to sell all our animals and stop buying crop seeds. As you can see, the farm's fallen to pieces over the years," he sighed sadly. Rita patted his arm lovingly before continuing.

                "Tom and I have been looking for someone to take this old farm off our hands, but it seems that farming just isn't something people want to do anymore and let's face it, who would want to take on this old dump?" she asked with a sigh. Fawna wasn't at all sure where these people were going with this sad story. She cocked her head to one side and pouted.

                "That's very sad, but how is this sob story of yours going to help me get back home?" she asked, a little rudely. She was heartbroken, tired, injured and homesick and she was not at all in the mood to listen to the lamenting of two senile old coots. Tom's face brightened up immediately.

                "Fawna, what would you say to making this your home?" he asked. "Rita and I want to retire, you want to start a new life here in Serenity Falls... what do you say?" he asked. Fawna jumped up in panic. Her? Run a farm and ruin her manicure? Scoop poop and be around smelly animals? How gross!

                "Woah... wait a minute here!" she began, but before she had a chance to protest, the old couple had handed her the keys to the house and gathered up what little possessions they owned and were able to take with them. As they went to walk out the door, Rita turned back towards Fawna.

                "Perfect! Good luck rebuilding this farm, Deary!" she said before closing the door behind her. Fawna stumbled to the door and wrenched it open.

                "WAIT! COME BACK! YOU MISUNDERSTOOD!" she yelled, but the elderly couple was already disappearing into the distance. Cursing angrily under her breath, Fawna looked around at the tiny, one room home that was now apparently hers. There was a small television, a single bed, a tiny bookshelf, a map and status book on a nightstand and a calendar. "Great, just fantastic!" she muttered to herself. Thinking of her old apartment above the bar that Greg owned, Fawna's eyes filled with tears. She had loved him, and he had used her like she was nothing. Peering out the window at the dark, run down farm, Fawna formed a wacky, strange idea. Maybe working on a farm is just the thing I need to take my mind off of Greg, she thought to herself. I'll prove to everyone that a girl like me can make it on her own! Then Greg will be sorry he ever took me for granted!

                Unpacking some of her clothes (which were not fit for farm work at all), she undressed and climbed into the small bed, completely exhausted.