Chapter 1

Introductions...

 

Chapter 1

Cripple Creek, Colorado         

March, 2006

 

Snow fell in lazy drifts on the mountain road making travel hazardous and the scenery amazing. He drove by aspens bare of leaves and white with snow. Ever greens were no longer green. He thought how glad he was that it was still cloudy because if the sun came out it may be so bright a white around him that it would blind him. He couldn’t remember the last time he had seen so much snow. Spring was starting soon but not on this mountain. No this mountain seemed stuck in a winter wonderland as if it was a snow globe constantly shaken in some gift shop. 

Mathew Daniels Turned a corner on the frozen mountain road and saw a sight so breath taking he had to pull over to get a better look. Below in a valley was a snow covered old west scene. Snow flakes fell gently on the old wooden and brick buildings fashioned to a gorgeous replication of an old west town. The buildings stood on either side of a main street that went straight through the center of town. Other streets were narrow and held a bare minimum of houses that sheltered the few brave souls who occupied the town on a regular basis.

He had seen in the brochure how the town had an old time feel but he had not expected quite such a strong resemblance. He thought the place held some appeal as his next temporary home. He wasn’t sure how long he would be staying but he thought he might just enjoy the stay.

Mathew was a wanderer in every definition of the word. He never visited one place twice and he never stayed anywhere long. He had very few close friends and didn’t keep serious relationships, strings made him nervous. He liked people but couldn’t handle being around the same people too long.

When a tourist bus sped by ruining the effect of the scene before him he headed back to his four wheel drive truck and started the last leg of his journey.  He drove down the main street searching for a hotel that appealed. He saw many hotels built on casinos but didn’t want to have the noise of slot machines should he decide to go to bed early. He saw one hotel that was out of the way and seemed to be clear of the slot machine noise but a sign above the main office read “No Vacancy”.

He was almost ready to settle for a casino hotel when he noticed the sign “Felling B&B”. He had almost missed it. It looked like someone’s home instead of a hotel or inn. A lovely three story Victorian home complete with covered porch. The roof of which was held up by lovely white columns. A porch swing swung on one side of the door and a lovely wicker table and seats graced the other side. Two wicker love seats the same style and color of the table and chairs graced the rails on either side of the porch. Pots and planters were placed in varied places around the porch but were bare of flowers at this time of year.

The sidewalk was neatly shoveled and made ready for any guest who might wander down the path that was cleared. Salt must have been sprinkled because no ice stuck to the pavement and snow seemed to be melting here before it even touched the ground. He pulled his truck into the driveway which had also been shoveled clear as if he had been expected. After shutting off his engine he grabbed the duffle bag he kept packed and in easy reach and headed to the door. He knocked out of instinct more than anything else. The place so much resembled a large and lovely home it seemed wrong to just walk in.

“Come in! Come in! Can’t you see its open?” Said an irritated voice inside.

When he walked in the door he was greeted by a very small very OLD bundle of energy.

“Come on inside now son don’t let the heat out. Takes forever to heat this place it gets cold.”

“Yes Ma’am.” He replied and started to introduce himself “I am Mathew Daniels…”

“I know who you are boy, been expecting you.” She said in that same steady voice. She looked to be about 80 he thought and was hunched over her walking cane as she made her way to him. “87” she said.

“Huh?”

“I am 87 not 80 though its amazingly sweet of you to say I look so young as 80.”

Had he? Had he really said that aloud? She smiled at him sweetly and held out her hand. “Mavis Felling” She said. “Nice to meet you Matt. That’s what everyone who gets close enough calls you right not Mathew, that’s too formal for you. You don’t look at all like a Mathew. Your too young. Too wild looking. Kind of got the roguish gypsy thing going in you don’t you boy?”

He couldn’t help but laugh and immediately warmed to the woman. “Matt is fine, yes. I would like to rent a room.” He told her.

“I figured as much, got one ready right up the stairs to the left. Told young Tommy I needed them walkways cleared. Don’t usually get guests this time a year so he thought I was nuts but I told him you’d be comin. And since you’re here I ain’t got to pay him for his work. Kind of the bet we made but I’m a pay him anyhow. Too nice a boy to have him workin free on such a cold day.”

Young Tommy? He thought. Told him I was comin? How’d you know that?

“Young Tommie’s the boy down the street does some side walk clearing for me.” She said almost as if she was answering a question. “I told him you was comin. Knew that cause I got a sense about these things. He said I was crazy ‘ain’t no one comin out in this weather’ he told me but I was right sure enough. Can’t wait to tell him either.” She laughed with the sheer glee of someone about to say I told you so as she led him up the stairs and down a hallway to the left. At the first door to the left she opened it and showed him inside.    

Stepping into the room was like stepping into another time. There was a dressing screen to one side of the room that, he later discovered, hid the entry way to the bathroom from the rest of the room. There was a pitcher and washbowl set like ones he had seen in antique stores across the country on an old looking cherry wood dresser. A four poster bed of the same wood stood on the other side of it. The only thing that made him sure he hadn’t stepped back in time was the little sitting across from the bed. A small floral print loveseat sat along a wall with a matching chair sitting next to it so it made a corner and sectioned it off from the rest of the room. A small cherry wood coffee table with a glass top sat in front of the love seat with a matching nightstand sitting between the chair and the love seat. A TV stand stood along the wall in front of the chair with a flat screen TV setting on top of it. The room was a bit more feminine that Matt would have preferred but he had grown accustomed to having his accommodations suit someone else better than himself. He had learned long ago that wanderers couldn’t be choosy.

He had just turned to telling Ms. Felling that the room was nice when he heard a loud ruckus coming from the stairs. Before he could ask what it was he saw what he thought was a little boy come streaking down the hall. He couldn’t tell for certain because it was moving so fast but it was talking a mile a minute as it went. It stopped suddenly in front of Ms. Felling and he could see that it was definably a small boy. He was talking so fast that Matt couldn’t keep up but managed to catch only a few words here and there.

“…how did….you have one… I never… Can you teach…?” Ms. Felling seemed to have no trouble understanding what the boy was saying as she started to laugh and nod her head.

“I just knew in my heart someone was coming Tommy. Can’t teach a person how to feel with they heart.”  

Author's Note

Again still in rough draft stages but I am deffinatly open to insight...