Tuesday, 7 January 2014

Tuesday, January 07, 2014 -

Erin's Visit

by Susan Thomas
Published: Oct 31, 2013
Words: 36,339
Category: general
Orientation: M/F, F/F
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OPENING EXTRACT
Chapter 1

Erin attended a rather pushy private girls' school where she worked hard and did well. In spite of an August birthday that meant she was very young in her year group, she was always at the top in terms of her marks or exam results. So when the results came in and Erin had done outstandingly well with five A-Levels all at top grades even though she was not eighteen for another five days, everyone was happy. So at first was Erin, but then the normally happy, even tempered girl became unhappy and tetchy. Did she really want to go to university when she was only eighteen by a matter of a couple of weeks? She thought of voluntary service, perhaps overseas, but it was all a bit late. Erin's mum got on Skype to her sister in the US.

"Well she could come and stay with us. We'd love to have her we haven't seen her, other than on this thing, since she was ten years old. Look, how about she comes to us and delays university? She can work in the business and everything will be different for her."

Erin's Aunt Nicola and Uncle Jack ran a garden/farm power equipment business (sales and repair) in a small town in a southern state. Erin's mum wasn't sure about this idea as her sister and brother in law were quite religious in a traditional and strongly religious area. Erin though had no doubts and threw herself into making the arrangements, but even so the year advanced towards Christmas and snow lay thickly on the ground in their Lancashire village before Erin flew off to stay with her aunt and uncle.

The childless couple greeted her warmly at the airport, her aunt practically hugging the life out of her. "My you've grown into such a pretty young lady. Videos just don't do justice to you." Erin blushed and allowed herself to be hugged by her uncle who tactfully went more gently than his wife.

By the time they got back to her aunt and uncle's house Erin was feeling tired and grubby from the long trip but the next day (a Saturday) had bounced back to her usual self, except more cheerful than she had been for a while. Her uncle had to run the business where she would be working as from Monday but her aunt took her to meet the neighbours. Next door lived the McWilliams with four children; the youngest aged four whose pictures covered the fridge and a whole wall of the kitchen and the oldest was a deeply shy girl with braces. Two boys in the middle were out somewhere playing. After all the introductions and explanations Erin's eye suddenly caught sight of a strange thing hanging on the wall of the family room. It was the same size and shape as a hairbrush with an oval back but it wasn't a hairbrush since it lay flat on the wall.

"What is that?" Erin wasn't impolite just deeply curious.