Status: Chapter two will be up soon!
The Lost
His Promise
“G'morning Percy, here for work, are ya?” Mr. Thompson asked. He stood behind his cash register and began to lift cardboard boxes up onto the counter. “I've got a big load for ya today.” he said sarcastically.
Percy nodded and smiled. “Alright boss. Where am I off to today?”
“Miss Gertie's house, near the woods.” Mr. Thompson picked up the biggest box and handed it to his delivery boy. “Now, she might want to get you to stay and chat a while. You know how Miss Gertie can be.”
Again, Percy nodded. “Yes sir. I'm off then. I told you I won't be able to work all this week, right?”
“You told me,” Mr. Thompson said, a rather concerned tone in his voice, “but I wish you won't go. Them woods ain't safe.”
“You worry too much Mr. Thompson. I'm just going camping, I've gone before.” Percy said cheerfully, waving the idea away. He pushed his golden brown bangs for his face and smiled. “I'll be off now.
Mr. Thompson was about to speak again, but was cut off by the sound of the bell above the door ringing. Percy had slipped out. “Them woods ain't safe... Kids go in, and there ain't no kids who come out.”
Miss Gertie's house wasn't far from the Thompson General store. It was a quaint little cabin, surrounded by rows upon rows of roses and violets and daisies, and other flowers of every colour. While it was bright and cheerful, Miss Gertie was not. Mr. Thompson had once said that Miss Gertie hadn't smiled since she was ten years old, almost sixty years ago.
Percy reached for the door, but before he could even knock, Miss Gertie pulled the door open. “Good morning Percival.”
“Good morning Miss Gertie. There's a package here for you.” Percy tried to keep up with his cheerful voice, but being around the quiet and sullen Miss Gertie made it hard. Her glum personality had a way of passing on to others.
For the first time in a long time, a smile crack on the woman's face. “Thank you Percival. I just made some cocoa, come in, won't you?”
Not wanting to be rude, Percy agreed. Miss Gertie pointed to a dust rose armchair near the door. “Take a seat, I'll be right back my dear.”
Percy waited as long as he 17 year old mind would allow... About two minutes. He then found himself scanning the main room for something of interest. His eyes caught an old picture from what must be the 1940's. In the picture were two young girls. A tall, thin brunette, about ten years old, and the other was a beautiful golden haired girl, who sported two curly pigtails. At the most, she was seven.
“You found that old picture I see.” Miss Gertie asked. Percy shot up, he hadn't even heard her come in. “That's my sister there. Isn't she beautiful?”
Percy nodded absentmindedly, his eyes locking onto the picture. “I didn't know you had a sister.”
Miss Gertie shrugged and took a seat across from Percy. “Most people don't. She disappeared not long after that picture was taken. It was her seventh birthday, and she was gone a few weeks later.”
“What happened to her?” Percy asked.
“I don't know. I'll never know. She stood up and moved to the window. “The last place I saw her was in that field out there, going towards those woods. You know what they say about those woods, right?”
“Kids go in, and kids never come out. That's what Mr. Thompson says.” Percy said, placing the picture back on the end table where he found it.
Miss Gertie sighed. “Andy Thompson... Eva said she was going to marry him when she grew up... Poor thing never got the chance.” Miss Gertie placed Percy's mug of cocoa on the end table and picked up the picture. “Her name was Evangeline, but I, well, we always called her Eva. She was our little angel.” A tear rolled down her wrinkled cheek. Suddenly, her head perked up like an idea had come to her. “Percy, aren't you going out into the woods?”
“Tomorrow,” Percy said, after taking a large sip of his cocoa, “I leave first thing in the morning.”
Again, a smile crossed Miss Gertie's face. “Now, this may sound crazy, but do you think that you could perhaps just take a look around, maybe there was a small town within the woods that Eva ended up in. I don't know why, but I don't think she is gone... I think she made a new life for herself...”
Though Percy highly doubted Miss Gertie's belief, he did love to see the woman smile. “Alright Miss Gertie, I'll take a look.”
“Thank you Percival. Now, I shan't keep you any longer, I'm sure you have other deliveries.”
As he handed the empty mug to the woman, Percy stood up to leave. “I may, I'm not sure yet. Thank you for the cocoa.”
“You're welcome my dear. And tell your mother that she raised a good boy.”
“Thank you Miss Gertie, good bye.”
“Good bye Percival.” Another tear rolled down her check. “Good luck my dear.”
Percy nodded and smiled. “Alright boss. Where am I off to today?”
“Miss Gertie's house, near the woods.” Mr. Thompson picked up the biggest box and handed it to his delivery boy. “Now, she might want to get you to stay and chat a while. You know how Miss Gertie can be.”
Again, Percy nodded. “Yes sir. I'm off then. I told you I won't be able to work all this week, right?”
“You told me,” Mr. Thompson said, a rather concerned tone in his voice, “but I wish you won't go. Them woods ain't safe.”
“You worry too much Mr. Thompson. I'm just going camping, I've gone before.” Percy said cheerfully, waving the idea away. He pushed his golden brown bangs for his face and smiled. “I'll be off now.
Mr. Thompson was about to speak again, but was cut off by the sound of the bell above the door ringing. Percy had slipped out. “Them woods ain't safe... Kids go in, and there ain't no kids who come out.”
Miss Gertie's house wasn't far from the Thompson General store. It was a quaint little cabin, surrounded by rows upon rows of roses and violets and daisies, and other flowers of every colour. While it was bright and cheerful, Miss Gertie was not. Mr. Thompson had once said that Miss Gertie hadn't smiled since she was ten years old, almost sixty years ago.
Percy reached for the door, but before he could even knock, Miss Gertie pulled the door open. “Good morning Percival.”
“Good morning Miss Gertie. There's a package here for you.” Percy tried to keep up with his cheerful voice, but being around the quiet and sullen Miss Gertie made it hard. Her glum personality had a way of passing on to others.
For the first time in a long time, a smile crack on the woman's face. “Thank you Percival. I just made some cocoa, come in, won't you?”
Not wanting to be rude, Percy agreed. Miss Gertie pointed to a dust rose armchair near the door. “Take a seat, I'll be right back my dear.”
Percy waited as long as he 17 year old mind would allow... About two minutes. He then found himself scanning the main room for something of interest. His eyes caught an old picture from what must be the 1940's. In the picture were two young girls. A tall, thin brunette, about ten years old, and the other was a beautiful golden haired girl, who sported two curly pigtails. At the most, she was seven.
“You found that old picture I see.” Miss Gertie asked. Percy shot up, he hadn't even heard her come in. “That's my sister there. Isn't she beautiful?”
Percy nodded absentmindedly, his eyes locking onto the picture. “I didn't know you had a sister.”
Miss Gertie shrugged and took a seat across from Percy. “Most people don't. She disappeared not long after that picture was taken. It was her seventh birthday, and she was gone a few weeks later.”
“What happened to her?” Percy asked.
“I don't know. I'll never know. She stood up and moved to the window. “The last place I saw her was in that field out there, going towards those woods. You know what they say about those woods, right?”
“Kids go in, and kids never come out. That's what Mr. Thompson says.” Percy said, placing the picture back on the end table where he found it.
Miss Gertie sighed. “Andy Thompson... Eva said she was going to marry him when she grew up... Poor thing never got the chance.” Miss Gertie placed Percy's mug of cocoa on the end table and picked up the picture. “Her name was Evangeline, but I, well, we always called her Eva. She was our little angel.” A tear rolled down her wrinkled cheek. Suddenly, her head perked up like an idea had come to her. “Percy, aren't you going out into the woods?”
“Tomorrow,” Percy said, after taking a large sip of his cocoa, “I leave first thing in the morning.”
Again, a smile crossed Miss Gertie's face. “Now, this may sound crazy, but do you think that you could perhaps just take a look around, maybe there was a small town within the woods that Eva ended up in. I don't know why, but I don't think she is gone... I think she made a new life for herself...”
Though Percy highly doubted Miss Gertie's belief, he did love to see the woman smile. “Alright Miss Gertie, I'll take a look.”
“Thank you Percival. Now, I shan't keep you any longer, I'm sure you have other deliveries.”
As he handed the empty mug to the woman, Percy stood up to leave. “I may, I'm not sure yet. Thank you for the cocoa.”
“You're welcome my dear. And tell your mother that she raised a good boy.”
“Thank you Miss Gertie, good bye.”
“Good bye Percival.” Another tear rolled down her check. “Good luck my dear.”