When No One Believes

[TheGrind]

Markus Grant​

Nearly a year passed after the death of Markus’ wife before his request for transfer had finally gone through. The overriding power to get out of the city, to get away, overwhelmed him. It meant uprooting his life and his daughter’s life from what they had known in the city for nearly two decades, leaving everything for the country. Even after a year it was hard for him to deal with the death of his wife. Markus had everything set up for the transfer and move. Their furniture, their lives, everything was going into this new two story home in the middle of nowhere. It was a good place to be a cop. There weren’t as many major crimes and the settled down life would finally give him a chance to bond with his daughter. At least he hoped, hell knows the seven hour car ride didn’t do it.

When he turned into the drive he heard the gravel road pop and cackle under the wheels of his tires until he pulled to a stop near the front steps, killing the engine. Putting the car in park he stepped out, walking toward the trunk where a few boxes were stashed. The moving company had come earlier and brought everything in but their personal valuable items Markus brought himself. Unlocking the trunk he let it rise, placing a box under his arm as he walked around the car. A momentary glance was given to his daughter in the passenger seat as he took the stairs. He didn’t know if she was going to help or not; he wasn’t going to ask and he wasn’t going to wait.

Shuffling through his keys until he found the right one he inserted it into the lock of the door, opening it. Leaving the keys in the lock he stepped inside, looking at the wide open berth of the room. A fireplace was at the wall and his familiar furniture of couches and chairs were placed haphazardly around the room. Markus would have to organize those later. But what stood out to him was an organ sitting kitty-corner. He’d been here twice before, asking the realtor about it. The realtor told him it came with the house. Markus figured he could either sell it or at least leave it for decoration while he got the house in order.

Even with the furniture and the boxes stacked in room to room the house still looked big. But these days housing prices were prime and this was very affordable. Probably because it was in the middle of nowhere. Probably because it was a depressed town and the previous owners wanted to flee from poverty. It didn’t matter to Markus, their loss was his and his daughter’s gain. In his eyes, there was no downside.

Setting the box he was carrying on a couch he took one look around the place, letting it sink in that this was now his new home. This was their new home. The only hope he had, other than getting over the past, was that his daughter would be able to adapt. Here was this town and there was little to do. Markus was sure they’d both pay the price for living in the city for all those years.

As he sat on a nearby chair he looked over the room in front of him. It was a large living room, adjoined by a kitchen, a study, a bathroom and a few other rooms. Upstairs were a pair of bedrooms, a bathroom and a few others he didn’t know what to do with. Then he looked toward the door as a breeze came bursting through. There were a few more boxes to get out of the car so he pushed himself up, removing the keys from the door as he passed. Putting them into his pocket he retrieved two more boxes from the trunk before slamming it shut. He’d grab the rest later. With full arms he returned to the stairs, climbing up them and through the door. Setting them off to the side of the entrance he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. The weather was getting warmer.

Walking through the livingroom and into the kitchen he opened the refrigerator door to find only a few things in there. They’d have to go shopping tomorrow. Tonight it’d be whatever delivered around here. Markus settled on a coke, taking it out of the refrigerator and closing its cool door. Opening it he took his first drink after nearly two hundred miles. At that moment he doubted anything could feel better.

 

[WordlessSoul]

Sara Lynn Grant​

If anyone were to look at Sara, they would no doubtedly see a city girl, through and through. She wasn't someone who enjoyed the country. Sara liked..no she LOVED the steady flow of the city. The malls, the parks, the people...

Out here in this God forsaken 'country' her father dragged her to wasn't her home. It wasn't ever going to be her home.

No place was ever going to be home with out Mom.

With a sigh, Sara watched her father head inside the house from the passenger seat of the car. Things had been tough since her mother passed..No, she was killed. Murdered. Remember Sara! Remember! her thoughts screamed at her.

The beep of her cell phone shook her out of her little 'trance'.

Out of service range. The display on the phone read. Yeah, they were out of range all right.

Pushing the door open, Sara stepped out to survey the house. It was a typical country house she guessed. She hadn't seen many so she couldn't be too sure.

What was that smell? Oh yeah...fresh air. Rolling her eyes, Sara stretched her tense muscles. She had made today her special outfit day. She knew Daddy hated it what she wore so maybe that's why she decided to wear it today. A short, very short denim skirt, a cropped t-shirt that showed off her belly button ring and a hint of a tattoo barely hidden by the waist of her skirt on her left hip. Her dark red hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her nails were painted black. Black eyeliner lined her bright green eyes and she had on a lipstick that matched her hair...

"Shit." Sara muttered under breath as she slammed the door shut and made her way toward the house. Her black boots crunching over the gravel along the walkway. Trudging up the steps, she yanked the front door open and stepped inside for the first time. Walking through the first floor of the house, Sara took note of the lack of 'modern' appliances the place lacked. Sure, their other stuff from their old place was here but the house was huge compared to their apartment back home. It still seemed like a lot of wasted space.

Walking by the kitchen where Sara could hear her father at, she spoke out loud in a fake southern drawl, "So, theys gots workin' indoor plumbin' in this here shack!?" She told him mockingly. She kept walking, not really paying attention to anything he said in return as she headed upstairs. Her own bedroom would be somewhat put together with her real bed in there. Not all was lost.

Sara stepped into her new 'room' and gasped at the size. It was huge! At least twice the size of her bedroom back home.

This is home! Her mind screamed at her as she sighed. Yes, this was now home. There was no use in pouting anymore. Suck it up and deal with it Sara, she thought as she opened the first box and started to put things away...

 

[TheGrind]

Markus heard his daughter walk into the house. Luckily for him the excitement she carried wasn’t contagious. Considering the circumstances he wasn’t thrilled about the move but he was happy to get on with his life. Trouble with the daughter always seemed to be a struggle but now that they were alone, out in the middle of nowhere, there were hopes that it would change. And if not, at least he left the memories in the city.

Hearing his daughter’s sarcastic southern drawl he decided to let her go. She’d get over it. Although he was sure she’d shit if he told her there wasn’t; that he really wanted to go country and eliminate the bathroom in favor of more closet space. Markus was sure that would really piss her off. So with a hidden smile as his daughter left to inspect the house, he took another drink from the coke before setting it off to the side.

Busying himself with putting away the dishes and the few things they’d need for the first night, Markus finished up fairly quickly. After driving he wasn’t in the mood to do too much tonight. The bare minimum was all he was looking for and judging by what his daughter was wearing, she was going for the same thing. Still, even though she was his daughter he couldn’t get it out of his mind. He told himself that it was because she was trying to annoy him, that it was something she knew he didn’t like her wearing.

An hour passed before he finally finished and left the kitchen for the stairs. He’d check on her to see if she needed any help. Moving down the length of the hallway he stopped at the open door of her room, “Need any help here?”

 

[WordlessSoul]

Sara was lost in thought as she was flipping through a family album, which had pictures of her, her mother and father at a picnic for her father's department some years ago. They all seemed so happy back then. She couldn't remember a time lately she had smiled like she was in the pictures nor the same for her father...

“Need any help here?”

Her father's sudden presence startled Sara as she turned toward him... Most of her things had been put away, espcially her clothes. There was a few things she hadn't wanted him to see. This past year, Sara had taken a deep interest in lingerie, with her father almost never home, she would race some extremely racy pieces when alone.

"Nope, I'm almost done here..." she hastily put the album down on her bed and jumped up, "So, what's for dinner? I'm starving!" She was truly interested to see what her father would come up with. When they had passed through the small town, Sara hadn't seen anything worth stopping at. There was no Mr. Chow's, who's sushi was to die for, nor was there any La Barraca, their mexican food was something Sara hadn't want to think about living with out...

 

[TheGrind]

Markus hadn’t planned for anything elaborate considering the traveling and unpacking that he knew needed to be done. Eating wasn’t even something he considered until he heard his daughter speak of it. His mind had been far too centered on getting things done, putting things away and then fixing up the house a little. But it wasn’t the only thing that needed attention.

“Come on,” he spoke, “let’s find out.”

Sara was right in that there weren’t many options available to them to choose from and considering he hadn’t found the phone, it was up to him. Fortunately he knew of the sketchy problems with cells in the area and found a food box he had placed in the backseat so they wouldn’t go hungry their first night.

As he opened the box he knew it wasn’t anything special and would probably disappoint his daughter but her feelings were at the bottom of what mattered most right now. A pot was placed on the stove with some water and while waiting for it to boil he pulled out the spaghetti standard that he was sure most people ate their first night at their new homes. He was too old for Ramen noodles.

The heat gave the small space a little life but it was brief when all the food had been prepared and there were nothing but father and daughter once again. A pair of plates and glasses were hardly enough to describe the distance between them.