“It’s all yours, just sign right here Mr. Rutherford!”

I looked across the desk at the pear-shaped woman. At first glance, she seemed friendly enough. Innocent, homely. But then a second look revealed her darker side. There was something insistently sinister about her smile, the way she held out her pen.

She knows more than she is letting on.

I grunted in response and grabbed the pen, twirling it in my fingers as I re-read the short, one-page document once again. It was a simple contract but I wanted to ensure it was airtight. It had all seemed like a scam from the get-go. I had never known my grandpa Aerelius, so when I got a call that he had passed and I was to inherit his farm I naturally suspected I was about to get ripped off.

It would have helped, of course, if I’d had any family members to verify the information with. But I was not blessed in that department. I had grown up in a series of foster homes and had little to no contact with the rest of my kin. It wasn’t something that bothered me at this stage of life, just a fact of existence.

Life was hard, you worked hard, got over it, and kept trucking. That was my philosophy anyway. It’s what had gotten me to partner at my firm, yet another reason I was triple-checking the contract. It was pretty airtight despite the weird vibes of this lady and place. I signed it and handed it over. The lady stamped it and handed me a copy with a wide grin.

“Congratulations sir, you are now the proud owner of Golden Acres farm!” she said with a smile.

I took the paper and raised my eyebrows. “Sure, for now.”

***

I had done three laps around the small city in my car searching for my grandfather's property and still was unable to find it. I stopped in at the local gas station and got myself a rather watery cup of coffee, killing time while I considered possible solutions to this problem.

I stood outside, my back against the wall, taking sips and wincing at the taste each time. I had already made up my mind. I was selling the damn farm the second I could get it appraised. This small town with its shitty coffee, terrible roads, and lack of accurate maps had me frustrated and annoyed.

Wait, what is that? I smell smoke…

I blinked and looked up. From out of nowhere an elderly gentleman appeared directly in front of me. He held a long corn cob pipe and was puffing away, sighing dramatically with each exhale. He wore suspenders and a long flannel shirt.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and I felt a strange prickling sensation in my gut. I avoided the man’s gaze, took one last sip of the foul coffee, and walked around him, heading to my car. I definitely didn’t need or want to find out what his deal was.

“Are you sure you want to leave so soon, young man?” he called out from behind me.

I stopped and felt my adrenaline spike. Most people wouldn’t know it from the suit and the car, but I grew up in rough neighborhoods. I’d clawed my way out. I could fight, and I would, if needed. I turned.

If this guy wants trouble, I’ll take him out… but let’s hope we can avoid that.

“I’m pretty sure, yes,” I said evenly, making eye contact with the man and clenching my fists. On further inspection, the man did not look dangerous. He was, however, acting pretty damn sketchy.

The man took another puff of his pipe and eyed me up and up and down. “You know,” he said. “We don’t get a lot of out-of-towners here. Been seeing you circle the place. I get the feeling you are looking for something. Mayhaps I can help you.” His eyes twinkled as he spoke.

The more he talked, the more I dismissed my initial assessment of him. Yes, he gave me the creeps, but I sensed no ill will or malice from the man. Against my better judgment, I unclenched my fists and reached into my pocket. I procured a piece of paper with the address on it and handed it to him.

“I’m looking for this place, my grandfather’s farm. But I can’t for the life of me find it. It should be right in the center of town.”

The man smiled, read the address, and nodded. He folded up the piece of paper and handed it back to me. “Follow me,” he said simply.

I looked back at my new car in the parking lot and sighed. I clicked the keys and the headlights flashed. It was locked. I gave a silent prayer to whatever gods might be listening that it would still be in one piece once I returned. Then I walked away, tailing the old man.

I have no choice. I’m definitely not going to find this place on my own.

I followed the stranger as he crossed the highway right in its very center. He didn’t even look to see if any cars were oncoming. I checked to make sure it was safe before doing the same thing myself, cursing all the while. Jaywalking made you eligible for a fine in my city. I supposed it would be okay here, I didn’t see any cars, cops, or cameras. Still, I wasn’t thrilled about my guide’s total lack of awareness.

Once I had completed my crossing the old man nudged me and then pointed at the large vacant lot we stood in front of. At the center of it was a water tower.“The answer is there,” he said and grinned at me. “Come.” With that, he hopped the short fence separating the sidewalk from the lot and kept walking.

I did some mental math, jaywalking, now trespassing, and likely onto municipal government property. Another fine, community service, perhaps even a year if we did some damage. I’d be disbarred. I gritted my teeth and looked around. No-one. Once more I ignored my judgment, hopped the fence, and continued to follow him.

He’d better have a plan here, I’m breaking all my rules today.

When he reached the base of the tower he looked over his shoulder to ensure I was still there. Confident I was, he then began to climb.

“Really?” I said in disbelief, to no one but myself.

This wasn’t what I signed up for when I accepted ownership of the farm. I considered cutting my losses and going back to the car but a part of me really wanted to see this through. Still not quite sure why I was ignoring so many red flags, I took a deep breath and began to climb.

The rungs were rusty and I tried not to think about the amount of diseases I could catch if I somehow cut my hand open. When I reached the top of the platform I found the old man standing with his hands on his hips, surveying the lands all around us.

“Beautiful view, isn’t it?” he asked me with a grin.

I took a moment to catch my breath then grasped the railing, looking out at the view of the town. It did look a fair amount more pretty from up on high. But still, I was skeptical. I wanted to be shown my farm and to be on my way, not go on some reckless trespassing romp through public property, risking tetanus and misdemeanors.

“Sir?” I ventured. “ You are right, this is a lovely view. But I’m still concerned with finding my grandfather’s farm. Golden Acres. Are you sure you’ve heard of it?”

The old man chuckled. “So impatient. You know, you won’t make a good farmer that way.”

I rolled my eyes but bit my tongue. I wasn’t about to spill it to this guy but I intended to sell the farm at the first opportunity. As it was, I was already getting antsy being away from my work at the law firm. Every minute away meant a dollar lost.

“Okay, I understand. Thank you for showing me this. But now that I’ve walked with you, and climbed with you, perhaps you can point the farm out to me. We can see the whole town from here. Even just showing me the general direction would help.”

The old man’s grin widened and I tried not to stare at his very discolored teeth. “Ah, so we come to the crux of the thing. Well, don't worry friend. When it comes to a promise, I always deliver!” The man reached over and tapped the metal belly of the watertower with a long fingernail. “It’s right here, you see?”

I looked between his grinning face and the metal of the tower. I felt rage boiling in me. So it had all been a game? He was a junkie after all, and I’d let myself get caught up in his schemes.  There was one silver lining. At least he hadn’t tried to mug me. Grumbling, I reached into my wallet, pulled out a fifty, and handed it to the man.

“Look, you're right I see it now. Wow! It's beautiful,” I said patronizingly. “Why don’t you take this and try and get a nice hot meal alright? I’ll be going now…”

I heard a ripping sound and my jaw dropped. My bill was in pieces, falling to the floor. He had torn it up immediately.

“I don’t need your money,” the man said, his eyes flinty. “And your impatience will be your undoing, this I warn you. I took you here for a reason. Observe!”

The man pressed his full palm to the exterior of the tower. After a few seconds, the metal of the tank began shifting and groaning as if in response to his touch. And then something impossible happened. The gray material behind his palm disappeared with a strange humming sound and in its place a swirling blue vortex formed. This bizarre portal was about the size of a man and it led right into the tower.

I felt myself sweat and wiped my brow. “This is… some kind of crazy magic trick… and for the record, I’m not into it,” I said, raising my fist in the only gesture of defiance I could think to muster

The old man simply shook his head at me. “You only ever react with fear, anger, or anxiety. Again, this will not serve you well in Halfmoon Hills. If you want to claim your farm, you’d best follow me. Oh, and hurry. The portal will close in one minute.”

The old man stepped into the void and disappeared.

I paced around the water tower considering my options. I pulled out my cell. It had no reception. I cursed into the air. I searched around for any other people in the vicinity. Nothing, no one. No answers and no help. Just me and this portal and this decision. One minute.

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

If I didn’t follow the man, I’d lose my chance forever. But every prudent part of me was against the idea. It didn’t even make logical physical sense that such a thing could exist. I wrung my hands, looking into the blue void. I thought of the briefs I had to read, and the court dates coming up. For a moment I imagined myself lost in that blue nothing. No deadlines. Just quiet.

Maybe I should go. Maybe I should try.

I stepped into the portal.

---

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