Carmilla sat, her leg bouncing up and down. It was reflex-a habit if you will. In her hands she held a napkin, on it a number. Her brother, Will, had recently told her Mr. Hollis was looking for someone to do some work on his farm. Carmilla was used to working on a farm. She had grown up on one. An apple farm, but she still had to work hard around the place. She sighed and flopped back on her twin sized bed. Will was letting her stay there while she settled back in. Back into her home. Into the small town of Hendersonville, North Carolina. He had let her stay in her old room, even though it was small and super nineties kid. It still was her room. Slowly she relaxed. When she closed her eyes, she could see it. The war. The Bombs. The cold water washing over her as she wondered if that was her last day. If she would be pulled back up. If she'd ever see the annoying face if her best friend and partner, Danny. Or that idiot, puppy dog Kirsch, who was painfully kind.
"I know a doctor..." Said a voice drawing Carmilla out of her flashback. Carmilla looked up and glared at her younger brother.
"Ever heard of knocking, Willy-boy?" She snapped, sitting up to properly look at him. Will rolled his eyes before stalking over and sitting beside Carmilla. She hated how he treated her now. Like a kid. Like a broken child.
"I told you, I don't need to see a doctor," she lied, but as she said it she gripped the sides of the bed.
"I know you're trying to be big and bad-but a lot of people in the military go threw this after going home. Especially if they see... what you did, sis," Will tried, leaning in. Carmilla's eyes blazed,
"I don't want your pity Will!"
Will shrugged like he had done all he could and got up.
"At least call Farmer Hollis. Okay? Promise me?" He asked leaning against the doorframe. Carmilla looked down at the number written on a napkin. It's not like doing this would change her life. She then made a show of getting out her phone and waving it at Will. He laughed and walked away. After a couple rings the call went to voice mail,
"Hey! If you didn't get me I'm probably working-" the deep male voice was cut off by a females voice, "or fishing with me!" Then in sync they both yelled, "bye!" Carmilla rose an eyebrow, who was that? His wife? Did farmer Hollis have a wife? Mentally she reminded herself to ask for his address tomorrow. She then curled up and fell asleep. That's when the dreams came.
"Get down!" Danny calls from somewhere behind you. Immediately you fall down as a bomb explodes somewhere next to you. A ringing starts in ears and you tell yourself to get up. But you're paralysed with fear. Your whole body just freezes.
"Come on, Karnstien! You are not dying on my watch!" Yells Danny. She's beside you now and pulls you up on your feet. That breaks you out of your spell and you force yourself to focus. The two of you run, bombs echoing across the land. Just get to the ocean. You guys were home bound then. You smiled thinking about home. About Will, and the Epic movie theatre. When Danny and you burst through the trees onto the shore you saw Kirsch running in the water with his partner. You could hear the enemy behind you; bullets whizzing past your heads. Danny turns to you laughing at the thought of finally leaving. For once you smile back. You reach the water's edge and Danny's halfway to the jet skis. That's when you feel it. At first it's just the impact that you feel. But then you see it rip threw the other side of your leg. A bullet. And you fall. Into the water. Into the darkness. You can hear voices. You think you see Danny and Kirsch above you, but you can't think straight. You're leg is crying out- you swear you're on fire and you're drowning. Dying? Is this dying? The darkness engulfs you and you close your eyes.
Carmilla jolts awake in a cold sweat. When had she been covered in a blanket? She shakes the nightmare away quickly and stands. The Rugrats clock on her nightstand read four-twenty. She usually got up at five anyway-out of habit, so she just stayed awake. After she changed and ate a bowl of cereal she went on a morning jog. The air was crisp and cool, which she usually enjoyed, but today she was glad she wore the large Seals sweatshirt Kirsch had given her. When she got back it was almost six-thirty. Will was awake. He sat at the two person table, a piece of toast half-eaten in hand.
"'Mornin." He greeted, his attention however was on the paper in front of him. Carmilla sat down slowly and Will looked up.
"I'll go. Once. But if this doctor pity's me-or treats me like a victim-," Carmilla started. Will gave a closed mouth smile, then said, his mouth still full,
"You'll like Dr. Lafontaine." He then handed the girl a business card. Carmilla took it without a word she turned but looked over her shoulder and asked,
"Where does Farmer Hollis live?" Will smiled again. A smug smile, which Carmilla regretted teaching him.
Carmilla almost didn't go. It was about ten o'clock when she pulled onto the gravel road. A sign beside the road read, "Hollis Acres" and for a moment Carmilla wondered what type of farm this was. The farmer's property was huge and that was an understatement. To her left she could see horses grazing peacefully, while to her right were cows chewing on their cud. It was breathtaking. At the end of the rode was a white house, which she assumes was the Farmer's house. Stairs led up to a porch that seemed to go all the way around the house. On the porch were two rocking chairs and farmer Hollis himself. Farmer Hollis was a fit man. He was tan and graying around the edges but all together looked good for his age. He wore a plaid shirt and old blue jeans, dusty boots on his feet and a dusty hat on his head, he could in two words define "the south". Lying beside him was a black and white border collie, who immediately started barking at the sight of Will's truck, Carmilla was using. Farmer Hollis got up and clomped down the steps to where Carmilla was parked. Carmilla quickly got out to greet him.
"Can I help you m'am?" He asked, shaking Carmilla's hand. Carmilla smiled at the tea in his free hand; South.
"Yes sir," she said, "I'm here about the job? You needed some help on the farm?" The older man's brown eyes lit up and a smile split across his face.
"Ahh-you must be Camella! Wilson's sister!"
"Uh, it's Carmilla and yes sir, I'm Williams sister," Carmilla corrected. Mr. Hollis just nodded and motioned for her to follow him. He turned toward the porch and clomped away. Carmilla hurriedly followed. Upon reaching the top of the stairs he turned round and plopped down in a rocking chair.
"Right, right. Carmilla-I'd love it if you worked for me!" Carmilla rose her eyebrows. Maybe people from Hendersonville were a bit too trusting, he didn't even know her after all. But the farmer lifted his hand for them to shake in a deal. So, hesitantly Carmilla shook it.
"You can start right now! That fence over yonder needs fixin and I need someone to clean the horses stables...Oh, and them cows need bring round. My girl, Shadow will help you with that," he grinned as the border collie stood up, hearing her name. Carmilla nodded before the man added,
"Tools are in the shed, and here," he threw her a water bottle, "Yer gonna need it," Carmilla politely took the water but figured she wouldn't need it-she was in the Navy for Peat's sake-how hard could this be.
By the time twelve had rolled around Carmilla was wishing she was back at boot camp. She'd fixed some many things in so little time she felt dizzy. Every time she finished a task something else seemed to be broken. She had taken off her v-neck, and thankfully she had worn a tank top otherwise she'd would have died of heat stroke. At the moment she was honestly thinking about quitting. Because how in the world is this worth seven dollars an hour? As she trudged off the large field and back to the house she saw a black truck pull up beside Wills white one. Farmer Hollis was standing on the porch, with Shadow beside him. Carmilla figured he'd have something else for her to do, but she'd be gone before he could get the words out. When she'd reached the stairs the truck was still there and no one had gotten out. The windows were to dense to see anybody, but Carmilla figured the Farmer knew whoever was in it.
"Ah, good Carmilla!" He smiled lifting his hands in greeting. Shadow barked and danced a bit as if she knew who was in the truck too. "Look I have another task for you-" Carmilla cut in,
"Listen sir, I am very thankful for the offer of this job but-,"
"-I need you to eat lunch with my daughter and I." Mr. Hollis finished, unfazed by Carmilla's interruption.
"Daughter?" Carmilla asked and before another word could be said she heard the voice of an angel,
"Hey, Dad!" Carmilla turned toward the voice. Behind her she thought she heard Mr. Hollis say,
"Carmilla, this is my daughter, Laura." Carmilla thought it could get no hotter out there at a ninety-seven degrees. She was wonderfully mistaken.