The steam from the hot shower felt like a cloud of safety as Cherry stepped from the bathtub/shower combination. Wrapping a towel around her, she padded to the room that had once been hers. The week had been challenging. Clearing the debris left behind by a family she didn't remember. Getting rid of the old broken items had been easier than she thought. With no emotional connection to any of the things, it was simply a choice of what was necessary and what wasn't. The family photos were the only items she had kept, cleaned and repaired if necessary. Everything else had been used as fire kindling. The rain had continued for three days, making it difficult for Cherry to enjoy the stay. Living off-grid was proving to be more challenging than she thought it would be.

"Living in the lap of luxury is very different from living off the land," she muttered, pushing her bedroom door open, "clothes still in place ... check. Curtains are still open, and the sun still coming in ... check. Time to start the day."

Dressing quickly, Cherry tidied the living area as she moved toward the kitchen opening the fridge and taking stock of what would be needed for a supply run.

"At least I can have breakfast," she whispered, "hmmm ... let's get something to eat."

Humming an old tune Cherry cooked the remaining food, ate and cleaned up before checking the amount of cash she had available. At some point, she would have to look at getting work of some kind in town. Since the first night, she hadn't seen the two men that tormented her with their pranks. She chose to view it that way, but deep inside, she knew nothing prank-like about what they did. They had threatened her and accused her of breaking promises and having an abomination. Cherry frowned. She was still unsure what that was, but she was betting it wasn't good.

Stepping out into the beautiful warm sunny day, Cherry pocketed her keys, pushed her wallet into the inside jacket pocket and buttoned it shut. A habit from the city which she hoped would be broken the longer she stayed at the cabin.

"Time to ..." her words disappeared as she looked at her vehicle, "really ... all that paint, so many colours. How am I going to get that off?"

Hefting a bucket of water to the stone well she had discovered on the side of the house, Cherry filled it before returning to the truck and cleaning the paint off the windshield. The rest would have to wait. Looking around the clearing in front of the cabin, Cherry took in the idyllic view. It would be wonderful to raise children here, live amicably with the community and simply be at peace.

"How did they get all that paint up here?" Cherry whispered, frowning as she took in the area.

No paths seemed visible; she couldn't see anything disturbed around the area, no footprints, tyre tracks and no cans. It has been raining for three days. Most of it would have washed off ... was there more paint than this? Looking around the truck, Cherry couldn't see any paint streaks in the sand or grass around the vehicle.

"I wonder where it went," Cherry whispered, frowning as she glanced at her watch, "I need to get to town."

Opening the truck, Cherry gasped, "Poor little thing," she muttered, picking up the dead rat by the tail and gently moving it to the grass nearby, "you didn't deserve to die ... not like this."

Climbing into the truck, Cherry turned the key and pushed the accelerator. The engine sprung to life, releasing the brake. She moved forward, making a circle and heading into town.

More cars seemed to be on the roads and more people in the stores. Cherry smiled, looking around; the town looked cleaner somehow. Perhaps the rain brought everyone out of hiding. Stopping at the hardware store, Cherry entered on the ding of the bell. Ambling around the store, looking at her list and locating items she needed to fix the burnt room. Moving to the back, where lengths of wood stood against the wall, Cherry smiled at the elderly man behind the counter.

"Morning," she smiled, "I was wondering if you could help me with some wood."

"The type of wood required depends on what you're building," he said, the expression in his eyes watchful and cautious.

"Repairing," Cherry said. "I'm up at the cabin, and one of the rooms must have been hit by lightning. The front wall isn't too damaged, but the side and back wall is badly damaged," she glanced at him as he shifted from one foot to the other. "I was thinking of starting the repairs with the most damaged walls before moving on to the exposed walls."

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"You're up at the cabin?" he asked, staring at her, "the Basset cabin?"

"I don't know what it's called, but it was my mother's before she died," Cherry said, "why do you ask?"

"Finding people treating you strangely?" he asked quietly.

"Excuse me," Cherry frowned, "why would you ask that?"

"You're the spitting image of her," he sighed, smiling slightly, "everything about you seems to be her right down to the gentle nature."

Cherry stared at the old man hearing his words but not seeming to understand what he meant, "Who do I look like?"

"Your mother," he smiled sadly, "she was such a beautiful girl and grew into an amazingly wonderful woman. It's such a pity she fell into the Tenderhooks trap."

Cherry frowned, "You knew my mother?"

"I did," he nodded, "loved her most of my life. Knew you father as well and couldn't be happier when they married ... even when they had you. Made them better people. I didn't understand how they were taken in by the Tenderhook brothers. Everything was better before that Corporation blew into town and started all the drama."

"What corporation?" Cherry asked; something in her felt cold, but she couldn't place what it was or where inside she could find it. She felt emotionally disjointed.

"I think they called it the Syndication Corporation," he frowned, "but that was years ago. I remember your mother crying in our back room one day because they would never be able to come to her home again."

"Did she say why?" Cherry asked, watching the old man look at her list and pull wood from different stacks.

"Something about what they wanted to do to you or with you ... and there was something about the land the cabin stands on," he shook his head. "It was years ago, and people didn't take kindly to the situation when they found out. The other Tenderhooks roused everyone against your parents, people who had known them all their lives. It was the saddest day this town has ever seen."

"It wasn't a lightning bolt that hit the cabin, was it?" Cherry asked.

The old man's smile faded as he shook my head, "Nearly became a lynching that night," he swallowed hard, "your mom promised to never come back if only they would let her family live."

"Are there two men that live near the cabin?" Cherry asked.

"You mean those two," the old man looked over her shoulder before moving to get another plank of wood.

Cherry turned, finding the two men around her cabin standing at the bottom of an aisle staring at her. Turning back to the old man, she nodded.

"Those two are bad news," he said, "they are not from around here, but because they're related to the Tenderhook brothers, they believe they own the town and everyone in it. They shouldn't be at the cabin or anywhere around it. The entire side of the mountain belongs to your mother ... and now you."

"I wonder why they want me out of there," Cherry wondered, "why would they be up there? What was the point of getting the town to drive my parents away?"

"No idea," the old man smiled, "but you'll find more friends here than foe. Oh yes, ... my name is Silas, and you must be Cherry."

"I am Cherry, and it's nice to meet you, Silas," she smiled, "how much do I owe you?"

"Nothing," Silas smiled, "before they left, your parents set up a trust for you in this town. I'm sure it's rather large by now."

"What? A trust?" Cherry asked in surprise, "I didn't know anything about it."

"That was the point," Silas said, "if you didn't know, then the Tenderhooks wouldn't know. It's one thing that has kept this town on its feet, and the Corporation cannot buy anything around here. Oh, suppose you've been visited by a hologram. In that case, I suggest you look through and under the cabin for anything that may be automated."

"My parents automated the cabin?" Cherry asked, fear slicing through her.

"No, they didn't want it automated," Silas said, "the Tenderhooks disregarded anything they wanted and did their own thing. Was a shame, the cabin used to be a more beautiful place. Let me get Steve to help move this lumber to your truck ... I'll have the rest of your items delivered tomorrow."

"Thanks, Silas," Cherry said, turning to find the two men standing a few feet from her.

"You've been warned," the one said.

"You have two days to leave, or you will die," the other finished.

Turning, they walked away. Cherry watched them leave the store, shoving between a couple with two small children.

"They are extremely rude and insulting," a young man spoke. His voice was mellow and warming, drawing her gaze from the indignant parents to soft grey eyes, "hi ...my name is Steve."

"Cherry," she smiled, shaking his outstretched hand, "Silas said you would help me with these planks. My truck is just outside."

"That's yours?" Steve's eyebrows rose.

"Yes," Cherry nodded, "I woke this morning to find someone thought it was a good idea to cover the truck in paint."

"Oh, that is just cruel," Steve said, shaking his head, leaning over the counter, and hefting the pile of planks onto his shoulder, "lead the way."