Farm of life

The heat clung to her skin, causing her perspiration to burn. Jen began to feel like she was roasting in a sauna, unable to escape the suffocating steam by opening a door. She wanted to get to the lake faster, but could not muster the energy and continued at her ambling pace, wondering why she had agreed to move here and be the caretaker for the farm she now lived on.

Like a mirage in a desert, the lake came into view. The air above it was hazy, but Jen knew the water would be cool. The anticipated reprieve was a welcome thought and it urged her to hasten its arrival.

The edge of the water was clear, lapping at the soft ground beneath her feet. Tempted to dip her toes in, she pulled back to remove her clothing first. Flinging the items down on the ground, she turned her eyes to the deeper liquid which was murky, hoping to swim in its unseen depths for as long as the sun would allow.

A sharp intake of breath and she began to move slowly forward, preparing herself for the shock of the cold against her hot flesh. Hearing a noise behind her, Jen darted her eyes to the left, trying to determine who or what could be disturbing her idyllic alone time. Before she could identify the intruder, she was blinded and stumbled forward, her knees hitting the wet soil beneath the water.

Sighing frustratedly, she rose back to her feet and she commenced to search for the offending item. Wading through the knee high water, clouds of silt disruption followed in her wake. To her surprise, Jen located the object with her feet before her eyes had managed to make contact and she felt something smooth against her toes.

Reaching down she fumbled her fingers around the slippery surface and pulled it into the harsh light. A sealed glass bottle rested in her fist, appearing as if the sun had not touched its surface for some time. Cleaning off the green sediment which had begun to form on its exterior, she sighted a piece of paper within the airtight container.

Curiosity propelled her actions without thought and before she realised, Jen had opened the bottle and retrieved the note for further inspection. Before reading the elaborate handwriting in full detail, Jen returned to the shore and sat down, ensuring the paper did not become wet and damaged.

“Jen,”

Wait, I only moved here a month ago and this bottle has been here longer than that, it can’t be me she smirked to herself. Still, the surprise at reading her own name on the slightly yellowed document immediately made her feel that the letter had been left for her.

“I am writing this because I cannot tell you face to face how I feel or what I know. By the time you find this I will be gone from this earth and I am aware that I will miss much of your life.

“Before I impart my knowledge to you, I have to express how much I love you. The depth of my longing to be in your life is one you will never fully understand or comprehend, but you need to hold onto the feeling that I loved you with all of my heart.

“I have watched you grow in a way you will not understand, through visions and dreams. I have imagined pushing you on swings and being at your graduation. I have desired to lift you when you fall and hurt your knee, smiled with you as elation fills your carefree face. Alas, I am fully aware that my time is now short and I will never be able to read you bedtime stories or hold your hand as we walk.

“What I am about to tell you will seem unbelievable. So I will preface it with another revelation. I know how you found this bottle. I saw you open it in your hands and return to the shore.

“This farm has been with us for years. It has, well I suppose the only way to describe it is powers. You will find more than one over time, each one slowly emerging as another becomes steadfast. Soon it will begin and do not be scared my dear. Like a living thing it connects to people and I am aware it will find a home within you as it did me. Do not be scared of this and let it fill your heart in a peaceful way. The first phenomenon will be the visions of the future of your loved ones.

“I have hidden a diary under a loose floor board in the barn to tell you more. Your loving grandmother, Phyllis.”

Rising to her feet, she held the letter in close and returned to the house where her grandmother lived and died just before Jen was born.