A Child's Heart, page 7

The next day, the three took a trip out to see Justace’s friend about the barn. After the long walk out of town, through the woods, and across fields, they finally arrived. “Well, here we are.” Justace said as an old barn sitting in a beautiful green meadow came into sight. “You two rest awhile; I’m going up to the house to ask about the barn.” Rylen and Wendol sat down on a nearby log and they all put what they were carrying down in the tall grass beside them. “Where is the house?” Asked Wendol, looking around. “I think it’s on the other side of this big field. I’ll be back in a bit.” And with that, Justace stared off. Rylen told Wendol stories and played hand games with him while they waited. When Justace arrived at the house, he knocked on the door and waited. There was no answer. He tried the handle and found that it wasn’t locked. He opened the door a crack and called, “Hello? Is anyone home?” Hearing no reply, he decided to walk in. He found himself standing in the kitchen. Dust and cobwebs were everywhere. Chairs were overturned, and the windows were broken. The sink faucet had rusted through. The rest of the house wasn’t much better. Except for a few cockroaches, the house appeared to be vacant. When Justace returned to the others, he told them what he had found. “No one has been living there for a long time.” He said. “I think we should still stay here though. This property is abandoned, so I don’t think anyone would mind.” “Are we still going to live in the barn?” Rylen asked. “Yes.” Replied Justace. “The barn is in much better shape, because it is newer. The roof on the house is about to collapse, so I wouldn’t feel safe living there at all. So, to the barn it is!” He said as he raced ahead. The others ran after him and helped him slide the big door open. They went inside and looked around the spacious barn, then started setting up house with they things they had brought from the shack. Rylen climbed up a ladder and discovered a hayloft. “Oh, I’m sleeping up here!” She called. Justace smiled. “It’s all yours.” He said. Later, when it was time for supper, Rylen and Wendol fetched three chairs from the house, while Justace made a table out of hay bales and a wooden board.