by Mark Souza
Upcoming Titles
My novel Robyn’s Egg will be released in the spring of 2012
A collection of my short stories, Try 2 Stop Me, will be released in September of 2012
Other FREE short stories coming soon:
Cupid’s Maze (Already Available)
Murphy’s Law (Already Available)
Appliances Included
Second Honeymoon
The Comfort Shack
Connect With Me Online:
My Website: https://www.marksouza.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/souzawrites
An Excerpt From
The Comfort Shack
By Mark Souza
The mini-van pulled to a stop in the nearly empty parking lot. Its headlights lit a sign mounted to a rustic stone rampart. Welcome to Historic Fort Cavendish. A family of four crawled out, stiff and weary. They unloaded the van and followed a concrete walk through a set of gates dragging their roller-bags.
“Mom, why can't we stay in a real hotel?” the oldest daughter complained.
“Shut up, Jenny. We're here now and this place has meaning to your father.”
Inwardly, Leanne Brown didn't want to spend a cold night in a drafty pre-Revolutionary-War fort any more than her daughter. But the decision had been made. Her husband, Stu, had ancestors who had lived there during the eighteenth century. To him this was a romantic adventure, a reconnecting with his past. Letting Jenny's mutiny go unchecked would only invite a spat. She clenched her teeth and hauled her bag dutifully, bringing up the rear like a ramrod driving reluctant cattle down the trail.
Light spilled from the office windows casting intersecting crescents of light onto the walk. Panes of wavy glass flecked with bubbles bracketed a heavy door crudely fashioned from hand-hewn timber. Inside, functionality trumped historical accuracy. Overhead fluorescents cast a pallid glow over a heavy wooden reception desk fitted with a computer. The office walls had been finished with sheetrock and painted a cheery yellow.
Behind the counter, a woman looked up from her terminal screen when the door opened. She was young and pretty and had a ready smile. Hair black and shiny as a starling’s eye flowed over her shoulders down to her waist, boldly framing a heart-shaped face with high cheekbones and bronze skin.
“Hi, you must be the Brown family. I’m Ellie, welcome to historic Fort Cavendish. We’ve been expecting you.”
Stu gawked at the girl with a stupid grin on his face. Leanne shot a quick elbow to his ribs to bring him back to Earth.
“Uh, yes, that’s us,” Leanne said.
“We have you in the Commandant’s Cottage. After you’ve settled in, would you like the tour?”
“Sure,” Stu said.
The girls rolled their eyes. They remained silent though their posture sagged like snow burdened willows. Under other circumstances Leanne would have taken them to task, but it was late, everyone was tired, and it was enough that they didn’t complain.
The receptionist picked up on their reluctance. “I promise to make it fun,” she said. “Let me show you to your cottage.”
She led the Browns out the door and across the courtyard on a lit cobbled path. Suitcase wheels clattered as they bounced over the joints in the walkway and no one spoke. A stone cottage jutted from the interior bulwark. Ellie held the door while the Browns shuffled inside.
The Commandant’s Cottage was better accommodation than Leanne expected. A wood fire burned in the hearth of a massive river-rock fireplace. Oil lamps lit the space. The front room had an upholstered sofa and two leather club chairs, antiques, though not old enough to be authentic to the fort by a long stretch. A short hallway led to a bathroom with a tub-shower combination and modern plumbing. Leanne was glad to see some concessions had been made in the name of guest comfort.
On either side of the hall were bedrooms. The one on the right was furnished with a pair of twin beds and an antique armoire. The girls shuffled in and chose beds without a fight. The room to the left was nearly identical in size, and furnished with a queen-size bed. The mattress was smaller than Leanne was used to, but for one night, it would do.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to get settled and we’ll start the tour,” Ellie said. She closed the door and left them. The Browns unpacked.