Odd Prompts: Special Delivery

A snip of something for the prompt, don’t know if there is more. 

***

“We should have turned back there.” He announced, squinting through the windshield. “I’m pretty sure we’ve come too far.” 

“I think you’re right.” Bonnie twisted around to look behind them. The wet ribbon of the road twisted out of sight. She settled back into her seat, as they went around another curve. The forest was thicker than it had been, arching into a perfect tunnel of green far overhead. “We will just have to turn around as soon as we can.” 

“Not here, for sure.” 

She agreed vehemently with her husband. The narrow paved road was flanked on one side by a sharp rise of the ground up into the trees. The other fell away to a rocky, rushing stream that was only visible in flickers between the trees. 

“I’m sure it won’t be too much further.” She was leaning forward and looking in all directions, indulging her curiosity. He slowed. 

“No one behind me, and with this rain…” 

“It’s gotten lighter.” Bonnie was glad of that. It was bad enough to be lost, without torrential rain making it harder to see the road. 

“I haven’t seen a car or anything in miles!” She twisted around again. “I sure wish I knew how far we have to go.” 

“It’s all right.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Plenty of fuel, plenty of time before dark. Easy there, little lady.” 

Bonnie giggled and settled back into her seat. “I know, I’m just excited to get there. Finally!”

They came slowly around yet another curve, and there it was. A little building, tucked under the trees, with a tiny parking lot that didn’t have any cars in it. The lights were on, though. 

“Oh, good.” He turned in. “We can ask directions.” 

“Or just turn around.” Bonnie couldn’t see anyone inside. “It’s a post office!” 

“I wonder if they’ll have a map.” He stopped the engine. “We could use a map, now that we’ll be living up here.” 

She shivered in delight at the thought. “We can explore!” 

He got out, then came around to open the door for her. She dimpled up at him. “I’m still not used to that.” 

He grinned down at her. “Well, get used to it. I plan to do it for the next fifty, sixty years, Mrs. Hardine.” 

They went together into the little foyer, with it’s rows of boxes, and small counter, just big enough for one person to stand behind. No one was there. 

“Maybe it’s only open for people to pick up mail?” Bonnie looked around, pursing her lips. “There’s a bell.” He made a beeline for it. 

The sharp ring echoed slightly. Bonnie, who had found the rack of envelopes and was looking for a map, jumped at the sound, even knowing it would come. 

There was a rustling noise, and then a tiny old lady appeared, with a dandelion puff of silver hair crowning her crushed-silk face. 

“Hello,” She fumbled glasses on, and peered up at them. “Oh, I have a package for you.” 

“Wait, no…” Bonnie called after her, but she had turned on her heel and gone right back through the still-swinging door. “Oh, dear.” She looked up at her husband of a day. “She’s mistaken us for someone else.” 

“Poor old thing, I think she needs new glasses.” He leaned on the counter. “When she comes back, we can clear it up.” 

It took an awfully long time before she came back, both hands occupied with a big box, using her hip to push through the door. 

“Here it is. Been sitting back there a time, waiting.” She slid it up onto the counter with a visible effort. 

He looked down at the address and exclaimed. 

“Why, it is for us!” Bonnie cried out. “Bonnie and John Hardine, right there. I don’t see how…” 

“How did you know who we were?” John asked the postmistress in bewilderment. 

“Well, it’s obvious you’re not from around here.” She beamed up at them. “Who else would it be?” 

***

I was prompted this week by Leigh Kimmel with “You miss your turn, and as you try to find a way to get going the right way again, you go deeper and deeper into the forest. You go around a curve and in the middle of a clearing stands a post office, all by itself.” 

I prompted Becky Jones with “Something moved deep within the darkness” 

You can read all of the prompt responses, and take part in the challenge yourself, over at More Odds Than Ends. We’re all a little odd, and working on learning how to finish things. Nothing better than finally getting to write “The End!” 

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