Old Miller's Barn

The old barn down by Miller’s Creek has a lot of secrets. I’m sure it had seen a lot of secrets over the years as well, secrets that no one wants it to share. The only reason I’m telling this is because it’s my secret too.

……….

I look at my cell, Jared was calling again. I sigh. We had fight last night and I didn’t want to deal with him.

“Hello?” I answer, dreading this conversation.

“Brigit? Hey, don’t hang up, please. We need to talk.” he spews out in a rush of words, “but I don’t want to do it over the phone. Can I pick you up, in like, five minutes?”

“We said all we had to say last night, Jared, we’re through, remember?” I respond, tiredly. I just wanted it over.

“I know, I know. But please, just hear me out. I have a big surprise planned. Please? I can be there in five minutes.” he pleads.

“Fine.” I reply. Hopefully, this will get him to finally leave me alone. I look at what I’m wearing, a ratty old tank top and jeans covered in streaks of paint and shrug. It is what it is.

I look at the painting I was working on. I wasn’t sure what I was going to paint when I started, this one vaguely resembles the old barn out by Miller’s Creek. Usually my therapy painting turned into random abstracts and blobs of paint.

I grab my jacket and keys, stopping long enough to throw my strawberry curls into a messy bun, and bound out the door. It’s not long before Jared pulls up in his flashy new car. He always had to have to newest, flashiest, and best of everything.

“Come on, beautiful, get in.” he says.

“Can’t you just say what you’ve got to say here and then go about your merry way?” I ask, starting to regret agreeing to see him. He looks like a spoiled toddler who got his favorite toy taken away.

“But I have this big surprise planned. I need you to get in the car and come with me. Please.” The please sounded like an afterthought, but I sigh and get in.

“Ok, so, where are we going?” I ask, hoping somewhere nearby.

“It’s a surprise, so I can’t tell you.” he replies. I sigh, again, as the regret hits full force.

He drives through town before turning onto a well-worn dirt path and I know where he is taking me. I painted it just a little while ago. The old barn by Miller’s Creek. A sense of dread sinks into my stomach.

The old barn was whimsically creepy. Dilapidated and yet still standing strong against the test of time. The old folks in town often said it was haunted or cursed. Magic, murder and all-around mayhem could happen at any time at old Miller’s creek barn. But, cursed or not, kids still came to play pretend between its dilapidated walls and teens often fell in and out of love in the loft. It was all just random crazy talk anyway, right?

“Jared, why are we here? There’s nothing we need to talk about that requires us to be here.” I say as panic joins the dread.

“Please, just come inside and I’ll show you. I promise I’m not going to hurt you.” he says, trying to entice me into the barn.

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” I mutter to myself as I get out the car.

As I’m walking to the barn, I notice a ragged line of mushrooms that seemingly go around the building. It reminded me of the old wives’ tales about fairy rings. I snort to myself thinking the last thing I need is some Fae king dragging me off to the Underhill. Though it may be preferable to this, looking at Jared’s back as we walk.

I forget about the fairy ring when we walk in the dark barn, suddenly illuminated by hundreds of electric candles. I take a few moments to drink it all in. Yep, it’s as romantic as I feared.

There was a blanket with a picnic basket on the floor, the fake candles giving the barn an oddly welcoming ambiance. He put a lot of time and energy into this. And I wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. The regret, dread, panic combo that’s been swirling in my stomach turns to lead.

“Jared-” I start, only to be interrupted.

“No, Brigit, please, let me speak. After you hear what I have to say, then you can say whatever you feel you need to say” he says as he gets on one knee. I feel like I want to vomit.

“I love you and only you. I know I fucked up and did a lot of stupid stuff, but I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Please, take me back so I can honor only you as my wife.” he begs, while holding a ring.

As I’m looking down at Jared, I hear a sound like ‘tch’, like the air scoffed in disbelief. I agreed.

“Jared, when I wouldn’t sleep with you, you cheated on me with some woman where you work. If that’s not enough, the entire time we dated, you treated me as some piece of air-headed arm candy instead of the strong, intelligent woman that I am. You’re self-centered, egotistical and, as far as I’m concerned, a waste of my time. I don’t love you; I never have loved you, and I will never love you.” I spit at him, the lead in my stomach turning to lava.

I turn to leave, thinking that I have a long walk home, when he grabs my arm, swings me back around and back-hands me with a closed fist.

“You bitch!” he raged; his face twisted in anger. “You worthless whore! All those months I spent grooming you, spending time with you, knowing you’d be the perfect wife, wasted on a bitch that won’t even give head.”

I don’t even get the chance to run before he flings me onto the blanket. The wind gets knocked out of me as I land, then even more as he lands on top of me.

“But I will have you, Brigit, one way or another.” he says as I feel him tearing at my clothes.

Suddenly, Jared is yanked off me and goes flying. I’m not sure if it was Jared or whatever he hit, but something sounded like it broke when he landed.

“You will not touch her, human, not ever again.” I hear a voice like gravel growl.

Human? I wonder as I look around for the person that voice belonged to. When I found him, I wondered if I was concussed and hallucinating.

He was utterly beautiful. A true sight to behold. Tall, well over six feet, obviously strong. Hair cascading in multifaceted waves down his back. His pointed ears- his pointed ears? Well, damn, I guess I did end up with a Fae king. Or is he elfin? I wanted to ask him but what came out my mouth was, “Are you the air that scoffed?”

The creature, because he obviously wasn’t human, glanced at me in amusement, only to be beside me in an instant with a look of alarm and concern on his face.

“He damaged you more than I thought he had, sweet mortal, you are bleeding. I do not have the healing magics to fix you. I am truly sorry.” he lamented as he touched my face.

“Huh, would you look at that.” I said when I saw the blood on his fingers. I tried sitting up, only to get dizzy.

“Settle, little human, I will take you to the human healing place, then return here to clean up this” he paused and glanced in the direction he flung Jared, “mess. Just be still for a moment.”

“But” my mind racing, “who are you? What are you? Where’d you come from? How’d you get here?” I question, my words beginning to slur from my injuries.

“You can call me Tobias. And I am as you have already guessed, Fae, though not a king, at least, not yet. And you’re inside my fairy ring. When the moon is full and fairy ring grows, we Fae can travel to the Above. I came to just observe. But two things Fae cannot stand, Vow-breakers and liars, and that, ‘waste of time’ I believe you called him, is both. And he then tried to damage you in a permanent way. Unacceptable.” he spoke gently until he mentioned Jared, then his tone changed to that of disgust.

“But worry no longer, little human, I’ll take care of everything. Now sleep.”

The next thing I remember, I was waking up in the hospital. The police and hospital staff asked me questions about that night, but I told them I couldn’t remember anything after Jared picked me up. I was assured my memories would come back. The police offered me condolences; it was a miracle I survived the accident, Jared didn’t.

It’s been almost a year since that night, and it’s been a secret that entire time. But it’s a full moon tonight, and there’s a fairy ring grown around that old barn again. Soon, it’ll have another secret, but it’ll be just one more of the many secrets of the old Miller’s creek barn.