Where the Acorns Fall

By William Shelton

Will, an avid outdoorsman, meets a new neighbor while trekking through the woods near his home. The neighbor mentions that the makeshift barn on his farm was once the home of three young girls. He learns the young girls lived there during a great civil turmoil, somehow died, and were laid to rest under the ancient oak that one day would lie in his backyard. The thought of them haunts him, and his mind wanders to a time long ago. Time left them forgotten, but the girls' spirits reached out to be remembered. What is your story, girls? Who are you, and how is it that you came to be buried under the oak tree, where the acorns fall? Thus begins the tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 23, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644629529

Book preview

Chapter 1

Millie slipped out of bed to greet the new day. The dark moonless night still held its grip as her eyes tried to adjust to the only light of the morning stars. Lightly landing on her feet, she looked back up on the bunk to make sure she didn’t wake either of her younger sisters. Mother and Father were still sleeping in the back room of the three-room cabin they called home. Slipping through the gathering room, she grabbed her shoes at the door and gritted her teeth as she lifted the handle on the heavy oak door, hoping the iron hinges didn’t squeak and awake anyone.

Almost out the door, she tilted her head and pointed her ears toward the back room to make sure everyone was still sleeping. Suddenly, she gasped for air and almost screamed as Rusty, the family dog, stuck his cold nose against her calf. Millie took her hand with her shoes in it and pointed at the half-heeler and half-pointer bird dog and shushed the dog back. Rusty sat and then cocked his head. He waited for Millie to come out when she reached back in and grabbed a jacket that was hanging on a nail. Dropping the shoes and jacket down on the flat rock porch, she grabbed the door with both hands and gently pulled it shut.

Whew! she said to the dog. I hope you have all the snakes run off so’s I can sit here! She pushed his head out of her face and said, Let me get my shoes on. Once ready, she made her way to the outhouse and then back to the front of the house and went about thirty yards to the spring. Gulping down fresh cold water brings her wide awake as she looked to the east toward the town of Farmington and saw a soft amber hue in the sky. She said to Rusty, Let’s go, it will be light soon, and Mother and Father will be getting up.

Walking up the hill, she could see the pond about a quarter of a mile to the west where it was still dark, and the stars were shining. I guess they’re all in the back field staying where the frost isn’t so heavy, she said to Rusty. It didn’t take long, and they were both standing on the dam of the pond still looking to the west for the sheep. Millie heard Rusty bark. Looking at the dog to see what he was barking at, she followed his line of sight back down to the small homestead. There, standing on the rock porch with her hands on her hips, was her mother. Millie raised her hand high in the air and said to Rusty, I guess we weren’t that sneaky. Mother waved back with a white dishrag and turned to go back into the cabin.

Well, Rusty, she said, let’s find the sheep and see if we have any new babies! About a hundred yards farther up the hill, Millie came to the corner of their neighbor Mrs. Tennessee Bell’s woods and the fence that separated the back five-acre field from the rest of their farm. Millie and Rusty walked down the fence that separated Mrs. Bell’s woods from Millie’s farm and stopped at the big oak tree that was left when this part of the woods was logged and cleared. Why they left it there, I don’t know. Maybe for shelter or because it was the king of the woods, but I’m glad they did, she whispered to herself as she patted her leg to call Rusty to her side. This is my most favorite spot in the world! she said as she scratched her dog behind the ears.

Turning her head to look behind her, she could see red rays of the morning sun shining through the woods just before rising for the new day. Might be a rain coming as red as that sky is, she said, and Rusty nuzzled her hand with his nose for another scratch. Looking back across the white frosted field toward the big wood where no logging had been done, she asked Rusty, "Well, where are they? They should be coming soon. Are they on the hill on the left, or did they sleep on the hill on the right? Oh, hear that, Rusty? Listen, I can hear the bell. They are