A Fight for the Middle of Nowhere

Garret Beckman lived in the middle of nowhere. The farmlands stretched out for miles. A trip to town took at least an hour going eighty on the empty roads in a standard F150. He began working as a farm hand for the Hollers. Mrs. Holler had taken him in as one of her boys. She cooked a hearty meal in the morning for all the workers, her two sons Jake and Mike, and her daughter Abby. Garret didn’t really have a family of his own, not that he minded being alone, but he really enjoyed the Hollers company and was particularly fond of Abby. He found her to be smart and ambitious. Though she helped her mom with the household, she wanted to go to college and get into entertainment and business. She wanted to make money so her family didn’t have to work so hard. She was usually trying to figure out different ways to make income on the side especially when the crops weren’t doing well. Garret knew all of this because he listened and observed. Before he became their farmhand, he would perch atop their red barn keeping the rodents away. Garret was a were owl that flew to this happy spot of nowhere and made this farm his home. When he learned of the kind hearted family that ran the place he observed them for a month and became protective of them. One day he offered himself, in his human form, as a farmhand.

It was a night in mid June when Abby approached him after his shift on the farm.

“Hey Garret, looks like Taylor is having a shindig tonight. There’s supposed to be singing, dancing, and a roast with all the fixings. You want to be my date?”

“What do your father and brothers think about that?” he asked.

“I’m old enough to decide who I want to dance with! Besides, my dad and brothers would rather I hang out with you than some of the other boys around here! So are you going to take me or what?” She asked, almost demanded loudly.

“Yeah, I’ll take you, but you need to give me a bit to get cleaned up. I did work all day on the farm.”

“That’s fine, I’ll see you back here in an hour and a half then with your dancing boots on. Don’t be late, I don’t got time for waiting.” She turned back to the house to get ready for Taylor’s party and Garret rode off, looking for somewhere to get cleaned up before the party.

Garret showed up in a pair of blue jeans and a red plaid shirt with the top button undone and a pair of cowboy boots. He chose for his human form to be broad shouldered and kept his black hair mussed up. Abby was ready and waiting in a cute jean skirt, a red tank top, and her dancing boots. Her brown hair was braided down to her mid back and as soon as she saw Garret she jumped into the passenger side of his truck. Both Jake and Mike jumped into the back seat.

“Looks like this is a family affair,” Garret said as he looked toward the boys and then smiled at Abby.

“We needed a ride, we weren’t going to miss Taylor’s big farewell party!” Jake said.

“Fairwell party?” Garret asked confused.

“You didn’t hear? Taylor’s family sold the farm to the Verminchetti family, those rich folks from New York that buy up land and put businesses on them,” Mike said.

“I heard they made a bunch of money on that deal, I bet they’re set for life!” Jake replied.

“Maybe we can talk to them and see if we can get the same deal for Mom and Dad! We could move to New York or California and live a nicer life?” Abby said excitedly.

“What about the farmland? What about what your parents want? This farm has been in your family for generations. I know for your mom especially, it’s a sense of pride to keep the Holler Farm going. The Verminchettis are sneaky low life rats that just want to take all the land for their corrupt businesses! Do you know why they come out here to the middle of nowhere? It’s because the regulations for businesses are not as strict. If we let them take the farm that’s just another plot of land they’ll use for a nuclear power plant, or some warehouse!” Garret explained.

“Better to have money in our pockets and a better life for our family than a plot of land that is not generating the income we need to survive!” Abby retorted.

“Guys, it doesn’t matter! We didn’t get an offer from the Verminchettis, Taylor Tuckerson did! Now quit your belly aching and get moving down that gravel path. The party isn’t going to wait. Besides Melony Rose is going to be there and I’m going to get one dance with her tonight,” Mike yelled.

Garret started the ignition and took off towards Taylor’s. He blasted the radio and did not say a word. The Holler family was dancing and singing to the songs on the radio, Garret just looked straight ahead, his eyes on the road and anger in his heart.

Ricky Verminchetti was the son of the Realestate and business tycoon Rocco Verminchetti. Garret had known of this family his entire life. They destroyed natural places to make way for industrialized buildings. That’s how he and his parents lost their first home. They were happy living in the trees in rural New York, until a bulldozing company came by to make way for a mall. His father died trying to protect their home only to end up as roadkill. The Verminchettis were dirty, sneaky, rotten rats. Literally, they were were rats from the Big Apple looking to monopolize money, power, land and resources. Tonight Garret was going to have a conversation with a Verminchetti. It would be rare to see one without their goons.

They finally arrived at the Tuckerson Farm and the party was already in full swing, drinks were flowing and music was performed by a few of the local bands. Garret sniffed the air and sure enough he could sense a rat in the mix. He scanned the crowd with his owl eyes and spotted the Verminchetti crowd. They were distinct with their long noses and narrow faces. Ricky wore a black suit coat over a blue plaid collard shirt, a pair of nice blue jeans and black shinny boots. He was thin, tall and talked as smooth as his slick back hair looked, but Garret wasn’t fooled by his game. Ricky had his crew about him dressed in business casual and they mingled with the people.

Garret walked right up to him.

"What are you doing here Ricky? Don't you belong back in New York?" Garret's tone was full of anger.

Ricky's men went to step in front of Garret. Garret glared at them, his eyes turning their natural golden color that they were when he was in his owl form.

"Garret Beckman, always a pleasure to see you my friend. You seem to run away from you life and relocate a lot. Unfortunately, you keep relocating where we keep buying up property. What's your problem now?"

"You stay away from the Holler Farm. These are good decent people out here and you are taking away their lives!"

"No, Garret, I'm giving them a chance for a real life. Have you seen this place? Unrefined, dirty hillbillies dancing around to something akin to music, in their barefeet, drinking the hardest most discusting alcohol I've ever had in my life! They can't pronounce a single word right. These people are the bottom of the barrel. Really, the only thing worth a damn out here is the land. Land that needs to be cultivated and put to better use than the manure infested plots they are. Real businesses can thrive here. These people can relocate to a better life with the kind of money we give them for their property. Look at the Tuckersons. Look how happy they are since they sold their farm to us. They are haveing one last hurrah before we tear the place down! I don't see anything wrong in what I'm doing here. Besides, from what I hear the Holler family is having some financial trouble. Many of these people are, Garret. I'm really a godsend if you think about it. I think I will talk to the Holler family next. I bet we can turn their farm into some sort of entertainment district or something," Ricky smirked.

Garret grabbed Ricky by the collar, but one of his goons quickly stepped in and punched Garret in the face. The rest of Ricky’s men stood in between the two of them, blocking anymore physical altercations. Ricky simply dusted off his jacket as if there was dirt from Garret touching him.

“Well, Garret old friend, I don’t think we have anymore business to discuss. You have a fine night,” Ricky said as he tipped his hat. Garret wiped some blood away from his nose.

“What happened to you!” Abby said as she ran over to Garret seeing him bleeding.

“Ricky Verminchetti and I had a bit of a disagreement. I told him to leave your farm alone. He’s going to try to buy it from you next. He wants the whole town. He thinks the only thing worth a damn is the land. I think the people here and the community is more important than a couple dollars.”

“Garret! You know my family is struggling! You know we could use that money!”

“We can find another way!”

“It’s not your choice to make! It’s my parents choice and you just took that from them!” Abby yelled.

“You don’t know what the Verminchettis are like! You don’t know what they could do! They don’t care about people at all!” Garret argued.

“You’re damn straight I don’t know what they could do! I don’t know what they would have offered. And now, because of you, I will never know what kind of life my family could have had because you took that opportunity away from us!”

“Abby, I love you. I just want to see you and your family happy and safe.”

“Do I look happy to you Garret? We don’t need your protection. I’m going to try to fix whatever mess you made!” Abby yelled as she ran after Ricky.

Garret stood there fuming. That’s how the Verminchettis destroyed all these natural places. They used money to make people move and eventually there would be nowhere else for the wildlife to live. Garret stepped away from the party. When he was out of sight he turned into an owl and flew away. He landed on the Holler barn, the place he currently called home, and kept watch.

Early the following morning he saw his truck pulling into the drive. Abby and her brothers all piled out and began walking into the house. Garret had no intentions of going into his human form today and showing up for work. He continued to sit on the barn and watch from a distance.

“So what time is Ricky coming over tonight?” Mike asked.

“He’ll be coming over for dinner. Momma is going to have to make something really special if we’re going to smooth everything over,”Abby said.

“Aren’t you the least bit concerned about what happened to Garret?” Jake asked.

“Of course I am! He’s probably out plastered somewhere. He’ll get over it. He probably just needs some time to let things cool off,” Abby replied.

“Garret doesn’t usually get mad unless there’s a good reason. Did you ask him why he hated Ricky so much?” Jake asked.

“He said they don’t care about people. He said I didn’t know what they could do. I didn’t really get into it because there was an opportunity to change our lives that he took right out of our hands.”

“Maybe you should have asked more questions. I mean, you did say his nose was bleeding when you found him,” Jake said.

“Yeah, he probably pissed off Ricky with his fool mouth just like he pissed me off. I’m going to tell Momma about our dinner plans and get a few hours of sleep beforehand,” Abby replied as they walked toward the front door.

“Fools,” Garret whispered to himself. Since dawn was breaking he took a nap himself. He wanted to be alert when the Verminchettis came by.

That evening, Ricky and his goons approached the house. Garret was awake now, he could smell those rats a mile away. They walked into the house and Garret flew down near a window by the kitchen to listen into the conversation. Once the normal country pleasantries we’re exchanged they got down to business. Ricky offered to buy their farm for more money than the Hollers even knew what to do with. Abby was excited, the boys were shocked, yet Mr. and Mrs. Holler did not look happy.

“We will have to think on this,” she said. This farm meant more to her than money, and Garret knew that.

Ricky flabbergasted, tried to press for them to agree.

“It’s not the money Mr. Verminchetti, it’s quite a generous offer, but we need to think about it. This home has been in our family for generations,” Mr. Holler replied.

“You’ll regret it if you don’t take our offer. One way or another this land will be mine,” Ricky said as he turned to walk out.

When he left Abby was furious with her parents. Garret smiled. If they wanted the money, he didn’t blame them. He just knew what the Verminchettis were about and what they would do. Seeing nature getting destroyed like that for garbage and seeing people getting displaced from their homes made Garret mad.

The next night Garret sensed Ricky and his goons again, but this time they came as rats. They scrambled across the grass and squeezed themselves into the Holler’s house. Garret swooped down to try and snatch one up with his talions, but missed and slammed himself into the side of the house making a loud thud. He scratched at the windows and doors trying to wake the Hollers, but there was no use. He just woke Ranger the dog for a brief moment before he turned over and fell back asleep. Garret could see the rats gnawing at the electrical wires and making holes in the walls. Garret threw his body against the window with no avail. He flew away a distance and then divebombed the window, shattering the glass all over the kitchen floor. This woke the entire Holler family and Mr. Holler ran downstairs in his pajamas and a shot gun. Garret had rushed in and swooped trying to grab any of the rats. The rats scurried across the house and Garret was in full pursuit of the vermin.

“Damn critters!” Mr. Holler called as he sent a shot off at Garret clipping his wing. “Ma get the broom! Start swiping at the rats!”

“They’re just critters! Don’t be shooting your gun in the house!” She screamed.

The house was a crazy, chaotic disaster. Ricky and his goons escaped and Garret flew out the window after them. They transformed into their human forms got into a large black SUV and drove off.

Garret continued following them. They knew he was behind them and they began shooting at him from the vehicle. Garret dodged out of the way and stayed at a distance as he followed them back to the hotel they were staying at. He flew around the hotel until he was near the window to their room where he could eavesdrop.

“Garret knows what we’re up to. We need to make sure something accidentally happens to him or he’s going to warn the Hollers,” Ricky said.

“Boss, after everything we’ve done, the Hollers will need the money. The electrical and piping problems they are going to have now. Why would they keep it? In the meantime the bulldozer is going to the Tuckerson property tomorrow. Soon enough this place will be ripe for sale. Garret is the least of our problems.”

“And because the house will have some electrical issues we can lower our offer,” Ricky replied feeling more self assured. They laughed victoriously and drank to their success.

Garret returned to the Tuckerson property and watched as the Tuckerson’s drove away in the middle of night, to start a new life somewhere else. Garret flew around and looked at all the places that used to be farms now just flat piles of dirt. All the friends Garret had made over the years in this nowhere town were slowly disappearing over time. Soon the Hollers would have no choice but to move. Garret felt hopeless. He already tried to warn Abby, but she was all for moving. Maybe it was him. He just couldn’t accept the changes that were happening. He flew back to the barn and slept up in the shaft for the morning and when mid day hit he flew down, transformed into a human and landed in the middle of the barn. He walked out toward the house to dutifully do work.

It was Abby that answered the door. “Where have you been?”

“None of your business Abby. So did you make a deal to sell the farm?”

“It doesn’t seem like the moonshine wore off yet. You’re crabby as hell.”

“Getting punched in the face and shot in the shoulder will do that to you,” he replied. “So when are you moving?”

“My mom wants to think about it, though I don’t know what there is to think about.”

“Told you, not everything is about you, Abby.”

“Whatever Garret. Mom did you make a decision about the farm?” Abby asked.

“We’re going to have to sell, we just can’t afford the place anymore and after the attack last night with the owl and rats the window has been broken and our pipes and electrical wires are all messed up,” Mrs. Holler said.

“I can help you fix it. Show me where the damage is,” Garret said.

“I appreciate it hon, but I can’t ask you to do all that for me.”

“It’s my pleasure.”

Mrs. Holler nodded and showed him to the areas that were damaged and he began getting to work. It was many trips and a lot of money spent in town for all the repairs, but he worked non stop. He was there when the doorbell rang and Ricky’s voice asked about the sale. Garret listened in.

“I’m sorry Mr. Verminchetti, we’re not going to sell. This is our home.”

Ricky got angry. “You are the only house in this god forsaken town that won’t sell to me. You will be in the center of a bunch of business, your house is just an eyesore! I’ve given you a more generous offer than you deserve for this piece of junk!”

“See here, this was my great great great great grandfather’s childhood home and it was built from the ground up. This house has been a place of hard work, family, and love. You Sir, seem to have none of that. I’d rather this house burn to the ground before selling this property to the likes of you,” Mrs. Holler was getting mad now.

“Be careful what you wish for Mrs. Holler. You’re making a big mistake. You’ll see!” He turned and stormed out of the door.

Garret shook his head. Ricky was going to burn their house to the ground and make it look like an accident. He would get away with it too. The worst part was that he would prefer the Hollers to be inside of it while it was happening, just to tie up all the loose ends. Garret kept quiet and kept working, but he knew that he wouldn’t be sleeping.

A few nights had passed when Garret heard the sounds of crackling in the night. He could smell gas leaking from the house and gasoline fumes around it. He saw Ricky’s goons light the match as the house began to set fire and it went quickly! Garret ran toward the fire trying to save the Hollers from the burning building. Abby was stuck in her bedroom on the second floor. Jake and Mike were able to run out the back door before the fire got too heigh. Mr. and Mrs. Holler couldn’t get down from the second floor. Garret rushed to get a ladder out of the barn and pushed it up against the side of the house. Mr. and Mrs. Holler full of fear got out of the window and climbed down as quickly as they could. Garret then moved the ladder to Abby’s window and she climbed down as quickly as she could, but the fire had gotten so bad that part of her nightgown had caught causing her to fall off the ladder. Garret caught her and put her on the ground trying to smudge out the nightgown. Once they were all safe and the fire on Abby was snuffed out, they stood at a distance and helplessly watched the house burn. By the time the fire department arrived the house’s structure had burned to the ground. Mrs. Holler was crying uncontrollably.

“Our whole life was in that house!” She cried.

“At least we’re safe. We can always start a new life somewhere else. We’ll figure it out,” Mr. Holler said trying to console his wife.

Abby looked at Garret sadly, now understanding what he meant about what the Verminchettis would do. It was too coincidental for this to be an accident. Most of the neighbors they would normally go to for help had already been bought out and moved on.

The Hollers stayed at the closest hotel for the night and drove into town the next day to pick up some basic necessities. That evening when everyone was back at the hotel, Mr. Holler recieved a phone call from a very familiar voice.

“I heard about your house catching fire. Tough break. We still want your land, but the offer has dropped fifty percent. It’s still a good offer and enough money to get you back on your feet again. Think of your family. What do you say?”

“I say, I think it’s mighty coincidental that our house burnt down just a few days after you fellas came by. I say my gut is telling me not to trust you and I don’t want you around me or my family. Our insurance will cover the damage.”

“No it won’t. It will only cover a portion. You will be struggling for the rest of your life,” Ricky responded.

“Don’t you ever come near me or my family ever again!” Mr. Holler yelled before disconnecting the call.

“We can rebuild the farm,” Garret said.

“Or we can take the offer and move. It is a lot of money,” Abby said.

“We are not moving anywhere. This is our land, this is our home and those Verminchettis cannot bully us away from it. They’re building businesses, well so are we, and people who work need food. We can turn our lot into a restaurant, bed and breakfast, fresh food market. We are not leaving and I want a court order that the Verminchettis cannot come near our land!” Mrs. Holler said. “Just like our ancestors we will build this from the ground up.”

Garret smiled. Though the Verminchettis did their worst, the Hollers with persistence and tenacity rebuilt their farm better than before. It became a thriving business and tourist destination. Out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by big businesses, was an amazing farm with the best food, fun, and hospitality. This quaint location among the busy life was the perfect getaway from the day to day grind. The Holler Farm put this little nowhere town on the map. Their business thrived and they went on to live a happy prosperous life. As for the Verminchettis, nobody really knows what happened to them.

The End