The Tasks

The Tasks

Her first thoughts were dilapidated dwelling overgrown with weeds. A sagging roof line and meandering cracks in the foundation looked worrisome. Something vaguely resembling a fence disappeared into thickets on both sides of the yard. David’s excitement melted into concern when he saw her face.

“What?”

She tried but failed to smile.

“It looks like a lot of work, babe.”

Glancing down at her 6-month along tummy and saying a quick prayer helped her manage the smile. David switched off the ignition and unbuckled his seatbelt. His voice was tinged with disappointment.

“Just a quick look, sweetie, but if you would rather wait in the car, it’s fine.”

“No! David, I want to come with you!”

She tried venturing something positive.

“Don’t judge our adventure by the cover, right?”

Her feigned optimism earned her a hopeful glance. Reaching over, he pressed his palm to her cheek. She smiled, then pursed her lips in a kiss.

“We will find something, Lexi. I promise.”

Their house search, limited by their approved loan amount, turned up exactly three listings. This place was number three. The first house, a one bedroom, was next door to a sketchy looking mechanic’s garage. Number two had sold the day before they were scheduled to view it.

David was enthusiastic about this house despite a 45-minute one-way commute. He had grown up in the country and noisy city life aggravated him. Alexis worried about the distance to the hospital. Her pregnancy had gone perfectly so far, but it was their first child. The two-hour drive to the delivery room made her anxious.

Despite her misgivings she unbuckled and joined David walking up to the house. The curb appeal was lacking. One broken handrail. The other was splintery looking except for a patch of peeling paint. A gaping hole in the top step looked like a sprained ankle to Alexis. Taking hold of David’s arm, she did her best to sound positive.

“Here we go!”

Unlocked, as their agent had said, the front door swung open. They stepped across the threshold into a dim interior. The light switch clicked but the single bulb dangling in the center of the room remained dark. David turned on his cellphone flashlight and shadows receded into adjoining rooms.

An odd combination of déjà vu and calm came over Alexis as she stepped across the threshold. It felt curiously familiar. Rather than a creepy haunted house, she began envisioning a home. She spied a dusty wooden rocking chair by the window and suddenly felt drawn to it. Slipping her hand from David’s arm, she walked across the hardwood floor. A creaky complaint came from beneath it, but the boards felt sturdy under her feet.

David wandered off toward the back of the house. Alexis gave the chair a little push. It rocked forward smoothly then back into her open palm. She turned it to face the center of the room. Her phone’s flashlight threw shadows of the chair’s spindles onto the wall. Dusting off the seat, she sat down. Leaning back, she closed her eyes, and began rocking.

The vision came on suddenly, crashing like an ocean wave. Her breath caught in her throat. In a span of only seconds, she saw the tasks. The book. The trunk. The items and the people. The next year of their lives floated by in front of her. She gasped as the sheer power of it made her grip the chair’s arms.

“Babe!”

She barely heard David’s voice float in from out behind the house. One last image then, just as it had begun, it ended. Her eyes opened wide. Standing up, she walked toward David’s voice.

“Babe! Come look!”

Moving quickly through the house, she opened the back door. Standing on the small porch, she heard David but could not see him. Weeds had overtaken the backyard as well, and beyond it the thicket was dense, taller and wildly tangled.

“David?”

She stepped down onto the sun-bleached white pavers and crossed the yard.

“David!”

The brush parted and he emerged.

“Come see what I found, babe!”

Obviously excited, he took a step and motioned for her to join him. He immediately noticed a change in her appearance. Her pace was quick as she walked toward him. Her stride longer than usual. The determined look, intensifying on her face with each step, was something David had never witnessed. As she approached, he began trying to explain.

“There is a path, babe. Just a tad overgrown.”

She passed him and walked to the spot where he had emerged from the brush. Confused, he caught up as she reached the edge of the thicket. She turned and startled him with her intense gaze. Although calm, her voice echoed the intensity.

“Something happened at the house, David. Please understand that no explanation will make sense right now. Show me what you found. Please? It fits into this picture somehow. There is so much to do. We need to get started.”

Alarmed, David struggled to reconcile her behavior with the wife he knew and loved. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he held her at arm’s length.

“Something happened to you? What was it? Are you okay, Lexi?”

He saw frustration rising in her face. Recognizing it and sensing she was okay, he decided to let it go for the moment.

“This way.”

He pushed ahead of her into the brush. She fell in close behind him. Several paces passed in silence. The vision swirled in her mind. Half to herself, she spoke aloud.

“It is confusing. I hardly believe it myself. You go along day by day thinking you know things then suddenly, everything changes.”

He echoed with a cautionary tone.

“Everything?”

“You will understand soon, David. I promise you!”

As if by design, He stopped. Holding aside some brush for her to go ahead, his voice was earnest as she passed him.

“That would be good, Lexi. I am more than a little confused.”

Anxiously wanting to see what was ahead, she missed the concern in his voice. Stepping into the clearing, a building came into view. It was almost as large as the house. Weather worn paint still clung to its walls. Wind had tugged shingles loose from the roof in two large patches. A rusted wind vane stood tall atop a lightning rod at one end. High on the wall a beam protruded from above an opening to a hay loft. A rusted pulley dangled down from a chain at the end of the beam. She noticed a door was ajar on one side and questioned him abruptly.

“Have you looked inside?”

David had hung back as she walked into the clearing. From several feet away, he answered.

“Only a peek.”

He waited for her to turn and look directly at him.

“Sure, I wanted to go inside and see what was there. But then, I thought of you. There is something about this place. You feel it too, right? It could be our first home together and I want to share every moment of it with you, Lexi.”

His meaning hit her. Overwhelmed by the vision, her behavior had frightened him unintentionally. He continued before she could speak.

“This is our adventure Lexi; we should explore it together. Right? Can we explore it -- together?”

She walked back to him and put her arms around his neck.

“Oh, David, I hurt you. Forgive me? This place is special, and we will share every moment. I have seen our adventure and I know exactly what we are about to find. Ready?”

Confusion still evident on his face, he nodded. Taking her hand, they walked toward the barn. Despite what she had seen, her enthusiasm for adventure wavered as they reached the door. Sensing her hesitation, he stepped through it ahead of her. The wood grain on the door was rough with ridges standing out in relief. It was smoothed by wind and time though, the way a river rock was smoothed down by running water.

Passing from sunshine into the darkness they were briefly blinded. Alexis sensed the immense open volume of the space they had entered. There was a hushed silence, like walking into an empty cathedral. The faint dusty aroma of hay straw rested in the air. Sunbeams streamed in from a few openings to spill out on the dirt floor. Their eyes adjusted. Her grip tightened around his hand.

“There.”

She pointed to the back of the barn at two doors that were slightly parted. A shadowy darkness was all they could see from between them. David’s cellphone light illuminated some of the space ahead.

Between the doors, the light revealed only more dirt floor that ended at the back wall. David pushed at one door. It slid easily along the rail. Shining the light and looking to their right, empty space greeted them. Turning the light back to their left, a tarp, draped across something in the corner, came into view. Her grip on his hand tightened again.

“There it is.”

Walking to it David reached down and took hold of a corner of the tarp. Holding his phone up with one hand he began backing away, pulling the tarp with him. Alexis stood to one side watching but knowing what it would reveal. Dragging the tarp backward another step it fell away uncovering an outline in the dim light. There was silence for a moment. David started a question.

“What in the ---”

Alexis answered before he could complete it.

“A small trunk. And on top is an old book wrapped in a cloth.”

“Lexi, how could you ---”

Interrupting him again, her voice was stronger and clearer.

“I saw it, David. All of it. While I was alone in the house I sat in a chair and had a vision.”

Shaken, David walked toward what he had uncovered. He saw, on closer inspection, that it was indeed a trunk and just as she had said, there was a box-shaped object wrapped in a cloth on top of it. He looked over at her in amazement.

“Alexis, can you please help me understand what is happening?”

She smiled at him reassuringly.

“There are six special wooden items in the trunk, David. A long-handled spoon, a puzzle box, a trowel, a star, a sphere, and a ring. We are to deliver each of them to a different person.”

Shaking his head in disbelief, David knelt beside it and moved the cloth wrapped object to the floor. He unbuckled the thick leather straps around the trunk. Opening the lid slowly, he froze in place and looked back up at Alexis. Reaching down, he pulled a long wooden spoon from the trunk. Looking back down he closed the lid. His hands were shaking. Alexis was suddenly beside him. She put a hand on his shoulder, picked up the object he had laid aside and unwrapped the cloth. The ancient looking book was ornately bound but relatively small and thin in her hands. She opened the cover, revealing a single page of script.

Through time these tasks fall to you

Each one a life can renew

The six who are gone far astray

You can guide and bring back to the way

Wooden items you now must consider

To each of the six you must one deliver

Give each lost one the item of wood

That will show them the way back to the good

Restore the six so they mend and are healed

And to you the final task will be

Revealed

He was bewildered. His voice shook with emotion.

“Lexi, I don’t understand. This feels bigger than us. I’m frightened.”

Her voice soothed him.

“Babe, I am right here. This is our adventure David, and together we will see it through.”

Her arms encircled his neck. Her lips by his ear, she whispered.

“I have seen it and you will too.”