This episode may contain content that is not suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion
is advised, especially for those under the age of thirteen. Welcome to ind
to the Night. I'm Nari your guide on to day's excursion down a twisted
path. Be careful not to get lost. Be it dark or light,
It's easy to lose your way. Are you ready, then Let's begin Spring
Peepers Part one. The seemingly constant blare of sirens and the press of humanity
in the city became too much. Staring out the window of her condominium,
she knew what she needed to do. Her heart longed for a simpler life
and the peace of the countryside. Cassandra Carmichael wanted to go home. Long
before she became a financial planner in a major investment firm. She was a
different person. Behind the high heels, tailored business dress and flawless makeup,
lived the country girl she'd once been. I want to be that girl again.
At that moment, Cassandra began her journey back to herself. She went
to her desk and searched for land in the hills of southern Missouri. Scrolling
through listings, she stopped on one there's no way it was. However,
the farmhouse she'd spent summers in with her grandparents long ago. Her parents sold
it to pay for her grandparents hospitalization and long term care before they passed.
What are the odds of it being for sale at the same time, my
heart is telling me to go home. It's not even all that expensive,
and twenty of the original acres come with it. Cassandra emailed the realtor and
spent the next few hours daydreaming of her childhood outings on her grandparent's farm.
Her father and his six brothers grew up in that house. Completely intrigued by
the possibility of owning part of her family history, thought through what she'd need
to make such a move. I'm tired of the rat race, but I
need to be smart about this. I could cash out my portfolio, sell
my condo, buy the farm, and still have plenty of money to live
on. I can do remote consultations if I have to for income. I've
read articles about other people pulling the corporate plug and escaping to the country.
I can do this. She went to sleep happy for the first time in
a long time. After years of climbing the business ladder, and sacrificing part
of who she used to be. She finally had hope. Not everything revolved
around the almighty dollar. Her heart and soul craved a simpler way of life,
and this could be her opportunity to have it. The next morning,
she received an email from the realtor. It's said, Cassandra, this property
is still available and the seller is highly motivated. He will accept any reasonable
offer. Let me know if you would like to move forward with this Kay
Barnum. They're willing to take less than the asking price. I don't think
I could pass this up. She sent kay Barnum an offer that was ten
thousand under the listing price. Within five minutes the offer was accepted a contract
would arrive. In a subsequent email, she said, Cassandra jumped from her
chair and shook her fist in the air. Yes, I'm going home for
the first time in years. A weight lifted from her that she hadn't even
realized she was carrying as a luring. As corporate success had been, she
could finally reclaim herself. The day after she signed the contract on the house,
she put in her two weeks notice at the brokerage began cashing out her
portfolio and began packing. We hate to see you leaving, Cassandra. Are
you sure this is a wise move? Her boss, Ted Ferguson, looked
skeptical. I know it doesn't sound like it makes sense, but it feels
right to me. I've been burned out for a year and I may never
get the chance to own my grandparents place again. You're right, it doesn't
make sense. I hate to see you throw everything away that you've worked for
all these years. I appreciate that, Ted, but it's something I have
to do. I have to be happy, and I'm not happy right now.
Okay, I'll accept your resignation. If you ever want to come back,
you're welcome to. Just know you'll have to start back at the bottom
again. I can't hold your position for you. I wouldn't ask you to.
Good luck. The looks on her co workers faces showed that they thought
she'd lost her mind. How could I ever explain to them what I've been
missing. A few co workers, however, seemed nearly gleeful about her departure.
Shannon Ebe and Jack Cassock saw this as their opportunity to move up in
the firm. That's okay, you two can have this place. I don't
know why I've stayed so long. Even to the nice ones here, my
leaving is just a blip on their radar. They'll soon forget. With a
clear conscience, Cassandra loaded the moving van and pulled onto the freeway that led
her home. With each mile she drove, her heart became lighter, and
a smile crept across her lips. Out of the concrete and asphalt of the
city, she noticed the first signs of spring. The grass in the fields
peaked green shoots, and the tiny buds on the trees were visible. The
earth readied itself to awaken from a cold and desolate winter. The farther south
she drove, the more spring like the world became. Some flowering trees offered
much needed color into Cassandra's world. The more countryside she drove through, the
more eager she became to arrive at the farm. Since her offer was cash
up front, the deal closed quickly and the house sat waiting for her to
arrive. After ten hours on the road, she pulled onto the familiar dirt
road that took her back to when she was a little girl. Yes,
the trees had grown and a few more houses dotted the way from what she
remembered, but an over well mean sense of excitement mixed with satisfaction flooded over
her. Now more than ever before. She was certain she made the right
decision. Two more miles and I'll be home. The sun hadn't quite set
when she pulled up the hill heading to the farmhouse. The pale, yellow,
two story home with the maple and hickory trees in the front yard looked
almost the same as the last time she'd seen it. Previous owners had made
some changes, a flower bed here and new trees planted there. An updated
chicken house sat off the path leading to the majestic Yankee barn she'd spent so
many hours in as a child. She pulled into the driveway and turned off
the ignition. Stiff from the drive, she stepped down and felt the gravel
crunch beneath her feet. The earthy smells of the land filled her senses,
and she took deep breaths. I've missed this. She grabbed her suit case
and overnight bag and walked up the porch steps. The key was left where
Kay said it would be, and she unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The furniture she'd ordered was arranged inside, and her bed was made. Kay
Barnum has gone above and beyond getting me set up here. When I told
her I needed to hire some people to bring my furniture here, she said
she'd take care of it. I just needed to let her know when my
things would be ready. On the table abou Kay sat in a vase with
a card Welcome home, Love Kay. How sweet of her. Kay Barnum
went beyond serving as a realtor. The two women immediately connected, and Kay
handled details for Xandra that couldn't easily be done long distance, right down to
having my bed made and flowers waiting for me. In one of their conversations,
Kay told her, I remember when you were a girl and spent the
summers here. Your father and I were in the same class in school,
and your uncle married my cousin. I feel like you're practically family, and
I'm glad you're going to be part of our community again. This means so
much to me. I feel like I've been lost in the world. I
need to feel like i'm home. You're coming home, Cassandra, and I'm
happy to help you out any way you need me to. This included a
new paint job and flooring. The curtains hung an even dishes placed in the
kitchen cupboards. Yes, Cassandra paid for all the changes, but Kay oversaw
the projects so Cassandra could walk into her renovated home. I sure didn't have
anyone willing to do that in the city. I've made the right choice,
even if most people wouldn't understand it. As night fell, she stepped out
onto the back porch. That's a sound I haven't heard in years. Spring
peepers, the harbingers of warmer weather to come, sang their hearts out in
the pond near the barn. Cassandra always loved frogs, and the happy songs
these little ones made each spring was music to her ears. She sat on
the porch and listened for a while. The stars twinkled in the night sky,
and she had forgotten how bright they could be without the haze of city
lights subduing their shine. The night was still except for the peeping frogs calling
out in the darkness. The exhaustion of the day caught up with her,
and Cassandra finally stood and walked back into the house. She readied herself for
bed, plumped her goose down pillow and pulled the quilt over the top of
her. She fell more soundly asleep than she had in years, completely relaxed
and content. The next morning, she messaged Kay to thank her for having
the house ready for her when she arrived. You're amazing and I want to
take you out to eat. Let me know what works for you. They
made dinner plans for the next night. Meanwhile, Cassandra busied herself around her
new, yet familiar home. Anne spent time walking around the property. In
past years, her grandparents ran a cattle farm, but they owned nearly any
kind of farm animal one could imagine. The chickens were Cassandra's favorites, and
she checked out the coop along the barn path and made up her mind to
order chicks from the hatchery. It's only an hour away. I'll drive up
there to get them. I can't believe I get to have my own farm.
Speaking of things, that peep, I think I'll walk down to the
pond where the frogs had been serenading each other. We kids spent hours down
there fishing for bluegill. She smiled and looked out at the rolling hills.
The sun lit up the blue sky, and the wind carried a touch of
warmth on it. So many good memories my cousins and I knew every inch
of this place. It's good to reacquaint myself with home. She made her
way down the hill from the big red barn to the pond. The runoff
from it babbled down the branch that cut through the pasture. They were fortunate
to have a spring fed pond, and while the branch couldn't be considered a
creek by any stretch, in all but the deepest droughts, a trickle of
water ran down it. The water cut a groove in the red clay dirt
as it meandered through the low lying areas. Cassandra felt comforted knowing that even
though years passed since her childhood outingsto the pond, the spring and the branch
remained constants even in her absence. The next evening, she met Kay in
town at the local diner Kay said was the best in town. It seemed
that her new friend knew everyone who came through the doors, and she was
happy to introduce Cassandra to all of them. It's nice to meet you,
Cassandra, say, would your dad have been Paul Carmichael. Yes he is,
I thought, so you sure do favor him. Are you just visiting
or are you planning on moving back here? Kay said, oh, Cassandra
just bought the old Carmichael place. You don't say that place has had one
person after another moving in and out of there. Kay grew quiet. Cassandra
smiled and said, well, I plan on staying. It's nice to meet
you, and it's good to be back home again. Cassandra noticed that Kay's
mood had shifted. Are you okay? You got quiet all of a sudden.
Kay forced to smile and pretended to look at the menu, even though
she already told Cassandra she was going to order her usual what. Oh,
yes, nothing is wrong, Kay. I'm not a mind reader, but
I've been in the business world for quite a while and I'm pretty good at
reading people. Something was said that bothers you. It's nothing to worry about.
You became quiet after missus Haskins said that people had moved in and out
of the house. I need you to tell me why people aren't staying there,
Kay stared at her across the table. You can tell me I don't
scare off easily. You already told me. The seller was highly motivated to
sell, and he took an offer ten thousand below, but was already a
dirt cheap basking price. What's wrong with the place, Kay on her booth
seat. I don't know that anything is wrong with the place at all.
There are just rumors. What kind of rumors? If I tell you this,
I don't want you to be upset. I just I guess you should
know, just in case I'm listening. Well, Tony, the guy who
sold the place to you had similar trouble to what others have had, so
I guess he's as good a place to start as any I'm interested. So,
he said, it started out with a strange feeling that something watched him
at night. He said, if he had to go out in his truck
or maybe to check out the animals at night, that something was right there,
just feet away from him, close enough to almost touch. At times.
A cold fear shot through Cassandra Kay studied her face. Casts you look
like you know what I'm talking about. Thank you for joining me for Into
the Night, an anthology series written by Caroline Giamanco. Narration by Nari Quok,
Theme music by Nico Rodriguez. All original music, sound design and editing
provided by Flyboy Entertainment. You can find our links in the show notes.
Please remember to like and subscribe, and if you enjoy what you hear,
please leave us a five star review to help other excursionists to join us.
You can find us on your favorite podcast directory. See you next time,
and remember, whether in the shadows or in the daylight, All Twisted Paths
take You into the Night. Into the Night is a creative typo entertainment production