I struggled to carry the bucket of water from the other end of the house. Most of it had splashed out as walked. I froze when I saw a pair of black loafers planted on the ground in front of me.

"Mr. Rainey..." I gasped. "I'm sorry. I know the windows are taking forever... I'm almost done." I tried to walk around him, but tripped between the lawn and the gravel driveway.

My breath hitched as I felt my head falling toward the driveway. Everything froze just as I was inches away from landing on it. I felt a pair of arms pull me back up by the waist.

"Careful..." Mort said, helping me to my feet. "A person could get seriously hurt like that."

"Thank you" I stared at him blankly. I bent down to get the spilled bucket, but he swooped down and beat me to it.

"I think... you've done enough for today" Mort smiled softly. "You need a break. Follow me..."

He led me around the house and down towards the lakeside dock. There I was met with the smokey smell of barbecue filling my nostrils and the sight of two lawn chairs, side by side on the lakeside.

"My corn harvest is doing well this year" He explained. "Too well, actually. I have too much. So I thought I'd treat you to a corn roast."

I stared at him, unsure of how to react.

"It's almost lunch. You must be hungry" he grabbed a plate and placed two cobs of corn wrapped in tin foil on it, handing it to me. "Have a seat..."

I walked over to the lawn chair and sat down. I glanced back at him with furrowed brows, before staring down at the corn. This was another trick... just like the other day with the hose.

I carefully peeled back the tin foil, expecting something unpleasant. A stink bomb or a dead rat or a rotting cob that was full of maggots. But all I found was a bright yellow corn cob, smothered with butter and cooked to perfection.

Mort sat down in the chair next to me, sighing happily. "I love corn" he said. "Did you know it's a vegetable, fruit and grain?"

"I... didn't know it was a fruit..." I shrugged.

"Yeah... well, let's dig in" he smiled, picking up his and taking a bite.

I watched him intently, trying to confirm it wasn't poisoned. I picked up mine and took a small bite.

"It's... good" I nodded. "Really sweet..."

"Thank you" Mort wiped the butter from his mouth with a napkin.

"I can't believe you grow your own corn" I said. "Is it hard?"

"No more than any other crop" Mort shrugged. "Funnily enough, corn kind of saved my life."

"Corn? Really?" I failed to hold a smile.

"Yeah, during my divorce, I was... a little too reliant on whiskey..." His eyes narrowed as if he was trying hard to remember. "So to get clean, I put all my time and mental effort into gardening and I figured since corn was the main ingredient in whiskey..." he shrugged.

"Makes sense..." I offered a supportive smile. "And good for you for taking the initiative. I hear it's really hard to kick the habit of drinking."

"Occupational hazzard, I guess" Mort returned the smile. "We writers tend to be alcoholics."

I giggled aloud, before putting a hand to my mouth. "Sorry..." I apologized. "I don't know why I did that..."

"It's alright" He put a hand on my shoulder. "You're allowed to laugh here." He paused looking in my eyes. "Do I make you nervous?"

I looked back into his ebony trance. "No, not as much..." I answered.

"Good" he exhaled, rubbing my back.

"Mr. Rainey..."

"Mort, darling. You can call me Mort..."

"M-Mort, I..." My tongue became a numb mitten and my brain was scattered. "I... uh..."

He looked at me with kind and concered eyes. "What is it, darling?"

To Hell with it I thought.

I leaned in and captured his lips, with the same ferocity of a spider sinking its fangs into a fly. I half expected him to pull away and stare at me in shock, but he never did. Instead he surprised me by snaking his arms around my waist. My heart soared. Finally! A sign that he felt the same!

I stood up and sat in his lap, not taking my lips off him for a second. The warm exhales from his nostrils tickled my cupid's bow as my fingers explored his long brown tresses. I could taste the buttery sweetness of the corn as his tongue waltzed against mine. I never wanted this to end.

We finally had to pull away for air. We sat there, bathing in the last glow of the summer sun as it dipped under the horizon of the lake. I rested my forehead against his and stared into his eyes.

"Eden..." He breathed.

"Mort..." I brushed my fingers against his jawline.

"You're so beautiful, so innocent..." Mort told me. "I love you so much, and I don't think I could live with myself if I let someone else take that innocence from you... I--"

"Just do it, Mort" I told him. "I want this... I want you."

He still looked unsure, so I took off my t-shirt and bra.

"I'm untouched, Mort" I assured him. "A virgin. I want you to be my first. Please...?"

Mort took my hand brought it to his mouth, kissing my palm and dipping my fingers in his mouth. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation of his warm lips kissing their way up my arm and to my neck.

I heard the buckle of his belt clatter onto the sand at our feet. I took it as a sign to turn and wrap my arms around his neck. He put his hands on my butt and swept me off my feet and onto the sandy beach. He straddled my lap as he got down on his knees and kissed me as if his life depended on it.

He smiled down at me and let his hands roam down my body until he got to the juncture of my thighs. I shivered, parting my thighs. He moved between them and gently eased towards my warmth.

"I want you too, Eden..." He pushed inside of me.

I moaned as I nearly climaxed right then and there. "Mort..." I gasped.

"Mine" Mort growled softly as he began to move inside of me. "Forever mine," he groaned as he felt my hips thrusting upwards to meet his. "My own secret garden of Eden..."

I clung to him, meeting him with each thrust with my hips. I got closer and closer, my eyes rolling in the back of my head. I was bucking and writhing not even attempting to stifle my cries of passion. I wanted the whole shitty town of Tashmore Lake to know that Mort Rainey was mine and I was his. Just the thought of Trevor walking up and catching us, made me all the more horny...

Mort couldn't get deep enough. His mouth searched mine as he kissed me as if his very life depended on it.

I held him close with my legs, not wanting him to pull away. I kissed him and let myself cry freely. "Don't let me go," I repeated over and over like a pleading mantra to God.

My vision was hazy with love as his hips thrusted and grinded into me with wild passion. My head rolled from side to side in ecstasy, like I was having a seizure from all the pleasure. My head turned toward the docks as I panted, licking my dry lips. My vision focused on the underside of the docks and that's when I saw it...

A woman's head rose out of the water beneath the dock. She blinked as she stared right at me with yellow, filmy eyes. Her flesh was rotting and covered with algae. And her top lip had rotted off, exposing her brown teeth. Only a few strands of mucky blonde hair was left in her decomposing head.

I recognized her as the former Mrs. Rainey...

🌽🪟🌽

"Eden! Are you still sleeping?!" My mother shouted impatiently.

I opened my eyes to the sound of rain pattering on my bedroom window. I shifted, trying to sit up in bed.

Did I piss myself? I thought. Then the context of my dream came flooding back to me. That wasn't urine...

"Let's go! Up!" Mother shook my leg under the covers. "I noticed you forgot to take out the recycling yesterday like I asked you..."

"I'm sorry" I pulled the covers up over myself to avoid suspicion. "I was exhausted after getting home from Rainey's place."

"Well, what exactly does Mr. Rainey have you doing all day?"

"Yard work, cleaning, general manual labor..." I shrugged, wiping the sleep from my eyes. "Can't we continue this interrogation after I wake up a bit more?"

"I think I'm going to give Mr. Rainey a call" Mother decided. "You must've worked off your debt by now. And you can't spend all your time up there."

I should've been thrilled at the opportunity to get out of my deal with Rainey. But I saw right through my mother's generous intentions. She didn't care that I was coming home exhausted everyday, she just missed having a housekeeper. Ever since mother had her breakdown after dad left, she had become so useless and scatterbrained. Leaving me to do all the cooking, cleaning and repairs around the house. After she recovered, I guess it became a habit for her to leave it all for me to do. Essentially, getting out of deal with Rainey was like jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire...

"I'm headed to work now" Mom said. "Try and see if you can't do the dishes when you get home. And maybe pass the vacuum too."

"Anything else?" I asked sarcastically.

"Well, you could throw in a load of laundry as well" Mom nodded obliviously. "Love you. Bye!" She headed out the door.

I groaned and rolled out of bed. I went to the bathroom and took a shower to clean myself up after that wet dream.

Why would I have a wet dream about Rainey? He's way older than me! Not to mention, a possible murder! And I already have a boyfriend! If anything I should be having wet dreams about Trevor... right?

I sighed heavily. I'm just overthinking this. The only reason I dreamt about Rainey is because I've spent so much time around him these past couple of weeks. My brains just playing tricks on me, that's all.

After my shower, I was drying my hair when it occurred to me. Yesterday was Sunday... so that means today's Monday. Mom only goes into work at one o'clock on Monday's...

My eyes bugged out of my head in realization as I checked the hallway clock. It's one o'clock and I was suppose to be at Rainey's for noon!

I ran for my closet and threw on my hoodie and jeans. I ran the brush through my damp hair, before tying it back with a scrunchie. I grabbed my keys and phone and headed out on my bike. I threw up my hood to keep the rain off me.

I can't believe I did this! I've never slept in this late! I veered onto the dirt road toward Rainey's house. I was out of breath and soaked to the bone by the time I walked up to his door.

I tried to catch my breath as I stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door.

Until my knuckles rapped against something warm and soft. I looked up and saw Mr. Rainey had opened the door. My eyes widened, realizing my last three knocks accidentally landed on his chest. His nicely toned chest...

"I'm sorry..." My cheeks turned warm despite the cold rain that dripped from my hair. "I know I'm late. I overslept and I got here as fast as I could. I can start right away. Where do you want me?"

"Eden, Eden! Calm down" Mort's eyes seemed confused. "Take a breathe. Get in here and have a seat." He pulled out a chair at the kitchen table for me. "I was getting worried, I thought you'd been in an accident or something."

I sat down, still dripping everywhere.

"You're soaked" He observed. "You didn't take your bike here, did you?"

"I had to. My mom had to work" I shivered.

"I'll get you a towel" he walked out of the room. "Lose that sweater too, before you catch a cold."

I pulled my sweater over my head and slung it over the kitchen chair. Mr. Rainey handed me the towel and I dried off with it, before wrapping my dripping hair in it.

Mr. Rainey chuckled, watching me. "Seems like everytime I see you, you get wet..."

I froze, remembering my dream.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Thank you" I sighed under my breath. "Now, what would you like me to do first?"

"Well..." he said. "You've already cleaned the house top to bottom and you can't work outside in this rain. Why don't you just stay here and take it easy for today. You can head home when the weather let's up. In the meantime, you can watch TV, pick out a book to read, if you're hungry just help yourself to whatevers in the fridge..."

"Why?" I asked, absent-mindedly.

"What?" He looked at me.

"I just mean..." I cringed. "You really want me to hang around your house. After what happened and all?"

Mort stared at me intently for a minute. As if studying me, finally he cleared his throat. "Listen Eden, I'm going to be frank with you" he admitted. "Something you said yesterday really resonated with me. About how 'it hurts not to be believed, but that I should still give others the benefit of the doubt...' "

"Oh, I didn't mean anything by that..." I shook my head.

"No, no. You were right" Mort agreed. "Look, I know you weren't the one who vandalized my house. I know you're just covering for someone else."

My face fell. "No, I'm not--"

"Eden..." he smirked knowingly. "C'mon... I was your age once too. I know what it's like."

I bit back a guilty smile.

"I was hoping if I was hard enough with the punishment, you would just tell me who really did it. But you didn't..." Mort shrugged. "You've heard the rumors about me and you're nervous around me. And still you didn't tell. But based on what I've seen of you, I'd say you're a good kid... and a hard worker." He smiled.

I chuckled lightly.

"From now on, you don't have to keep coming up here everyday" Mort shook his head. "You're free as soon as the rain let's up. If you want I can call your mom and make up some story about how I saw some punk on my property and he confessed to doing it."

"You'd really lie for me?" I asked.

"Kid, I make up lies for a living" he laughed.

"I guess so" I smiled. "You know, Mr. Rainey?"

"Mort" He insisted.

"Mort..." I breathed. "No offense, but when I first met you I kinda got wrapped up in the stuff everyone says about you. All that crap about how you killed you're ex-wife and her lover and disposed of their bodies in the lake. But based on what I've seen of you, I'm sure you're no killer."

"Thanks... I guess" his brow furrowed in grateful confusion.

I smiled, but it fell as my stomach growled. I cringed in embarrassment.

"Are you hungry?" He asked.

"Apparently" I shrugged. "I was in such a hurry getting here, I didn't notice."

"Do you like corn?" He asked.

Again, my mind went right back to my dream. I must be psychic or something?

"Love corn!" I smiled. "Did you know it's a vegetable, fruit and grain?"

"Yeah, that's right" Mort nodded. "You got almost the whole food pyramid in there." He grabbed a bucket from under the sink. "I'll go get some from out back and we can have lunch. Just make yourself at home."

"Thanks" I smiled gratefully.

He went out the back door and I began browsing the bookshelves.

I couldn't believe this. Two weeks ago, if you told me I would be sitting down to lunch with Mort Rainey, I'd tell you to check yourself in to the nearest looney bin. But here we were. Mort wasn't the hard ass I thought he was at all. It's amazing how some people can surprise you.

I fingered my way through the book titles, until I found one of Mort's books called Everybody Drops A Dime. I picked it up and found it was a collection of his short stories. That caught my attention. I didn't want to start a new book and then leave before I finished.

I flipped to the index page and looked down the list of stories. One title stood out in particular... The Secret Window.

My mind traveled back to when I first came up here. When I got scared by that little window on the side of the house. I wonder if there's a connection?

I turned to the page and started reading:

A woman who would steal your love, when your love was all you really had, wasn't much of a woman. That, at least, was Tommy Havlock's opinion.

He decided to kill her.

He even knew the place he would bury her. The exact place. The little patch of garden she kept where the extreme angle formed where the old and new parts of the house came together. He'd bury her in the garden she loved more than she loved him.

The garden...? I thought, glancing out the window of the back door. Mort was shucking the husks from the corn he picked and putting it in the compost bucket.

I shook my head. No way. If he did kill someone, why would he put the details in one of his stories? My imagination is just getting the better of me.

...I hope so.

~Mort's POV~

I put another ear of corn into the bowl for cooking. I glanced in the window and saw Eden, sitting on the couch and reading a book. She looked so beautiful and immersed in it.

You're really going to let her go?

"She's not a stray dog" I muttered. "I can't keep her."

But you like having her around. Don't deny it.

"It has been nice..."

You feel close to her.

"She reminds me a lot of myself."

Tell her then. Ask her to come back sometime.

"That'll look great" I muttered sarcastically. "A middle aged shut-in hanging around with a nineteen year old girl. People already think I'm a murderer, let's add pedophile to the list."

Gotta give the people of Tashmore something to talk about, don't you?

"Shut up" I tossed the last ear into the bowl and headed inside.

~Eden's POV~

For the next couple of hours, Mort and I ate corn and talked the whole time. When the rain stopped we sat out on the porch to enjoy the fresh post-rainstorm smell that saturated the grass and trees. It wasn't until I noticed the setting sun reflecting off the lake that I realized how late it must be. The thought of leaving this place made my heart sink.

Suddenly I recognized a song playing on the kitchen radio that lifted my spirits.

"Oh, I love this song" I grinned.

"You too?" Mort asked.

"Yeah, my friends think I'm some hayseed for liking country music" I rolled my eyes.

Mort ran into the kitchen and turned up the volume.

🎶You were made to shine under southern stars, pure as mountain rain,
You're the love song pouring out of this guitar, sweeter than sugar cane...🎶

I got up off the chair as he walked back out onto the porch. I held out my hand.

"Dance with me?" I asked.

"I don't dance" he chuckled.

"Why not?" I smiled.

"I can't dance" he shrugged.

"Just let you body react to the music" I told him.

"I can't--"

"There's no one out here to judge us" I pointed out. "Unless you count the trees...?"

Mort sighed heavily before taking my hand. "You better not laugh at me, Missy" he warned.

"Likewise" I told him. "Because I can't dance either."

I put my hands in his and began twisting my hips and ankles to the beat of the song. He smiled, watching me and began to sway along and twirl me around.

🎶You're a hallelujah, Sunday morning
All I've ever needed, wanted
Underneath this pale moon sky
I'm gonna make you mine
Yeah, I'm gonna make you mine🎶

Just as we were on the last chorus, Mort froze and his face dropped.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "C'mon! You were doing great!"

"Eden..." he looked behind me.

I turned around and saw our local Sheriff Dave Newsome, walking up onto the porch. Mort ran in and turned off the radio before coming back out.

"Dave..." he greeted the sheriff.

"Mort..." Dave nodded. "I'm here for Eden Prescott."

"Me?" I asked perplexed. "Why?"

"Eden, we've been trying to get a hold of you all afternoon" Sheriff Dave glanced over at Mort. "Why don't you come into my car, where we can talk in private?"

"No, Sheriff" I told him. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it right here."

Sheriff Dave sniffed. "It's your mother..."

A chill crept up my arm. "What happened?" I asked. "Did she get arrested?"

"Eden honey..." Sheriff Dave sighed. "Your mother was in a car accident this afternoon. It was a head-on collision. She died instantly. I'm sorry..."

I stood there frozen, not moving a muscle. A faint ringing in my ear replaced the sound of chirping crickets and lake water lapping against the dock below.

It's a joke I thought. Any minute my mother's going to hop out from that black and white in the drive way and start laughing with Sheriff Dave. This isn't really happening...

I looked at Sheriff Dave's face and something about his forlorn expression confirmed the truth that was echoing in the back of my mind.

I inhaled sharply as my face contorted into sadness. "No... No!" I sobbed, shaking my head. "No! No! No!"

Mort wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his chest, rubbing circles on my back. I buried myself in his chest, almost suffocating myself.

It wasn't real.
It was a dream.
My mother isn't dead.
She can't be.
I'm going to wake up soon and this will all be over...
But if it's all a dream then why does it hurt so bad...?