The Blood Barn (Book #2 in trilogy)

Chapter 4: Mental Preparation

I finished off my Saturday chores by mixing grass shavings and hay in the barn for the cow, then took a walk along the perimeter fence around the property. Inspecting it wasn't necessary to keep the cow in since she rarely left the confines of the animal barn and the pen attached to it.

The barn cats had a tendency to stay in the storage building where I stored the lawn tractor for cutting the grass around the house and along the driveway. There was also some large equipment left behind by the original owner as well, which I occasionally used in the large fields surrounding the house.

After I walked the property and found nothing wrong with the fence, I walked into the middle of the field and laid down. Staring up at the sky, I wondered if the peace I had found in the country would last. Marta and I had a peaceful life, up until I found out about what she was doing in the basement of our house. Sure, she had been forced into doing the horrendous deeds, but if I had never found out about them, I would have lived a peaceful life there too. It just wouldn't have been the same.

Sunday was going to be a lazy day since I didn't need to go into town for groceries, but I would definitely need to visit the farmers' market for anything that might be available in the coming weeks prior to Marta's visit. I didn't need to completely stock the fridge and cupboards for her stay with me, but I did want an ample amount of food to choose from in case she wanted a home-cooked meal of her choice.

After breakfast I put on my running shoes, shorts and a t-shirt, slid my MP3 player into the pocket of my shorts, then headed out the door for a run around the property. The open country road would have been just as nice since I wouldn't have to worry about twisting my ankle on a rut again, but I learned where most of them were the first week I chose my jogging path.

The wind pushed gently against me as I rounded the barn and began my hour long run. I wanted to keep in shape by exercising, and since I didn't do any cardiovascular training during the winter, I knew I would struggle for the first few weeks.

As the music played from my earbuds, I focused on passing the time to the beat of my heart and hummed along to each song I heard. My inner voice was blocked from entering my mind during my self improvement time, which also meant I didn't think about any of my worries as well. I ran, listened to music, got back into shape, and felt amazing afterward.

My stop watch notified me when an hour had come and gone, forcing me back toward the house. I gradually slowed my pace down to a walk and placed my hands on my hips, breathing in through my nose and then out through my mouth. When I got to the house, I slowly went up the porch steps and inside to drink some water from the cooler.

I grabbed a large glass from the cupboard and then walked over to the corner of the kitchen where I filled it. Music continued to play in one earbud as the other dangled.

Swallowing a mouthful of water, I felt refreshed. I sighed as I felt sweat running down over my forehead and face, the lack of hair on my head causing what felt like a torrential downpour on my eyebrows. I wiped some sweat from my brow and mouth, then took another sip of water as I walked back out to the porch.

The wind was still blowing gently as it cooled my face. I knew I should have worn a hat while running, but I opted for sunscreen instead, which was probably dripping down my face, mixed with the sweat.

I continued to stand on the porch, looking out at the spot where a vehicle would pull up and drop off Marta for the weekend. Even though I saw a black car in my dream, I had no idea what would actually show up. I had no idea what she looked like anymore; if she had long or short hair; if she got into a fight and now had scars. I had to block out any expectations of her still being the beautiful woman I had married nearly five years ago.