The Farmers Daughter

Chapter 3: New roof = new rules

[ Dallas' POV ]
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It felt like Gloria was here forever. Her and Travis talked like they were old friends, and maybe they were. I finally heard the couch squeak again which meant Gloria got up. "It was nice seeing you again, Travis. Tell Edith I said hi." She says and I heard her footsteps as she walked to the door.

Travis followed along behind her and opened up the old screen door. "Safe traveling. Thank you again for everything."

Gloria laughs like she's relieved that she doesn't have to see me for a while and if the truth be known she probably is. "No, thank you. I'll be sending prayers your way, Travis."

After a few minutes Gloria was in her car and gone. Now it was just me, Mr holy pants, and a mystery girl named Edith.

••••••••••••••••••
I finally got up to go get in the shower but before I could take off my jacket there was a tap tap on my door. "Um, come in?"

Travis came in and immediately went for my drawstring bag. "I've set some ground rules and Gloria told me that you like to hide personal items such as cigarettes.. ahah! Found ya." He takes out my two packs of trusty cigarettes and sticks them in his back pocket. "No smoking is a rule I have and you'll obey it."

I roll my eyes and sink back down onto the squeaky bed. Whatever. Little did he know I had another pack zipped up in my jacket pocket. "Anything else, old man?"

"You will respect me in my household." His voice was stern now. "No vulgar magazines." He says as he grabs them out of my box. "Men are supposed to respect women."

"Hey! That's crossing the line. Those are my pride and joy." Trying to grab them out of his hands did no use, he was a farmer after all.

"Again, you will obey my rules. There's no cussing, no drinking, and no bad language t-shirts." He points to the shirt I'm wearing that has the F word across the front. "Any shirts you have like that will be tossed out."

"So you're taking all my things away? Everything I own is like this." I snap and wave my hand towards my boxes. "I need clothes to wear and at least a magazine so I won't get bored in this dump."

"I've stocked you up on some plain t-shirts, flannels, and blue jeans. Everything you need is found in your closet." He says simply. "As for getting bored, well you won't around here. You will work during the day and complete schoolwork during your breaks."

"I would be better off going to prison." I mumble to myself and stare at a place on the floor.

"Attending church is mandatory and that will be on Sunday's and Wednesday's. Dress pants, dress shoes, and a button down shirt will be provided for you and you will wear it." He searches around for more things he can take away from me. "I want you up at 5 o'clock sharp every morning so we can all eat breakfast together as a family. You'll get ready for the day and then it's on to work."

"You honestly sound like a robot. What kind of life is that? Eat, work, school, church, sleep, repeat. Nothing about that is appealing to me and I'm sure it's not appealing to anyone but you." I kick off my shoes and look up at him. "Are you done with the stupid rules?"

"I have one last rule. No phone." He takes my precious phone off the bed along with my earphones.

"You take away everything I have and now you're taking away the one connection I have to the world?! This is utter bullshit!" I slam my fist against the bed and groan.

"Watch your mouth. My house, my rules." Travis no longer looked like the happy pastor I met earlier. "If you need to use the phone then use the house phone in the kitchen. WiFi is slow anyway so your phone won't be of any good use even if you tried."

I didn't even try to speak anymore. I was stuck in a corner and nothing I said or did was going to get me out, this would be my home for a while.

"Do you understand?" He asks me while turning for the door.

"I understand clearly. Have no life, got it." I turn my back towards him and face the only window in my room.

"Remember, 5 o'clock sharp." He says before flipping off the light and shutting the door behind him.

The only sound I could hear was his heavy footsteps going down the hallway and the sound of crickets outside the house.