The Cheesy Religion
Part 7
(A short story by Steven R. Harrel)
Tom cautiously crossed a derelict bridge, one leading into the small ghost town; a bridge which at one time reasonably conveyed horses and wagons across a flowing river. Sadly now, only a tiny creek remained. On the far side Tom saw a rotted out sign-post with an old bronze colored sign, hanging askew. The sign read, “Welcome to Shire”.
Without question, the first building Tom explored was once the town’s school house. Decayed books, chalk writing tablets and a few antique children’s desks littered the floor. An old chalkboard still hung precariously from one anchored corner and touched the floor with another. Dust covered the few fragments of glass which remained in the damaged windows; dust and grime marking the passage of weather and time. An old-fashioned stool also sat off to one side, in what remained of a corner in the Schoolhouse; Tom assumed it was where students once donned those funny coned dunce caps, a punishment designed to elicit shame. It only took Tom a few moments to scan and assess the dilapidated structure before bounding to the next derelict building. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for but look he must.
After nearly an hour of rummaging through shops, homes and run-down stables, Tom found himself standing at the center of what was formerly the old town’s square. Continue reading