Chapter 10

Grandma Linda's house was cosy, a fine blend of compact and comfortable. A bungalow, with an attic above, the wooden house was not impressive in size, however it was definitely impressive. With two bedrooms, the living room, bathroom, kitchen, toilet and storehouse, the cottage was cute in it's own way, making efficient use of the space within it. The parlour was decorated with fine wallpaper and numerous paintings Linda made since it was her hobby. A small Tv hung across the wall opposite the sofas and cushions, though it was clear no one used it. The WiFi was placed at a corner in the room, and contrary to Roxanne's initial belief, there was stable electricity thanks to the solar panels installed in the house, the inverter and the generator, all functioning at once. 'I hardly make use of them though, after all… I prefer everything just fine without them" Linda said to Roxanne with a wide smile as she welcomed her to her room. 'This will be your room during your stay here. I'll give you the space, so you can unpack. The Bathroom is across the room to your right, so you can freshen up after you're done. There's hot water, so you can make use of that. 'Um, Grandma, where do you get your water supply from?" Roxanne suddenly asked, curious as to how it all worked out for Linda and how she was able to live in such seclusion for so long. 'Oh, that. I had a well dug here" Linda replied. 'A well? But it's winter, wouldn't it already be…" Roxanne tried to raise an issue. 'Frozen? Don't worry about that. The well's pretty deep, you know? Besides, your grandma has her ways." Linda gave a reassuring smile. She left Roxanne in the room and went her way to do as she said. Roxanne saw her massive bag and two boxes on the floor and sighed, placing both hands on her hips. 'Oh well… I better get started, ``she said to herself. [Moments Later] 'Ah, all done. This should do for now" Roxanne said with a look of satisfaction as she glanced across her room. The bed was just her size, with freshly laid bed sheets which, from the looks of it, had never been used before. Her bedside contained a little shelf where she kept some of the books she planned on finishing during her stay with her grandmother. Her clothes were hung on racks in an orderly fashion, just as she preferred and her shoes, just two of them, were placed beside her bed. She nodded with satisfaction and smiled. After she is done, she indulges herself in the hot water bath her grandmother told her about. She entered the bathroom, but what she saw confused her. 'U-Um… Grandma, where's the shower?" Roxanne shouted from where she stood in front of the bathroom. Her voice travelled through the little house and reached her grandmother who was brewing coffee in the kitchen. 'Oh?" That?" You'll have to go fetch it from the well outside" Linda said with a smile. 'Fetch? Well?" She understood the meaning of those words, but she couldn't comprehend how they both blended together and related to her. 'You mean… I should go get the water… From the well… Outside?" Roxanne said, repeating the words of her grandmother in her own way. 'Exactly," Linda replied. 'You'll see a bucket by the side there and a pail. You should be fine. I'd get something warmer to wear if I were you though" Linda said. Unbelievable. That was the only thing that came to Roxanne's mind. She was suddenly beginning to feel a sense of uneasiness. Perhaps this wouldn't be all fun and games like she thought. In the first place, her mom sent her here to be taught a lesson, punishment for what she did to her. Due to her previous memory of the place, her grandmother's easygoing attitude and the discovery of WiFi and Electricity, Roxanne thought she was going to have fun here. But if this was a punishment meant for her reform, then it only made sense that she wouldn't be enjoying herself. What didn't she think of that? She wanted to grumble, but she had no choice at this point. She had to fetch the water in order to have her shower. After Roxanne went back to her room to change into something more winter friendly, she took the bucket and pail, travelling to the front of the cottage, and then outside. She looked around and finally spotted the place her grandmother described to be the location of the well. It had a bricklayer, and it was only a metre tall at most. Roxanne looked at the cover, it was made of some sort of metal looking material, though when she touched it, for some odd reason it wasn't cold. Considering the weather condition around her, that was indeed a surprise to her. She felt a tinge of curiosity, so she decided to check out just how deep the well was. One look made her almost regret that decision as a sudden chill was sent down her spine. The bottom was almost non visible as the hole extended deep down that it felt unreal. She quickly took a step back, moving away from the well which seemed to be calling for her to enter within. Shaking her head vehemently, she picked up the pail and decided to conclude her business there. She lowered the pail and dropped it slowly, holding onto the long rope as it descended steadily, until it made contact with the water. After waiting for the pail to get filled up, she pulled it back up and the contents she drew surprised her. 'T-This is…" She muttered to herself. It was warm water. It was so unbelievable that she poured some on her body and realised that it was the real deal. The water wasn't affected by the cold at all. She held onto the pail and poured the remaining contents of water into the bucket she had placed on the ground. After repeating this process for a while, the bucket became full and she closed the well back, still fascinated by the odd temperature of the metal substance. Roxanne hurried back Into the hut to find her grandmother seated on the chair, one coffee in hand while hers was on the table, simmering hot. Roxanne frowned a bit as she watched Linda take sips of coffee while she was still recoiling from the experience she had outside. 'I'd hurry with that if I were you. The water gets cold easily, so you should hurry and take your bath before that happens" Linda said, sipping more of the black liquid. 'And what if it gets cold?" Roxanne asked. Linda smiled. 'It's simple. You go fetch another batch" She said. 'Whaaaat?! This woman is crazy!" Roxanne thought to herself. She was wrong, but it was too late to turn back at this point since she had gotten to the point of no return. She hurried carried the bucket and dashed straight for the bathroom, quickly undressing herself as she closed the door and locked it. Linda chuckled as she saw this. 'Ah, what a sight!" She mused.