Chapter Two

"Hello, Mason residence."

"Ms. Mason, I'm Calvin Baits of Weber-Baits and Associates. I need to talk to you. It's in regards to your property in Montana."

"Oh. Well, okay."

"We have a small problem and it could cause you to lose the place, there. It seems that even though we have people out there twice a year, for several days, the state and forestry departments are not satisfied.

"Starting this year, non-corporate or personally owned properties must be occupied by the owner, for three months out of the year."

"Can they really do that?" asked Linda.

"Yes, they can. Some places require as much as six months, but that's not all of it. Because of the original accident and the trials and appeals that have finally finished, a final settlement has been reached. The amounts vary but as you lost your father in the initial event, and your mother as a collateral event, it was ordered that you are to receive, after any and all taxes, $5.9 million ... including interest.

"However, there is a stipulation on this, which is that you have to be an active resident. Otherwise, at best, you would receive twenty-five thousand."

"Damn!"

Linda then sighed, she didn't want to deal with that part of her life, but what could she do?

"Ok. How can they expect a person to just drop their life, to live in the middle of nowhere, for three months out of a year? The mill was all the work there was, even when I was a kid. I don't expect that it has changed much."

"My partners feel that after a year or two, these regs will be lifted as most will just let the property go."

Linda looked around her aunt's house for some reason. For the first time in a long time, she realized that the house, was her aunt's house. It was not hers. Even after several years, it was still her aunt's.

"Mr. Baits, I need a few days to look over things. However, as of right now, I'm in a position to follow through with moving to Montana. Can I get you to arrange an appraisal for my aunt's house, here? I'll order a POD or two, and move all that I wish to keep into them. Then I'll sell the remainder."

"I can do that. I'll have our people go up to Montana, and make sure everything is as it should be."

"Please make sure a phone line is installed, as well as cable and internet. If there's cell service, it will most likely be functioning only close to the town."

"I'll have that done. It might take a week or so, but I'll get it in."

"Thanks. I'll talk to you later, when everything is ready."

"Very well, and you have a good day," Mr. Baits said and ended the call.

And that's how it started. By the end of the week she had most of her things packed. By the end of the second week she had her aunt's house sold with everything inside, to someone that had loved the place for years and had known Linda's aunt and uncle.

It felt right, to Linda, to sell to her.

Linda came to a stop in front of a house she hadn't seen in thirty-one years. As she looked at it, she was flooded by an intense feeling of coming home.

She walked up the steps, and through the front door. Inside, she found that most of the furniture was gone, but that was ok. She had some in storage.

After she looked around, she started to unpack some of the things she had with her, making the house even more hers. When night came, she went in to the room her parents had used, and listened to the sounds of the night and the forest. She remembered all the times she used to do the same thing as a girl. On rare occasions, she had snuck out to be in the woods during the full moon.

She even remembered one trip, when she went farther than she should have. Not that she would get lost, but the woods did hold wolves, bobcats, and some other nighttime predators.

The sound of a commotion had caught her attention, and she had followed it. She was drawn to a small clearing, where several wolves were standing around. Two of the smallest were fighting something ... something that made them unable to leave. There were two little ones, who caught in snares.