EDA
by Jansina
Photography by: Jaymes Grossman
Sansifreeda
By Jansina
Rivershore Books
Copyright 2012 Jansina Grossman
“Um…are you sure this is a good idea?” Bevin asked, as they got closer to the entrance of the church.
“What are you afraid of? Zombies?” Rosie jeered.
“No, I just…well, what if the pastor comes back?”
AnnaMarie tried not to laugh. “That church has been empty for as long as any of us can remember—and that includes my grandparents.”
“Besides," Rosie said, "there are five of us, and Kyle can protect you if we girls can't.”
Jane snorted; AnnaMarie elbowed her to stop.
“Fine,” Bevin said, and followed them to the front steps.
“So what do you think of that science project Mr. Fredericks had us do?” Kyle asked.
“It was ridiculous,” Jane said, scrunching her nose. “I mean, we learned that stuff in first grade. We're in college now.”
“Yeah.”
“Please, guys,” Rosie groaned. “Can we not talk about homework? This is our break.”
“You have to think about it sometime,” Bevin said.
“No I don’t. I finished that awful class--and passed, thank you very much.” Rosie pushed at the door and it creaked open. "Okay team. Let’s go.”
“No, let’s not.” Bevin backed away, once again uncertain.
“Come on Bev,” Jane coaxed, “it can’t be that bad.”
“Yeah,” AnnaMarie agreed. “There hasn't been one creepy story about this place; and that's rare."
"Look," Kyle said, "you're not going to let the girls surpass you in bravery, are you?”
Bevin frowned. “It's not about being brave. You're all just nuts.”
"But think how much fun you'll have when you're nuts right along with us," Rosie said cheerfully. "Besides, we're lucky this place was unlocked. That's a sign we're meant to enter!"
"Or a sign that this place is still in use and we do not belong." Bevin muttered, but followed them in.
“You weren’t kidding when you called this place abandoned, AnnaMarie.” Jane suppressed a cough from the displaced dust.
Rosie latched onto Kyle’s arm. “What is that?”
They looked around and realized spiders were crawling across the walls.
Rosie screamed, let go of Kyle, and ran outside. “No way. I am not going in there.”
“Aw—come on,” Bevin said. “Even I'm not afraid of those. They’re only itty bitty spiders.”
Rosie frowned and crossed her arms.
"I thought your friends were more adventurous, Jane," AnnaMarie said, shaking her head slightly.
“All right!” Rosie said. “All right. I'm not scared of spiders. They surprised me; that's all." She returned to the group, staying close to Kyle and far away from the arachnids.
The church was filled with dust, dirt, and grime. Every once in a while they would hear a noise, as if a small creature was wandering around, and someone in the group would jump, but mainly they feigned bravery and continued walking.
“It’s getting darker and darker as we go,” AnnaMarie said. “Maybe we should turn back?”
“Finally,” Bevin said.
AnnaMarie shrugged. “I guess the people from the church, or thieves, already took everything interesting, anyway.”
“Hey guys,” Jane called from a dark corner she had wandered into. “You have to come look at this.”
“What is it?” They asked.
“It’s a funky door," she said, shining the light from her phone to illuminate it. "A small door with a heart in the middle.”
“Okay…”
They came forward.
“What’s that light underneath?”
“Beats me.”
“Let’s check it out.”
“How?”
Kyle pushed on the door; it didn’t budge. “I don’t get it. It doesn’t have a handle or anything else to open it with. Maybe the handle broke off.”
“Come on guys," Rosie said, eyeing another spider. "Let’s just get out of here.” She crossed her arms and leaned against the door.
Rosie jumped forward as she felt something move behind her.
“Whoa…cool!” Kyle said.
Jane gasped.
The sides of the heart had spun out, turning into two opposing handles. What they had thought was one door was actually two.
“Now we can go in,” AnnaMarie said.
"Thank you, Mistress Obvious." Rosie pouted a little.
Bevin grabbed the newly formed handles and pulled open the doors. When their eyes became adjusted to the sudden bright light, the natural light of the outdoors, they looked around the small courtyard in awe.
“It’s so…pretty,” Rosie said, temporarily forgetting her fears.
“Look at that grass—it’s so green it doesn’t look real,” AnnaMarie said.
“That water doesn’t look so good though,” Kyle said, motioning toward a brown waterfall.
“Ew,” Jane said.
“Wait, it’s not dirty," AnnaMarie said, stepping closer. "It looks really clean, actually.”
“You’re kidding, right? Jane, tell me she's kidding,” Rosie said. “It’s like mud.”
“No, she's right.” Bevin put a finger into it. It wrapped around his skin, like melted chocolate would.
"Does it hurt?" Jane asked.
“It’s warm,” he said, “not hot enough to burn. That’s so weird. Isn't water usually cold?”
“Are you sure that’s water?” AnnaMarie asked.
“What else would it be?”
“I don’t know. Water doesn’t stick like that.”
Bevin licked his finger.
“Now who's nuts? Spit that out!" Rosie ordered.
“Gross!" Jane said, then asked, "What does it taste like?”
“I can’t describe it!” Bevin said. "You're the author, not me. But it’s good! Taste it!”
“No way,” Rosie said, crossing her arms again. “Never.”
“That’s disgusting,” Jane agreed.
“I can’t believe you would taste that,” Kyle said. “Give me some.”
“Kyle, really,” AnnaMarie said. "Ugh; you both are being typical boys right now!" She turned to Jane and Rosie confidentially. "I bet it actually tastes like mud and they're just putting us on."
“Hey, it’s good!" Kyle said earnestly. "It’s great! It’s super sweet…like…chocolate and caramel…but different somehow.”
“And this is all just a nasty joke you two are trying to pull,” Rosie said. “It probably tastes like—”
“Come on guys, just try it. You can torture us both for seven years if we’re lying.”
AnnaMarie looked at Jane.
“I’ll try it if you do,” Jane said.
AnnaMarie nodded. “All right.”
They dipped their fingers in. “Wow,” AnnaMarie said.
“That’s amazing,” Jane said.
“What, that we didn’t lie?”
Jane laughed. “That too. But I meant the…liquid.”
“It needs a name,” AnnaMarie said.
“Rosie, what should we call it?” Bevin asked.
“I don’t know. I haven’t tried it.”
“Well golly!” Kyle said. “Have some!”
“I…don’t want to.”
“Come on. It’s really good,” AnnaMarie said.
Rosie shook her head. “I'm not going to taste it.”
“Turd. But what should we name it? You’re good with names.”
Rosie didn't have to think. “Sanisfreeda.”
“Gesundheit.”
“No, that’s what we should name it," she said
.
Bevin raised a critical eyebrow. "You want to name it 'God bless you' in German?"
Rosie bopped him on the back of the head. "No, you dolt."
"The Fountain of Sanisfreeda," AnnaMarie said. "I like it."
The others agreed.
“Hey,” Bevin said. “If this tastes so good, think what the rest of this place must taste like!”
“Um…now that’s going a little far,” AnnaMarie said.
“No, think of it. It could be like Wonka’s chocolate factory. Maybe everything tastes good.”
“Maybe. And maybe tomorrow we’ll all wake up and be squirrels,” Jane said, shaking her head.
“Fine," Bevin said. "The rest of you can be lame, just like you were with the Sanisfreeda. I am going to have a marvelous time, eating all the goodies found here.”
Rosie looked around. The grass was especially green. The dirt didn’t look exactly like dirt. It actually seemed to have sugar crystals on it, now that she looked closer. Maybe it was magical.
“I’m going to taste it,” Bevin said. “At least the grass.” He bent down and pulled a blade of it, then took a bite.
He gagged and spit it out.
“It’s just grass!”
The others laughed. “We told you it would be!”
Bevin frowned. “Well, anyway, we still have the Sanisfreeda.”
“That’s probably the best stuff I’ve ever tasted,” Kyle said.
They nodded. “Definitely.”
“I like it,” Bevin said, turning meaningfully toward Rosie, “and I’m probably the pickiest person you know, right?”
Rosie nodded.
“Well, then…”
“Okay, fine.” She reluctantly touched her finger to the warm liquid. Hesitating slightly, she brought it to her tongue.
Jane could no longer contain her giggles, and that prompted the others to quickly join in.
Immediately, Rosie spit the mud back into the fountain, a sour look on her face. "I hate you guys."
"Oh, you do not," Jane smiled sweetly.
Rosie frowned. "You're right; I don't. But I am looking forward to that seven years of torture you promised me."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jansina has been writing ever since she could do more than make meaningless scribbles with a crayon. Her first serious writing career was at the age of 13, a newspaper column called Jansina’s Journal. It ran for 6 years. Also at age 13, a college professor recognized her talent in writing and requested she tutor; something she has done ever since.
Her goal is to create realistic Christian fiction for young adults that will both entertain and inspire. This is her first published novel, though she has over one hundred published articles, short stories and poems in various newspapers and magazines (including the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and Brio).
She is a native of Minnesota, and a few years ago discovered Backus, a little-known town of 300. Although she may never live there herself, she lives vicariously through her characters. Jansina has published one novel, Forgotten Memories, is in the process of writing two additional novels, and several short stories—all with the setting loosely based on that little town.
When not writing, Jansina works in marketing, and also copy edits others’ books, scholarly papers, and articles. In her spare time she enjoys Irish and swing dancing, singing, and rereading Austen’s novels. She doesn’t spend much time in cemeteries.
CONNECT WITH ME ONLINE
Website: https://www.rivershorebooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Jansina
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Jansina18
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Blog: https://jansina.wordpress.com/