Chapter 4 - The Rust and the Ruins
Oakhaven was a town the world had forgotten. Nestled in a valley lined with decaying industrial plants and dying pine trees, it was a place people usually tried to escape. I had spent eighteen years clawing my way out of it, only to be sent right back by an angel in disguise.
When I finally pulled up to the address listed on the deed, my heart sank.
"Miller's Auto" had been a staple of my childhood, but now, it was a tomb. The roof sagged under the weight of rotting leaves. The windows were boarded up with splintering plywood, and the faded metal sign was hanging by a single rusted bolt. Weeds had overtaken the cracked asphalt of the lot.
It wasn't a business; it was a ruin. But it was my ruin.
I unlocked the heavy padlock on the front door with the keys from Evelyn's box. The hinges shrieked in protest as I pushed it open. Inside, it smelled of stale oil, mildew, and decades of neglect. Dust motes danced in the shafts of gray light piercing through the cracks in the roof.
I spent the first three days sleeping on a cot in the small, freezing office attached to the garage. I used the tiny bit of cash I had saved from my odd jobs to buy cleaning supplies and basic tools. I scrubbed floors, tore down rotting drywall, and hauled out piles of rusted junk. My hands bled, my muscles screamed, and for the first time in my life, I felt completely at peace. I was earning my keep.
On the fourth day, I was under the hood of a junkyard engine I had towed in to practice on, when I heard the crunch of gravel outside.
I slid out on the creeper, wiping grease from my forehead, to see a woman standing in the doorway. She was about my age, wearing faded jeans, a heavy flannel shirt, and a pair of steel-toed boots. She had sharp, intelligent brown eyes and a streak of motor oil across her cheek.
"You actually bought this place?" she asked, leaning against the doorframe, her tone a mix of amusement and skepticism.
"Inherited it, sort of," I replied, standing up and wiping my hands on a rag. "I'm Leo."
"Maya," she said, extending a calloused hand. "I own the diner down the road. Saw the lights on in here for the first time in ten years and figured I'd see who the crazy person was."
"Just a guy trying to fix a few cars," I said, offering a tired smile.
Maya looked around the shop, taking in the swept floors and the organized tools. "Well, you've got your work cut out for you. Oakhaven isn't exactly a booming economy. And Mr. Vance isn't going to be happy you're here."
I frowned. "Vance? You mean the lawyer?"
"No. Richard Vance. Local real estate developer," Maya explained, her expression darkening. "He owns half the commercial property in town. He's been trying to buy this lot for years to bulldoze it and build a strip mall. The old owner refused to sell to him, and suddenly, the deed got transferred to an out-of-towner. You."
A cold spike of adrenaline hit my chest. I remembered the name from Evelyn’s journal. She had bought the property through a proxy to keep it a secret.
"Well, it's not for sale," I said firmly.
May you like
Maya smiled, a genuine, warm expression that made my heart do a strange stutter-step. "Good. We need a mechanic in this town. If you get this place running, I'll send my delivery trucks to you. But watch your back, Leo. Vance doesn't like to lose."
As Maya walked away, I looked around my broken-down garage. I had a purpose now. And for the first time in my miserable life, I had something worth fighting for.
