Volume 1 p7 Meeting at the Courts part 1

It is 10 AM. Kailyn is coming down the stairs. “Bean, Pennie,” she yells out. Two dachshunds come running from the front room. Pennie, a wire-haired red, was sitting on her perch. She looked out the front window, watching the squirrels desecrate the front yard. Pennie was waiting for someone to open the front door, then the chase would be on. In her mind, Pennie is a ferocious hunter. Her actions indicate she is a ninety-pound dog trapped in a nine-pound body. This is most evident when she is at the park; Pennie will square up on any dog that gets too close to her.   

Bean is the opposite; if you want to take an afternoon nap or lay on the couch eating snacks, Bean is your girl. When the mailman shows up, and they are outside, Pennie goes on the attack, and Bean heads for the porch. Most of the time, Bean can be found on the couch, lying on her pillow with a blanket covering her. Kailyn opens the door; the dogs barrel out the door. Pennie is hot on the trail of the closet squirrel; Bean does what Bean does best, which is to put her nose to work and try to find something to snack on. Finding snacks is Bean’s primary source of exercise.   

Kailyn bounds down the steps of the front porch. The sun is bright; it feels good on Kailyn’s face. As she watches the dogs move around the yard, the memories of all the good times she has in this yard come flooding back. Riding her bike in the driveway and catching lightning bugs are her favorites. During her 4-H years, she used the horse carriage porch as her rabbit hutch; later, Hector, her goat, lived there in a pen. Tux was a black and white Hollander rabbit. Kailyn can still picture his face. His head was black except for his white face. The white formed an upside heart; her dad told her it was that shape because that is how much Tux loved Kailyn. He loved having his harness put on and hopping around the yard. Hector, on the other hand, was a troublesome goat. He loved to get into trouble as often as he could. He loved to climb on things. Kailyn’s dad bought him a goat rock climbing set after Hector spent three days trying to climb onto the hood of his truck. As she walks down memory lane, Kailyn wears jeans and a Carhartt hoodie. Each spot in the yard holds a treasured memory, a collection of everything that has shaped her into the young lady she is today. 

She stands at the edge of the grass; a big stretch breaks out as she tries to finish waking up. The wind is calm but steady; the breeze causes the dog’s ears to flap as they move around. Nothing is cuter than a dachshund running as its ears flap. Pennie has cleared the yard of her nemesis and has taken cover under the shrub by the northeast corner of the yard. That is where she waits for the first squirrel to return. Kailyn walks over to the bush. She bends down to pet Pennie, but Pennie backs up as if to say, “Hey, don’t blow my cover.”   Kailyn laughs and moves on. She rounds the corner and heads to the back porch. It is not an actual porch. When the house was built, it was the entrance for horse-drawn carriages. It has a covered receiving area and a place to tie up the horse; otherwise, they would have been taken to the horse barn around the back. The back porch is where Bean has run to. She is hoping they will play fetch. Kailyn has built a machine that throws a ball. The machine has a setting that can be adjusted for each dog. Pennie can track the ball through the air and loves to chase it. Bean cannot track it and has decided long ago that chasing a ball more than five feet is too much work.

Kailyn loves to build machines. She has plans to be an engineer. Working for a robotic company would be a dream, or NASA. Therefore, building robotic arms in outer space would be an ideal career. Her current interest is competing in robot fighting competitions on the local circuit, which is primarily based in Kansas City. She has five models that she has built, each one based on a different strength, such as power and speed. The machines are an essential part of her Saturday plans. At 11, she plans to practice with the machines on the basketball court at Walton Lake Park. Twenty minutes later, after finishing her playtime with the dogs, Kailyn began loading the machines. Each machine has a custom-built case that fits nicely in the back of her dad’s F150. She drives the truck along the tree-lined driveway along her red-bricked house. Kailyn loves this house. It is one of the original members of Nevada’s historical home association. Including the attic loft, the house has four stories, each covered by a distinct roofline. Large wooden French doors greet each visitor. The front porch extends to a covered gazebo, making it a beautiful place to have lunch or enjoy a summer glass of lemonade while reading a book.

Kailyn exits the driveway and turns left on Washington. It is a tricky turn to make. Her house faces Central Street, which ends at Washington St., so it adds an extra set of cars to watch for. Driving down Washington, she passes other houses in the historical association. The beauty of being in any association is that you get to enjoy the other members. The historical home association is no different. Kailyn has spent much time in these homes, especially during the Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter holidays. They are beautifully decorated, and the host families create unforgettable memories.  Some of Kailyn’s friends have lived in historic homes. She has spent much time at these homes, such as the large white and beautiful blue ones. They are just a few blocks from her. The white one has a large pool with a spiral slide. It was a lot of fun as a kid sliding down it. 

Reaching the end of Washington, Kailyn turns left on Atlantic Street. Stopping at the stop sign on Ash Street, she can see the skateboard park. There is one person in their skating, a red-haired person doing jumps off the handrail. When finally clear, she crosses Ash Street, driving past the city swimming pool. Kailyn pulls into the pool parking lot and then parks at the far end. She hops out of the truck and walks to the back. Lowering the tailgate, she begins to unload the machines. As she set down the first machine, a low hum caused her to stop. She paused, scanning the court and the nearby field. Mechanical? Possibly. But no machine nearby seemed active. Kailyn bends down to inspect the machine, assuming the hum is coming from it. She does not find the source of the hum.  She stands up and scans the area for the source of the hum. The only person she sees is the one over on the pickleball courts doing stretching exercises. “Maybe someone is playing music, and I am just hearing the noise,” Kailyn said. She continues to think about the hum as she finishes unloading the machines. As she carries them to the basketball court, she looks around, hoping to find the source. As Kailyn scans the area, she notices the female on the pickleball court is now standing and staring at her. She seems to be holding her head. Kailyn mumbles, “I wonder if she hears the hum like me?” Kailyn goes to think, but she is acting like she is in pain; the hum is not loud, maybe irritating, but not painful. Kailyn goes back to thinking about the machines and tries to ignore the lady on the court.  Once the last machine is on the court, Kailyn walks over to the basketball goal and leans against it. Staring toward the North, in the direction of the elementary school. Kailyn mumbles, “I think the hum is coming from somewhere in the field.” Taking a few steps into the grass, still looking for the source. She hopes to see some large equipment, which would explain the situation. None can be found. Peripheral vision picks up movement to her right, causing her head to turn toward the pickleball court. The lady on the pickleball courts has walked up the fence. Has she found the source of the hum? Kailyn thinks to herself. “What if the woman does hear the hum,” Kailyn asks herself. Are we the only ones who are hearing the hum? The answer sends a shiver up Kailyn’s spine. Her heart rate quickens while a small bead of sweat forms on her lip. Her nerves are starting to become unsettled. This causes Kailyn to hesitate, and the hum is still faint but persistent. The woman turned slightly toward Kailyn as if she had felt it, too. Kailyn took a few more steps toward the fence.

Kailyn’s voice barely carried in the breeze. “Are you hearing a humming sound?”

The woman started to respond, then stumbled forward, falling to the ground, clutching her head.

The hum pulsed louder.