As the summer of 2001 wound down, and we could see autumn barreling toward us, it was finally time for me to say goodbye to Strangerville. My role in the film adaptation of Omiscan Blood resulted in some more work offers for screenplays, and while the films hadn't yet been produced, the advances from the studios gave me more than enough money to move into something more comfortable. I wanted something a little closer to the city, but still not quite in the city, you know? So I bought a spread out in Chestnut Ridge, which is close to Appaloosa Plains, and built a small ranch home.

 

 

It had some nice amenities, and I was able to put together the writing room I always wanted.

 

 

But I wasn't the only one making a move. Daria was also leaving. Her unit had been called up to a more forward position. I guess there was chatter of some kind that made the head honchos want to move the troops into a different position. Of course, we all know what happened, so conspiracy theories can run wild here, but I'll just say that with me moving out of town, and her getting stationed half way across the country in Willow Creek, we needed to have a proper farewell. Ironically, she stopped by my place to tell me about the new orders the same day I was planning on calling her to tell her about me closing on the new property, so we broke the news to each other at the same time.

 

 

And then, sensing that we didn't know when the next time we'd be in the same room together was, we got down to business and fucked like the world was ending.

 

 

After we both climaxed, things were strange. We promised to keep in touch, and maybe she'd visit me when she earned some leave, and maybe I'd stop by the next time I was out east, but things kind of ended on a very ambiguous note. I don't think either of us wanted to turn this year-long affair into something more than it had been.

 

So I moved into my new place, and got settled in.

 

 

Met the locals.

 

 

Started a garden. Actually a vineyard. Supposedly this was great land for growing grapes.

 

 

I still had needs like any other red-blooded male, and luckily my new place was still within easy driving distance of Oasis Springs, so I could make regular visits to Ann and Yoon both.

 

 

Daria texted me regularly from the base, where there wasn't much for the grunts to do but workout.

 

 

And then I got quite the surprise when one of my new neighbors stopped by after going out for her daily ride. Her name was Aiyana, and her family had been on this land since long before there were any white people. She was one of the sexiest little things I'd ever met, and it turns out she felt similarly about me. So after some small talk, she asked for a drink, and I showed her to the bar. She grabbed a bottle and started drinking directly from it, and I knew she was in the mood for some fun. I wasn't wrong.

 

 

She knew how to put it back, and the alcohol rushing to her head put her in the mood for some naughtiness immediately.

 

 

After I finished my version of sharing the white man's ways with the natives, I decided I was really going to like my new home. Royalties were coming in, I had a nice plot of land, a promotion was looming on the horizon, and I'd already found a tight new pussy to replace Daria after the military had taken her away from me.

 

But then, as fall was still fresh, I turned on the TV on a Tuesday morning to see something I never could have imagined.

 

 

This was going to change everything, including journalism.