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The boys finished eating and sat around the table looking at each other, each one wondering what they should do next. A.J., more out of habit, pulled out his cell phone and flipped it open noting that there was still no signal. “I have got to go and find an area that picks up cell phone reception.” With that he stood, leaving the other guys to decide for themselves what they wanted to do with their first full day in this hell hole.

He emerged from the building and was instantly glad he opted for a tank top, the heat was already unbearable and it was only eight o’clock in the morning. He shaded his eyes with his left hand, scanning the horizon, as his right hand pulled a pair of shades out of his pants pocket. Placing the sunglasses on his face, his eyes were instantly relieved from the sunshine. He looked towards the meeting hall, there was a bustle going on. He ignored the looks and stares from the townsfolk and made his way out towards some open area.

He flipped open his phone and watched his signal bar as he walked. “Damn” He cursed under his breath. He did not understand how it was possible that an area this big he could not even get one bar of signal. Frustrated he slammed his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket. He turned around and began to head back into town; he took a chair in front of the hotel and sat watching the crowd of people across the way. He gasped slightly when he saw three of his friends carrying items and helping.

“Shelby asked for help and they jumped right up from the table,” a voice from behind spoke startling A.J. slightly. Nick moved into his line of sight and took another chair close by. “I told them we should be trying to find out about the bus, but they said that they were going to help since they were feeding us.” He shrugged and turned to look at his friends.

“So begins to torture. Why are you over there?” A.J. asked turning towards Nick.

He turned his face and said something barely above a mumble. “What was that?” A.J. asked.

“I’ve been mopping.” Nick said louder and inclined his head towards the mop and bucket that sat next to the door. A.J. could not help but laugh at the thought of Nick with a mop in hand, wringing it out and pushing it along the floor. “She was looking for you, has some dishes that need to be cleaned she said.”

“Damn.” A.J. muttered. He did not want to be recruited for manual labor, but he knew that it was the polite thing to do since the couple was making sure they were fed, as long as you were on their time frame. A.J. rolled his eyes remembering last night and how they would not feed him when he was only thirty minutes late.

He stood and made his way around back so he would not step through Nick’s mopped floors. He saw Shelby and Walter sitting out back talking quietly and sipping lemonade. “Nick said you wanted me to do something.”

“There you are,” Shelby looked up smiling instantly. “Why yes, if you don’t mind helping us we have a few dishes that you could wash.” She walked past him and motioned for him to follow. She waved her hand towards the sink where their breakfast dishes along with about twenty others sat as well as the pans that the food was cooked in.

“Where did these all come from, we didn’t use all those plates.” A.J. asked, shock conveyed in his voice.

“Well those people working across the way needed food too.” She smiled sweetly and went back outside leaving him alone with the dishes. He moved closer and swore under his breath when he noticed there was no dishwasher; he would have to do everything by hand. He grumbled all throughout his task and when he finished he went back outside, noting that Walter and Shelby were no longer sitting out back. He moved to the front and sat back down, Nick was nowhere to be seen either.

He sat watching the people move in and out of the building across the way, curious as to what exactly would happen during this Widow’s Walk celebration, the first event, he was told, would take place that night and of course he and the others would be invited. Nothing else to do, he thought. Might as well see what the locals do for fun.

Sweat began to drop down his forehead as he watched a young woman come out from the building and bend down to pick up another box. She stopped when she noticed him and smiled broadly with a little wave before continuing with what she was doing. She struggled with the box but managed to pick it up unsteadily. A.J. jumped from his chair and jogged over to the woman catching the box a second before she dropped it completely.

“Thank you.” The woman smiled at him again. “Do you mind carrying that in; I’ve been moving boxes all day?”

“Sure,” A.J. responded following her inside. He was stunned when he walked inside the room. It looked as though they were preparing for a very formal event. Satin tablecloths covered the tables adorned with floating candles. China plates and crystal glasses for six surrounded each of the fifteen or so tables. There were columns wrapped in vines in the corners, a dance floor set up towards the back and even a place for a band to perform. He looked to the front of the room and saw a long table sitting on a stage, just as fancy as the others but with five huge silk flowers, each a different color, hanging in front of each of the place settings.

“Not what you were imagining when you were sitting out there” She asked taking the box from his hands and putting it on a chair nearby.

“Is there a wedding going on?” It’s all A.J. could do to keep his mouth from hanging open.

“Didn’t John tell you?” The lady said nonchalantly as she started to pull items from the box, unloading decorations onto the table in front of her. “The Widow’s Walk is this week and it's a big event for this town.”