Forgotten Boxes

She came upon the sugarhouse quite by accident. She rounded a curve, and there it was… little more than a wooden shack along the side of the road, with its telltale cupola smokestack and a woodpile outside. If she had any doubt, the huge collection vat setting at the end of the small shack confirmed her suspicions, even before she saw the sign.

“Ooh, a genuine sugarworks, like the one Tarn must work at!” she said brightly, whipping her car into the driveway. Tucked into a hollow on the side of the hill, she was in the parking lot before she realized there was an entire network of old buildings. Some of them were decrepit and had seen better days, others were worn but sturdy, the largest looked well cared for, and all were weathered by the harsh winter elements. Charity locked her car behind her and headed for the largest building, the one marked ‘Gift Shop’.

The sweet smell of maple syrup greeted her the moment she stepped through the door. The little country store and gift shop had a wide variety of gift items and treats, all centered around the maple syrup industry.