She almost laughed at it. Then she asked the clerk where it was.
An hour later she stood in a cold courthouse annex, smelling mildew and burnt coffee, while farmers, contractors, and scavengers looked over a photocopied list of condemned parcels. Most were useless scraps of land or collapsed sheds. But one listing caught her eye.
Lot 14: Bell Creek Cabin, 0.46 acre, structure unfit for occupancy, as-is. Opening bid: $200.
She didn’t know why she circled it. Maybe because “cabin” sounded better than “car.” Maybe because “Bell Creek” sounded like water and trees and one door she could lock. Maybe because desperation has a way of dressing itself up as instinct.
Nobody else bid on Lot 14.
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