The Problem with Dreams

Chapter 6 - A Visit for Matt

            "Wow!" Zackary exclaimed. "Greg, look at that!"

            "I'm looking," Greg assured him. "I believe the view is best from here."

            "This is fantastic," Matthew told him. "Even better than I imagined it would be. You guys are so lucky you're going to live here."

            "Do you think so?" Greg asked.

            "Yeah, I do. What's going to be down there, in the center though?" Matt asked as he looked out into the middle of the space that made up the back yard.

            "A pool," Greg said. "It will be an infinity pool that will end at the valley's edge,  with a natural entry."

            Matthew nodded as he tried to take it all in while Greg and Zackary inspected the living room and entry area more closely, discovering an entry closet and a few other details they hadn't noticed before.

            "Are you ready to see the rest of the cave?" Greg asked after a time.

            "You mean there's more?" Matthew asked.

            "Much more," Greg told him.

            "Can we go back in through the library Greg?" Zackary asked. Clearly he'd been dying to try out the new route.

            "Be my guest," Greg told him. "I recommend we visit the cottage next."

            "Okay," Zackary said. "This way Matt."

            "The cottage? Are you building two houses?"

            "Sort of," Zackary said as he started back down the stairs and through the passageway into the cave.

            "This is really quick," Zackary commented when they found themselves back on the upper ledge on the south side of the bridge.

            "It is a very efficient route," Greg agreed. "I'm eager to inspect the passageway now that the work in that part of the cave is complete."

            "I don't think the lights work yet," Zackary said as he switched on his flashlight.

            Greg shone his light on the floor and the walls which revealed the notch containing the electrical conduit was all in place and covered with the grate. The conduit was in place in the walls too, and lenses covered the recesses that in other areas of the tunnel contained the lights.

            "It looks like this section is ready however. I wonder why the delay," Greg mused. "I will have to discuss the situation with Mr. Van Kirk."

            He'd no sooner said that when they came to the end of the finished section of the passageway and encountered the flight of stairs leading up into the cottage. Here too everything inside looked more or less complete. There were electric light switches on the walls, the ceiling looked to be in place, and the kitchen area looked finished enough to install counters and plumbing very soon. The tiny bathroom had finished walls and looked to be waiting for the shower to be tiled next. Upstairs in the loft there was nothing obvious left to be done.

            "The cottage appears to be very nearly finished, at least on the inside," Greg said.

            "What's this for?" Matt asked.

            "I plan to use it for our office. It is connected to the house via the cave, but separate enough to conduct business away from the family," Greg explained. "It is large enough to serve as a guest house if we ever have the need to host long-term guests, so I can see it serving any number of purposes."