Drew pats my hand. “This is a completely normal reaction and in fact it shows you’re a good, responsible person just for taking the time to think all of this through first instead of rushing into something you’ll regret later.”
“It took all of us a bit to wrap our heads around our decisions too, at first,” Miranda confirms. The others nod in agreement.
I pause, wondering if this is when I should be telling them the whole sordid story about my past and exactly why I’m here. Or do they know the details already? Is my story passing around the commune like wildfire?
Drew leans forward. “So, Anna. You probably have questions about what life here is really like. We’re here to give you the real answers. Ask us anything.”
I look around at their open, friendly faces, glad that they’ve chosen the topic for me. These women genuinely want to help. “What’s it really living in a walled commune?” I question. “Do you miss big cities with…movie theatres and…human life?”
Miranda speaks first. “I’ve been here longest and raised my now sixteen-year-old son here. It’s home now. The first year was hard,” she admits. “Culture shock is real. I missed grocery stores, restaurants, my friends and yes, going to movie theatres and being able to zip through a drive thru to get some of my favorite foods. But it was a fair exchange. I really enjoy living here.”
“What changed?” I ask.
“I realized what I gained was worth more than what I lost. I really like this safe, quiet community with a partner who truly values me. My son is able to grow up with nature, family and orc traditions, instead of concrete and smog.”
Drew jumps in. “I’m from LA and lived in cities my whole life. At first I thought I’d hate the isolation. But it’s not isolated, instead it’s peaceful. There’s a huge difference. And I can work from home on my laptop,” Drew continues. “I agree with Miranda that not having to tackle LA traffic is pretty spectacular. There’s no pollution and no crime. We don’t even bother to lock our doors around here, because there’s no need. My kids are growing up running through forests and living in a smallcommunity where you know almost everyone. It’s really a nice place to live.”
“I grew up in Maine,” Sarah says in her distinctive accent. “So the winters here don’t faze me. I was a Nurse Practitioner in Portland before meeting my husband while on a camping trip here in Northern Maine. I was stressed, overworked, dealing with the opioid crisis. Here I help with commune health needs, mainly for the women. I like having a clinic here, it’s calmer and more personal.”
“And I’m from Seattle,” Megan adds. “I worked in tech and lived in a tiny apartment I could barely afford. Here I have space, clean air, and a community that actually cares about each other. It’s amazing.”
“But what about the hard parts?” I ask because I need honesty. “It can’t all be perfect.”
Someone groans. “I miss shopping at Target. God, I miss Target.”
Everyone bursts out laughing.
“Amazon is a lifesaver,” Megan says. “We order everything online.”
“Drew helps coordinate group orders,” Miranda explains. “We pool shipping to save costs.”
“And there’s a small town, not that far from here. You can go shopping there basically anytime you want. It’s about a forty-five-minute drive though, just to warn you. And it doesn’t have a Target.”
“What about the climate?”
“Maine winters are brutal,” Sarah says. “I lived in Portland so being out here during the whole winter is new to me, but I’m already used to it. The cabins are warm and the orcs handle all the snow removal.”
“I was born and raised in Southern California so all this snow was a big change for me, but I got used to it pretty quickly. In factI’m surprised at how much I enjoy the nature and climate out here, but I do. My favorite pastime is hot chocolate by the fire,” Drew adds. “Actually kind of cozy.”
“What about your families?” I ask quietly. “Human families or friends who... might not understand that you married an orc and moved so far away?”
“I haven’t really had that problem,” Sarah says. “My friends and family think it’s cool that I married an orc. Kinda makes me a bit of a local celebrity. My parents video call weekly. They were skeptical at first but now they visit every summer and spoil my kids rotten.”
“Oh, families can visit?”
“Yes.”
“Mine don’t visit,” Megan admits. “They can’t accept it. But I’ve made peace with that.”
“Yes, it all depends on your family,” Miranda says gently. “Some come around. Some don’t. But you build new family here.”
“I thought giving up city life would be impossible,” Megan says, returning to the former subject. “But honestly? The peace, the nature, the small-town atmosphere are so much nicer than I expected. There’s always something social going on if you want to join. Communal dinners, festivals, celebrations. But you can also stay in your cabin if you want privacy. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“That actually sounds perfect,” I admit.
“It is,” Drew says simply. “It really is.”
“Okay,” Miranda smiles at me. “What else do you want to know?”
