They did it. They really did it. Andrea still has a hard time believing it. The tax increase has led to vendors and business owners across Middleground to shut down their businesses and sell the land back to the state (or the highest selling bidder). And then, even she sold. The “Red Diner” was actually the smallest business in Middleground, and as the new tax taxes the land the business stands on and not the size of the business itself, but it just wasn’t feasible for her to keep it running. She now works at the nearby country club as a waitress. It’s nothing exciting, but it pays the bills.