Chapter 1
Marley and Elliott were waiting for their lunch at Elliott's favourite restaurant, Marley wanted to treat Elliott for agreeing to let him move in with him. Elliott was content to live alone and had no desire to have any lodgers, but Marley had nowhere else to go, ongoing family issues left him homeless. Elliott and Marley had been friends for a long time and Elliott felt that he couldn't keep refusing his friend.
Marley never liked where Elliott lived, and he couldn't understand his friend's attraction to the place.
Elliott had discovered the once-derelict house a few years ago and his parents assisted him with purchasing and renovating it.
The house was situated between a thick forest and a long-flowing river; in the sun, the water sparkled and the mixture of green went on for miles; the scene was amazing. Nighttime was different; everything was pitch black and the surroundings were frightening.
"Thanks, mate, " Marley said. Elliott glanced at him, still uneasy with the situation.
"Remember the rules, " Elliott replied, emphasizing the term rules.
Marley rolled his eyes, he expected such rules. "No parties, no girls over and keep the place tidy," Marley repeated for the hundredth time.
Even though they were both 6 feet 3 inches tall and had robust bodies, Marley and Elliott were complete opposites. Marley's skin tone was a deep tan, and he had chocolate brown eyes and black hair. He worked as a motor mechanic, was a party animal, dated a different girl every week and didn't think much about the future.
Elliott had pale brown skin, baby blue eyes and blonde hair. He had no time for girls and detested parties. He worked as a trucker for his dad and his future was assured because he would eventually take over the family business.
Many questioned how they could be such good friends.
After they had finished eating, they went to the house to get Marley settled in.
Marley took in the scenery as they drove along the gravel roads to the house, while it was beautiful, Marley felt uneasy about the area.
"What do you enjoy about this place again?" He asked.
"It's peaceful and private," Elliott explained.
Marley didn't mind it throughout the day but he hated the arrival of nighttime.
When they arrived at the house, Elliott unlocked the door and directed Marley to the bedroom that he would be occupying.
Marley trembled slightly as he glanced out the window and saw the woodland running right ahead of him. Marley was not easily scared, but his surroundings were unsettling.
As the sun began to drop, the two walked to the car; Marley had promised to work a shift at his boss's bar, Elliott had nothing scheduled so he agreed to accompany him.
They arrived at the " Irish Bailey " bar, which was always crowded because a band would play. There was no band tonight, which was another reason Elliott agreed to go; he expected it to be much quieter tonight.
Marley got right to work as soon as they walked into the pub, while Elliott took one of the stools and settled in. Marley poured Elliott a drink but it paused mid-air as Marley stared straight ahead.
Elliott, wondering what was going on, followed his line of vision. Elliott rolled his eyes and muttered, "Great another darned redhead," when he saw the girl Marley was staring at.
I liked this opening chapter, seems like it will be a really good story.
This was a pleasant read. I appreciated the description of the environment, the vivid demonstration of a very peaceful atmosphere. I do wish the characters received the same level of care in the handling of their development/description. I also felt like more of the chapter could have been demonstrated, rather than explained. For example, a bit of dialogue could easily show the new living arrangement between the friends and the reason for it. But still, I think this a very strong start and I'm eager to see where this goes.