Chapter 1
THE car ride was taking forever. It's been an hour, and my bladder is going to explode if we don't reach the gas station soon.
My face crumpled into a grimace when Mum drove over a pothole. I instantly looked up at the rearview mirror to see her green eyes meet mine.
"Cam? You okay?" She asked, turning the radio volume down a bit. I grimaced again.
"How much longer til the gas station?"
Mum turned her attention to the road. I watched her brunette curls ruffle in the wind.
"About twenty minutes. "
Beside me, the twins were busy on their phones. Terry was riding shotgun, and fast asleep. He stayed up late playing video games last night. I checked on Bucky, our German Shepherd. He was laying next to our suitcases, fast asleep.
Selene was mumbling something under her breath while typing what looked to be an essay in her chat bubble. Must be another 'faulty' boyfriend, as she would call them.
The clean, crisp breeze blew in through the open windows as we drove past a blur of trees. The lakehouse my parents bought was in a small town called Arrowe, which was basically in the middle of nowhere.
Perfect for escaping reality.
And being secluded with who knows what in the dark woods.
I've watched way too many horror movies to be excited. But as an introvert, the thought of not having to greet neighbours, or people in general was. Well, that helped.
I didn't say anything the rest of the trip. And soon enough, we pulled up at a gas station. I leaped out of the car and dashed to the bathroom, not caring that my siblings were snickering behind.
After I finished, I walked out and stretched before seeing Selene and Terry at the snack aisle. Rowan was picking out a few bottles of water. I left and went to the car, where Mum was busy on her phone in the parking lot.
I hopped in shotgun and leaned back in my seat. I saw Bucky was awake, and peering his head over the seat. I smiled at him and saw his tail wag.
"Alright, hun. Love you, bye."
Mum ended the call and turned to me. She paused for a beat before she spoke.
"Dad says there was a mixup, and his flight got cancelled. He won't be back till Sunday. "
Awe great. The very person who looked forward to this holiday season. We were supposed to go fishing tomorrow.
"Don't worry. We'll try to have fun without him." I smiled suddenly at her words, and she chuckled to herself.
We were startled by the sound of glass shattering before us. We saw my siblings sprint out, holding onto the things they had bought. Terry barely balanced everything while holding the receipt.
We screamed when bullets ricocheted in the shop, and two masked men leapt over the counter and grabbed the man at the cash register. Bucky started barking as my siblings neared.
My heart pounded in my chest, and I mirrored Mum's panicked look. The car shook as the three jumped inside and slammed the doors.
"Go, go, go!" Rowan screamed. Tires skidded and we sped out of the parking lot quick time. We were on the highway in no time, with my siblings still in a panicked frenzy.
"What the hell happened?!" Mum cried, looking up to the mirror. My siblings were breathing hard, sweat trickling down their faces. I looked into the sideview mirror and a chill crept up my spine.
Watching us was a masked man with a gun.
***
Half an hour later after contacting and giving statements to the police, we arrived at Arrowe Town. Mum drove through and turned down a dirt road that lead to the Lake.
The dense treeline that lined the trail was alive with the sounds of nature. I sat up when I spotted a black owl in a nearby tree. Its golden, all-knowing eyes followed us as we went by, head turning all the way back until we disappeared at the bend.
I shivered and looked ahead.
We reached the Lake and I marvelled at the glistening water ahead of us. The shore was adorned with Obsidian rocks, and we saw a number of white Swans swimming about. A little further, and we saw the house come into view. Dock situated a bit further.
The house was wooden and stark white, with 2 storeys. A magnificent maple tree stood tall beside it, with a single swing set dangling from an outstretched branch near the top storey window. The fallen leaves on the front lawn and doorstep gave off a familiar homey feel. Like visiting Gran and Gramps at the countryside.
Mum pulled over and we all stared at the house, unmoving.
"Will there be Internet?" Selene asked. I saw Terry roll his eyes from beside her. Taking that as a cue, I got out first. The leaves beneath my feet crunched as I walked to the trunk. Everyone else followed, and soon we were all carting our stuff inside.
Terry, Rowan and I continued carting the stuff while Mum and Selene stayed inside to set up the kitchen.
"But Ma, I want the room upstairs!" We heard Selene say as we carted the remaining stuff inside.
"But you're always sleepwalking! I don't wanna get out of bed just because you broke your leg!" Rowan exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. He was tired of having to stop Selene from breaking a bone every now and then.
Terry and I exchanged glances before shutting the door and making our way upstairs to put away the stuff. Rowan followed shortly with Bucky.
It was decided. Mum and Dad would have the first room upstairs to the left, and I would use the bedroom next to theirs, while the boys would share the first one on the floor. I wouldn't mind sharing with Sel, but she always accused me of invading her space.
Thus, she would have the spare one next to the boys downstairs.
Eh. My roommate was bomb, anyway. Plus, he'd protect me from all sorts of bloodsucking monsters that lurked outside.
The idiot that tried to break in last year could attest to that.
After we finished setting up our rooms, we sat down and had a quiet dinner. Afterwards we retired to our rooms for the night.
Time went past, but for some reason I couldn't sleep. I stared up at the ceiling, blinking tiredly but unable to drift off. A frustrated sigh escaped my lips and I turned to my side. On the floor, in his doggy bed, Bucky laid still looking up at me.
"You can't sleep either?" I asked. Bucky raised his head, before looking over at the window. I yawned and sat up, stretching my arms above my head.
"Want some milk?" I asked him. He immediately got up, and we padded downstairs to the kitchen. It was dark downstairs, except for some light filtering in from the porch.
Flipping on the light, I went to the fridge and grabbed a carton of milk. I set poured it into a bowl and placed it in the microwave. I set the timer and leaned against the kitchen counter. Bucky pushed his bowl towards me. I smiled and patted his furry head.
"You're a good boy. "
The sudden sound of a breaking twig made us both snap to attention. Bucky's ears were twitched upwards in high alert. He ran to the living room and jumped on the sofa, dodging his head under the curtains to look outside. I followed and pulled the curtain back a bit.
The moonlight cast shadows onto the grass, and the lake waters sparkled like diamonds. No movement in sight, except for a lone bat flying by and into the trees. A low growl escaped Bucky's lips. His eyes were focused on the far end of the wood, where a hooded figure unmistakably stood.
I gasped and stepped back, heart racing with adrenaline.
What the hell...
I blinked and peered again, only for the figure to be gone.
"Holy shit," I muttered, scanning the area again. The microwave dinged and that seemed to catch Bucky's attention. We made our way to the kitchen, and I poured him milk before pouring some into a cup for me.
After we were done, I checked the doors again before we went upstairs. The milk seemed to do the trick, because the moment we laid down, we fell right off to sleep.
