My novel... still unnamed, but my novel

 

CHAPTER ONE

 

Stinky shoes, trees and tension.

 

Sarah knew that looking back on this endless car trip, those were the things she would remember. She slumped in the backseat of the car, drawing pad on her lap, knees against the back of her mother's seat. She was jammed next to a cooler and on the floor of the car, the family's hiking boots. Her dad's stunk. Pure and simple. Stunk. Like this trip was stinking.

 

Looking out the window, she saw trees, trees and more trees. This family vacation to get “back to nature” in the mountains of North Carolina was the last of her father's harebrained schemes, according to her mother. Which accounted for the tension. Her mother sat ramrod straight ahead of her, eyes on the law journal in her lap. Her parents hadn't spoken, to each other or to her, in about four hours. Considering that they had been in the car together almost seven, it had made for a lovely trip. The last conversation that had occurred was an ugly argument about where to have lunch. They ended up at a roadside Sonic and her mother had refused to eat anything.

 

She looked at the drawing pad on her lap. An elven boy peeked from behind a tree, watching two fairy girls at play. She grinned at the elven boy. Aside from the pointy ears and archaic clothing, he looked a lot like Sean. Many of her drawings ended up having Sean's features included somewhere.

 

She was startled as her cell phone vibrated in her pocket. Reception had been sketchy driving through the mountains. Maybe they were nearing civilization!

 

She slipped her phone out of her pocket and slid it open. A text message from Jen.

 

“Hey grl...numb butt yet?”

 

She smiled, answered and waited.

 

“How r the rents?”

 

Jen knew all about her parents and their frequent disagreements. When this trip had been announced, her dad joyously clutching a brochure showing a little gathering of cabins in the woods, her mother had erupted. All the same old same old. He hadn't discussed it with anyone, he hadn't taken her feelings into consideration, waste of money, of time, all the regular litany. She had chosen to slink out of the house and ride to Jen's where she could vent.

 

“0 wrds since 2:00,” she typed. “Whoot. Fun.”

 

She pictured Jen's eye roll. “R u almost there?”

 

Sarah looked out the window. She saw a mall slip past, surrounded by fast food restaurants. Houses lined the mountainside in the distance. This had to be Asheville, the city they would be staying near. That meant that in 45 minutes she would be able to escape this car. Her dad had found a cabin in the small resort town of Saluda which they could rent for a week. He loved the ad for it: a remote bungalow that had all the amenities of home perched on a mountaintop. Sarah preferred having her amenities of home at home, but she had not been consulted.

 

“Hope so,” she texted. “Need out of this car!”

 

She looked at her parents. Her father's jaw was set in that “I am trying not to say what I am thinking” grimace she knew so well. Her mother's silence was louder than many people's screams. Sarah wished she could be any where else.

 

She remembered a time when her parents got along, but it had been before she started school. Something dark and mysterious had happened and her mother had never forgiven her father for whatever it was. Sarah, a precocious six year old at the time, had asked numerous times and been told that it was “adult stuff.” Now that she was three years from being an adult, she was still in the dark about the troubles although she had plenty of guesses.

 

Living with parents who hated each other was trying even though they never included her in their battles. Trips like this one could be horrible although sometimes her parents could rally and make it pleasant for her. It looked like this would be one of the terrible times.

 

“Here 4 u, pal. Hang in there n try 2 have FUN!” came Jen's reply. Sarah texted a quick thanks and noticed that the bars on her phone had disappeared. No service again. Civilization had been swallowed by trees as they climbed higher into the mountains.

 

Her mother's voice broke the silence. “Should we stop for groceries before we go to your cabin?” she asked confrontationally. Her mother had continued to oppose this trip and Sarah wasn't sure what deal had been made to get her into the car.

 

Her father's answer was prefaced by a sigh. “Whatever you think is best, dear.”

 

The sarcasm in his voice wasn't going to improve the situation. She often wanted to mimic them to let them know how they sounded. Their arguments were so ingrained at this point that there was no stopping them when it all began. She hated moments like this when she was the silent witness to their misery.

 

“No, you decide. This is your little adventure,” her mom tossed back. She could see her father's neck turning red as he attempted to control his anger.

 

“I think we should stop,” she offered perkily. “Then we can get settled in all at once. The brochure said that there is a grocery store one exit before ours. Let's go there.”

 

“Great idea, pumpkin” said her dad. Siding with her like always. She sometimes wondered if she was part of her parent's problem. Her dad had lost his job shortly after she was born and it took him a few years to get his education degree and start teaching high school math. He stayed home with her so her mom could work. They had been together constantly and still had inside jokes her mother wasn't aware of.. Even after she started school and her dad started working, he was the one who took her to and from school and he was her homework helper. Her father was her greatest supporter and understood her better than anyone else. She and her mother had never been as close and she often worried that if her parents divorced, she would be stuck with her mom, the powerful lawyer who never let anyone else win.

 

She scrolled idly through the pictures in her phone, waiting to see if her connection came back. Many showed Jen's smiling face wreathed in its wild red hair. She slowed as she approached picture 72, the only picture she had taken of Sean. She had snapped it surreptitiously in English class, catching him deep in thought as he pondered over his notebook. Even though she had looked at the picture so many times that she could draw it from memory, she still felt that tingle of seeing him in the flesh, captured in her phone. Sean Winslow was not the most popular boy in 8th grade but he was by far her favorite. He was smart and creative, thin and agile and to her eyes, elven in many ways. She knew boys weren't complimented by being told they were beautiful but to her eyes he was. Too bad he had no idea she existed.

 

“Sarah, do you still have that map?” her dad asked. She rustled around in her nest of belongings and unearthed it.

 

“Here it is,” she said, flattening it on her lap.

 

“Is the exit I am looking for Upward Road?” She confirmed that it was. “Good, we will be there in 2 miles.”

 

Her mother sighed and slid her law journal into her bag. She took out a small notebook and pen. “Let's make a list,” she said resignedly. “We may as well eat well in the woods this week.”

 

CHAPTER TWO

 

The bus bounced along the dirt road. Elijah sat alone in his regular seat, midway back, left side. His hair drooped over his eyes and his head bounced both with the bus and to the music he was listening to. No one sat with him as usual. His body language didn't invite casual conversation and he had no friends who would wish to have deeper conversations yet.

 

“Cause everything must belong somewhere.

The train off in the distance, bicycle chained to the stairs.

Everything must belong somewhere.

I know that now, that's why I'm staying here.”

 

Sometimes he thought that music was the only thing that kept him sane. His iPod, a gift from his aunt, was always with him. He downloaded music constantly and was currently obsessed with the new Bright Eyes cd. Not that he could really relate to this song. He had never been sure he belonged anywhere and it had gotten to be a habit.

 

He idly watched the two giggling fifth graders in the row ahead of him. He couldn't hear the giggles although he could watch their identical ponytails bounce. Elijah didn't know the girls names but he knew the type. He had been in so many schools in the past nine years that he knew all the types, and even though he had only been at this school for six weeks, he already had everyone figured out to his satisfaction.

Saluda School was a little different from some he had attended. It was in a tiny town where most of the people left after the summer. The school was for kindergarten through eighth grade, which was weird. Elijah wasn't used to having babies at school with him. There were only 400 students total at the school, vastly different from his last school where there were 400 in his 8th grade alone.

 

Actually, everything about this town was weird. After the last insane familial explosion, his mom had been in a rush to find somewhere to go and had rented a cabin in the wilderness way up this twisty road. She had found it online at work and overnight packed them up and moved them out. The cabin was pretty cool, but it was too close to two others that the owners rented out. So far, only one family had rented one of the other cabins, and only for a weekend but Elijah worried that with the long holiday weekend coming up, they would have neighbors soon. Holidaying neighbors would be annoying. Nosy neighbors would be worse. The only saving grace was that it WAS the middle of the winter and there was no skiing nearby. You would have to have a pretty weird idea of vacation to want to visit the cabins now.

 

The town had a bunch of store and most bizarrely, a skateboard park right in the middle of the tiny downtown district. There was an art gallery, a cafe, two general stores, a few offices and right across the street, a sweet tricked out park. Many of the kids brought their boards to school and walked over after. If he had had time to grab his before they fled, he would have joined them. Maybe in time he could earn enough for a used board, although he wondered if they would be there long enough tot make that possible. The library was also within walking distance which could be helpful, both for school and general life research. He had to keep tabs on some folks from his past-- well, his mom's past, and he preferred that she not know how serious he was about that.

 

His bus stop was fast approaching so he swung out of his seat, waiting. Not that his bus stop was anywhere near the cabin. That would be too dangerous. His mother had learned her lesson and enrolled him with a fake address. He had a fifteen-minute cross-country hike from where the bus dropped him off but that was fine with him. He could be certain that no one followed him.

 

The driver smiled and wished him a nice afternoon as he exited the bus. At least that is what he thought she said. He waved and walked towards the two-story cabin that he “claimed” as his. His mother had done her homework and learned that the owners only came to the cabin for holidays and summers, so he had free reign to make himself at home in “his” yard.

 

He waited until the bus pulled away to cut into the back yard and make his way down the embankment. There were trails through the brush made by the deer and raccoons and he was careful to follow a different path each day. It was cold and he wrapped his coat tightly around him. He made his way to the railroad tracks and stopped to listen for followers. He only heard the whoosh of the wind and water trickling in the stream that ran nearby. He liked walking the tracks, listening to sad songs. He followed the tracks and the ravine around a bend and then took a deep breath. Time to climb up to the cabins. He scrambled up the first fall of rocks, making his way carefully. It wasn't an easy climb and at the end of a long day, he wished that there were an easier way to get home. Walking up the road to the cabin wouldn't be any easier. He had done it a few times and it was chest-numbing torture. He started the hard climb, ready to be home and inside, even in this temporary and strange home.

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

The trip to the grocery store behind them, Sarah leaned over the back of the front seat helping her mother navigate the last few miles to the cabin. A Washington DC girl, she was uncertain that she had ever been on a dirt road, especially one as well hidden as this one had been. They had driven partway into a cute little town, red brick buildings on one side of Main Street and a train track and playground on the other. They passed a small red brick school as the directions stated, then were to turn onto a dirt road which looked for all the world like a driveway. Her mother had told her father that they had to be lost, but her dad cheerfully and confidently turned, and lo and behold the road continued beyond the shops, curving down a hill. It surprised her that her dad had trusted the directions so completely, but she was glad they were headed somewhere.

 

The road followed a meandering stream, becoming one lane for long stretches that made Sarah grip the back of the seat tightly. Then it began climbing, twisting and turning. The car's engine whined as it moved uphill.

 

“After the tunnel...” her mother read. “The tunnel?”

 

Sure enough, they approached a tight one-lane tunnel, liberally decorated with graffiti. Who tagged things way out here in the boondocks? Sarah wondered in amazement. She held her breath as they cruised through the tight tunnel.

 

“After the tunnel,” her mother repeated, “Turn left and drive to the top of the hill.” Her father signaled then stopped, leaning forwards to peer up the driveway.

 

Calling this uphill was an understatement. The drive went straight up, then curved to the right, continuing to rise at an alarming angle.

“Hang on troops,” said her dad as he gunned the engine and started up the incline. Her mother made a worried sound, maybe no, maybe whoa and grabbed the dashboard. Up they climbed, the car straining as they moved laboriously up the hill. The road curved to the right then back to the left, the gravel moving loosely below their tires. The driveway had bushes and trees tightly packed on either side and they brushed the car as it skittered upward. After a few more twists, the driveway became a bit more level and they could see the top where it divided in three different directions.

 

“Take the right branch” gasped her mother. Her father complied and they pulled slowly up to the top of the rise and the end of the driveway.

 

Sarah perked up as she saw their cabin for the first time. It was nestled among the trees, the slanting roof extending to form a wide front porch. The porch had rocking chairs and a porch swing. From the driveway she could see the roof of a larger cabin through the trees and a driveway going up to what had to be the third cabin. She jumped out of the car and hurried to the porch, her dad close behind her. She waited impatiently as he unlocked the door. The cabin was just as cute inside as outside.

 

A tall fireplace dominated the great room, which was furnished with overstuffed leather couches and a large glass coffee table. An entertainment system was tucked into a corner complete with a large screen TV. The kitchen occupied a corner of the room, tucked under a spiral staircase that lead to an open loft above. Sarah knew that her bedroom and a separate bath were up in the loft. Through the sliding glass doors opening onto the back deck, Sarah could see more rocking chairs. To the left of the door, a hallway lead to what she assumed was the master bedroom. She was fascinated by the odd artwork everywhere, some of it nice but much of it tacky beyond belief. She walked across the great room to the sliding glass doors and went outside. The back porch was tree top level and had a round picnic table along with the rocking chairs. A hot tub burbled invitingly outside another set of sliding glass doors. Maybe this week wouldn't be so bad after all.

 

She heard the TV come on inside and smiled. Her dad always had to check the local channels as soon as they arrived anywhere. She went back through the house and met her mother in the kitchen, opening cabinets and looking in closets.

 

“Look at all this stuff!” her mother exclaimed. “I think this kitchen is better outfitted than our kitchen at home!” She held up a cake pan in the shape of a turkey quizzically. Sarah laughed and raced up the spiral staircase. The room was perfect. A double bed covered in a pastel quilt was tucked in a far corner under the slanting roofs. A daybed overlooked the great room with a light located nearby for reading. There were two rocking chairs in the loft, along with a few side tables. What drew her attention the most were the skylights cut neatly into the both sides of the slanting roof. Peeking out she could see endless wilderness, the green pines contrasting with the black barren leafless trees. She sat on the bed and realized that she would be able to watch the sky as she fell asleep. It was like being in a tree house! The bathroom was tiny but well laid out. She could hear her parents prowling about downstairs, her mother's lilting voice sounding happy from the master bedroom.

She headed to the car to start unpacking. She wanted to get moved in and have time to explore before it got dark.

 

CHAPTER FOUR

 

Elijah was out of breath from the last part of his climb. He paused in a clearing right below his cabin and stood leaning against a tree. Laughter drifted through the woods, startling him. “You can't carry that!” a man's voice exclaimed, followed by a young female voice. He moved slowly up to his porch, looking through the trees towards the mid-sized cabin. A car was parked outside with Virginia plates and he saw three people carrying in bags. From the look of the luggage, they seemed to be planning to stay a month! This wasn't good.

 

The girl looked to be about his age. She was dressed in a way that let him know she was one of the others. A shirt that had to come from some expensive mall store, a short leather jacket with stylish stitching and those jeans that looked old and worn out even when they were brand new: yeah, she was one of them all right.

 

She was pretty in a cookie cutter way. Hair past her shoulders cut so that it swung as she moved. Large brown eyes and a small upturned nose. She didn’t look much like the man with her although he assumed that it was her father. She looked more like the woman who was carrying grocery bags into the house. He bet that those bags actually contained groceries. The last time he, his mom and his little sister had fled they left their luggage behind using grocery bags instead.

 

He moved silently closer listening to their conversation.

 

“Sarah, if you want to explore we can get the rest of the bags,” said the man. He didn’t like the sound of that. No one needed to explore his mountaintop.

 

“I need to change into something warmer before I go out,” said the girl, Sarah.

 

It was getting colder the later in the day it got. He had checked the weather in the school computer lab and snow was predicted for the weekend. At least this girl had sense. He knew too many who would risk frostbite for fashion. Of course, it could just be that she assumed no one was watching her. Who knew what she was like at home?

 

The two disappeared into the house with their loads and the man came back out. He walked to the edge of the driveway and peered at the big cabin, smiling an odd smile. Elijah watched him as he glanced back at his cabin then started walking towards the big cabin. The man looked over at Elijah’s cabin, frowning when he saw the car parked in front. Elijah frowned back at him.

 

The man walked onto the porch of the big cabin and looked in the window. Elijah knew what he was seeing: an even larger great room with a number of comfortable seating arrangements, a stone fireplace and a large kitchen. Elijah had carefully explored all the cabins when his family arrived. He found a key for the maid in the back of a kitchen cabinet. It opened the door to the basement of his cabin where the washing machine, dryer and cleaning suppilies were stored. It also opened the exterior door to the basement of his cabin. On a hunch, he had tried the key on the other cabins. It did not open the front door of any cabin, but it opened all the basement doors. It was easy enough to let himself in through the basement then go upstairs into each cabin. He didn't take anything. He just looked around, checking views from windows and assessing what each cabin had for defenses. he had taken the key with him to town on day and made a copy. He figured that if he ever needed a hiding place, he had three that might do.

 

The man tried the door then looked back at his cabin again. Elijah looked with him, but no one was outside. The man slipped a piece of paper under the planter next to the front door of the cabin then hurried quickly away, returning to his car and grabbing yet another bag.

 

Elijah wanted to go retrieve the paper but he knew he needed to wait until the man was gone. What weird behavior. He wondered what the guy was doing, and why he seemed so sneaky. However, all that would have to wait. He was freezing now and needed to get inside to check on his mom. She was probably worried, having heard the car arriving next door.

 

Letting himself into the small cabin, he again wished that they had rented either of the others. This cabin might do for a single person or maybe even a couple, but a mother and two kids? No way. The cabin was designed much like a camper: a long, narrow space with a small living room, a smaller kitchen and a bedroom tucked in the back. His mother and sister shared the double bed in the bedroom and he bunked on the couch in the living room. He had set up a small desk in the corner of this living room for his laptop. At least the cabin had satellite TV and Internet service. He would be lost without a way to connect to his world.

 

They had moved the TV back into the bedroom and he could hear the burble of a kid’s cartoon spilling out of the small room. “I’m home,” he yelled, tossing his coat onto a nearby hook and grabbing an apple as he walked down the short hall. His mom was in bed, dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, a book on her lap. Molly was curled up at the foot of the bed, still in her pajamas, staring glassy eyed at the TV.

His mother slid over to make room for him, smiling.

 

“How is she?” he asked softly.

 

His mom nodded, “It’s been one of the good days. She ate and played with her doll for a while. She napped without any screaming. I didn’t want to upset her by making her get dressed.”

 

“Has she said anything?” he whispered.

 

The look in his mom’s eyes let him know that she hadn’t. Molly had said only a few words in the last two years. Both he and his mother worked every day trying to get her to speak. “If only she could go back to school,” his mother said wistfully.

 

Molly had been doing much better when they lived in the city. She had been making strides at least with nonverbal communication in a special day program. She was tiny for a seven year old, but even so it was obvious to any observer that she had problems. Yet another thing Elijah hated his stepfather for… just one of a long list of things.

 

He knelt on the floor in front of her, blocking her view of the TV. “Can I have a hug, Mollster?” he asked. She held out her arms and he leaned into her embrace. She smelled like sleep and peanut butter, a not unpleasant combination. He hugged her until she pushed him away, eyes fixated on the tiny TV screen.

 

“There are people in the middle cabin,” he told his mother. “It looks like a mom, a dad and a daughter.”

 

“Where are they from?” asked his mom, a look of concern on her face..

 

“Virginia… so I think it is okay,” he reassured her. “I am going to sneak over there later and see what I can learn. The man was doing something weird at the large cabin, but he didn’t seem interested in ours.”

 

“I will call Anne and see if she has heard anything,” said his mom, referring to her sister, the one who had always bailed them out when things got rough. “I know she would have called us if she heard anything major, but I will check in with her.” She got off the bed, careful not to disturb Molly. Elijah stretched out beside his sister who was bobbing her head along to the Blues Clues theme song. He was tired enough to fall asleep, but instead listened to his mother's phone call. Surely they were safe here a while longer. Moving so often was hard on all of them and he was never sure it made things better. His mother sounded reassured and he felt the tension leaving his body. His knew his step dad was both powerful and crazy, but it seemed unlikely that anyone he hired to follow them would bring his wife and daughter... or her husband and daughter... or her parents, he thought smiling. There were many possibilities to always guard against.

 

CHAPTER FIVE

 

Grabbing her mittens and tightening her scarf, Sarah leapt off the front porch and headed back towards the main driveway. She was glad to leave her parents at the cabin. Maybe with some time alone out of the car they would come to a truce. Her mother was still exclaiming over all her cabin finds. Apparently, the owners had stocked the cabin for all manner of strange events. As she left, her dad was leafing through the guest book, reading excerpts from other visitors' entries.

 

It was colder than she had expected, but it was nice to be out of the car and free for a while. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and looked at it hopefully. The bars stayed frustratingly flat. How far out in the boonies was this place? Looking around, she decided that if she could get up higher or to the other side of the ridge, there was a possibility that she would get reception. This place was like Green Acres. She might have to climb a tree to reach Jen.

 

She could see a car at the smaller cabin as she walked but the larger one appeared to be empty. She wondered who was staying in the small cabin. She walked past what seemed to be a shared firepit and took note of the shed with firewood in it. There was an old zip line atached to two trees. SHe could tell it was old because a large bush was growing in the middle of the path. That would make for a painful ride! There were crude benches arranged around the firepit. For a moment, she wistfully thought off the fun that she and her friends from school could have here. She had campaigned to at least bring Jen on this trip, but her parents had had a bunch of objections. Her dad was gung ho on making this family time. Jen probably couldn't have come anyhow because Sarah was missing a week of school. Her parents knew she was a strong student and didn't hesitate to allow her time off. She knew that Jen's frequent low C's would have made it hard for her to get permission to tag along.

 

Sarah saw a path leading around the edge of the ridge. She decided to follow it a ways to see where it went. It was a rough path but looked passable, especially with all the foliage in its winter state. The views were beautiful and she could hear a river off in the distance. Her dad was going to love hiking in these mountains. Looking at the neighboring hills she could only see a few houses.

 

She walked rapidly to warm up, glancing at her phone from time to time. She had a glimmer of hope when a half bar appeared... but it faded almost immediately. The crackle of the leaves and distant sounds of birds were peaceful, but the sky was darkening perceptibly. The last rays of sunset were coloring the horizon. Not wanting to stay out past dark, Sarah decided to climb to the top of the ridge then head back to the cabin.

 

The climb was difficult. Brambles grabbed at her jeans and she had to use trees as leverage. Soon she found herself above the cabins, but was surprised at the distance she had walked. She was above the smaller cabin and from this vantage point, had a good view of all three. She could see part way down the driveway as well and was astonished by how steep it looked from here. Saying a tiny but hearfelt prayer, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. It chirped invitingly. The screen told her that she had two bars of service and three new messages.

 

The first two were from Jen, one from immediately after their earlier conversation and the other from 45 minutes ago. "Seannews... r u there???" She texted quickly, hoping Jen was still available. "Tell, tell!"

 

There was no reply. Jen was probably at swim practice, the one time of the day she was certainly phoneless. Sarah was frustrated, but knew that any news could wait.

 

The last message was from her cell phone company wishing her a happy weekend and offering her a new phone for the low low price of... She would have been furious if she had climbed all this way just for that message.  She texted Jen a brief update of their trip, letting her know about the communication difficulties she was having. As she was signing off, heard a door slam below.

 

Looking through the trees, she saw a figure emerge from the small cabin. Tall and lanky, dressed in a dark jacket over a dark t-shirt, jeans and what looked like combat boots. The figure had shoulder length brown hair and from the way it moved, she guessed it was probably a boy, although she wouldn't be shocked if it was a girl. From the figure's size, she thought it was likely a teenager, although that too was hard to tell from this distance. It began walking towards her cabin and she thought that it was nice that whoever it was was coming to welcome them. It would be nice to have some one to talk to on this mountaintop.  She started to make her way down the mountain when the figure did an odd thing. Rather than going up to the porch, it stopped behind her family's car and squatted down. It appeared to be spying on her parents through the window of the cabin! Great-- not a friend but a peeping Tom. She started walking more quickly, ready to confront the freak.

 

He picked something up from the ground then stood, looking around. She stopped to watch him, hoping that the falling darkness would conceal her in the woods. It seemed to work because he started walking down the driveway towards the big cabin. Going to peek in those windows too? She decided to follow him to see what freaky thing he did next.

 

CHAPTER SIX

 

It took Elijah longer than he had hoped to get out of the cabin. He wanted to check on the neighbor's again before it got too dark, but Molly had snuggled up to him and he didn't want to abandon her as his mother began dinner. He sang along with the TV songs for her and talked to her about his day. She listened with her thumb in her mouth, only responding with nods or headshakes when he directly asked her a question.

 

His mom finally returned to the bedroom and he was able to extricate himself from Molly. Promising to be back in a half hour, he left the cabin. he needed to check to make sure the new people were in their house, then he wanted to go to the big cabin and see what the man was doing over there. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep until he had checked them out. He had nightmares frequently even without the stress of unknown people nearby.

 

Approaching the middle cabin, he ducked behind the car in the driveway. He could see the man and woman moving about inside. He knew that the girl had talked about exploring, but surely she wouldn't be out this late. The light was on in the loft and he imagined that she was upstairs, unpacking. A good time to go to the big cabin then!

 

As he turned to leave his hidden viewing spot, he saw a glint of metal on the ground. He squatted down to pick it up. It was an earring... small and gold. He put it in his pocket, planning to put it in an easier place for the vacationers to find. Looking around, he decided that he would wait until they were out during the weekend. He could put it on the porch railing. They would be sure to see it there.

 

He headed off towards the big cabin, hands tucked in his pockets for warmth. He walked quickly, hoping that no one from the house would look out at him as he left. He cut through the wooded area near the fire pit, skirting the woodpile. As he stepped back onto the driveway, he heard it. Footsteps, crackling through the underbrush. Someone or something was out in the woods with him. He considered his options. He could head to the big cabin as he had planned. He could go past the cabin and head for a more secluded area. He could go under the porch of the big cabin and see what emerged, although he ran the risk of being cornered if he did that. He had neither seen nor heard any other vehicles on the driveway since he got home, so it was unlikely that anyone new was around. Most likely it was a deer... or possibly that girl wasn't upstairs. He decided to carry on with his plan and see what happened.

 

Nonchalantly but on guard, he walked towards the porch. He stopped on the lowest step and looked back towards the woods. He couldn't see anyone but figured they would be hiding in the shadows.  He made his way to the planter and removed the paper he had seen the man put there. It wasn't just nosiness that was driving him. He needed to protect his family above all and the events that occured on this hilltop were vitally important to his doing that.

 

It was too dark on the porch to see the paper so he got his keychain from his pocket. He used his small flashlight to illuminate the paper, holding it between his body and the cabin so that the watcher couldn't see his light. It was a handwritten note.

 

"Angel,

 

It has been too long. I can't wait until you arrive. Come over and "introduce" yourself when you get here. Just seeing you again will hold me until we can be together.

 

Yours,

 

D"

 

Weird. It sounded like a love letter but hadn't the guy arrived with his wife? More bad news too. The man apparently thought someone was coming to the big cabin and soon.  Maybe it was code, but if it was, it strained Elijah's imagination to try to figure out what it could mean. He decided to leave it and carefully watch the inhabitants of both cabins.

 

He tucked the note back where he had found it and started down the steps of the porch.

 

He was startled when the girl stepped from behind a tree. "What are you doing?" she demanded.

 

Up close, she looked even more like one of them. Her hair was too perfect, her skin too clear. She had probably never had a day of her life that wasn't safe and perfect. He dismissed her immediately as a lightweight.

 

"I was checking on the cabins," he said. "I needed to make sure that the area was secure."

 

What could she say to that? She had no way of knowing who he was.

 

"No, you were spying on my parents and you took something from our driveway," she countered angrily. "And you were doing something sneaky on the porch here. Should I call the owners and find out if they want you trespassing where you don't belong?"

 

Spunky but annoying. "Do what you want," he said, fishing in his pocket.

 

He held out the earring to her. "THIS is what I found in your driveway," he said patiently. "I was going to return it to you or your mom but I didn't want to interrupt you as you were getting settled. I didn't want to leave it behind your tire for fear that your car would run over it. Makes it harder to wear when that happens."

 

Mollified she took the earring. "Oh, thank you," she said. "But what were you looking at on this porch?"

 

He hesitated. If it was a note from her dad to some other person, she probably didn't need to know about it. Or did she? It was hard to say, knowing nothing about her... He decided to punt and then he could tell her later if it seemed important.

 

"I was looking at the plant in that planter," he lied. "It is going to get really cold this weekend and I was thinking that I should move it inside."

 

A stupid answer and one that he couldn't believe she would fall for, but she did.

 

The look on her face was one of embarrassment. "Sorry I attacked you," she said. "It has been a hard day and I didn't think first."

 

He doubted that she knew what a hard day was. She went on, "I'm Sarah, by the way."

 

"I'm Elijah," he said. "How long are you here for?"

 

She grimaced. "Ten days."

 

Ten days? That was worse than he had imagined. Ten days gave them way too much time to be nosy. "Are you meeting the people who are renting this cabin?" he asked.

 

She looked puzzled. "This cabin? No. Are there people renting this cabin? It looked empty earlier."

 

Oops. So if her father knew that someone else was coming to stay in this cabin, he hadn't shared that with the family. This was getting more and more complicated. "Um, no... I just... well, the last group that stayed up here took both cabins so I was curious," he made up on the spot.

 

She smiled. She was actually quite cute when she smiled. "No, it is just us... Mom, Dad and me. Your family is staying in the small cabin, right? How long are you staying?"

 

 "We haven't decided," he said, going with the cover story. "We are renting the cabin until my mom sees if she likes her new job enough to stay in the area."

 

"So it's your mom, your dad and you?" she asked.

 

"No," he said. "My dad... isn't around anymore. My mom and sister and I live here."

 

She shivered as a breeze blew past them. He noticed and said, "Hey, you should get inside. I need to go to dinner and you look frozen."

 

She laughed, "I am a little. I wasn't expecting it to be this cold."

 

"This isn't cold," he grinned. "It is going to snow this weekend! Then you will get to see what cold is really like."

 

"Oh joy," she said, grinning back. "You are right though. My parents will think I am lost of I don't head back soon."

 

They said their goodbyes and parted, each wondering about the other.

 

CHAPTER SEVEN

 

Friday morning dawned way too early in both cabins. For Elijah, the bus came way too early every day. His hike meant that he needed to leave the cabins no later than 6:45 and he had to hustle leaving then.

 

For Sarah, one of the great joys of vacations was getting to sleep late. So when her parents were banging around below her open loft at 7:30 she groaned and snuggled back into her warm blankets. Soon coffee and bacon fumes surrounded her.

 

"Sarah, come on! We are going for a hike!" yelled her dad. "Rise and shine, lazy bones. The days awastin!"

 

She wished for an anvil to drop on his head. Not to do permanent damage, but to knock him out just until 9:00. Was that too much to ask? The sky was not fully light yet and the thought of doing anything physical made her want to crawl under her bed.

 

Nothing would stop her dad when he was on a fitness tear though and she soon found herself flanneled and denimed, hunched over a milky cup of coffee, trying to warm her hands and wake up her brain.

 

"We thought we would start with a hike at the falls," said her dad. He was dashing about like a happy puppy. "The weather forecast says it may snow tomorrow and we definitely want to see them. They are supposed to be spectacular. Then we can come back here for lunch!"

 

"Or go into town for lunch," her mother added.

 

"Oh, right. Or go into town, although we have so much food here!" Her dad's enthusiasm was too much for this time of day. It was a hike. And lunch. Who really cared where?

 

Once they got going, she had to admit that the falls were pretty spectacular. The hike was a simple one, the path maintained by a garden club in the area. The sign said that the falls park closed in freezing weather, so her dad was right about needing to see it today. Once the sun came up, the hike was very pleasant. The path ran along a glistening stream which flowed rapidly downhill as they climbed uphill beside it. There were shelves of rock dripping water and small bridges wich crossed tributaries flowing into the larger stream. When they reached the top, the falls themselves were dramatic and gorgeous. Falling well over 70 feet, they cascaded into a pool then rushed over huge rocks. She and her parents were the only hikers in the park so they took their time admiring the scenery. Sarah had to pose for a dozen pictures although she noticed that her father snuck a few of her mother as well. They snacked at the picnic tables near the falls, sipping water and eating trail mix.

 

Shortly after noon they returned to their car. Sarah's mom immediately began campaigning for lunch in town at one of the quaint cafes she had read about. Her father started to protest, then seemed to have a change of heart. He agreed to lunch out and they had a pleasant meal. Sarah loved the little town with its nostalgic red brick buildings. They poked into some of the little shops after lunch until Sarah's dad plead shopping overload and the need for a nap.

 

They returned to the cabin tired and full. Sarah noticed two cars parked at the big cabin. Her dad noticed too and said "Oh look! More neighbors! Wonder who they are?" Sarah hoped for more teenagers. Elijah seemed okay but rather odd. She would love more people to hang out with.

 

They entered their cabin and her father, after making such a big deal about laying down for a while, was possessed with a overabundance of energy. He scooted around the cabin picking up items that she and her mother had left behind and just being generally hyper. Her mother shook her head and retreated to her bedroom with a book. Sarah watched him in amazement. He kept looking out the window like he was expecting someone or something.  "Got to keep the place looking nice," he said on one pass. "Never know when the owners might drop by." Sarah curled up in a oversized chair by the fireplace with a book. Her father finally settled on the couch with a magazine, but first he opened the curtains wide behind him. He sat so that he could read his magazine and look out at the driveway.

 

She was startled when he hopped off the couch. "Why look! The neighbors are coming to visit!" he said. "Hmmm, its looks like two couples... and one other person. Must be from the big cabin!" He called her mother who grudgingly appeared, her face sleepy.   He threw open the door when the visitors were still halfway down the driveway. letting in a blast of cold air. He raced down the steps to meet them, smiling hugely. Sarah was perplexed. Her mother was the social one. Usually her father held back and took his time getting to know people. He often complained about her mother's need to socialize weekly. And here he was, rolling out the red carpet for absolute strangers.

 

 He ushered the newcomers into the house and introductions were made all around. The older couple, James and Ryan, were from somewhere nearby in North Carolina. They had organized the trip for their friends. The younger couple, Tom and Andrea, were from the coast of NC and the  other gentleman who intrigued Sarah the most was from some small mountain town nearby. His name was Kenneth and he was soft spoken and very polite, but was also bald, earringed and had a fairy tattoo low on one arm peeking out from under his sweater sleeve. They had all been friends since college.  

 

Beers and sodas were offered all around and everyone accepted. They settled into the great room, talking about the weather and travels and all of those get to know you things. Sarah's mother immediately struck up a work conversation with James and Andrea, both of whom worked at state colleges in NC. Her mother served on a college board and was always interested in other colleges and universities. Her father was laughing with Ryan and Tom was listening to the conversation, not really taking part. She found herself seated on the floor near Kenneth, who seemed to be partway interested in her mother's conversation. As Andrea explained some detail off college politics, he smiled at Sarah.

 

"This must be pretty boring for you," he said.

 

She grinned back. "No, I'm used to it. Most of my parents parties are just like this."

 

 "So if you could choose the topic of conversation, what would you want to discuss?" he asked.

 

 "Well, my question for you would be about your tattoo," she said. "I draw fairies. Yours is really well done."

 

He rolled up his sleeve so she could get a better look. The fairy was surrounded by a vine, covered with leaves and flowers. SHe had intricate wings and an impish style. Every detail was exact. "I got her last summer," he said. "She is my favorite tattoo."

 

"You have more?" asked Sarah, then wondered if it was a rude question.

 

He laughed. "I got my first tattoo when I was not much older than you, I bet. Then I played for a while with a punk band back in the 80's and 90's. Tattoos were a necessary part of the costume. The music career never took off, but my love of tattoos never ended. I think fairies are fascinating. You draw them?"

 

Somehow, he persuaded her to show him her drawing pad. She generally didn't enjoy showing her work to others. It was too personal and she felt like she was telling secrets. Kenneth made her comfortable and asked about the stories she was imagining as she drew. The conversation wove around topics and she learned that he collected fantasy art and had met Brian Froud, the artist. At one point, their conversation was interrupted by her father's raucous laughter. He seemed to find Ryan incredibly funny, although he was acting a little like a middle schooler.

 

During a lull, Andrea asked if anyone had met the people in the small cabin. Sarah told them about her meeting with Elijah, taking care not to mention her early suspicions about him.

"So it doesn't sound like they are vacationers?" said Tom. "I hope we won't disturb them."

 

"We should invite them over!" said her dad. "Let's plan to have a little party tomorrow night."

 

Her dad? Suggesting a party? Sarah and her mom exchanged confused looks. Her dad hated parties and would do anything to avoid them.

 

"What a marvelous idea, Dan," exclaimed Ryan. "We can have it at our cabin."

 

Her father and the others began planning the party, talking about what each household could contribute. Sarah was astonished. It was like her dad had been taken over by a pod person. The look on her mother's face was hard to read. She kept looking from her husband to Ryan as though she was seeking a clue about some mystery. After a while, the newcomers decided that they needed to run to the grocery and liquor stores and they left with many farewells and plans.

Here it comes… thought Sarah. Maybe it was time for a walk.

 

She was surprised however when her mother asked no questions. She instead talked about how much she enjoyed chatting with James and Andrea. They shared details of their three conversations and it was decided that Sarah and her dad would walk over to the middle cabin after it was likely that Elijah would be home to invite the three of them. Her mom wanted to know what Sarah had learned about Elijah’s family and Sarah was surprised that she couldn’t think of much. Mother, daughter, son, no dad around. She found that she was looking forward to learning more.

 

CHAPTER EIGHT

 

The air was definitely colder as Elijah tromped up the grade to his cabin after school. Coming into the clearing, he noticed the cars at the big cabin. He idly wondered who Angel was, though not enough to go introduce himself to the new people. He was tired after a long school week and just wanted to get home, get online and forget about reality for a while.

 

The one thing that had saved Elijah time and time again was his online friend network. You could be friends with no one asking hard questions, no one getting nosy. For years, Elijah had been talking to the same people. They played games together and wafted through cyberspace in a gang. They shared just what they wanted to of their lives and they never even explored the idea of being friends outside of school. It was comfortable and comforting. It didn’t matter where he moved or how many times. His online gang was always right in the same place.

 

He found his mother and sister snuggled in bed again, napping. He gently closed the door so that he would not bother them. He grabbed a Coke and settled in front of his computer. Thanks to his aunt, it was a newer model. Anne understood how hard it was for him to live the life he needed to to protect her sister and niece.  She said that her gifts were just small thank yous to help keep him sane. She was right.

 

Logging in, he checked his messages. Trio was going to be around later this afternoon and was looking for a chess rematch. Abi sent him good wishes: she had lost to Trio last night. She was online and they spent a few minutes shooting the breeze, talking about nothing important.  She asked if it was snowing where he was. He knew from previous conversations that she lived in the Midwest. He said no, and she told him about the surprisingly severe storm that had kept her out of school for the day. There had been no prediction that it would be so bad and the public services in her town were scrambling to return power and clear roads. Abi was always fun to talk to. Her life was settled and calm compared to his, but she had a great sense of humor. She sent him a few funny links she had found on the web and then had to go help her mother throw together an electricityless lunch.

 

He checked the local weather site, interested in what it had to say about the upcoming storm in North Carolina. Snow was still expected for Saturday night but no warnings had been posted yet. He wrote a quick email to a friend in England who was doing research on the Southern USA and had a few questions for his report. He often laughed at Alistair’s questions like “Does everyone go to DisneyWorld every year?” England was such a small country that Al couldn’t get his brain around how vast the US was.

 

He was settling into a rousing session of Elfquest when he heard a knock on the door. Probably that girl, he thought, although his heart began pounding anxiously. He saved and exited, then peeked out the window beside the door. It was Sarah and her dad. Strange.

 

Straightening his shirt, he opened the door. He heard his mother rustling in the bedroom and Molly’s murmurs as his mom soothed her awake.

 

“Hi Elijah,” said Sarah. “This is my dad, Dan Jentry.”

 

Mr. Jentry offered his hand and Elijah shook it. “Nice to meet you, young man,” he said too cheerfully. “We wanted to drop by and invite your family to a little get together tomorrow night.”

 

“Oh,” said Elijah, uncertain of what to say. “I don’t think we can… I mean, thanks but…”

 

He was saved by his mother’s arrival at the door. “Hello,” she said, looking at Elijah meaningfully. “Why don’t you ask our visitors to come in out of the cold.”

 

Elijah realized he had been a goof and stepped aside. Mr. Jentry and Sarah introduced themselves to her mother and explained the invitation again. Mr. Jentry added that the gathering would be at the big cabin with the folks staying there, then laughingly said, “We figured it would be nice to get to know the neighbors before we all get snowed in together.

 

“I am not sure if we will be able to be there…” said Elijah’s mom, obviously searching for an excuse. “We might have to… for work, I mean, I might need to…” Her babbling ended when Molly wandered into the room dagging her beaten up rag doll. Elijah braced himself for Molly’s shrieks when she saw the strangers.  He stepped towards her, ready to grab her if she fell apart.

 

“And who is this lovely lady?” asked Mr. Jentry, way too loudly for the small space. Molly froze, staring at Elijah, her lip quivering. She turned and saw Sarah by the door and looked from her to Elijah. Elijah didn’t know what to do, or what would happen next.

 

Softly, Elijah’s mother said, “This is my daughter, Molly. Molly, these are nice people from next door. Molly doesn’t talk a lot,” she explained. “She isn’t used to a lot of new people.”

 

Sarah had dropped to one knee by the door. “Hello Molly,” she said softly. “What a nice doll you have. I bet she is a good friend.”

 

Molly walked over to Sarah and held the doll up so that she could look at her. Sarah shook the doll’s hand solemnly and said, “Nice to meet you Dolly. I am Sarah.” Molly grinned at her.

 

Elijah and his mother were shocked. This was the most communicative Molly had been with anyone since months before the last move. She had initiated contact and hadn’t shied away from a strange man. She wasn’t talking, but for Molly this was a huge change.

 

“Would you and your Dolly like to come to a party, Molly?” asked Sarah, playing with the rhyme. “There will be a few people to meet, but lots of good things to eat!” Molly giggled.

 

“Maybe we will come after all,” said Elijah’s mother, amazed.

 

That's all for now.... more will appear eventually!

 

October 4, 2007

 

      I always knew there was something strange about his sister. She has such odd eyes, almost like a cat's. And she rarely spoke. When she did, she only seemed to answer questions that were directed at her. She never just joined into conversation. When I learned that we were going to be tent partners on the school camping trip, I could not contain my excitement. Whatever moron had decided to assign tents was not in my favored people list, and I assumed that was Mr. Redmon, which was a shame because I usually liked him. I wondered if I should complain and ask to be reassigned but decided that it was best not to alienate her. Or her brother. I had had a secret crush on him for two years and maybe, just maybe, sharing a tent with her would get me an invite to their house. 

 

October 9, 2007

 

    I opened the door of my house, so glad to be home after a long hard day. Juggling my books, purse and lunchbox, I was intent on getting the door shut without losing one or more cats. They were glad to see me, and seemed more than a little hyper. I put my things on the kitchen table and Kali, my smart but insane cat, wrapped herself around my ankle. Odd behavior for a cat who hated touching humans. I looked down at her and she immediately walked to the living room door. I ignored her, and there she was again, slithering against me. She gave me one of those pointed feline stares and walked to the door again. I decided that I had to follow.

    Now, my living room is nothing fancy. It is where we live, so it is often piled high with books and knitting stuff (mine) and weird art from the Bronze age (my husband's) and cat toys. I bet you know who they belong to. All sorts of weird junk ends up in the living room but I was not expecting to see what sat in the middle of the room. At first, I couldn't really make sense of it. It was boxy and yet gently rounded and the little blinky lights made it look sort of like a christmas tree. If a christmas tree had windows. Or terrified little silver faces peeking out. Kali walked over to the odd item and sat beside it. She isn't a huge cat, and it was only about two times as big as she was. The little faces recoiled in terror as she tapped the weird thing with her paw. Finally my brain made sense of it... UFO I suppose. In my living room. Debuting as a cat toy. Oh, this was going to be interesting.

 

October 16, 2007

 

I think the setting of my entire novel is going to be three cabins in the woods in North Carolina. I stayed there for a week this summer and when I lived in NC, we often had company stay there. The three cabins are up a steep winding road off of a tiny winding dirt road that goes through this treacherous gorge. There are no roads quite like it in VT. There is one large cabin with a living room and kitchen, a big bedroom and a loft upstairs with another bedroom and bathroom. Then there is a three room cabin that has a tiny bed room, a good sized great room with a fireplace (this will figure into my story) and a kind of scary tiny bathroom. The third cabin is the oddest. It started its life as a trailer and then had grandiose thoughts... it has a wrap around porch that doesn't quite meet the building and a pretty front room with a huge glass window, but over all it is very shabby and run down. All three cabins have hot tubs and decks and rocking chairs out on the porch. They used to be maintained by a family and have lots of quirky decorations and the closets are stuffed with odd odd things... the two cabins (not the trailer) have basements that you cannot enter if you stay there. The doors are padlocked. The land that the cabins sit on is very remote. They are about two miles from the nearest other houses, assuming you don't mind rolling down the driveway. You really have to have four wheel drive to get up there! I am intending to have my novel take place three during a blizzard-- which is utterly crippling in NC. Everything closes, the power goes out and there are no road plows so you can forget having the road cleared. The most I know that it ever snowed in that area was a fluke 36 inch overnight storm. I am wondering what it would have been like to be stuck at Sandy Cut in such a situation... especially as you have to bring your own food and all when you stay there.