Chapter 3: I guess it’s not so bad

Jelena

The drive was arduous and boring, to say the least. I thought we’d never get here. My dad followed the GPS all the way, and my mom tried to keep us distracted with road games, but I honestly considered jumping out of the car’s window at some point. Thankfully, we could get here sooner than expected, but it was still a pain to deal with Jesse.   The whole place is filled with trees. I look at my phone, and it shows no bars. I guess my mom is finally getting her wish because we are definitely in the middle of nowhere with no Wi-Fi or fun. The cabin is large, made up of wood like the kind you see in camping movies. The rest of the area is made up of plants and trees. Miles and miles of trees. Once my dad parks the car, my mom releases my baby brother from his car seat and lets the little weirdo run loose. The little brat lets out a whoop and runs up to the front door. The freaking kid is a hazard. Sighing with contentment, my mom wraps her arm around my dad’s waist and smiles. “Well? What do you think, babe?” My dad smiles back and kisses her on the lips. Gross. “I love it, hon. How about you, Lena? What do you think?”

I shrug my shoulders and walk towards the trunk of the SUV. “It’s okay.” My dad snorts with amusement and helps me open the SUV truck. I know he’s trying to make me feel comfortable, but I’m too depressed to care. Why can’t he just let me wallow in my despair?  Dad passes me my bag and gives me a pleading smile. “Please try to enjoy this pumpkin. I know your mom wanted this because she wants to spend time with you. Please, it’s only for a few weeks.” I sigh loudly and give him a reluctant nod. “Okay, dad, but I get dibs on the best bedroom.” My dad scowls. “Deal”

Without another word, I wrap the bag’s strap into my arms and stride into the house. It’s not a bad-looking place. The house is larger than I expected it to be. The living room is huge, with a large stone fireplace, and the walls and the floors are wood. There’s a winding staircase that leads up to the bedrooms. Nearly knocking me over, my brother runs up ahead, screaming like a banshee. I get the feeling that this damn kid is going to give my parents a hard time during this trip. Oh well, that’s what they get for making me come up here to nowhere’s land. Chuckling to myself at the prospect, I go up the stairs and open several doors before finding the room that I want. The room is closer to the house’s back with a large white canopied bed and a balcony. It’s beautiful. You can see the whole forest from this vantage point. The windows are large, with opaque curtains mounted on thick rods. Walking into the room, I lay my bag on the bed and walk to the hallway’s window.

Mr. and Mrs. Morgan are here. A moment passes, then I hear little Ricky’s squeals as he rushes out of their car and screams Jess’s name. Great! I watch as my parents meet them at the door. Everyone is hugging and kissing each other in greeting as if they hadn’t seen each other in a long time. When everyone walks into the house, I walk back to my chosen room and open the balcony doors near my bed. It’s a breathtaking sight to behold the endless stretch of trees and the tranquil sway of their leaves.

I’m so entranced that I nearly jump out of my skin when the sound of a powerful howl reverberates through the forest. It shakes me to the core. I had never heard a howl that mournful in my life. Frightened, I move back to my room and close the balcony doors. Somehow, the sound of the howl penetrates my defenses. It frightens me and entices me at the same time. The sound is almost wistful that it breaks my heart. Biting my lip, I feel something run down my face and wipe it away. It’s a tear. I don’t know why, but I’m crying. As if lured, I move back to the balcony door in hopes of hearing the sound again. But before I do, my mother calls out to me. “Lena, come down here and say hello to the Morgan’s.” Sighing in frustration, I let out a deep breath and head down to the living room. As I walk down the stairs, I can hear answering howls off in the distance.

The evening is very quiet. Living in San Francisco, you get used to city noises like traffic, people laughing, the trolley, dogs, and other sounds. Here, all you hear are night owls and crickets.

I’m in the middle of the forest in a sheer white dress. I can feel myself looking for something, but I don’t know what it is. Suddenly, a giant wolf with clear gray eyes appears. Its mouth is open wide, showing large gleaming white fangs. I turn to run, but it follows me until it catches me. Falling on my back hard, I cry out when the wolf straddles my waist. The wolf opens its massive jaws, ready to rip me to shreds. Not wanting to see my demise, I close my eyes tightly. The wolf moves closer, sniffing my neck and face. Breathing raggedly, I bite my lip as tears gather in my eyes. Suddenly, the weight holding me down changes. Instead of paws, I feel a hand brush my hair from my face. Frightened, I open my eyes, surprised to find the most good-looking man I’ve ever seen leaning over me. He has beautiful dark hair and clear gray eyes, like the wolf. His mouth is lush, and his face is rugged. Heart pounding, I gaze up at him, captivated by his beauty. As if in a trance, he leans down and hovers his lips above mine. Enraptured, I lift my head, ready to meet his lips…

“Lena, breakfast is ready. Come down and eat.” I blink my eyes feeling the sun’s rays shine down on my face. It’s morning. The hot guy was just a dream. How disappointing is that? Stretching out, I rise from my bed, open my bag, reach for my bikini, some short cut-off jeans, and a cropped tank top.

Once I’m done getting ready, I head down the stairs. Everyone is already eating breakfast and laughing. Pulling out a chair, I take a seat and pour some orange juice into a cup. Ricky and Jesse are both having a sword fight with their spoons. My dad and Mr. Morgan are talking about a game, and Mrs. Morgan and Mom discuss god knows what. My eyes focus on the sunlight outside and the dream from this morning. It felt so real. I’m pulled from my thoughts when my mom leans over and asks me something. Shake my head, I give her a questioning frown. “What?” My mom snickers in reply. “I said, how about we go down to the lake. There are canoes and kayaks. I shrug my shoulders in reply. “Sure.”

Once everyone is done with breakfast, we head down to the lake and rent a few canoes. The lake is very beautiful, with its crystal clear water. Unfortunately, the canoeing didn’t work out quite the way we expected it to. As soon as we go to the middle of the lake, Jesse and Ricky began jumping and hollering. This, in turn, made Jesse sick. He ended up puking all over mom. Ricky didn’t want to be left behind, so he puked on his mom. I swear if I weren’t stuck in the canoe with them, I would have laughed. That’s when everyone decides to give up on the idea of canoeing and head back to land. My dad and Mr. Morgan go their own way to do who knows what, and Mom and Mrs. Morgan go up to take the boys a bath. Some family vacation this is turning out to be.

Unwilling to let this bring down the mood. I decide to take a walk in the woods. I mean, everyone else is busy doing their own thing. I walk for a while, passing beautiful trees and fauna that I’ve never seen before. I don’t know how long I walk, but it’s probably close to a half-hour when I spot the most beautiful lagoon. It’s beautiful with large boulders and a small waterfall in the middle of it. My heart soars at the sight of the beautiful tranquil water. Running my fingers through my hair, I move closer and dip a toe into the water. The water is perfect, with its warm, soothing flow. I look around, making sure that there is no one around, which is funny considering that I’m in the middle of nowhere. Better to be safe than sorry. Stepping back, I slip my slippers off, followed by my shorts and top, which leaves me with my white string bikini. The bikini is very revealing, with only triangles covering my breasts and my mound. I always feel sexy when I wear it. It shows my flat stomach, firm breasts, and my cute butt to perfection. Too bad there are no hot guys here to see it. Sophie and Kaya say that I look like a model. They’re so sweet.

Climbing up some nearby rocks, I dive into the cool water. Reaching the surface, I push my hair back and float on my back. I’m happier than I’ve ever been right now. The water caresses my face and shoulders sensuously, making my nipples tighten into hard knobs. After a while, I walk towards the edge and prepare to go home. As I’m bending down to pick up my clothes, I hear a strange cracking sound. It’s coming from the rocks above the waterfall. It looks like I’m going to be eaten by a bear.