Rattlebones (bxbxb)

Yeet

When we finally get to the lakehouse, it feels like waking up from a long-winded dream. The house sits on the edge of the lake, water as transparent as a windowpane. It's unclear know how long it had been since anyone had been out here, but the driveway is covered in unswept leaves, and the trees are overgrown. 

I couldn't imagine Eugene coming out here with his family to just hang out and get away from it all. For some reason, I had always imagined him as the loner type. The guy that stayed as far away from family functions as he could, because he was tough like that. 

"Oh man," Eugene sighs as we all clamor up to the house with our luggage. "This place brings back memories." He shakes his head and then gets his key out to open the front door. 

"I can't believe your parents let you come," Iggy tells me, and we stand side by side as we wait for Eugene to let us in. "Ethan inhaled a corn chip and had to go to the ER. Mom and dad pretty much told me to do whatever I wanted to."

"Oh! Right. Of course they let me come." I reply, trying not to sound too awkward. In reality, I hadn't really asked them. I had assumed they wouldn't mind me wandering off to some obscure cabin with two boys. 

Eugene pops open the door and we fall in after him, the smell of dust and lemon cleaner lingering in the air. 

The cabin is stunning. Large windows overlooking the lake. Plush sofas and a slightly old TV set in the living room along with an even older game system. There was a kitchen towards the back, and a staircase leading up to the bedrooms. Fancy, though it had a strange feeling, the whole house. As if it were waiting for someone or something.

Eugene throws himself down on one of the sofas. "Alright, who's cooking dinner tonight?" He questions. "I just spent an hour driving, and I'm dead. I'm beat to hell, man."

"Not me. I'm shit at cooking," Iggy admits, and he runs his fingers through his hair. "So it's either hot pockets for the next two days or one of you tries saving us from starvation."

"I'll do it." I offer up, and I drag my suitcase past them. "My mom made me take cooking lessons when I was thirteen. I think I can make something without burning down the house."

"Ooo, Darcy Brown's going to cook dinner for us! Sounds romantic!" Eugene smirks, amused. 

"Shut up!" I grumble at him, and then I clatter up the stairs, my cheeks flushed.

As I had assumed earlier, the house was a living time-capsule from the 90s. It had that weird hunter-green, deep-blue type of color on the walls. And patterned wallpaper was everywhere. I pick a room near the back with a large, canopy bed and a darker color scheme. A window looks out towards an overgrown rose garden and the forest. It's calm and peaceful, and it makes me want to stay here forever, not just for two days. 

I dump all my stuff on the bed and then exhale, relaxing for just a split second before a muffled grunt erupts from my backpack.

Oh, right. Larry. 

Heart in my throat, I unzip the bag a second later, revealing the grinning skull inside. "Jesus, Joseph, and Mary! Air!" He cries, and gasps for breath. "Sweet air! I've had my face in your underpants for the last goddamn hour!"

"Don't be so dramatic." I cross my arms. "You're lucky that I took you home at all instead of putting you back into that crawlspace."

"Look, Joey." Larry drawls, sounding just as annoyed. "We need to have a serious talk, Death Bringer."

There was that word again. I feel a chill shoot down my back. And me being the problem solver that I was, decided to take matters into my own hands.