Downpour

For the first time in 2 weeks, Sam wasn't startled awake by a child knocking on their door. Instead, they gently awoke to the sound of rain on the roof of their cabin, thunder booming in the distance. It was a welcome change; Caleb and Lillian had been sure to come wake them up every evening to play, and Sam always ended up exhausted. The pair seemed to have boundless energy, and Sam was sure they'd stay out during the day as well if the ghosts weren't all so sensitive to the light (a lesson Sam had learned the hard way). They were sweet though, including Sam in their games and being considerate of their ideas. They didn't seem to mind at all that Sam was much older (physically) and that they'd only just met. Through the youngest two, they had been able to bond with the eldest a bit. Benny was friendly with them and ever polite, if quiet, but something told them that he just wasn't much of a talker. The twins were a whole other story, and they seemed to be actively avoiding Sam, not speaking to them and hiding away when they approached. Lillian said the pair would warm up to them eventually, that they were shy and had trouble trusting people. They'd just have to be patient and let them get used to their presence.

Speaking of waiting, where were the kids? Certainly they weren't deterred from their constant games by some simple rain? Though, if they thought about it, Sam could understand Lillian wanting to stay dry, as they were starting to notice a connection between water and her being upset. Her dress would become dripping wet out of nowhere whenever she was disappointed or otherwise distressed, then dry again when her mood shifted. Most of the ghosts had some sort of strange abilities—teleportation, floating, vision altering—so it wasn't out of the question. Thus, it made sense that she may be staying inside. Caleb, however, would surely like to run around in the rain, digging in the mud and generally behaving like any chaotic young boy would in this sort of weather. However, they didn't hear anyone outside. In fact, they couldn't hear any noise at all other than the storm.

Their thoughts were interrupted by a flash of bright light through the window, followed by a startlingly loud clap of thunder. Sam would've thought nothing of it, but they could've sworn they heard a quieter, muffled sound immediately afterward, causing them to worry. Dragging themself off their bunk, they opened the cabin door, trying to find the sound again through the rain. They managed to pinpoint the quiet sound as coming from the siblings' cabin, but they just couldn't tell what it was. This, on top of the strange change in routine, birthed a bit of concern in Sam. They'd grown to like the Weaver kids, being stuck with them, and they wanted to make sure that nothing was going on. Alright, they thought, enough waiting around. I should go check on them. Zipping up their hoodie, they held their backpack over their head and hurried to the other cabin, trying to stay as dry as possible. Though tempted to burst in and get out of the rain, Sam was trying to teach the kids the art of knocking and didn't want to intrude, so they instead rapped on the door and waited. The sound was louder now, clearer, but they could only really identify it when Benny opened the door, Lillian held in his arms. Sobbing. The room was filled with the sound of sobbing.

The youngest was soaked as if she'd been out in the rain herself, and she didn't say a word as Benny ushered them inside. The only sounds to come from her were hiccuping cries, tears pouring from her coal-black eyes. Seeing the usually bright girl so down was unsettling, and Sam hated to see it, placing a hand on her back in what they hoped was a comforting manner. Moments later, their attention was drawn to one of the beds by a soft whine. Sam knelt down beside the bed, looking under and meeting eye-to-eye-socket with Caleb, who whined and stared back at them, seeming more upset than they'd ever seen him. He was surrounded by blankets, wrapped up under the bunk as though it were an animal's den. Their little staring contest was broken with the next boom of thunder, which caused the boy to flinch violently, making the whole bunk rattle with the force. His reaction was overshadowed, however, by a loud sort of shriek from the far side of the cabin that startled Sam into nearly smacking their head on the bed frame and made Caleb whine louder. They'd worry about that in a moment; they'd take this one step at a time, and didn't want to abandon the boy under the bed.