There's Something Wrong with Dakota

Chapter One - Moving in

Moving in

Do you know how it feels to lose your parents so unexpectedly? I sure do. It just happened to me. Trust me, it's not the best feeling in the world. 

My siblings and I stay silent as the taxi driver takes us to my aunt's house. There were three of us. I was the middle child, sixteen years old. My brother's name is Jake. He's older than me by a year. He looks a lot like my mom with his blonde hair and blue eyes. Just when our parents died, he got a lot tougher, trying to help my sister and I cope up. My sister's name is Lily. She just turned eight two weeks ago. She looked a lot like a combination of my mom and dad. Her hair was dark brown and she had blue eyes, too.

And me, well, I looked like my dad. I had dark brown hair with hazel eyes. Those are some thing that I'm not really  proud to have. Honestly, I wish I didn't look so much like him. I'm not saying I hate him. It's just that I would've preferred to look like my mom. 

I look at Lily, who was currently sleeping beside Jake. She was too young to go through this. She still believes in her head that mom and dad are coming back. Sometimes,  I worry that she might always believe that. 

Losing our parents just made us all feel like a brick wall slammed on top of us. I didn't believe it at first.  I didn't want to. It just didn't sound right.

The fact that we had to move in with our aunt made me shiver. As much as I loved how sweet and kind she was, I just knew that she was a bit cuckoo. She believes in old myths and legends. Back when we used to visit her in the summer, she would tell me about ghosts and spirits that haunt the living. I was truly terrified. But she was the only relative that could take us in. Not the best choice, but there's is no onther choice, is there?

I feel a cold hand touch mine and I nearly jump out of my seat. I look to my brother and realize that he was the one holding me. "You okay?" he asks.

No, I'm not. "Yeah, just fine," I reply.

"I don't think it will be all that bad." 

Pfft, yeah right. "Aunt Jilly scares the living hell out of me."

For the first time in a long time, I see him smile. "Don't worry, she'll be more sane this time. And besides, you'll get to see Dakota again."

Dakota . . .

That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. Dakota is my cousin. She lives with Aunt Jilly. Right now, she's probably about the same age as I am. I have very small memories of her but I know that we used to play together all the time. 

I don't know why but . . . thinking of her gives me the chills. 

After what seemed like a decade, we finally arrived. It was just as empty as I remember. Aunt Jilly's house was big and old. It seriously needed to get repainted. There was a big tree in the front yard. The swing on it's branch was moving in the wind. The grass was dead and leaves were falling on the ground. 

And just on the porch was the rocking chair. That old, creepy, rocking chair that you see in horror movies. I don't know if aunt Jilly's being lazy or f she's just trying to make her house haunted.

Lily stood beside me and said, "We're living here?"

I looked down at her and nodded. "Unfortunately." She held my hand and said, "I want to go back home."

I didn't want to say it out loud but, this was our home now.

As we walk towards the house, I couldn't help but feel that there was someone watching us. I just shook it off and walked faster. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone walk away from the window. I make a small gasp. Why am I feeling so jumpy?

Before we even had time to knock on the door, it opened, revealing our very lovable aunt.