When Life and Death Meet

May 27

    The forest was cold, branches hit each other with every gust of wind that came it's way. The ground slushed under a young girl's feet. Her body was closed off, and mahogany-colored hoodie stuck to her skin, burnt umber hair dampened from the cold rain that blew harshly in the wind. The girl shivered, anxiety coursing through her veins but she couldn't stop walking. Looking back, she saw her home, which was stationed at the opening of the forest. It was the only house that was so close to the dangerous wooded area, which gave it quite a reputation.

    The young girl pulled her hood above her head and went back to walking. I can't hear anything in this wind, not like it matters anyway. She doubted any creatures would be roaming during this storm, plus, they weren't the worst part. The stories and rumors of the forest were what freaked her out the most, but even then, the whole town was creepy, littered with 'missing person' posters, newspaper articles about mysterious deaths, sounds in the night. Anything that would give normal people a dreadful feeling.

    "Scooter!" A voice broke the girl out of her inner thoughts. She jolted and turned around, her heartbeat accelerating. A man stood at a distance, his dark eyes staring at her as he stepped closer, his enlarged hand gesturing for her to come.

    "C'mon Scooter- it's a storm tonight, don't want you out there catching yourself a cold." Her dad, Tim, called out to her. She looked around, looking towards the deeper parts of the forest, where she had planned to explore, but looked back at her dad with a nod. She ran towards him, and was soon back on her porch, her arms wrapping around him, with her fingers struggling to touch.

    "You're cold, honey, c'mon, let's get you inside," Tim spoke, leading Scooter inside the house, where it was warm and cozy. She looked around, seeing her brother, Toby, sitting on the old, well-used couch which was placed on the left of the door, the T.V sitting a few feet in front of it, playing some murder case, which wasn't uncommon for them to watch. Scooter took her shoes off before she got mud all over the wood flooring.

    "Hey Scoots'," Toby looked back from his spot on the couch, yawning as he looked her over. "What the hell were you doing out there in this weather? You're gonna get sick or something." He shook his head, his brown curls falling over his eyes, which were giving her a sharp look.

    "I know," Scooter finally spoke up, her voice held a slight country accent, and was soft, each word seeming to float into the air, "But I like going out in the forest, it's calming." She told her brother, who nodded in understanding.

    "It's dangerous," In came Brian, tall and muscular. He wasn't her uncle; he was just her dad's best friend who moved in to help with 'these kids'. Brian looked over at Scooter, brushing his sandy hair out of his face. "You've seen all the creepy stuff that goes on in those woods. We just don't want you to get hurt if you're spending so much time in there."

    "I know," Scooter once again repeated, looking over at Brian. "I'll be careful, don't worry, I won't let myself get hurt." Determination laced her tone as she gave him a nod. She looked back at her dad, "I'm gonna go take a shower and get dressed, then I'll be out in time for supper" She informed him, heading towards the stairs. Before going up, she glanced over to her left, where the door to the kitchen was open, allowing her to look in and catch a hint of what they would be eating. It seemed her dad had the slow cooker out, but she couldn't see what he was cooking inside. Giving a sigh, she ran up the stairs, entering the hallway. She passed by her brothers' room, the door was closed like it always was.

    Scooter's room was next to his, unlike his door, hers was open. She hid anything that she needed to, so she didn't feel the need to close her door whenever she wasn't in there. Walking in, she went to her dresser and pulled out some clothes. She grabbed a towel and walked into the shared bathroom between her and Toby's rooms. She locked both doors from the inside and hopped into the shower.

    Stepping out of the shower, Scooter wrapped herself in a towel. The cold air hit her skin, causing goosebumps to form. She brushed out her hair and put on some thick, black sweats with a brown tank top. She unlocked the doors and headed out of her bedroom, sprinting down the stairs just in time, as she heard her dad calling out that supper was ready. Slipping into the kitchen, she followed her brother and Brian to the table, where she sat down and waited for her dad to serve their food.

    "Welp- it's barbeque chicken, I hope you guys enjoy it." Tim smiled at his family as he set down everyone's plates.

    "We always do." Brian hummed out, waiting for his friend to sit down with his own plate. Scooter looked down at the chicken, a small smile forming on her face as she began to chow down on her favorite meal. Everyone else started to eat, chatting.

    "Dad, I was thinking," Scooter spoke up when there was a break between everyone talking. Tim looked up at her, nodding for her to continue. "Well, I'm gonna be sixteen soon... And when I'm sixteen I can get my license... Well, dad, I was really thinking hard about this- I really want a truck! Like really badly! And- and today- when I was walking home from school, I saw this truck, it's not exactly... New or anything, but it's perfect for me! It's this really nice brown, And it's cheap! Really cheap!" She begged her dad, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

    Tim thought about it for a moment, chewing on his chicken, his eyebrows furrowing. "What's the price?"

    "9,600."

    "Who's selling this truck?"

    "The Mackleburgs, the sweet ol' couple who lives by the school in that tiny house surrounded by overgrown grass." Scooter specified, biting her lip as she watched her dad eat his food silently. It was quiet for a bit, everyone wondering what Tim was going to say.

    "Hm... Let Brian and I talk it over, talk to the Mackleburgs, look over the truck, then we'll give you an answer." He finally spoke, much to Scooter's relief. Brian nodded in agreement, finding it a respectable answer.

    "Thanks, dad!" Scooter went back to her food, the feeling of the weight that had been holding her down that day seemed to finally be lifted. Of course, she was still a little nervous, there was still a chance at it being a no, but she had gotten a bit closer to it being a possible yes, which was good enough for her. Plus, Brian had been talking to her about cars for as long as she had been adopted. He got her interested in them. She was pretty sure he would be on her side while he talked to her dad.

    "I'm still waiting to get my license, I'm 17 but I'm still not allowed to drive?" Toby glared at his dad, who let out a quiet sigh.

    "Tobs', your therapist advised us to not let you get behind a wheel, with your, y'know, episodes, and all." He trailed off, the entire family going quiet. I remember the first time I saw an episode, it scared me. Not anymore though, I'm used to them, Scooter thought to herself after her dad mentioned them. Toby just gave a tiny nod, looking back down at his food. He finished it quickly and stood, dumping his plate in the sink. Without rinsing it, he walked out of the room, and up to his own.

    "...Shit." Tim shook his head, leaning back. The rest of the dinner was awkward after that conversation, and everyone silently ate.

    Once Scooter had finished her food, she placed her plate in the sink and rinsed off both hers and Toby's. She was about to start washing them, but Tim stopped her, setting his plate down.

    "Here, I can do that. You go enjoy your night." Scooter smiled up at her dad and thanked him, he gave her a pat on her shoulder before she headed up to her room. Shutting her door, she let out a yawn, her neck cramping up for a moment after she closed her mouth. Massaging her neck, she walked over to her bed, where she grabbed her laptop and worked on some homework, as much as she didn't want to do it, she knew she had to. Her dad would have a fit if she ended the school year off with any Fs.

    After a couple of hours, she set her computer down on her nightstand, plugging it in before standing. She walked over to the window, pulling the curtains back just as a branch slammed into the glass. She gave a small flinch, watching the wind blow, the rain hitting the ground. She gave a smile as she listened to the rain. She finally went back to her messy bed and laid down, wrapping herself in the fluffy blankets sprawled around, letting her eyes slip closed as the pitter-patter lulled her to sleep.