Alone in French

One- Alone

The misty forest makes it impossible to see anything.  Trees reach for the stars like the sky is visible here, but it's not. The sun never shines here. Not in this new, pathetic place called Seule Cove. Seule being French for "alone".

My mom died just last year, and In her will, she left me this two story house in her hometown. Dad wanted a start over so he moved my brother, Caelum, and I to this tragic place.

"Whatcha reading, Nev?" Dad asks.

A book rests on my legs that are propped up on the dashboard. It's not an interesting story really but it's all I have out of the moving boxes.

"Twilight." I say flatly, a lie.

Dad sighs and turns to me, "Look, I'm sorry I brought you here. I thought you would like the new start."

"I don't." I snap, "I didn't want the new start, I was fine at home."

Dad says nothing more, he doesn't have the words. I argue with him a lot over things now. Like how mom would still be alive of he didn't have so much pride.

Dad's rusty truck zooms down the rode and though the misty forest. I look up from my book at the weak amount of grey light now provided. Further up the road, I see something standing.

"DAD STOP!" I scream.

He slams on the breaks causing me to jolt forward. My book slams to the floor and Caelum shrieks. Dad grunts then looks up at the road.

A wispy figure stands in the road. Tall and uninviting.

"What the hell, Nevaeh?" Dad shouts.

I look at him, "you don't see it?"

He glances out the windshield, "no, I don't. Don't scare me like that again."

I drop my head and move my thick, dirty blonde hair to cover my face. My fluffy bangs are a little long so they cover my eyes slightly.

I lean back into my seat as dad drives on.

**

Dust fills the halls, flying up in plooms as I set boxes in different rooms. My high tops pound on the floor as I walk around.

Eventually, I get a chance to start setting up my own room.  My bed sits in the corner across from a window.  I walk over to my book box and start putting them onto a shelf.  I'm about halfway done before Caelum walks into my room.

"Neveah?  Can you help me?" He asks.

I nod and follow him out of my room and into his own.  His room is full of boxes, mostly filled with toys, but that's not why he needs my help.

I quickly notice his open window, letting cold air leak into the room.

"Why would you open it?" I ask, walking over to the window to close it.

"I didn't," Caelum protests, "it opened by itself."

I place my hands firmly on the window and push it back down.  It closes with a slam.

"Windows don't open by themselves, stupid." I say as I walk out of his room.

As much as I want to believe that, I'm still rattled by what I saw on the road. What was it? How come I was the only one who could see it?

There's something about this place that doesn't sit right with me, and I can't figure out what.