Fablehaven (a rewrite, book 1)

A Mandatory Vacation

Kendra stared out a window of the SUV watching the greenery blur past, listening to the soft music coming from her AirPods. Her Spotify playlist had already repeated a few songs, so she moved to turn the loop off. It didn't matter too much, as the playlist was simply 'background music', but she was growing tired of it anyway. She shifted her eyes back to the window, looking ahead and fixing her gaze on a particular tree, following as it steadily approached, streaked past, and gradually receded behind her. It was one of the many things she did to distract herself on this endless, two-lane highway in Connecticut.

"Why didn't you tell us Grandpa Sorenson lived in India?" Seth complained.

Her brother was twelve and heading into seventh grade. His attention to his Switch had run through its course⏤evidence that they were on a truly epic drive. Kendra took out an earbud, as she too wanted to know what was taking so long.

Mom twisted to face the backseat. "It won't be much longer. Enjoy the scenery."

"I'm hungry," Seth said.

Mom started rummaging through a Walmart bag full of snacks. "Peanut butter and crackers?"

Seth reached forward for the crackers. Dad, driving, asked for some Almond Roca. Last Christmas he decided that Almond Roca was his favorite candy and that he should have some on hand all year long. Nearly six months later he was still honoring his resolution.

"Do you want anything, Kendra?"

"I'm fine," she replied.

Kendra returned her attention to the frantic parade of trees, placing the missing AirPod back in her ear. Her parents were leaving on a seventeen-day Scandinavian cruise with all the aunts and uncles on her mother's side. They were all going for free, you'd think them lucky. In reality, they were going on a cruise because Kendra's grandparents had passed.

Grandma and Grandpa Larsen had been visiting relatives in South Carolina. These relatives happened to live in a trailer with some mechanical problems. Unknown to everyone, there was some sort of malfunction involving a gas leak, and they all died in their sleep.

Long ago, her grandparents had specified that when they died, all their children and their spouses were to use an allocated sum of money to go on a Scandinavian cruise. Grandchildren were not invited. (ensue Seth grumbling)

"Won't you get bored stuck on a boat for seventeen days?" Kendra asked, pausing her music. She decided not to get the noise-canceling earbuds—because they were way too expensive—so that would be sufficient.

Dad glanced at his daughter in the rearview mirror. "The food is supposed to be incredible. Snails, fish eggs, the works."

Kendra and Seth both mimed gagging at those words.

"We're not all that thrilled about the trip," Mom said sadly, her eyes cast downwards. "I don't think your grandparents envisioned an accidental death writing their will. But we'll try and make the best of it."

"The ship stops in ports as you go," Dad explained, deliberately redirecting the conversation. "You get to roam free for part of the time."

"Is this car ride going to last seventeen days?" Seth grumbled.

"We're nearly there," Dad reassured.

"Do we have to stay with Grandma and Grandpa Sorenson?" Kendra asked, trying not to sound whiney. "Why couldn't we have stayed with Alyssa's family? I'm sure they wouldn't mind too much."

"I think you just want to stay with your girlfriend for two weeks," Seth teased.

"She's not my girlfriend, Seth," Kendra snapped back, slowly sinking into her seat from embarrassment, heat rising into her cheeks.