Is this Rare?

Chapter 1

After our flight had landed in Seattle, Washington, we waited at the baggage claim to collect our things. Within minutes, Jennifer, Maggie, and Ann all have their few bags in hand or at least sitting next to them down on the ground. Me, on the other hand, well, let's just say I can't seem to find one bag. I have my suitcase and carry on, but my duffle just hasn't decided to make an appearance yet. So, we wait, scrutinizing the area. Suddenly, Maggie is briskly walking away from us. Minutes later, she returns, she calls out to us, struggling to haul her suitcase behind her while carrying my duffle.

Eventually, we flag down a taxi, stuff our bags into the trunk and pile in. Once we were all seated and have buckled our seat belts buckled, Jennifer gives our taxi driver, a young man from a different country, who, with a strong accent, introduced himself Damile, the address of the cabin we had rented weeks before.

Damile expertly eased his bright yellow taxi cab through the streets of Seattle during this busy rush hour: it's just after lunch time when we pull away from the curb. Throughout the duration of the ride, Ann is hyper, which is very unusual. I decide to poke Maggie in the ribs for no apparent reason and that sets of a chain of laughter. While Maggie is laughing hysterically, as usual, she suddenly and unexpectedly bangs her head into the window, which sets off another round of laughter exploding out from the rest of us!

As we reach the edge of the woods, which the cabin was set in, I notice that Damile had a slight tremor in his hands. I'm not usually the observant one, that's Jennifer! I'll have to mention it to her later. I'm not sure what makes me more serious and nervous, is it the hazy mist settling in woods or the strange noises that I imagine are set deep within? Most of all, I wish the swirling clouds, which have become very dense and dark, would be blown away. I'm no expert In weather pattens and such, but I'm positive we are in for a storm! And, I mean soon! Really soon!

Damile slams to a stop and shoves the car into park. We replace our jackets while Damile hurriedly unpacks the trunk. In the process, he stacks our suitcases into a precarious, tottering pile. We hand Damile some folded paper cash to pay for the taxi ride, then he quickly hops back into the driver seat: literally leaving us in the dust, or should I say dirt, as he speeds away.

After we finish sorting out the suitcases, we grab our bags and head up the nearly invisible path, covered with leaves, branches, and who knows what else, to a clearing, where our cabin is supposedly waiting for us.

I was right. As we walk, I being to hear the faint rising patter of rain drops, splattering on the leaves in the higher forest and my suspicions are confirmed: we are in for a storm. As we reach a very small clearing I know that my brand new Converse aren't going to make it long in this weather. I heave a sigh and continue on, stepping carefully and following my friends into the darkness.

Suddenly, I bump into Ann, who is in front of me. I hadn't been watching where I was going and I run smack into her back: face first. She turns and gives me a look. But then, we just start laughing. I hear my other friend's familiar voices up ahead, but not clearly enough to tell what's being said. More like mumbled. They just keep talking in somewhat hushed whispers. We are stopped in the middle of these woods, with an oncoming storm and lots of little bugs and mud and probably snakes and bats too. I am getting overly frustrated and disgusted with the thought of bugs nesting in my blonde curls. Suddenly, I burst out and yell, "I don't care! I just want to get out of this rain!" And I stomp away, past my friends and towards a big looming shadow with a slight attitude. I guess that the shadow is our cabin. As I'm moving away I here one of them whisper, "Of course she would, she is the divine city girl out of all of us. She hates the outside, let alone the woods with bugs and snakes and all."

I just shrug my shoulders and laugh to myself. Of course they would think that. And, they are right too. Out of all of us, I would definitely be defined as 'the city girl'. I hate bugs and mud and blood. And, pretty much anything scary or gross. Also whenever things or people pop out of nowhere and scared my half to death. So, yes, their comment doesn't bother me at all, because it's pretty much the truth.

Just then, Maggie runs to catch up with me, hauling her bags behind her. We both approach the door, but we don't go inside, we plan to wait, outside in the cold wind, for Jennifer and Ann.

Well at least we are sort of dry now. There is a low hanging awning just above our heads. I really just can't wait to get inside and out of the woods, but we wait like good friends for the others. Or at least that's our excuse. Honestly, I think Maggie might be scared of the contents of the cabin, but I could be wrong. I know I am, but I'd rather be in there with who knows what than out here with rain, wind and so much worse than what could be on the other side of this wooden door.

Finally. Ann and Jennifer meet us at the doorstep. We let Ann enter first, because she's always been the bravest. It's not that there is anything wrong with this cabin or anything to be scared of inside it, it's just an old cabin that's rented out by the city. Still, we let her go inside first. I was right. Maggie was scared. And, well, so I was, I guess. I just didn't want to admit is.

I hesitate a moment, in the doorway, gathering my courage to enter the dark, shadowy, two story cabin during a storm. I steal myself and take a quick step through the door, before my single ounce of courage fizzles out.

We all gather in the living room. Well, what we guessed the living room would be, there's a rickety rocking chair and an old looking, dusty couch, and some steps in the background that must lead upstairs. Then, I look around and notice Jennifer comes in seconds behind all of us. Questions run through my mind, I don't know why. But, I decide not to voice them and raise suspicion. I am never this observant at all. If anything, I had a hard time remembering things the teacher said in literally every single one of my classes, that is before we graduated.

Either way you look at it, I'm becoming way to observant for my taste. Besides, this is supposed to be a fun vacation not a death sentence. But, I can already tell that this whole trip might turn out to be a horrible mistake.