Is this Rare?

Chapter 4

Jenn says, "What are we going to do?"

I hide in my fleece blankets and sleeping bag as Maggie, who sits beside me, slowly tries to coax me out of them. Once I'm out of the blankets, Ann and Jenn exchange a look. Silently, they stand from their seats, which sends a wave of fear shooting through me because I know exactly what they're going to do. They are going to investigate. Someday their curiosity is going to get the better of them, especially Jennifer. I can't bear even the thought of losing either one of them! I remind myself that this is just a cabin in the woods. Nothing too scary, right?

As they are on their way out, Maggie hisses at them through her teeth, "What are you guys doing?" I can tell she glances back at me, cuddled up in my blankets. She is trying to tell Jenn that I'm scared out of my mind, which is honestly 100% true! But, either Jenn doesn't understand or she is ignoring Maggie.

"We are going to see what that noise was, what else?!" Jennifer says completely calm, as she turns her back and heads in the opposite direction. Toward the front door. Toward the mysterious banging sounds. After she is out of sight, she calls for Ann, "Hey, Ann! Wait up!"

Maggie whispers, in a huffy voice, "You guys are totally crazy."

Maggie keeps trying to comfort me. She almost has me convinced that it was probably just sticks or branches hitting the house or something, when we hear the door swing open. Then, all of a sudden, we hear a distinct whooshing sound. Instantly, I'm out of my blankets and bounding after Maggie, who is just a few steps into the hallway. Then, we see Jenn has been knocked to the floor by a wooden chair, which is now laying on its side in the doorway to the kitchen. As we help her up, we ask, "What happened? Are you alright?"

Once she up she says, "That's what hit the house." But she doesn't take her eyes off the chair for a full minute. But, why? What makes this chair so special? I don't have any answers, but I know that I was right when I thought that this trip was a mistake. A big mistake.

We close the front door and make our way to the living room. Jenn checks her watch, she is the only one of us who brought one. For some reason, every time she glances down at her wrist, I get just a tad bit more nervous. Just then, she asks, "Well, is anyone hungry?"

Maggie speaks first, "Yeah, why not?"

Ann says, "What do we have?"

For a few minutes we sit in silence as Jennifer rummages through our food bag. When she found what she was looking, she pulls them out of the bag and holds them up for us to see.

"Who wants Chicken Noodle Soup?" She asks.

While we are making up our minds, Ann copies Maggie by saying, "Yeah, why not?"

While Jenn heads to the kitchen, she calls, "I'll see if the oven works."

While Jenn was in the kitchen we are all quiet for the first few minutes. I notice that Maggie keeps giving me looks. I try to interpret what they could mean. I've never been good at this. Could it mean that she really doesn't want to tell me something because I would be scared or because she wants to tell Ann first? Has she noticed anything special, like I have? Damile's shaky hands. Jennifer's hesitation when we entered the cabin. The strange floating chairs being blown into our cabin?

My thoughts are interrupted when I hear Jenn say, "Here you are, lovelies."

As she hands us each a bowl. Maggie exclaimed, "Smells good! You made the oven work?"

Because I'm suddenly super hungry, I quickly volunteer, "I'll get the utensils!"

Jenn continues, "Yeah, after--some--trouble." Again, all our giggles and smiles burst into full out laughter. After we are all finished eating we all start talking about super random things.

Suddenly, I burst out, "Let's play Truth or Dare!" This brings yet another round of groans. But eventually, they agree and we move into a circle on top of the sleeping bags spread out in the middle of the wooden floor.

"Nose goes!" Shouts Maggie.

We all put our fingers on the tips of our noses. But, unfortunately for Ann, she's is the last one.

"Oh, Ann!" Exclaimed Jennifer.

Ann just frowns.

"Trust or Dare?" I ask Ann excitedly.

Sadly, Ann answers, "Ummm.... True."

Maggie mutters, "Chicken." Under her breath as I think of a truth.

"Who," I begin, "Is your crush?"

Ann's face instantly turns a dark shade of pink as she defends herself, "I don't have one."

Almost instantly, Maggie shouts, "Liar! All lies!"

But, Jenn comes to her defense, "No, guys. She's right. Ann would tell me if she had a crush because she trusts me the most."

We let it go and continue our game. I go next.

Jenn looks at me and says, "Truth or Dare?"

Without thinking, I shout out, "Dare!"

Next, Jenn shoots me an evil smile and let's out a laugh. Of course she would. "Stand outside for 30 seconds."

I shout, "Nooo! I won't! Seriously, Jennifer Patterson!? Do you hate me or something?"

They all retort, "You said Dare!"

As I turn and stomp toward the front door, I yell over my shoulder, "You're going to pay for this!" As I stand outside in the drenching rain, I look down at my shoes, which are covered in mud and sitting in a puddle that keeps growing at an alarming rate. I think to myself, "How much longer?" Then, I just decide to go back inside regardless if my time is up or not. Besides, it's freezing out here and the wetness doesn't help. Obviously.

Once I'm inside and mostly dried off, I grab Maggie's arm and whisper into her ear, with her hair concealing my lips, "When it's Jenn turn make her Dare be to go upstairs by herself with no light for one minute. I told her that she was going to pay!"

Jenn is deathly afraid of being alone in the dark! Now that we are all sitting down again, Maggie asks Jenn, "Truth or Dare?"

We all watch Jenn as she comes to a conclusion. Slowly she says, glancing between Maggie and myself, "I know I am totally going to regret this but... Dare."

My face lights up with a huge smile! I turn to Maggie as I squeal, "Yes!"

Maggie can barely keep from laughing as she tell Jenn her Dare, "Go upstairs for a whole minute by yourself without a light."

Jenn spaces out for a full thirty seconds until Maggie waves her hand in front of Jennifer's face and calls, "Earth to Jenn."

We barely hear Jenn mumble, "Oh, yeah. Minute upstairs."

As she slowly stand, I remind her, "No light." And she makes her way upstairs.

Maggie, trying to encourage Jenn, calls out, "You can do this girl. It's only a minute! Your minute starts at the top!

Jenn calls down a moment later, "I'm at the top!"

Nearly a minute later, Maggie eventually calls out, "Ten more seconds!

At least someone was keeping track of the time, because I sure wasn't.

"Time!" Maggie shouts.

Jenn literally flies down the steps, leaps onto the couch, and grabs my fleece blanket. When we ask, "How was it?" We are given a hard stare and a sarcastic order to, "Shut up!"