Darkest Truths

Chapter One

"Ilta, I'm home!" Someone shouted from the kitchen.

"Okay, Mom! I'm in the sauna!" Ilta shouted back. She got out of the warm room in the house and made her way to her room to get dressed.

"Don't call me your Mom, Ilta. Don't forget I'm a dude!!" Oliver yelled. Sure thing, Oliver. I'll get that right once you stop acting like my Mom, Ilta thought sarcastically in her mind.

After getting dressed she headed down to the kitchen, the wonderful smell of lohikeitto, a soup consisting of salmon leeks and potatoes greeting her.

"Thank you Oliver!" Ilta says excitedly, as lohikeitto is her favorite.

"Anything for my darling little sister," Oliver responded with a smile. Oliver was short for a guy. He was a guy with messy blonde hair, not to mention his sharp nose, large blue eyes, pink button up shirt, khaki pants and dress shoes.

Ilta looked up from her food to observe her brother.

"You have a surprise you want to give me." Ilta stated, no surprise executed in her voice.

"You always have to ruin the surprise, don't you Ilta?" Oliver laughed out loud.

"It is no fun to have a surprise for me." Was the calm reply from Ilta. "Fine, I got you a puppy." Oliver said. Then under his breath he mumbled "Surprise failed."

Oliver frowned, then smiled hugely as the door bell rang.

"He's here!" Ilta walked to the door calmly. When she opened the door, a cute puppy greeted her with joyful licks. Ilta giggled and petted the puppy on the head. The puppy nuzzled her back. Oliver walked up behind Ilta, then spoke.

"Loving her already?"

Ilta looked behind herself. "Of course, Oliver, anything coming from you is precious to me!" Ilta replied, setting the puppy on her lap.

"Yeah, she is precious. I got her from the pound. They said they found her on the streets, in a box. They named her Eevi because she was living in horrible conditions. Do you want to change her name?"

"No. She has a fine name, and I don't think she'll respond to any other names. Her name will absolutely be Eevi." Ilta breathed, finally looking up at the person who had given the greatdane pit bull mix to her.

"Jason?" Ilta questioned, slightly confused. "I thought you left town!"

"I came back. It's good to see my best friend." Jason's deep voice responded as he went in for a hug. Ilta hugged him back, grasping his shirt.

"Come in, Jason. You're always welcome here." Oliver invited Jason, stepping aside, leaving some space for Jason to enter.

"I wouldn't want to interrupt your lunch. It smells so good." Jason murmured, shaking his head.

"No bro, no worries, come inside. We have some soup to spare." Oliver said, again gesturing Jason inside. Jason took a hesitant step in, then finally stepped in fully.

"How is school, Jason?" Ilta asked.

Jason looked back at Ilta, suddenly realizing she was still sitting there. "Same as always, sis." Jason replied with a grin. "I haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been?"

"Sick." Ilta sighed. "I had a mild cold. It wasn't that bad, but I felt awful."

"Well, lunch break is over. We gotta get back to school." Jason remarked, looking at his watch. "You coming? I have space in my car for another person."

"Yes, of course. Just wait, let me get my bag." Ilta responded. She turned around and scampered to the small living room, where her bag was waiting for her on the sofa.

She grabbed it and ran back to her best-friend. "Okay, let's go."

Jason gestured her into his gray Toyota and she ducked into it, buckling her seatbelt once she had found a comfortable seating position.

Ilta took a deep breath and took in the new smell that the Toyota contained.

"Did you clean your car?" She asked him.

He didn't look at her. "Yeah." He stuck the cars key into the wheel and pulled the lever on his right, starting the car.

He then looked back and grabbed the seatbelt, buckling himself to the seat. Jason put his hands on the wheel and pushed the pedal, making the car slowly back out of the drive-way and out in the street. He pulled the lever again and started to drive down the street.

Ilta had always admired the beauty of the streets of Finland. People on the side, trying to lure others to buy their products, and the music that played at every corner. Ilta sighed, taking in the sights of the small town she lived in.

When the two friends arrived at school, Ilta got out of the car, reaching back into it to get her backpack. She pulled it over her shoulder and waited for Jason to also get out. He twisted the key and pulled it out.

The car puffed and the engine turned off.

Jason climbed out of the car, dragging his backpack behind him. He looked behind Ilta and smiled.

Ilta looked behind herself and found Amber skipping over to them. "Hai everyone!" She cheerfully murmured.

Jason waved at her and put his backpack to the ground, pulling out his binder.

Ilta though, padded forward to greet Amber. "Hello Amber, how was your weekend?" She questioned.

Amber's face twisted. "Oh, fine." She muttered.

"You make your emotions so obvious!" Jason teased her. Amber looked up and her face reddened. "No I don't!"

Jason nodded. "You see, you just got angry! Your face turned red! Hahahaha!" He chuckled.

"Oh shush!" She teased back, her face still slightly red. "Is it that obvious?"

Ilta finally smuggle herself into the conversation. "Yeah."

Amber turned to Ilta. "Okay, I'll admit, I have problems trying to not show them. I can't help it."

Ilta shook her head and grinned. "Okay, so, what happened that made you look so sad or whatever?"

"I-" Amber started. "My brother disappeared. I don't know where she went, but the police said they would look for her."

"Oh." Ilta sighed. "Another person disappears."

Amber's head cocked to one side in confusion. "What?"

Ilta shook her head. "Nothing."

She had read in a newspaper that people were suddenly disappearing randomly. Children. Teenagers. Even adults. Nobody knew what was happening. It started a few years back, when two teenagers had walked in the deep forest that Ilta had walked in when she was only fourteen (bringing candles with her) and ever came back out.

Ilta felt that the candles she brought in there had something to do with this, so she ended her ritual and started to only do it inside. It didn't work anyway. Every person who walked inside that very forest would disappear.

Ilta, however, always came back.

Alive.

And well.

She felt a connection with that forest. It was very hypnotizing and very so often she would run into the forest without hesitation or thought. She brought Jason with her, since he was her very best-friend. He was also fine. Maybe he felt a connection also?

"Ilta! ILTA!" A voice shouted. Ilta snapped out of her thoughts and looked around. Jason's face was red and his black brown hair was messy. He was angry.

His brown eyes looked deeply into hers. "ILTA" he yelled again.

"WHAT!!!" Ilta exclaimed. She remarked that Amber was gone. Ilta must of been thinking for a while.

"You weren't answering Amber or me! Come on, the bell rang!"

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So that's the first chapter the updates will be random because of school. I hope you enjoyed reading!