Don't Open That Door - GoM 1

BW - 5

They didn't trade a single word for a couple of hours. After a silent, broody lunch, Claire sensed Alex wouldn't punch her lights out if she opened her mouth, and decided to try her luck.

"Wanna know what the librarian told me?" she asked softly, bringing their dishes to the sink for Alex to wash.

Alex only nodded, still too annoyed and too worried to mind about being polite. Maybe Claire's chatter would help her ease her mood.

"Well, the old lady selling the pendants is one Ann Campbell, the last survivor of an old local family. Turns out it was her little sister Beth who killed herself when her fiancé didn't show up to their wedding. Ann's parents died a few years later and she stayed alone at the family cottage in the woods. She comes to town twice a month, to sell her crafts and buy food and supplies."

Alex nodded again, frowning slightly.

"What?" asked Claire.

"Nothing. We can't jump to conclusions." Alex closed the faucets and forced a quick smile. "So far, you got their names and you confirmed the story behind the scary tale. Now go grab the books I bought."

Claire hurried to the bedroom and back to the living area. Alex did her best to ignore the girl's bright smile.

"Pick one and start reading, kiddo. We need to find what's the symbol on the pendants. And then, what does it have to do with what happened to Nancy and her boyfriend."

They spent the whole afternoon reading. The sun was setting behind the trees when Alex found an old engraving that caught her attention. It was the outline of a butterfly with spread wings in a circle, and it reminded her of Claire's pendant.

The book had a couple of pages about its meaning. And right after, she found the exact symbol from the pendant. She realized it was actually the same butterfly, but lacking some lines. The title sent a chill down her back: Curse of the Broken Wing. She read it twice, and was about to show it to Claire when somebody knocked on their door.

"It's the manager," said Claire, stretching in her chair to see out the front window.

"I'll get it."

Alex walked out of the cabin and Claire went to the bathroom. She stood before the mirror to apply body cream to the burn on her collar bone. Weird. It didn't hurt, not even itch. No blisters either, only the thin red lines of the symbol on her skin.

"A good way to make sure I can't get rid of your mark, right, Ann?" she muttered, sliding her fingertips over it.

She wished she could explain to Alex how she felt, but she knew it was useless. Whenever it came to her wellbeing, logic went straight out Alex's window, overcome by her concern about her little girl.

However, Claire didn't feel in danger. She trusted Alex, and she knew her aunt would keep her from any harm. Maybe it didn't make sense. It was just the way it'd always been. Even before their family died and they were left all alone, Alex had always been there for her. Taking care of her, protecting her, loving her.

And Claire wasn't about to miss a chance to learn about the secret world Grandpa Bootter had been a part of. That world Alex too knew well, even if she kept denying it.

Back to the living area, Claire found Alex making more coffee.

"The police need the campground closed," she said from the kitchen counter.

"But we ain't leaving town, right?"

Alex shook her head. "We can't. If the symbol has anything to do with the ghost, and the ghost isn't bonded to the land, it'd follow us wherever you go."

"So we need to find accommodation."

"There's a motel across town. The manager offered us a room there, on the house for the two days we still had here."

"What about Fred and Susan?"

"They haven't come back yet. Fred's gotta go back to work on Monday, so I don't think they're staying."

"You think that's better, so we can go around on our own." Alex shrugged and Claire frowned. "You're tired," she said. She meant upset, but she didn't need to say it, because both of them knew it.

Out of an habit the girl always found so sweet, Alex flashed a quick smile. "I'm fine." She nodded to the open books on the table. "I wanna show you something."

They were sitting back down when another knock on the door stopped them.

"We know you're in there, Corbans!" Jason shouted from the porch. "Turn yourselves in peacefully!"

Claire hardly had time to remove the books to the bedroom before their friends came in, with a six-pack and their cheerful mood. Jason handed out cold cans for all of them and raised his.

"This is goodbye, Corban," he said, trying to play serious.

"You're not staying?" asked Alex, queen of casual.

"At that godforsaken motel? Not even for you, Al," replied Susan.

"We're hitting the road in a while," Jason said. "We wanna be home before midnight."

"Of course, you're living only three hours away from here," said Claire.

"What about you, guys?"

"We're spending the night here to leave early in the morning," Alex said. It was strictly true, only they wouldn't be heading back home yet.

"You're always so wise," said Jason with a mocking smirk.

Susan laughed heartedly. "Yeah! As long as nobody dares her!"

"What d'you mean?" asked Claire, curious.

"Your aunt here used to have a reputation for never saying no to a dare."

"A dare like what?"

Jason shrugged. "Drinking, sprinting, staying awake three days straight. You name it"

"But the best of all was when Bass dared her to jump to the lake from Bay Crest."

Claire turned to Alex, gaping. "And you did it?" Alex flashed a little smile. "Al! It's a hundred-foot jump! What were you thinking!" cried Claire, shocked, making the others laugh out loud.

After having dinner together for the last time until the next year, Jason and Susan hugged the Corbans goodbye and got in their car to leave. Alex and Claire lingered at the porch, waving goodbye as Jason honked and drove away. He exited the campground at the same time that the Challenger drove in, past the Corbans, to stop outside the next cabin.

Mark got out already smiling at them. Alex showed him her beer and waved him over.

"I'll be right there!" he said, trotting into his cabin.

"You still think we can't trust him?" asked Claire, while they watched Mark come back out with a six-pack and head to their cabin.

"He's okay, I guess," Alex replied, thoughtful. "We can always trust your gut, right?"