Embrace

Chapter 3

 The rain had all but totally stopped as they pulled into the lake house. Previously, it assaulted the car like bullets: firing through the tree cover with ease and pinging off the metal shell of the car with such a ferocity, Will considered taking the car to a thicker part of the forest for protection and just waiting it out. Luckily it was just water and not hail, otherwise that would've been exactly what would've happened.

The onslaught was enough to illicit an awe filled silence from the pair on the last leg of their journey. Pulled into a primal, hypnotising, silence at the sheer power of the rain storm they had found themselves in. The metallic hiss as thousands of drops struck the roof of the car, it was one of those moments where not even the radio was allowed to be switched on. Like you were breaking some kind of rule if you interrupted the rain in its percussive dance. A gut instinct that the sky demanded to be heard, and anything else was forbidden. A God relinquishing the grave-dirt from its ancient jaws as it awoke from buried and forgotten slumber.

The lake house was three stories high if you counted the stilt-like pilings underneath the main dwelling area. Undoubtedly to stop the house from being carried away if the waters of the lake should rise. Soft, wooden stairs led up to a front porch like area, with a garden table and closed barbecue in the corner. The house couldn't be more than a three minute walk from the actual lakeside as Niall could see it from the car window.

Even from the car Niall could tell that the lake was hauntingly still. It's mirror-like surface, an exact copy of the unpolluted sky above it, glittering like the most precious of wonders. It's stillness, coupled with the gentle mist that hid its furthest reaches from view, gave a mesmerising sense of mythological wonder. Like something old lived there, it was both daunting and peaceful. It gave cause for a shudder.

The pair exited the car, their shoes sinking about half an inch into the mud gave amusing squelches that Niall quietly smiled at in his enjoyment, while Will let out a groan of lament as he not only looked at his mud splashed car but now his messy shoes.

They each took as much of the luggage and beer they could carry so that they wouldn't have to make a return trip to the car and headed towards the wooden steps. The wood was slick and creaked unnervingly, causing Niall to spend more time worrying about his balance than looking where he was going, almost crashing into Will in his ascent as he followed behind.

Luckily he was able to stop himself, even more victorious in that nobody noticed his little blunder.

Yellow light filtered out of the glass screen doors as did the raucous sound of laughter and the gentle thrum of music, meant more to serve as background noise than entertainment.

"They're here! Finally!" Jess proclaimed jumping from her seat as she hurried over to help with the luggage. Or rather, the beer that she eagerly pried from Nialls closed hands.

"Hey guys!" Jason cried out, immediately catching the attention of Will and Niall as he stood loud, proud, and mostly naked save for one sock that hung from his crotch. He grinned brightly as he gyrated his hips causing the sock to flop around in tight circles, causing the group to burst out in laughter. "Impress a chick with a helicopter dick!"

"Hey! No interrupting!" Emma ordered, her cheeks flushed with the evidence of being mostly drunk as she pointed commandingly to Jason to sit back down. The two seemed to be engaged in a very heated battle of a game of snap.

A messy pile of upturned cards in the centre of the table, as she focused intently. Fingers twitching as if waiting to fire, likening the atmosphere to a Mexican stand off as opposed to a game of cards.

Jason grabbed the top card of the unturned deck, quickly flipping it over and placing it on the messy pile.

Four of hearts to three of spades. No match.