The Twisted Tick.

Chapter One: The Dreaded Journey

Peace.

The only thing I desired.

And it was the hardest to achieve.

"You're going to have frown lines if you don't stop that, Jay." I turned my head towards my sister Rowena and gave her an accusing glare.

"I'll blame you for them if you don't quite that." I threatened. She rolled her violet eyes with an amused expression and turned her gaze back to her phone's screen, scrolling through her never-ending feed while twirling a lock of purple highlighted hair with her finger.

"You do realize we couldn't turn their proposal down, don't you?" Ella, our older sister said from the drivers seat, "Dad would have wanted us to go meet them." I rolled my eyes.

"Dad isn't here though, now, is he?" I returned and averted my eyes when she gave me a hard stare. With her gold flecks reflecting the head light, she looked more intimidating through the rear-view mirror. I heard her sigh and I slumped in my seat, looking out the window to the barren land that stretched on for miles with not a single shop in sight.

I scowled.

Ugh, traveling. Who the heck even needed that when you had software these days to tour for you? Such a waste of energy and effort.

I sneaked a peak at the fuel indicator and sighed dejectedly. A waste of a whole lot of gas too.

We had been in the car for almost two hours now and so far, no houses or convenience stores had been spotted. The invitation we received the other day clearly stated the Sullivant mansion to be almost an hour away but two hours? seriously? I felt hungry as hell and all of our snacks were long over. I could even settle for instant mashed potatoes at this rate. A milk shake or a cheese sandwich or heck--even a fruit would do.

I was that hungry.

Not to mention, because of the havoc and excitement both Ella and Rowena had created due to the invitation, I had completely forgotten bringing along a set of my books. What was I supposed to do when we got there? Stare at people's faces and fake smiles the whole week? I didn't even understand why we were the only ones invited to their household instead of the other families. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the entire party was suspicious.

The Sullivants had cut themselves from the other influential families in town for a long time now. They even went so far as to change their location to an unknown, barren land with not a soul in sight. I assumed they weren't very social and wanted their peace somewhere less populated. Had I known it would be this goddamned peaceful, I would have tried harder to stay home.

But of course dad had to come in the middle of this decision as well.

I peered at the seat in front of me where Ella was visibly sulking. Our father had passed away when I and Rowena were seven and Ella being nine, had been hurt the most. It wasn't like our father drowned us in affection due to our mother having passed away as well. Nor did he care for us when we cried and play with us as children. He was always, always, busy.

And I hated that about him.

But being the angelic sweetheart Ella was, she thought he was doing his best as a single father with three daughters. Rowena, too, had come to accept his ignorant parenting as we grew. But I couldn't. And even if I could, it didn't matter anymore.

Because he wasn't here.

And meeting his previous relations on behalf of him just cause he would've wanted to meet them too didn't matter either. But of course, I was the only one that thought so. So much for being a beloved daughter.