From the Ashes

Chapter 2 (continued)

The ride to Emercaster seemed to last for eons. One boring interstate after the next, dodging semi-trucks, passing cars, soon entering the territory of rivers, cliffsides, and shortly after, oceanviews.

I feigned sleep for a while, occasionally turning my head to either side before relaxing again. Soon I really did doze off, or I figured I must have, because shortly afterwards I opened my eyes and found we left the last highway. We followed a network of roads, each narrower and more winding than the one before. By the time we'd neared the city limit of Emercaster, my body became stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. Livvy had fallen asleep fifteen minutes into the ride, too.

Before long, we'd come down another road that led to what I assumed to be a residential neighborhood. Though, from how the houses were spaced, I don't think 'residential' would be the correct word. A house appeared, then a mile later, so would another. This was more rural than anything. Not to mention it seemed quiet and not many lampposts had been planted around.

Aunt Susan turned once more onto a one-lane gravel road and we headed into the woods, though I could smell a faint salt scent of the ocean through the air vents. We must not have been too far from the coast.

The rising moon shot pale, white beams through the trees, casting shadows everywhere. Some of the trees stood tall, high and mighty, while others made their way out from the earth, arching in an odd angle. They almost looked like gnarly, giant hands, reaching skyward. I gazed out at the dark road, inhaling the salty night breeze that lingered in Aunt Susan's car. Maybe we'd like it here, after all.

We rounded a curve, and soon enough, there it was. Aunt Susan's house. In the gloom of the night, it was a massive shadow with concrete steps leading up to the front porch. The porch lights burned like lighthouse beacons through the night. I knew it was a colonial build and spacious. It was also in the middle of a clearing. As for everything else, I could only make out the pitch-black shingles and two small windows on the roof, evenly set apart from each other. The place was a silhouette, the lighter colors turned white against the light of the moon.

"It's a big house," I commented as I stared at it through the windshield.

"It is," Aunt Susan said. "Maybe a little too big for a single woman like me, but it was the most affordable and most private I could find by the harbor."

She pulled into the carport right beside the home and turned off the ignition. I opened my door, stepping out into the night and stretching, happy to be out of the car. At least for tonight.

After getting our suitcases from the trunk, we trudged our way on the front walk up to the door. Aunt Susan unlocked it and pushed the door open. The smell of peppermint immediately greeted us, the aroma traveling through my nose, into my lungs, and out. Just breathing it reminded me of home, reminded me of the nights when Mom used to make peppermint tea before going to bed.

I pressed onward into the living room with Livvy and Aunt Susan behind me. I studied the area, which consisted of a large leather sofa, a brown recliner, a flatscreen, and a lit hanging lamp fixture. And then, there was the fireplace, constructed completely out of brick tinged with dark gray. It had a homey air to it, almost like Dr. Russo's house.

"I can show you girls to your room upstairs, if you'll follow me," Aunt Susan said. She turned and led us to the staircase in her living room.

We followed her up the steps, the soles of our shoes smacking against the wood. Once we came up to the landing, she kept going straight. Ahead of us was the corridor, long and narrow. A set of two doors were on the left side of the wall, which looked somewhat out of place being in such a long hall.