by Julie Solano
“Hang on tight, you big monkey! You can do this! Don’t let go!” I screech nervously.
As Brody is finishing his dare, I look over at my brother. He’s standing in back of Peyton with his arms wrapped around her. He has her snuggly pressed against the rail of the bridge. His hand curls gently around hers. I watch them closely as they work together, dragging his pocket knife through the chipping paint. When the motion comes to a stop, she rolls her head up and looks him in the eyes. I watch intently as a tear rolls down the side of her face. It’s a happy tear. She’s smiling. “It means even more that we carved that with the birthday present I gave you.”
He reaches up to wipe her tear away, whispering, “It’s true Babe. You make me so unbelievably happy.”
When Peyton turns into him I take the opportunity to shine my light on their carving. Written inside of a heart, I read, “Caden Loves Peyton.” I am thrilled for them. Caden does not take that word lightly. I don’t think my brother has ever told anyone he loves them before. Seeing my twin gushing over Peyton touches a new part of my soul. It’s like I can feel his love for her. I’m in awe at the sweet story unfolding before me. I love seeing the glow between them as he holds her close whispering in her ear.
I’m pulled from my reverie when Brody suddenly jumps up from behind. “Did it!” he cries. I’m startled by the freezing hands he’s just slipped below the bottom of my shirt. He pulls them out quickly, knowing that I’ll never be able to warm up after his brutal assault on my belly. “Let’s get back to the fire, Pip. It was freezing down there, and I’m kind of wet from the overspray,” his chin chatters with his wild shivering.
I draw my arms up to my chest, and pull them in as tight as I can. With praying hands I chatter, “Okay, it’s really cold out here.” I turn to my friends who are still watching the snow fall on the water as it flows beneath the bridge. My teeth clatter as I plead to the group, “Hey guys, let’s not do any more dares for a minute. We need to go stand by the fire so Brody can warm up.” Everyone agrees that the best way to make this night last as long as possible is to stay warm and comfortable. We head back to camp, tromping our way through the deepening snow. As we settle around the toasty crackling fire, I gaze at my friends and recount my blessings. Our little group has me feeling pretty lucky. I can’t believe that after all I’ve been through this month, I’m able to share a Salmon River Thanksgiving with the people I love most in this world.
Again, I focus hard, trying to burn this memory in my mind. This weekend will go down as one of my all time favorites, and there’s no way I want to overlook even one minor detail. I watch Jenna and Mason adding more wood to the dying fire as Brody huddles close to the ground, moving his hands back and forth over the flames. I slide behind Caden and Peyton who are snuggling in an oversized chair. I want to get to my Brody, to wrap him in a big bear hug. Maybe that will help warm us both up. As I pass behind them, Caden leans in to whisper something in Peyton’s ear. It must have been something really sweet, because I watch her eyes light up, and she melts into him even further. They can’t seem to get enough of each other. They have become so connected I can barely tell where one starts and the other begins. I’m overjoyed that Caden has found someone that completes him.
I make my way past Cayton and toward my little bridge monkey. When I finally reach him, he scoops me up in his arms and wraps me around his waist. “You warmin’ up Pip?” He gives me an eskimo kiss and tucks me under his chin. I cling to him for several minutes, enjoying the feeling of the thrum of our hearts beating back and forth. The rise and fall of his chest calms me and my eyes begin to flutter closed. Our racing hearts, mixed with the sound of the crackling fire, has us all in a bit of a trance. Enjoying nothing but the sounds of nature and each other’s silent company, our tiny group has reached a state of repose. No one is speaking, but I can feel the serenity flowing through our circle.
“That’s enough of that! I’m going to fall asleep here.” Jenna pipes in. “We need to liven this place up. Who can handle a truth question?” she asks. “Peyton, Mason, Brody, and I have all been on the chopping block. That leaves you two.” She points to Caden and me. Well, Kaitlyn, you suck at truths, and Caden, you need a dare, which we’re not allowed to do right now, so I’ll let you off the hook for a minute. Who wants to ask me another one?”
“Since I just put my butt on the line, I get to ask this question,” Brody pipes in. “And I’ve been wondering about this for a long time . . . Jenna, what can you tell us about the Jefferson High Itching Scandal?”
Jenna and I look at each other and start busting up laughing. “Do you agree that what’s said at the Forks stays at the Forks?”
“Hell ya, let’s hear it!” Caden says.
“Soooo, remember when we had our little bonfire problem . . . that night you boys were baling . . . when you left us in charge of the fire? Well, I kinda borrowed a baggie of poison oak to show my parents. Yaaaa. Let’s just say it came in handy at a certain little boutique downtown when we were trying on Homecoming dresses.”
“You didn’t??? I ended up with it! That was horrible you turds! The whole cheerleading squad got it!” The shock is evident on Peyton’s face.
“Well, you weren’t exactly the target. We just had to make sure we got to Chelsea’s and CJ’s dresses. They were in there shopping together, and we overheard them talking about us. It made us so mad, we just went for it, and let’s be honest, if you don’t stand with us you stand against us.” Jenna grins and raises her eyebrows apologetically. “I wish we’d have known we liked you back then. We might have helped you out.”
“Well, remind me not to get on your bad side in the future . . . And seeing how I feel about Chelsea these days, you’re forgiven . . . I guess.”
As we warm up next to the fire, we throw several more truth questions around the circle. “Well, Dude, I think it’s time for a few more dares. Mason, you’ve been awfully quiet over there for a while. I’ve got a dare for you.”
“Great . . . hit me with it.”
“I dare you to go down to the cabin next door and meet that little hottie that’s been turning your head all day,” I say.
He takes a deep breath in. “Aww heck . . . if I do this, I’m coming up with a really good one that’s equally worthy of getting your heart pumping . . . And I mean like to the point it’s going to blow out of your chest . . . Do you agree?”
Well, what can he make me do around here? The bridge dare is already done. “Okay, go for it Mason. Let’s see your smooth moves.”
We stay frozen in place around the fire and stalk Mason as he stands up and moves toward the glowing cabin. We sit in awe as we watch him knock on the cabin door. When it opens, a tall, balding man comes to the door. A few seconds later, he disappears from the doorway and is soon replaced by the cute, wavy-haired brunette. We watch the back of Mason’s head bob up and down, and spy the side of his face as his hand suddenly gestures toward us. Then he drops his arm, slips his hands into his pockets, and shrugs his shoulders.
“Oh crap, oh crap . . . he’s going for his phone.” Jenna laughs. “Holy crap . . . Are they taking a selfie together?”
A few minutes later, Mason returns, holds up his phone, and shows us his new contact. The picture is a selfie of him and the country princess. “All in a hard days work ladies and gentlemen. Meet Miss Marissa Matthews. She’ll be over later,” Mason winks, “Which brings us to the final dare. Let’s go out with a bang.”
Nerves well up inside of me. I don’t know what this guy is thinking, but his tone is ripping me up inside. I take in a deep breath. “I never go back on a dare . . . so what’ve you got Mason?”
Mason looks up and off to the right. “See that abandoned cabin that sits just above yours?”
“Ya, I see it.”
“I DARE you to go in there and climb that ladder to see what’s up there.”
“Creepy cabin? You want me to go sneak into creepy cabin at night? You’re kidding me right?”
“Yo
u made a deal Kaitlyn. Okay, just so you think I’m not a huge ass, I’ll let you take the girls with you.”
“Fine,” I suck it up and stand up. That cabin has been freaking me out ever since we pulled up this morning, but if I can take the girls with me, I think I might be able to do this. I release the deep breath that I’ve been holding for the last two minutes. “Jenna and Peyton, will you help me out on this?”
They hesitate for a moment, and I think I’m going to have to go it alone, until finally, Jenna says, “I’ll go with you.”
“Me too,” Peyton grabs onto my left arm, and Jenna grabs onto my right. I take out my phone to use its flashlight app, and we slowly begin to make our way toward creepy, screened-in cabin. We walk slowly up the hill, over some mossy, lightly powdered rocks. Then we make our way around a few pine trees, through some soggy leaf piles, and up to a squashy trail. Our boots slosh in the mud, and we stop abruptly when we hear a nearby squishing sound. “Is that you?” I jump.
“What?” Peyton replies.
“Nothing, well, I thought I heard something.” I shake my head, and we continue on.
As we get closer to the old rotting cabin, another wave of unrest slinks over me. “This is really getting creepy. I feel like someone’s in there.”
“Oh stop,” Jenna whispers. “There’s no light . . . there’s no way anyone is out here in these conditions without at least a fire. Come on, we can’t wuss out now. The guys don’t think we’ll go through with this. Let’s prove them wrong.”
“Okay,” I tug them forward. A few steps farther up the hill, I feel a thud against my big toe, and hear a ping as the object I just kicked ricochets from my boot. When we hear the crunch of glass in front of Peyton we all jump.
“What was that?” Peyton shrieks. “My foot is soaking wet!”
I shine the light in front of us. “I think I just kicked that beer bottle, and you stepped on it.” We look down and see the frothing bubbles seeping into the ground, and melting the surrounding snow.
Peyton looks back down at the ground, “Do you think the adults were drinking over here? That looks pretty fresh. It’s still foaming.”
“No. They don’t drink beer. Holy crap, let’s get this over with.” We huddle back together and continue on the path, walking past the front of the old screened in porch, and over to the far side of the cabin, where we find the entrance. I shine the light at the old wooden steps, and we squeeze in close so we can take the stairs together. We jump at the first creak, and freeze.
“What was that?” Peyton whispers.
“It was just us. The stairs are creaky. Let’s go.” Jenna whispers back.
“That creak was not below us. It was over there!” Peyton squeaks back.
“It’s all connected. You can step here and cause a creak over there. Now let’s go!” Jenna starts to become aggressive at Peyton’s jumpiness and questioning.
I can’t even talk right now. I am petrified with fear, and gripping my phone so tightly that it’s molding itself into my skin. We finally pry ourselves from the stairs, and step onto the porch, when a strong breeze comes up through the floorboards, chilling me to the bone. Leaves begin to fly from the ground, plastering themselves against the screen. We’re pelted by the small bits of dust and fragments that make their way through the holes and various rips in the screen. The howling has us on edge as we proceed toward the rickety ladder that leads up to some sort of open loft.
“I can’t climb that,” I shiver.
“I’ll do it,” Jenna replies.
“No I have to or I’m going back on the dare.”
“Okay. I’ll go up first and check it out, then when you know there’s nothing to be afraid of, you can go.”
Oh my dear Jenna; she’s always been so brave. I am thankful for her willingness to sacrifice herself for my dare. When it comes to best friends, she takes the prize. She always has. “This could be bad Jenna. I don’t like the feeling I have right now. There’s bad energy in here. What if there’s something dead up there or something? Are you sure about this?”
“I’m sure.” Jenna says as she begins to climb the ladder. She looks down at me, “I’ve got this girl,” she continues to climb. When she reaches the top of the ladder, she looks back down, “I think I see something Kait. I need light. Give me your phone.”
“Jenna you don’t have to go through with this,” I squeak as I begin to climb the ladder with my light. “Come back down.” I tug at her leg.
“No . . . Give it to me Kait.”
When I hand her my phone, she takes it and shines it up into the opening. I swear I hear breathing. “I hear something Jenna.” I reach to tug her back down. However, she’s too far out of my reach, and I just miss her foot. No sooner does the light hit the loft, then something flies into her hand, knocking the phone to the ground. We both scream, and drop to the floor. Peyton grabs my phone.
“Run!!!” I shriek. All of us join in screaming. We sprint all the way down the hill, screaming at the top of our lungs, jumping over rocks, darting around trees, brushing through buckbrush. My heart is darn near pounding out of my chest.
When we get back to the fire, the boys are laughing hysterically. They are holding their stomachs, doubled over, snort laughing. When they finally come up for air, Mason laughs out, “Scared much? I told you I’d make your heart pound out of your chest. What happened up there?”
I bend over and put my hands on my knees. “What the hell flew at us Jenna?” I force the words through my shallow, jagged breaths.
In just as forced a reply, Jenna answers, “I don’t know guys, but I saw a mattress and blankets. I think someone’s in there.”
Continuing their hysterics, Mason laughs, “It was probably a raccoon or a bat. That place hasn’t been touched all year.” The boys try to calm us down and reason with us, but I’m not of a mind to be reasoned with.
“You keep thinking that. I swear I heard breathing up there. Then something flew out at us guys. It literally knocked the phone out of Jenna’s hand.”
“Bat! I tell you,” Caden replies.
“Na, Coon,” says Brody.
“I call Horsecrap,” I reply, raising my eyebrows. “You guys know just as well as I do that bats and raccoons don’t throw things.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’m just glad I convinced mom to bring the guns.”
“Whoa, calm down Sis! If we thought there was someone over there, we’d go check it out right now. T, you’re letting your imagination get away from you. You think if someone looked over here and saw all this muscle,” he raises his clenched fist toward his face and pumps his bicep, “they would even dare hang around here? I mean, just look at this crew. I wouldn’t mess with us.”
“Yep, Kaitlyn, judging by the size of those arms, I’m glad you brought the guns,” Jenna laughs. “Now if Ty was here to help out, it might be a different story.”
“Stop goofing around you guys. Let’s be serious for a minute. Don’t you think you boys should go check it out?” Peyton questions.
Caden shakes his head and giggles, “No Peyton. Don’t worry. You girls should just settle down. It’s easy to get freaked out in these dark canyons. Brody, Mason, and I have seen all kinds of critters hanging in and around the cabins. I promise, it was nothin’.”
I’m still shaking when Brody walks over and pulls me in for a hug. I stand stiffly with my fists clenched and arms pinned to my sides. I’m so mad at the boys for laughing at us and disregarding our fear, that I don’t return his embrace. “Come on Kaitlyn, everything’s okay. This is just a game in the dark. The whole point is to do crazy things and laugh at ourselves for it.” Brody continues holding me with one arm and rubbing his hand up and down my back with the other. After a few minutes of him trying to comfort me, he whispers, “Pip, you’re really scared aren’t you? Oh Babe, relax. I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ve got you. Besides, I know how to be a whole lot scarier than anything out there. I’ll take care of you.”
I
n my mind, I know there was something in that loft. But Brody’s reassurance is beginning to calm me down. After all, he is here to protect me, and maybe the boys are right. It could be any kind of critter. I do know one thing. Being in Brody’s arms makes me feel safe. I start to relax as I put my arms around him.
“That’s my girl. You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Okay Brody, but I really don’t want to end this night with the fear of a Cabin Creeper looming in my head. And I also know we need to get this fire out cuz our parents are going to want us back in our cabins soon. So, I have one more dare for you.”
“Ya, what’s that?”
“I dare you to sneak over to my cabin tonight to check on me.”
Brody stops in contemplation. After a minute he replies. “I’ll do it under one condition . . .”
“What’s that?”
“That you play your guitar for me while I’m there. I overheard you working on something earlier, and I want to hear it. Besides, I know that playing your guitar always seems to get your mind off things and makes you feel better.”
I’m not sure if my song is ready. Can I do it? Can I play and sing for Brody? Sometimes you need to just take a leap of faith and lay it out there. I think I’m ready to do this. I can at least try. “Deal.” I pull away from Brody and put my pinky out. “Let’s seal it.” He grabs my little finger in his strong hand and pulls me into him.
“That’s not how I like to seal a deal with my favorite girl.” He leans into me, gently pressing his lips to mine. Brody knows just how to time his sweet kisses. I don’t know how I have any butterflies left inside of me after all of the ones that have escaped, but they sure have managed to find their way back.
He pulls away smiling down at me, “There, now that’s a deal.”
“A deal that can’t come soon enough,” I whisper with a smile.
I look up to see Mason and Caden smothering the fire and packing up the chairs. “Guess it’s time to get back to our cabins,” I give Brody a wink, excited about our little secret.