Dark Realms

by Kristen Middleton

  “He seemed to forget about her when that redhead made an appearance.”

  “Thank God, although, she’s probably worse than Deanna.”

  “Let’s hope not.”

  I stared at her in shock. “See, you weren’t crazy about her either!”

  She turned down the radio. “Are you kidding me?” she groaned, scowling into the rearview mirror.

  I turned to see the flashing lights from a police car. “What, were you speeding or something?”

  She pulled over to the side of the road. “No, you know me, I never speed.”

  It was true, my mother was an annoyingly slow driver and Nathan was always giving her crap about it. Even grandmothers passed her on the roadway.

  Mom rolled down the window as the police officer approached her. She immediately handed him her driver’s license and insurance information. “I’m sorry, officer… was I speeding?”

  My brother had noticed the cop, too, and pulled over ahead of us, waiting. He’d sent me a text message, wondering what was happening. I’d sent him one back, explaining that I wasn’t really sure, yet.

  “No, but you do have a taillight out,” he replied with an easy smile.

  My eyes widened as I stared at his mouth. What’s with this town and their unnaturally white teeth?

  “Oh, no, really?” she answered, biting her lower lip. “Oh, man, I’m sorry. It must have just went out.”

  “Yes. Anne Gerard… you must be new in town?” he asked, studying her license.

  She smiled. “We are, in fact,” she pointed towards me, “this is my daughter, Nikki, and that’s my son, Nathan, ahead of us in the Mustang.”

  He glanced down at her left hand, which no longer had a wedding ring, and his smile broadened.

  “Ladies, I’m Sherriff Caleb Smith. Welcome to Shore Lake,” he answered, giving her back her license.

  Was it me or did he actually puff out his chest a little before he leaned back down and handed it back?

  “Thank you,” answered my mom with a silly grin on her face. She definitely noticed the puff.

  “Since you have such a lovely smile and you’re new in town, I’m just going to give you a warning. Make sure that you take care of it as soon as you can, though. Next time I might not be so easy on you.”

  Mom smiled wider than ever. “I will, thank you, officer.”

  He tipped his hat. “My friends call me Caleb. Drive safely now.”

  “Wow,” said mom after she’d rolled up her window. “Did you see that man’s eyes? They were an amazing shade of violet. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone with that color of eyes. No wedding ring, either.”

  I stared at her in disbelief. “Oh, my God mom, we just got into town!”

  “Yeah, but I agree with Nathan that there’s nothing wrong with making new friends; especially friends who are in law enforcement,” she replied with a straight face.

  “Well, I guess,” I answered, staring into the darkness. Obviously, she was beginning to get a handle on her fears and I should have been relieved, but instead, it only made me… uneasy.

  Chapter Two

  When we finally made it to the cabin, my jaw literally dropped.

  “What do you think?” asked mom as she parked the car next to Nathan’s.

  “Wow. It’s amazing,” I replied, opening the car door. “Are you sure this is the right place?”

  “It is. I saw pictures but wanted to surprise you,” she said, getting out of the car.

  This was no average lakeside cabin; it looked like something you’d see on a “Top Ten List” of some luxurious getaways.

  “This must be worth millions. I can’t believe we’re staying here,” I said, unable to wipe the grin from my face. I felt like someone had just shouted “Move that bus!” and we were looking at our new dream home.

  “Yes, it’s quite extraordinary,” she said, staring up at the cabin. “I’m still in shock that we get to stay here, too. Ernie is a lifesaver.”

  “He’s more like Santa Claus,” I replied, feeling giddy. I couldn’t wait to check out the inside. It was possible that Shore Lake wasn’t going to suck quite as much as I thought.

  She reached back into the car and pulled out her cell phone. “I’d better call him once we’ve unpacked the groceries. Let him know we’ve made it and how thrilled we are.” Her eyes became misty. “You know, I just can’t thank him enough for everything he’s done.”

  I agreed with her there. This place was beyond words. Heck, everything about it screamed money, too, from the expensive cedar wood frame to the thick-plated enormous glass windows; it reminded me of a mountainside chateau in Europe.

  “Impressive, huh?” she said.

  “Yeah.”

  Especially with its two-tiered deck that someone had built on north side of the cabin, and a massive porch that wrapped around the entire main floor. There was even a gazebo with a hot tub next to a courtyard which contained a large grill and several pieces of outdoor furniture for entertaining. Unfortunately, we had nobody to entertain.

  “Wow,” said Nathan as he got out of the car and walked over to us. He was also staring in amazement at the cabin. “How in the world did you score such an awesome place?”

  Mom smiled. “Ernie.”

  “Look, there’s the boathouse.” I pointed down towards the lake. Even that place looked like it was larger than some of the homes in our old neighborhood.

  “Cool,” said Nathan, nodding in approval. “I hope the weather is nice tomorrow, so that we can take the boat out,” he started walking towards the dock. “I wonder what kind of boat they have?”

  “Check later,” said mom, grabbing her purse. “We need to get this stuff inside.”

  He sighed and turned around. “Okay. It’s probably too dark to see anything now anyway.”

  She took the keys out of her purse and began walking towards the cabin. “You know, I’m really surprised that there isn’t some kind of alarm on the cabin. I mean, this place is vacant most of the time.” She sighed. “I hope when we get inside, nothing is missing.”

  “Everyone must trust each other in these parts,” I said, following her up the steps to the front door.

  “Apparently,” she answered, putting the key into the lock. When we stepped inside, she flipped on the lights and my breath caught in my throat.

  “Wow…” said Nathan. “This place is… tight.”

  “It’s amazing,” she said, taking a step back. “I’m just, speechless.”

  “Can we step inside of the doorway, people?” I said, swatting at a mosquito. “Before the bugs enter before we do?”

  “Oh, sorry,” she chuckled.

  We entered what had to be called the “great room.” It was enormous and had a large soapstone fireplace with a bearskin rug lying near it, which was kind of hokey to me but it certainly added to the affect. Plush burgundy colored leather furniture with hand-carved wooden end tables sat across from the fireplace, and I imagined myself in the chair-and-a-half, reading a book next to a crackling fire.

  “Wow, I just love those light fixtures,” gushed mom, staring at the dozens of rustic chandeliers that made the place glow with warmth. She walked over to a row of intricately carved shelves and touched the amber colored wood. “And all of this lovely hand-carved woodwork, the leather furniture, and… oh God, what isn’t there to love about this place? Next time I see Ernie, I’m going to plant a huge kiss on his little bald head.”

  “You should,” said Nathan. He raised his voice a few octaves and put a hand on his hip. “And give him a big sloppy one from me, too.”

  “Oh, so you’re finally warming up to us being here?” she asked.

  He grinned. “Mom, seriously, if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”

  She walked over to Nathan and threw her arms around him. “I swear, I have the two best kids in the world.”

  “Love you, too, mom,” he answered, patting her gently on the back. “And don’t worry, everything will work out. Even… eve
n with Deanna. Seriously.”

  “Good, I’m glad you feel that way,” she replied, releasing him. “I just want everything to work out for you and your sister.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure it will,” he replied.

  “Guys, I’m going to check out the upstairs,” I said, climbing the staircase, two steps at a time. I could barely contain my excitement now that I knew we were actually staying at such a glamorous place.

  “Pick out a bedroom!” she called as I made it to the top of the stairs. “I don’t care which; I hear they’re all pretty nice.”

  “Will do!” I hollered back.

  There were several bedrooms on the upper level, all spacious and each having their own bathroom. I chose one with a queen-sized pillow-top bed and a small balcony with an awesome view of the lake.

  “So, what do you think?” asked my mom from the doorway, a few minutes later.

  “Oh, my God, I love it!” I squealed. “I feel like we’re on vacation somewhere. I wish we could stay here forever.”

  “I know, it’s pretty breathtaking. I don’t know about this one, but my bedroom has its own Jacuzzi and a closet so big, I could park the car in it. I’m going to check out yours.”

  While she did that, I walked over to the balcony door and opened it, enjoying the cool air on my cheek. It was dark outside, but the reflection of the moon on the water made the lake seem so peaceful. I imagined myself lying on some kind of canoe or boat, staring up at the moon with the waves rocking me to sleep. “I just can’t believe this place. If we’re dreaming, I never want to wake up.”

  She stepped next to me and linked her arm through mine. “Don’t worry, it’s real.”

  My stomach began to growl and I patted it. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving.”

  “Yeah, I’m getting there myself. Let’s go see if Nathan did what I asked and brought the groceries inside. I’ll make us something to eat.”

  “Okay.”

  We went back downstairs and I helped mom put the rest of the groceries away in the fridge, which actually looked like the wooden cupboards surrounding it.

  She took out a frying pan from one of the boxes in the kitchen and smiled. “Who wants homemade sliders? It might be ghetto here, but I’m not about to give those up.”

  “Yeah, I’ll take as many as you can make,” replied Nathan as he entered the kitchen. “I’m going to pass out if I don’t get something to eat soon.”

  “I’m surprised you’re still walking,” I said.

  “Me too,” he said, opening up the refrigerator. He grabbed a jar of pickles and untwisted the cap. Before he could get his fingers inside of the jar, mom stopped him.

  “Here,” she said, handing him a fork. “Don’t use your fingers.”

  He grinned sheepishly. “Oh, thanks.”

  “So,” she said as she began preparing dinner, “is this place incredible or what?”

  “Not too shabby,” said Nathan between bites of his pickle. “And it’s so quiet, I feel like we’re in the middle of nowhere.”

  Mom nodded. “The next cabin is just a hop, skip, and a jump from here, but you’d never know it’s so peaceful.”

  “Yeah, you did good, mom,” I said, cutting the onions for our burgers. “I just can’t wait until tomorrow when we get to see it all in the daylight.”

  Nathan nodded. “Yeah, I’d really like to take the boat out on the lake tomorrow, if that’s okay?”

  “Sure,” she answered

  He wiped his hands on his jeans. “Sweet.”

  She opened the fridge and grabbed the cheese. “I think that would be good for all of us to get out on that lake. I haven’t been able to work on my tan all summer.”

  I snorted; my mom was as white as a ghost and typically burned and peeled, but never really tanned. My brother and I were the opposite, fortunately, even though you’d never know it this year. I just hadn’t had the time to get any sun, especially after the “incident.”

  After dinner, I helped her with the dishes and then decided to check out the whirlpool tub in my bathroom.

  “I’m taking a long, relaxing bath and then going to bed,” I said as we neared the staircase. It had been a long drive and I was so exhausted, I didn’t even feel like unpacking anything just yet.

  “Okay,” she replied, kissing the top of my head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  A moving company had dropped off our belongings earlier in the day and I found some of my own boxes very quickly. After carrying them to my room, I grabbed a towel and the fluffy white robe my mom had given me for Christmas last year. As I was about to walk into my bathroom to start the tub, there was a soft knock.

  “Yeah?”

  My brother opened the door. “Hey, I’m sorry about snapping at you earlier. You were right,” he said with a sheepish grin. “I was being a little bit of an asshole.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m used to it.”

  He folded his arms across his chest. “You were kind of a bitch too, you know.”

  I gasped. “I’ll show you bitch,” I replied, throwing my hairbrush at him. It missed and hit the wall next to the door.

  “Better work on your aim,” he replied with a smirk.

  I picked up my curling iron and raised it in the air. “Leave before I give you ringlets! I swear to God, I’ll make you pretty!”

  He brushed his bangs away from his eyes. “Can you include a bow? I’d look even prettier with a bow.”

  I broke down and started laughing. “You are such a freak.”

  “No need to be jealous. You’re my twin and kind of a freak, too.”

  “Lucky me.”

  He smiled. “Night, Nik. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Okay, goodnight.”

  After he left, I grabbed my things and stepped into the black and white marbled bathroom, locking the door behind me. When I turned back around, I smiled.

  Amazing.

  There was even a large panoramic window surrounding the Jacuzzi with a view of the lake. Although it was dark and I couldn’t see much of anything outside, I imagined during the day, it was incredible.

  I walked over to the large square tub and turned on the water. I sat on the edge and watched it rise slowly, wondering how many gallons I’d be using before it covered the jets entirely. It was enormous, even larger than the pool we’d had as kids. Hell, the entire bathroom was fit for a celebrity and I was going to use it for the next year or two? I decided to kiss Ernie myself the next time I saw him.

  I stood back up and opened the new vanilla-scented spa bath gift set my mom had given me. I then lit the candle that came with it and placed it near the tub. When the water was high enough, I pulled my hair back into a ponytail, turned off the lights, and removed my shirt and jeans.

  “Oh, yeah, now that’s what I’m talking about,” I whispered, groaning in pleasure as I sunk into the warm bath. I laid my head against the bath pillow and closed my eyes. I imagined it couldn’t possibly get any better, but then remembered I’d forgotten my iPod. If this was Heaven, then listening to the music could only take me to another level of bliss.

  As I stood up to grab a towel, my eyes were drawn towards a movement near the right side of the window that I was now facing. My heart stopped as a set of fiery-red eyes stared back at me. When I finally found my voice, I screamed in horror, and whatever it was, quickly shot away.

  “Mom!” I shrieked, trying not to slip on the wet floor. I grabbed my robe and skidded out of the bathroom as quickly as possible.

  “What is it?” she cried, bursting through the door, also wearing her yellow terrycloth robe.

  Trembling, I pointed towards the bathroom. “Mom,” I choked, “someone was watching me in the window! They saw me naked!”

  Her eyes widened and she reached for the softball bat sticking out of one of my boxes. With my heart pounding in my chest, I followed her into the bathroom, half expecting someone to jump out of the shadows. She kept the light switch off and moved towards t
he window.

  “Do you see anything?” I whispered over her shoulder.

  Sighing, she turned to me and lowered the bat. “No.”

  I looked back towards the darkness, and a shiver ran down my spine. I turned back to her. “Are you sure?”

  Her forehead wrinkled. “Yes, I’m sure. I also don’t see how anyone could be watching you from this height, Nikki.”

  “Mom, something was watching me. I’m not lying.”

  She touched my cheek. “Baby, it’s been a long day and we’re in the middle of the woods. You probably saw a bird flying by – or maybe even a bat. Don’t be frightened.”

  My bedroom was several feet from the ground, and truthfully, I really wasn’t sure what I’d seen. Obviously, it had to be some kind of animal. “I guess that’s possible.”

  She held out a hand to me. “Come here and see for yourself. Look how far up we really are.”

  Of course, when I looked back outside, common sense told me that we were too high for any person to be looking in.

  I closed my eyes. “Yeah, okay, maybe it was just a stupid bat or something.”

  “Honey, you’re obviously very tired. Why don’t you go to bed and get a good night’s sleep? I’ll bet that tomorrow, you’ll be laughing about this.”

  “Is everything okay in here?” asked Nathan, standing in the doorway in his blue flannel pajama pants.

  “Everything’s fine,” she answered with another reassuring smile. “Nikki just saw a bird or something outside and it scared the hell out of her.”

  Nathan’s eyebrows shot up. “Seriously? You know, I thought I saw something out there, too, when I was in my room watching TV. It freaked the shit out of me.”

  I turned to see her reaction.

  “What?” she asked, staring at both of us, amused. “Come on… it’s some kind of bird. You know, there’s no possible way a living person could stand outside of your bedroom windows and look in. Unless Spider-man is vacationing in Montana and has decided to scale this particular cabin to check us out. You two are wigging out over nothing.”

  “Still, I think we should take a look outside,” said Nathan as he turned and walked away.