The Lost Chronicles

The Blue Girl Cont.

It turned out ‘eventually’ was two hours and four wrong turns later until Avalon started recognizing street signs from the map.

 

When we finally got to her cousin’s house, we stopped for a moment, taking in the sight.

 

The house was ancient, but sturdy, the walls made of dark wooden planks. Dirty windows showed three floors and what looked like an attic. A chimney peaked out from the back, and a veranda wrapped around the front of the house.

 

Avalon grinned and rushed up to the house, dragging her suitcase along and leaving me to follow. I chased after her, struggling up the stairs and tripping over my suitcase. Avalon made it look so easy.

 

The front door opened into a long hallway with a few doors leading off and a spiral staircase at the end. A handful of wall sconces lit it, along with a bit of sunlight. A small table, coat rack, and umbrella holder huddled near the door. The inside of the house had walls made of the same heavy wood, giving it the feel of a cabin.

 

“Avalon?” I called. My friend had disappeared from sight.

 

“Yeah?” I jumped as she popped her head out from the room just to my left. “Geez, jumpy much? It’s not like this place is haunted. I’m sure my cousin would have mentioned that.”

 

“Well, he didn’t mention the layer of dust on everything.” I swiped my finger along the top of the table, wiping a soft grey film on to my fingertip. I quickly wiped it off on my pants.

 

“He hasn’t been up here in a while,” she said defensively as she slipped off into the room again.

 

“What did you find?” I left my suitcase in the hall and followed her.

 

“Jackpot.” She spread her arms, turning around.

 

“Kitchen?” I laughed. “That didn’t take you long.”

 

“A girl’s gotta eat.”

 

Avalon started opening cupboards, checking inventory, while I wandered out to explore the rest of the house.

 

I found a living room with an old television and couch, a study with some bookshelves and an antique desk, a dining room with a large table surrounded by six chairs, and a simple bathroom with a sink, mirror, and toilet. Darker spots on the walls held the shapes of frames that once hung there. So there were no creepy portraits, at least on the first floor.

 

Avalon appeared at the doorway to the dining room as I left, making me jump again.

 

“Geez, get a bell or something,” I told her.

 

“Then how would I sneak up on you?” She wiggled her eyebrows, making me laugh. “Next floor?”

 

I took my suitcase, which she had pushed down the hall, and started to drag it up the staircase, Avalon a few steps behind me.

 

The second floor had a game room with a pool table and foosball – score. There was a room empty save for a few bean-bag chairs, another study with overfilled red plush chairs and small, round chairs, and a room containing a bunch of cardboard boxes with old clothes and knickknacks. Boring. There was also a room with a washing machine and dryer, which would be useful against walking to the laundromat in town.

 

Up one more floor; we found a pair of bedrooms, each with a dresser, bed, nightstand, and lamp. A bathroom sat between them.

 

On the other side of the hall was a single, large bedroom with two beds, separated by a nightstand with a lamp on it. A large window had old gray curtains drawn across it. A wardrobe and dresser sat off to the right, while a vanity sat to the left. All the furniture was a dark wood.

 

I noticed a door to the side, next to the vanity, and headed for it, leaving my suitcase in the middle of the room. The door led to a small bathroom, which was well lit and sported a shower in a tub, a sink, a toilet, and a mirror.

 

“We’ve got an on suite,” I called to Avalon.

 

“Sweet.” I heard a thunk and sqee-sqeee, and guessed she had jumped onto one of the beds.

 

I closed the door behind me as I went back into the bedroom, finding Avalon flopped down on her stomach on one of the beds.

 

“So what do we do first?”

 

“Well,” I said, pulling off my messenger bag. “First we should unpack, and then grab something to eat.”

 

“Sounds good. Faster we get that done, the more time we’ll have to explore outside before it gets dark.”

 

We divided the drawers between the two of us, and stuffed our clothes in before hanging up our coats and sweaters in the wardrobe, as well as throwing in our rarely-used-but-sometimes-handy running shoes.

 

I drew the curtains back from the window, gazing out at the forest. It seemed to stretch endlessly to the horizon.

 

I could just imagine all the animals and plants to sketch out there. As long as I didn’t get lost.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” I asked Avalon.

 

“Told you we were going to love it here. No parents, no school, just us and whatever we choose to do. And right now, I choose food. I’m starving. We’ve got canned soup downstairs.”

 

She bolted out the door. I listened to her footsteps fade down the stairs. “Natasha, come on,” I heard her call up.

 

I grabbed my messenger bag, checking to make sure my sketchbook and pencils were still nestled inside, and darted to the stairs.

 

I kept my hand off of the wooden banister along the stairwell, planning to look for some cleaning supplies later and get this place fixed up a bit.

 

By the time I got to the kitchen, Avalon was having a disagreement with a can of chicken noodle soup and a can opener. I dumped my bag on the back of a chair and crossed the room to take over with the can opener before Avalon hurt herself.

 

After I dumped the contents of the can into a pot Avalon had found, I started rummaging under the sink for cleaning supplies. I opened a pack of jay clothes and grabbed a bottle of surface cleaner before setting to work on cleaning the table.

 

“So how many sketch books did you bring along?” Avalon asked, knowing my habit of taking down anything I saw on paper.

 

“I brought two.”

 

“Only two?” She glanced at me, smirking.

 

“Well they’re a hundred pages each, and they’re hardback.”

 

“And you already checked online to make sure you could buy more in town, didn’t you?” she interrupted.

 

I stuck my tongue out at her back. “I’ll take drawings over photographs any day,” I told her.

 

“I know. I was the one who got you that five pack of sketchbooks for your birthday, remember?”

 

“I remember. There, table’s clean. Did you find any bowls earlier?”

 

“Over the microwave.”

 

I glanced around, eyes going from window to oven to counter to sink to more counter to microwave to double door freezer-fridge.

 

I opened the cupboard above the microwave and grabbed two bowls from the array of dishes, and closed it once more.

 

“Spoons?”

 

“Drawer to the left of the sink.”

 

“There’s no drawer to the left of the sink.” I ditched the bowls on the table.

 

“The right?”

 

I pulled open the drawer, rifling through the assorted silverware to find a pair of spoons.

 

I dropped them on table as she brought the pot over, steam rising off of it, and poured the soup into the two bowls, dripping between them.

 

“So what’s stocked in this place?” I asked, sitting down and slurping my soup.

 

“Mostly canned stuff, a box of crackers, some dried pasta. We’ll have to buy bread and perishable stuff from town,” Avalon replied.

 

“We’ll have to head over there tomorrow then.”

 

“So I’m thinking we go and check out the forest now.”

 

“Can’t we do that tomorrow, without the risk of being out there in the dark?” I slumped in my seat, already knowing I wasn’t getting out of it. Once Avalon decided something, it was pretty hard to convince her otherwise.

 

“I’ve got a flashlight upstairs with fresh batteries. We’ll be fine.”

 

“Okay – but you’re not wandering off on me and leaving me on my own to find my way back.”

 

“Deal.”

 

We finished our dinner and cleaned up. I put away the dishes while Avalon went hunting for her flashlight. I refused to leave without it.

 

With my bag strung over my shoulder, I followed her outside, locking the door behind us. Though I doubted anyone was likely to try and rob the place.

 

We walked across the open stretch of property behind the house before entering the forest. I fiddled with my bag, eyes darting around, taking in all the greens and browns. A robin flitted by, a flash of faded colours in the quiet forest.

 

“My cousin said he saw some deer last time he was here. Maybe we can see one,” Avalon said.

 

We kept going for a good ten minutes, until we found a rock surrounded by bright, colourful flowers.

 

“Avalon, check it out,” I called, dropping to my knees and pulling out my sketch book and pencils.

 

“I’m going to keep going for a bit. I think I hear a creek. I’ll be right back.”

 

“Avalon, wait – ugh.” I shook my head as she disappeared further into the trees, blending in as if she belonged there.

 

I flipped over a few pages to a fresh sheet, and got to work outlining the rock, blocking off space for flowers and trees. I kept my eyes on my subject more than my page, as every art teacher I’d ever had had taught me. I cursed myself for not bringing my coloured pencils. Black and white would just have to do, unless I could find the spot later on in the summer.

 

I heard a soft, low hiss, and the leaves rustled behind me. I glanced over but saw nothing. It was probably just the wind or something. I always let my imagination get the best of me.

 

Another hiss sounded.

 

“Avalon, stop messing with me, it isn’t funny,” I called, still working on my sketch. I had the rock and the flowers roughed in, and I didn’t want to mess up the angle.

 

“Avalon,” a soft, echoing voice whispered behind me.

 

I went rigid, nearly dropping my book and pencil. I knew my best friend’s voice, I knew just about every sound she could make. That was not one of them.

 

I took a breath, trying to think and listen to something other than my rapidly beating heart. Swallowing, I forced myself to turn around.

 

My eyes darted around the area, but I didn’t see anyone or anything.

 

“Avalon,” I yelled, deserting my drawing and taking off in the direction she had gone, yelling her name again.

 

“Natasha? Over here,” I heard her voice and altered course, nearly colliding with her as she ran in my direction. “Natasha, are you alright?”

 

“There was something. Something talked. It said your name – and it wasn’t there – and we have to go.” My words came out in gasps as I looked behind me, holding onto Avalon’s jacket.

 

“Calm down. There’s nothing out here but a couple of fish in the creek, and I don’t think they can talk.” She pulled her coat from my grip and slung her arm over my shoulder.

 

“We need to go back to the house. I know what I heard.” I had almost caught my breath, adrenaline draining from my system and leaving me shaking.

 

“Did you finish your drawing?” she asked. I shook my head. “Then we’re going back and you’re finishing. You never stop a drawing before you finish.”

 

“Avalon –”

 

“We’re going back. There isn’t anything there.”

 

She led the way, keeping her arm slung over my shoulder. I clutched my book to my chest and gripped my pencil so tight my hand hurt, nails digging into my palm.

 

I held my breath when we got to the rock, waiting for the voice to return.

 

“Avalon, I don’t need to draw this. I can find something else to draw in town.” She crossed her arms.

 

“Avalon.” I heard the voice and almost screamed, almost covered my ears to block it out. Instead I spun around, trying to spot the speaker.

 

“Avalon,” I whimpered.

 

“Who are you? Come out where we can see you,” Avalon shouted into the trees.

 

“Who are you?” the voice asked.

 

I spun in the direction it came from, and saw a shimmer in the air. My jaw dropped. I thought I had imagined it until I saw it again, closer. I reached out blindly, grabbing Avalon’s shoulder and turning her to face where I was looking.

 

“Who are you?” the voice screeched, echoing through the trees, fading in a hiss.

 

A pale blue face appeared in front of mine, human with teeth bared. I screamed.

 

“Go go go!” Avalon yelled, grabbing the strap of my bag and dragging me along the way we’d entered.

 

I stumbled, trying to keep up with her. The hissing still sounded behind us. It didn’t sound like we left it as we ran.

 

Avalon let go of me, glancing back constantly to make sure I was there. I stayed only a few steps behind her, not daring to fall back any further or look behind to see if the whatever was still there.

 

We stumbled from the forest, out of breath and energy. I turned around, catching sight of a shimmer, a tint of blue. A soft hiss carried on the wind.

 

“What – was that?” Avalon gasped.

 

“It was a ghost. There is a freaking ghost in the forest! You took me into a haunted forest! I told you there was something there and I told you we should have left!”

 

She stared off into the forest, frowning slightly. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

 

“No, no, no, no, no. And in case it wasn’t clear, no.” I glared at her, hoping she wouldn’t say what I thought she was going to say.

 

“Natasha, tomorrow we’re hitting up the library, and then, we’re tracking down a ghost.”

 

I groaned and followed her back to the house.