The old house stood eerily amidst the gloom, its wooden structure resembling a monstrous creature with towering claws ready to ensnare its next victim. Perched on a little hill, moss covered the corners, and the second-story windows remained unlit, lending an air of mystery to the place. A scattering of trees filled the front yard where we stood.

One word: creepy.

The tall structure looked abandoned for ages as if it held the weight of countless painful memories and sorrowful cries. It sent chills down my spine and seemed to whisper secrets from its dark past.

Or maybe I just imagined it that way so I could find an excuse to go back to our old house. This wasn't how I planned things.

My parents weren't supposed to get divorced, my heart wasn't supposed to be shattered in front of the entire school when my boyfriend dumped me, and I never imagined spending my senior year in such an odd place!

The house was ancient, abandoned, and yes, it had a creepy vibe, but there was something oddly beautiful about its medieval charm. The best part? We got it for a surprisingly low rent!

"Isn't it beautiful, Claire?" my elder brother, Jake, got out of his car and stood beside me. "This place is much more peaceful than our old neighborhood in Rivera."

"Nope. Nowhere near beautiful. And way too quiet. Creepy!" I shuddered, but he brushed off my concerns.

"Come on now. Help me unload the bags," he said, tugging me back to the car.

I scoffed like a little girl and suggested, "Can't we just go back to Rivera? I hate this place. Super creepy! I swear I saw someone watching from the windows above. I don't think this is safe." I may have exaggerated a bit.

He laughed, "Oh, we both know that's not happening. Remember what Mom said. Rivera is in the past; Havendell is?"

"the present and Hell is the future," I added that last part on my own.

Jake laughed again and reminded me while gazing at the sky, "It'll be Hell if you keep standing here. Looks like it'll rain. So, hurry before we get ourselves and our luggage wet." I shrugged and lazily followed my brother to get our bags.

A month ago, Jake helped Mom move most of our furniture and luggage here. He and I stayed back in Rivera with our grandmother to finish our semesters. Jake just graduated from high school and will attend Springwood University this fall, away from Havendell. Lucky for him.

And me? I'll be stuck in this hellhole, finishing my senior year without my best friend, Aria, and my dad. Mom got a back-office job for the night shift at one of the finest restaurants here, 'Sands & Witches,' all thanks to my Aunt Holly.

After the divorce, Mom thought moving across the country would help us all. And just like that, my life changed when my dad cheated on Mom. Now I'm halfway across the country in a completely foreign land where we know zero people. Aunt Holly moved out of town just before Mom moved in. Ugh... I can't handle all this now.

"Move your feet, little lady," Jake said, coming to pick up a bag after opening the door.

"It's heavy!" I cried as I walked behind him inside the house.

"I told you to give away your books."

"Touch my books, and I'll kill you," I warned him but stopped as I took in the interior as soon as I stepped in.

It was spacious. And it smelled a lot like my old house, thanks to Mom's favorite lavender room freshener. The living room stretched wide in front of us, and a staircase attached to the wall on the right led to the second story. The kitchen was on the left, behind what I assumed was the garage.

"That's Mom's room." Jake pointed at the door across from us, on the other side of the living room.

Two leather couches from my old house sat there in an L-shape, and I craned my neck as I walked forward, spotting our old TV stationed on the far wall. I took a breath of relief as I saw the familiar furniture. Who knew that old, rusted furniture could bring happiness?

"Our rooms?" I turned back towards Jake, who was already climbing the stairs with two heavy bags. He pointed upwards, and I grinned with excitement.

I always wanted to live in a house with my room on the upper story. We lived in an apartment back in Rivera. I won't be saying this anytime soon, but I'm quite liking it here. Havendell won't suck as much as I thought.

My smile vanished as my eyes fell on my luggage. I have to carry it upstairs! At that moment, just for a moment, I preferred to have a Kindle instead of my hardcovers. I groaned as I carried my bag, 'dragged' would be a better word, step by step.

I was out of breath as I reached the upper floor, which felt new and unused for ages. Jake appeared from the first door on the right as I warned him, "If we're sharing bathrooms, I'll drive back to Rivera this instant."

He carried my bag and motioned me to follow him. On reaching the first door, he said, "This is mine."

I peeked my head inside to see his old black bed and white & blue sheets. His desk was on the other side of the bed, with his computer and books stacked on it. And a bathroom door! I raised my eyebrow at him when he opened the door right next to his, saying, "And this is yours!"

I rushed inside it and took in every detail of my new room. All my anxiety and annoyance vanished as I saw a room even more beautiful than my previous one.

First, it was huge! Second, it had an attached bathroom! 

My bookshelves, wardrobes, and cabinets stood against the walls, and in the middle of it all lay my soft bed. I plopped onto it, realizing how much I missed it. There were windows on two sides of my room, one behind my bed and one on the left wall between bookshelves.

"So, I guess you liked it?" Jake stood near the door with folded hands and a smug look on his face.

"Loved it!" I grinned. I noticed the neighbor's house from the window. It was freshly painted, and the window across from mine looked new and modern.

"Told ya!" he said as he walked over and sat beside me. He placed a hand gently on my shoulder, and I rolled my eyes. I know what was coming—a 'caring older brother' talk. He was too predictable.

"Claire, I know this is hard. It's hard for all of us. But at least try, ok? Mom-she needs our support." His thin figure looked even weaker as his worried eyes bore into mine. He reminded me much of Dad with his lean and bony body structure, hollow cheeks, and bright eyes. I was more like Mom—dark brown hair, short, and not-at-all thin. Though Mom was way more beautiful. I was just... fine.

But looks apart, I was more like Dad. That's why I'll miss him the most. No matter how hard it was for me, I never seriously opposed the idea of moving across the country all of a sudden, even if it was the last thing I wanted to do. I could never tell them that. Jake, just like Mom, takes matters too seriously. They're always having internal panic attacks while I... I keep trying.

So, I nodded in agreement. "To be honest, this is exactly the kind of house I wanted to live in. A few more dozen rooms and modern equipment and servants roaming around wouldn't hurt, though," I joked.

That was my strength. I acted like everything was fine, joking around, laughing, and making silly, sarcastic comments. That's how I survived, no matter how lonely and broken I felt.

Jake stood up and walked over to the window behind my bed. "I think I forgot to tell you one important thing about this house."

My heart skipped a beat at his serious tone. Has something happened here before? Something tragic? Murder? Suicide? I twisted on my bed to look at him.

A sly grin appeared on his face as he said, "I think there's a lake in our backyard."

I jumped out of the bed and rushed to his side. "Jake Archer Hunter, how could you forget this important detail?!"

Looking out of the window, unsurprisingly now, I saw a lake outstretched as far as the horizon. The lake wasn't practically in our backyard, though. One would have to walk down the slope towards the shore, which was now deserted. The sun was about to set, and dark clouds scattered in the sky, making this evening bloom with beauty.

Tiredness vanished from my body as I asked him, "Can I go down, please?"

"Sure," Jake shrugged, "There are still a couple of bags, but I'll get them. And I'll make something for dinner. Don't be late."

I was already at the door as soon as he said, "Sure." It is not like I could help him with the cooking as I couldn't boil water without making a mess. "Order pizzas instead," I yelled, thinking he must be tired from driving us across the country.

"There's a back door in the kitchen," he said as I pranced downstairs, "and the lock isn't working."

"Okay!" I shouted as I reached the kitchen. After gulping down some water, I rushed out of the back door to the backyard. It was surrounded by a green lawn, and a set of swings was placed just under Jake's room. A tall stone wall was built behind it. Was there a house on that side? I'll inspect it later.

I kept walking down towards the lake, its dewy, salty aroma flooding my nose. I wished I could run towards it with my arms open just like in the movies. A silhouette of a guy appeared as I reached closer to the shore, his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. I stopped running and walked at a normal pace; my eyes now focused on the serene lake.

When I stood on the edge of the shore, I secretly glanced at the guy who wasn't much farther from me. He looked quite young like he was around my age. His tall and sturdy build made him look older. His bear-brown hair was messy and covered most of his forehead. He had a strong jawline, and although I could only see half of his face, I could tell he was attractive. He had a magazine-cover-model vibe.

I inspected my clothes - worn-out jean shorts and a really faded yellow tank. I cursed myself for not even changing my sweaty clothes before running around like a lunatic.

When I turned towards him again, his eyes were already on me, inspecting me like I was an alien. I gave a lame smile and jerked back towards the lake. I hated awkward meetings, and this was no different.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw him bending down and picking up some stones. He threw them into the lake, one by one, and they skipped. Was he showing off his stone-skipping techniques? On the last one, he leaned down and closed one eye in a professional posture and threw the rock with swagger as if it was a classy golf game. But the stone dipped without skipping.

A small laugh escaped my mouth, and I didn't try to hide it. "Show-off," I muttered as I turned to walk away, but he stepped forward, blocking my way.

Did I piss him off?

I frowned my brows as I glanced up at him. He was way taller, and describing him as eye candy would insult his Greek God handsomeness.

Please, don't say something stupid and kill my beauty-gazing!

His brows fused together in confusion, his light brown eyes somewhat scared.

Wow, I could scare a 6-foot-tall, handsome guy; who knew?

And then he spoke.

I would've had a huge crush on him if he hadn't said those exact words in his deep voice. "Can you see me?"