Chapter Text
Kendra Sorenson stared at the novel in her hands, lost in the story it was telling. Although she had initially been incredibly anxious, as this was her first time in a plane, she was now completely engrossed in her book. Music softly played in her ears, the same playlist that had been looping for the past hour. She wished she had the foresight to have downloaded more music before boarding a plane to the middle of nowhere, but there were more pressing issues on her mind.
She was going to be staying at her grandfather's house for the foreseeable future. The only direct relative willing to take her and her brother in while the police searched desperately for their missing parents.
Having spent the last week with her best friend since kindergarten, Alyssa Carter, Kendra had never felt more grateful towards anyone in her life. The Carters had been incredibly kind, taking her and her brother in as if they were their own, without asking for anything in return.
She fidgeted with the ring on her finger that matched the one her parents had gotten her brother as well. It depicted a fairy with intricate carvings on the band. She sometimes wondered if the bluish green crystals that adorned it were actual gems, or if it was simply colored glass.
A hand began to wave in front of her face, snapping her out of her stupor.
“…Hey, Kendra, hello? Anyone home in there? Helloooo?” Her younger brother Seth leaned forward, inspecting her dubiously.
“What?” Kendra asked, pulling out an earbud. The sounds of a baby crying immediately made her regret her decision.
“I’m boredddd,” Seth said, drawing out the word, almost to the point of it being annoying.
“Quit bugging me,” Kendra said, attempting to go back to reading. “Just play on your phone or something.”
“My phone died ages ago,” Seth complained. “It’s boring when I’m not bugging you.”
“It’s not my fault you didn’t charge it before boarding.”
Seth wiped a fake tear away from his eye. “You’re so cruel to your sweet, innocent, little brother.”
“Uh huh.”
Seth continued to speak, but Kendra put her earbuds back in and pointedly ignored his prodding.
It was going to be a long flight.
Trying to maneuver around in an airport was more tricky than expected. After grabbing her bags and going through security, she was completely stumped on what to do next.
Kendra wished she could call her Grandfather, but she wasn’t even sure if he had a phone, let alone what his number was. Allegedly, a friend of her Grandfathers named “Dale” was supposed to pick the both of them up, though they hadn’t been given a description of the man.
“You think he’ll be old and crusty like Grandpa?” Seth asked, sitting on a cushy chair in the airport. He took a bite of the sandwich Kendra had made him.
“Grandpa isn’t crusty,” Kendra said. “Besides, why does it matter?”
“It’s called making small talk.” Seth said, his mouth full of sandwich. “This is why you don’t have friends.”
“I have friends!” Kendra flushed, and crossed her arms defensively. “And don’t open your mouth while chewing. It’s gross.”
He rolled his eyes and swallowed. “Your girlfriend doesn’t count.”
“Alyssa is not my girlfriend,” Kendra turned away, embarrassed. “She’s just a friend. Anyway, I have friends other than her. You’ve met Trina.”
“Hey, I didn’t say her name.” He raised his hands defensively. “If the shoe fits…”
Kendra groaned in frustration. “You’re impossible.”
“You’re bad at hiding things.”
Kendra felt a tap on her shoulder. Startled, she turned around.
“Excuse me,” A polite voice interrupted. “Are you two Stan’s grandkids?”
Kendra turned around, a little startled. In front of her stood a tall man with a kind face and big ears, maybe in his late twenties or early thirties. He had a slim but muscular build, a little on the lanky side. The deep tan of his skin suggested that he was in the sun more often than not.
“Um, yeah.” Kendra answered hesitantly. “Who are you?”
“My name is Dale. I was sent to pick you up.”
Seth squinted at the man, examining him for several moments. “Are you a kidnapper?”
The man seemed unsure how to respond for a moment. “…Not the last time I checked.”
The man pulled out his wallet, showing a picture of Kendra’s grandfather and grandmother, the man “Dale”, who looked a few years younger, and two other figures she didn’t recognize. One was a short asian woman with a gentle smile, the other a pale, albino man with white hair, only a little shorter than Dale.
Despite the contrast between the two men, Kendra could see they were obviously brothers.
“Good enough,” Seth said, picking up his bags. “I’ll take it.”
“I can take those for you.” Dale offered.
Seth grinned. “Thanks! Kidnapper of the year award goes to…”
“Seth,” Kendra chided.
“I mean, thank you very much for taking my bags, good sir!”
Kendra rolled her eyes. “Now you’re just trying to be a contrarian.”
“What’s a contrarian?”
“Nevermind.”
After leaving the airport, Dale had led the both of them to a battered up old truck. The ride took a little longer than expected. As Kendra watched the trees blur past, a long monologue of life began playing in her mind, that, unfortunately, would be very boring to read. She wished she didn’t have to go to her grandparents house. She wished her parents were still here. She wished Alyssa was with her. She wished a lot of things.
Kendra looked over at her brother, who, at the moment, was playing “I spy” with Dale. How was Seth being so casual about their parents being missing? She didn’t understand. She wished she could understand.
“Ooh horses!” Seth exclaimed suddenly.
Kendra looked over, snapping out of her thoughts. There were indeed horses.
They rode on, the silence stretching uncomfortably long.
“Where does Grandpa live?” Seth asked impatiently, after the first hour. “India?”
“He enjoys solitude.”
“No kidding.”
“We’ll be there soon.” They turned onto a long gravel driveway. Kendra saw no signs of a house.
Tires crunching on the gravel road, they passed multiple signs warning that they were on private property. Other signs warded off trespassers. They came to a low metal gate that hung open, but could be shut to prevent access.
It seemed that the further they advanced, the stranger and more aggressive the signs got.
Private Property
No Trespassing
Up to $1000 fine
Trespassers Will Be Persecuted
Rounding another bend, the driveway reached a tall iron-wrought fence, at least twice Kendra’s height. The double gates stood open, welcoming them inside. The fence seemed to never end, disappearing into the trees as far as the eyes could see. Near the fence stood a final, ominous sign:
Certain Death Awaits.
The feeling of unwelcome was almost tangible. While she knew that the signs weren’t specifically for her, she could feel the judgment surrounding them. Grandpa didn’t want them there. Kendra knew this. Her grandfather barely even knew them. Why would he be excited to have to take care of two kids he barely knew? She wished she could have stayed with Alyssa. When she was with the Carters, she felt like part of their family. Even though they were blood related, Kendra felt so disconnected from him.
After they passed through the gate, a shiver cascaded up Kendra’s spine. A knot of dread formed in her stomach, and then the feeling was swept away in a single moment. She blinked a few times, wondering if she had simply imagined the feeling.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Kendra said nervously as she remembered the feeling, using her hands to smooth the goose flesh that had formed on her arms.
Seth rolled his eyes. “You don’t have a good feeling about anything.”
They drove across a small bridge spanning a creek and climbed a shallow slope. The trees ended abruptly, bringing the house into view across a vast front lawn.
By the time they arrived, it was already dusk. In front of her loomed a large house, constructed out of dark wood and stone. It appeared to be old, though in good repair as far as Kendra could tell. It was absolutely gorgeous, but nothing in comparison to the grounds.
A flower garden spanned the front of the house, a bright and colorful array of various flowers Kendra had never seen before scattered artfully in the flower beds. A large greenhouse took up a good chunk of lawn space. Kendra could see an array of plants she couldn’t recognize through the stained glass. Dale pulled into the driveway.
Kendra spotted her grandfather and a short, asian woman with a kind face. She recognized her from the photo Dale had shown them earlier.
As soon as Kendra spotted him, she ran up and hugged him. They had never been the closest, but she was relieved to see him. He awkwardly hugged her back.
“It’s nice to see you, too.”
“Grandpa, it's been ages!” Seth said, coming up and hugging him as well.
“Where’s Grandma?” Kendra asked, letting go of her grandfather.
“She’s out of town.” He answered. “She’s taking care of your Aunt Linda.”
“I see.” Kendra said, a little disappointed. She didn’t really know aunt Linda very well, aside from knowing about her health problems. Kendra wondered if he would bring up her parents, or if it was an unspoken rule to not talk about it.
Kendra noticed the asian woman staring at her. She seemed a little startled seeing her. Did she have something on her face or something?
“Um, hello.” Kendra greeted politely.
“This is Lena,” Her grandfather introduced. “She’s our housekeeper.”
“It’s nice to meet you.” Lena greeted.
Kendra would guess she was a little younger than her grandpa, perhaps in her mid to late fifties. Her long hair was kept in an elaborate bun, a few pieces out in the front to frame her face. Despite her age, Kendra could see that she must have been a beauty in her younger years. Her almond eyes had a certain wisdom to them, and her lips were curled up in a kind smile. Age spots dotted her face, somehow enhancing her kind appearance. She had a motherly aura about her.
“It’s nice to meet you too.” Kendra smiled, already warming up to her. “I’m Kendra, and this is Seth.”
Seth waved at her, then ran over to the truck where Dale was. Dale began to unload the luggage from the bed of the truck, and Seth helped bring it inside.
“You’re quite young,” She noted. “You can't be older than fourteen.”
“I’ll be fifteen in october.” Kendra said, a little embarrassed.
“I see.” Lena smiled. “I imagined you a little older. You remind me of someone I met a long time ago.”
“Does Grandpa talk about us a lot?”
“Quite often. I’ve heard a lot about you two from him.”
“That’s kind of hard to believe.”
“Why is that?”
“He never visits us.” Kendra admitted. “I can count the times I’ve seen him in the past few years on my hands.”
“He’s a busy man.”
“I guess.”
The two of them headed inside. The house was something you might expect to see at a historical site. With glossy wood floors, the house seemed at least a hundred years old, although in shockingly good repair. A wilting arrangement of flowers decorated a low table. A large painting on the wall depicted a scenic view of a pond, surrounded by gazebos and wildlife. Kendra could see into the neighboring room, where a large rug covered almost all of the floor.
“Take a seat,” Her grandfather said, motioning towards the couch where Seth sat, fidgeting.
“Before you can get settled, I have a few ground rules.”
They both stayed silent, waiting for him to continue.
“First rule, no electronics in this house. This includes phones, radios, tablets, and the like.”
“What? Why?” Seth asked.
“If you want something to do, you can always play in the yard or swim in the pool. Which brings us to the second rule—Don’t go into the woods. There are many wild animals like coyotes that could kill you, and it's not difficult to get lost.”
Kendra nodded. That seemed fair. She glanced over to her brother, who was very obviously not listening.
“The third and final rule, don’t enter the greenhouse. Understood?”
“Alright. That sounds easy enough.” She was expecting much more harsh rules, like ‘dont look me in the eyes or you’ll turn to stone’, or something. The last two were more just common sense rather than rules, which she suspected her brother lacked.
“Dale will take you to your room.”
“Not you?” Seth asked.
“I have things that have to be taken care of. You’re in good hands.”
“Don’t cause any trouble,” her grandfather warned. Kendra watched as he stood up and left the room.
That was one rule she doubted Seth would ever be able to follow.