The Arrival
"Are you absolutely sure your sisters can't press charges on me? It does seem like I'm abducting you or something."
"I'm 18 and willing. That can't be considered as abduction in any country I know."
"They will find the way."
"Shut up and drive, Duo."
Duo did as he was told, and drove until the pale sideways of concrete gave way to vast extends of green woods and pale skies.
"So… how much longer?" Quatre didn't want to sound rude, or anxious at that, but seven hours inside a car could get anyone a little irritable, and itchy. Especially itchy when the seats of said car were so old the fabric was practically rotting.
"About half an hour more," Duo answered curtly, being more focused on the road ahead of them, outlining the path the best he could through the deceiving picture that the mist presented to his eyes.
Quatre sighed, fidgeting on the seat in seek for a more comfortable position, even when he realized two hours ago this was no longer possible to accomplish. He just needed to get out of the damn car and stretch his legs. However, he had to admit the country side was beautiful, overwhelming and breathtaking. The tallest trees stood proud at the sides of the narrow road, impeding the sunrays any further, just a few strands of lights adventured through the wet branches. The thick fog drowned them in an almost state of dream, blurring out shapes and contours. The musky air that filtered through the windows as the car speeded up was harsh with its cold against their cheeks. Quatre reached with his hand, tapping the tip of his nose just to find it as cold as ice.
"We are here!" Duo sang happily when the road bifurcated, and turned the steering wheel expertly to advance through a bumpy path. "Fucking finally."
The trees gave way to a patch of short grass, a two-storey log cabin standing just in the middle of the field. The house looked quite old, but well-built, not ready to give in for at least a couple of decades. Duo hastily pulled over, more than ready to leave the inside of his beloved vehicle after driving for nearly eight hours.
"Duo!" a girl squealed, breaking the upmost silence and startling them both. She approached the car, and waited eagerly until Duo finally got out just to crush him in a tight embrace.
"Catherine… I can't… breathe." Duo's voice was muffled against the girl's chest and the bulky material of her sweater.
"Look at you! You are so tall!" She remarked happily, and Duo had to look at her with skepticism. The girl was at least half foot taller than him. But, when she kindly complimented Duo's beautiful hair, Duo had to agree.
After hugging Duo for another good minute, Catherine looked over at Quatre suspiciously, her eyes narrowing as she looked intently at the blonde boy. "You…" she pointed at Quatre, squinting as she walked over to the boy.
Quatre looked back at her with mild expectation, not sure if the girl was happy or not to see him.
Catherine stood in front of him, her index finger still pointing at Quatre accusingly. "You… I remember you!" She threw her arms around Quatre, trapping him in an equally tight embrace. "The last time I saw you you were no taller than two feet and were always sulking around, crying to no end, but were no less pretty than you are right now."
It wasn't just that Catherine was hugging him in the most intimate matter, pushing his face against his very womanly chest, but the fact that Quatre wasn't able to recall seeing her before in his life what really worried him.
"Awww! You are blushing!" She traditionally pinched his cheeks before letting him go. "You two must be tired." She looked over at Duo, who nodded in agreement.
"I can't feel my legs," Quatre added, hoping she would finally take mercy on them and let them alone for a couple of minutes.
"Then I guess I should let you go get inside the house and get some rest," Catherine said in a resigned tone, though the broad smile never left her face. "I still need to tidy up some things. We got no electricity, but that's being fixed right now. You go get comfortable then."
Both Duo and Quatre smiled back as the girl walked away.
"Oh, by the way," Catherine stopped in her tracks, turning to face them once again. "Duo, could you help me carrying some boxes inside?" she smiled even more at him, "pretty please?"
Duo snorted in protest, his shoulder slumping, but decided to help. "You owe me a big cup of hot cocoa." He approached Catherine, dragging his tired feet.
Quatre watched until they disappeared around the corner of the house, and then headed himself to the wooden stairs that led to the front entrance. He was beginning to feel sleepy, hungry and, for some reason, uneasy. The woods reminded him of horror tales and dead girls trapped in wells. He almost felt tempted to go after Catherine and Duo and offer them some help, but decided against; his own legs were wobbly and his eyelids heavy.
The hinges hissed as Quatre pushed the door open. The inside was dark as a cave, and Quatre hesitated for the slightest of moments before cautiously making his way to the foyer, the wooden floor creaking under his feet. The darkness grew deeper as he advanced along a hallway, just the pale light that filtered through the muggy windows were helpful enough to light up his way.
Suddenly, drops of water hitting against a metal surface were heard, in a constant rhythm. He deduced he had to be near the kitchen. The drops kept hitting against the sink as Quatre reached a living room, richly furnished and probably cozy if it weren't for the spider's webs that hung from the ceiling and the thick layer of dust that rested over the entire room and its possessions. Looking out the large windows at the patio, Quatre saw Catherine and Duo carrying out boxes from a small cabin, and even though their voices were muffled, Quatre couldn't entirely ignore Duo's sulky expression while the boy vehemently protested about something.
Quatre approached one of the windows and tried to pry it open, but it didn't move one inch. "No use." He sighed, watching helplessly at the tiny balls of dust that danced so freely in the sunlight that passed through the window glass.
Spotting a fairly clean couch, Quatre didn't think it twice and flopped onto it, grateful to catch some rest. He closed his eyes, enjoying the lulling sound of a clock ticking in the background as he drifted slowly into sleep.
Seconds later, a thump was heard, loud in the quiet house. Quatre stood up in alert, gasping softly. Startled, he looked outside the window with wide eyes, thinking that maybe the sound came from outside the house.
In an appalling discovery, Quatre saw Catherine and Duo still in the patio, none of them carrying boxes, or seemingly disrupted by any sound. Something heavy settled in the pit of Quatre's stomach, his heart suddenly racing.
Another loud thump followed, and Quatre whipped his head around, eyes meeting with exasperating darkness and nothing more. "Hello?" He called out weakly. The question almost subdued by the silence that followed.
An entire minute passed, and Quatre heard nothing more than his own heavy breathing.
"Come," a grunt was heard that made Quatre's heart skip a few beats; though it was low, it didn't sound any less angry.
Then a rush of footsteps resounded, a walk hard enough to be considered stomping. Quatre ran, the sound of his own footsteps echoing against the walls. He crossed a few hallways before noticing all sound had stopped.
The front door was closed. He didn't recall closing it.
Quatre hazily pushed the door, but it seemed jammed. The footsteps were heard again.
"DUO!" Quatre screamed at the top of his lungs, banging on the door, his fist connecting erratically with the wood in loud thuds. "DUO!" Quatre yelled again, and looked down to see a huge rat strolling over his shoes. "DUO, PLEASE!" Quatre cried out, desperately, the sound of the footsteps reaching him, closer and closer.
Quatre looked around, and barely spotted the shape of a person standing behind him a few feet away. The person's face was hidden in the dark, but dots of blood in his boots and hands shone against the limited sunlight.
Quatre almost fainted, a sharp sound suddenly ringing in his ears as his surroundings faded slightly. He ran over to the nearest window, founding it jammed. "Goddammit!" Quatre hissed, and looked around in time to see those feet walking closer.
In his desperation, he banged his fists against the closed window, breaking the glass until only the sharp edges remained. Quatre lifted his leg, setting a foot in the sill, and jumped outside the house, falling hard against the damp soil.
"Quatre, what's wrong?" Duo ran over to the boy, genuine confusion in his eyes.
Blood flowed freely from the wounds on Quatre's hands, staining his clothes. Hi pale face streaked with spots of thick red, while pieces of glasses were buried deeply in the skin of his palms.
"Fuck, you are bleeding." Duo reached with shaky hands, wiping some blood from Quatre's cheeks. Quatre's face was paler than Duo ever remembered; his usually rosy cheeks devoid of any color.
"There's someone inside the house," Quatre whispered through trembling lips. "He was covered in blood."
Catherine showed up shortly after. Noticing all the blood, she clasped his hands over his mouth, concealing a loud gasp. "Duo, what happened?"
Duo ignored the question, and helped Quatre stand up, wincing when he noticed the way his friend's body trembled with no restraint.
The same footsteps were heard again, and Quatre started to struggle against Duo's embrace, wanting to get away. His eyes suddenly filled with fear and terror.
The stranger approached them, and no one but Quatre seemed troubled by the presence.
"It's him," Quatre hissed.
Both Catherine and Duo looked around to see the newcomer standing near them. It was a boy, apparently no older than any of them, but taller than Catherine for at least one good foot. He was holding a dead rat, the same rat that Quatre saw moments ago.
"Was he the person covered in blood you saw?" Duo turned to look at Quatre, asking him in what sounded like a disappointed voice.
The stranger looked at Quatre with a dull expression, almost uninterested, his piercing green eyes betraying nothing as well.
"Geez, man!" Duo let go of Quatre in a roughly manner. "You almost caused me a heart-attack for nothing."
Catherine sighed, and shook her head, smiling slightly. "This is my brother Trowa."
To be totally continued...
That 'dead girls in wells' was a reference to The Ring. LOL WHAT? the movie freaked me out totally!
Point out any typos you spot, will ya? I wrote this at 3 am. I don't mind when my readers do that. actually it's nice, it tells me people is actually paying atenttion to the story. Besides, english is not my first language... so again if you spot any idiomatic expression that might be wrong at all just tell me. I also take suggestions and cash.
R&R and I'll promise you SMEX FOREVAH!!!!!