The sun was shining over the stony path ahead, filling the air with warmth and golden light. The birds are chirping melodious tunes and make for a natural concert. Flora in many different shades of green wave in unison with the slight breeze rolling with the country road. It is a scenic and beautiful summer day, perfect for a dream summer vacation.
At least that's what my friend Jay Walker had thought. He decided that our summer would be beat spent in some remote country village surrounded by woods, that have been rumoured to have never been crossed. Why? Because they're just that thick! Then again, people could have just been torn apart by wolves. I heard there are some around these parts.
Back to Jay. He invited me and two more of our friends to our little trip. One being Zane Julien, the smartest person you will ever meet. He also has the palest skin I have ever seen, so I have no clue how Jay talked him into this. This might be Zane's home town, for all I know. There's also Cole Brookstone, a strong, coolheaded guy with lots of cooking experience but none of the talent. He has never made a decent meal. Or maybe I've missed out on the good ones.
Then there is Mr. Happiness himself – Jay Walker. If you personified optimism, Jay would be the result. Of course, he has his share of bad days, but he can always wake up tomorrow and smile, saying that life moves forward, not back. He is an amazing person, except for one thing. He is dating my sister.
As much as I think that Jay is a good person, Nya is just so much different. The only thing they share is an interest in technology. But that's not what they think, apparently. I guess that their sense of humour is similar...
"Hey! Look! Were here!" Jay yelled basically in my ear. Even so, he was right.
The small wooden houses were neatly arranged in rows and had a small garden next to each of them, filled with outlandish plants I had never seen before. The sunbeams cascaded into each window, splitting into rainbows and reflecting onto the emerald grass. And yet none of the villagers were to be seen.
"The place we rented isn't too far from here," Cole said, looking at the street sign. Even if Ninjago was slowly entering a new age of technology, the sign was still made of wood.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, before the sun sets!" Jay started to walk faster, passing me in the process. "It is only twelve thirty, we still have plenty of time left," Zane corrected. He looked like a white potato when he had that scarf and hat on. But of course, skin is more important than style. Do not take that out of context.
We walked a few minutes in an unsettling silence, until I couldn't stand it anymore: "Where is everyone? Are the legends really true and they all have been eaten by wolves?" I only got laughter as a response. Even Zane was snickering, "It may be some sort of tradition to have this 'silent hour' in the middle of the day. Who knows, maybe they're just nightowls."
"The whole town? I don't think so," I replied. "Now that you mention it, I'm also getting kind of creeped out," Jay spoke up, "but I still have to agree with Zane on this one. There isn't any wolves or something else roaming around, it's just a hot day." He may have been right on that one.
"And we're here. Settle in, because we'll be staying here for a while!" Cole pointed at the small cottage. Thankfully, that broke the awkward silence that had formed again. Jay immediately ran inside, not even realizing that the door had been open. For some reason.
"All right! Where are we sleeping?" I wanted to make sure that everything was clear with our personal space, as Jay invaded it far too often for my tastes. He once tore through my entire room, just to find some spare blades for an invention of his.
Cole nervously chuckled, "This house technically belongs to a woman called Misako. Her husband died a while back, so she had this spare house. Unfortunately, she allowed us to rent the place under one condition. We always, no matter what happens, sleep on the second floor."
"But this house doesn't have a second floor," Jay pointed out, "all it has is an attic." And as on cue, a wave of silence rolled through, while Cole nervously smiled.
"Were living in an attic all summer."