I figure I deserve this much. After all the trouble I managed to get myself into my Junior year I can't say I'm shocked. My parents sick and disappointed of me decided against grounding me, instead, they decided it was best to send me miles away to Oregon, with my great Uncle Stanford to work at his place for the whole summer. The angst and energy that accompanied simmered down in the past months, instead I nodded at my punishment and took my bus to my home for the next 3 months. I knew little of my grunkle Stan, my parents mentioned the Mystery Shack, a tourist attraction, though I couldn't imagine what could be of attraction in a tiny town in the middle of nowhere Oregon.

Now that I've been here for 2 weeks, I realize maybe I should have paid attention to what mom was saying about stan. The 'tourist attraction' was nothing more but made up items, and more of a tourist trap. Grunkle Stan is a crook, but I can admire his drive and business skill in more ways I'd like to admit. I work more than I get paid, and part of me wonders if my parents even told him why I was here or if he's just like this because he knows I can't complain and has no issues overworking any of his employees. The room he had 'prepared' for me had more spiders than Stan had neighbors, I probably spent more time cleaning out my room the first 2 days than I did settling in. After mandatory cleaning to avoid spider bites, grunkle Stan began to order me around, my last job on my 5th day being cleaning out the surrounding area of the Mystery Shack. I was intrigued by the woods. Maybe it was my lack of knowledge outside of city life but I had never seen a place so close to the woods. No fence like the movies, no keep out signs. With some curiosity and Wendy, one of Stans' other employees, I found myself that same night standing near the edge of the woods, beer cans crumbled at my feet, complaining to wendy, not much older than me, that we needed something stronger.

But now it's just me. Wendy is slowly preparing her belongings as she's apparently leaving town sometime in the next months, and Soos, the only other employee didn't seem one to go out for a midnight drink. I stayed closer to the west entrance of the shack, the flickering light of the porch visible from my peripheral view. My phone connection isn't awful from here, and I get to catch up with my few friends at home and Mabel without the lagging speed from being indoors. But I look up slightly and the flickering light is gone. I immediately feel my body tense up, and I let my earphones drop. I kick aside the leaves at my feet as I get up from my comfortable position on the trunk. I guess the light went off but I don't think grunkle Stan cares that I'm out here. At night. Drinking booze. The breeze feels cold suddenly, and Keep walking steady but goosebumps ride up my skin, there was no breeze before. I can see the outline of the house perfectly now, even if it's almost pitch black.

Crunching leaves on my left side make me stop on my tracks, and I can swear I heard a sound like a breath on my right side. Something in me ignites, not quite fear but like fire and curiosity, almost like when Mabel and I would go trespassing to try to catch ghosts on abandon sites. I look finally to my sides and see nothing, I smile and walk up the steps. Until I see a shadow behind me, now I'm running up and locking the doors. Now I feel the fear I never found before.