"Okay who's the douchebag who brought the guitar?" Emmett asked. He waltzed around the open living room that coupled with the kitchen and ran his fingers over the strings, leaving an uneven, peaceful hum in the air.

Jacob extended his arm and pointed at Edward. "Right there."

Edward straightened the collar of his pale, plaid button-down shirt. He gave a smile as Emmett smirked, awaiting a response.

"That's right," he told them, "I also play piano if anyone's interested."

Emmett gave a thumbs up and then quickly turned it upside down.

Rosalie laughed and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't listen to him Eddie."

Bella chuckled and eyed her beau, "Eddie... hmm, that has a fun ring to it."

Edward snickered and shook his head. "Okay Isabella."

She scrunched her nose and tugged on his sleeve. "Okay... game over."

"Any extra hamburger and hot dog buns?" Esme asked, not speaking with anyone in particular. She smiled and held a metal spatula with a wooden handle for everyone to see.

"Steve said something about stocking the big pantry over there," Alice told her with a shrug.

Esme glanced to the side and headed toward the set of flimsy double-doors to the side of where everyone stood. She reached for the set of handles with both hands and pulled them open, jumping back with a startled scream.

Everyone jumped from their seats and straightened up their posture as a man emerged from the pantry.

Carlisle quickly rushed to Esme's side and then positioned himself just slightly in front of her.

"You're doomed," the man said, looking around the room, "You're doomed. You're all doomed."

Esme clutched Carlisle's hand and Emmett stepped forward.

"Get out of here man." His intimidating stature didn't do much to scare the stranger.

"You're doomed if you stay." He repeated his calling several more times, looking directly at Emmett for a moment before turning his attention to Carlisle. "Go..." He then glanced over toward Jacob, Edward and Bella and repeated the phrase with more urgency, "Go."

"Emmett..." Rosalie's voice shook a little.

"Listen... Ralph is it?" he asked, "Get out of here before we call the police."

The man was unphased and he stared at Emmett for a long moment. "This place is cursed."

Emmett took another step in his direction and Ralph nonchalantly walked by, preaching as he headed toward the front door.

Everyone glanced around at one another and they all walked behind Ralph, making sure he was out of the house.

The sun was setting and darkness was creeping in. Off to the side against a tree was a rusted, old bike that he climbed onto, staring over his shoulder as he began to ride away.

"You're doomed if you stay!" he called out a final time, "You're all doomed!"

Emmett glared at the man, though everyone else appeared a little spooked by the abrupt appearance of the stranger they all assumed the police had been looking for.

"I think we just met Ralph," Jacob commented. His worried expression twisted into a grin and he laughed lightly.

They all glanced in the distance, watching the old man go until he was more or less out of sight.

"Are you alright?" Carlisle asked, looking at Esme.

She turned to him, still gripping the spatula firmly. "Yes." Relief filled her eyes and then her body as she relaxed, "Yeah... that was just..."

"Weird," Rosalie finished. A the same time, Bella said, "Strange."

"Yeah." Esme nodded, and then looked at Carlisle again, seeing he was staring at her. "I'm fine, Carlisle."

Headlights approached in the distance and everyone remained standing together in a tight group.

"Is that Steve?" Jasper asked, squinting ahead.

"Nope," Alice said right away, "I can tell it's not a Jeep. The lights aren't high enough."

"The cops?" Leah asked. She looked at Jacob.

"No, he had his little motorcycle remember?" Jacob said, making her laugh.

"How could I forget." She smirked at him.

"Yeah, this car is a little beater," Emmett said as a small, blue station wagon approached.

"Are we missing anyone?" Alice asked, looking around. She began to count, using her finger as she did.

"Mike," he replied, looking over his shoulder at Jacob, "Remember? We can find out if he's single Jake."

Jacob rolled his eyes again. "Why are you interested?"

Rosalie began to laugh, as did a few of the others.

When the car found an empty spot next to Bella's truck, the headlights quickly snapped off and a young man with dirty blond hair hopped out of the car.

"Wow, hi," he said, noting the large group of people. "Are all of you waiting for me?"

"We were just seeing someone off," Jasper informed him, "You might have passed him... old man on a bike saying we were all doomed."

The boy laughed, "Oh yeah... yeah I just passed him. Odd duck."

"To say the least," Rosalie said. She then got down to business, "So, who are you?"

"Oh, uh, name's Mike Newton." He walked up and extended a hand, "Pleasure to meet you."

"Rosalie," she said.

"Emmett." He flashed a grin and shook Mike's hand before the newcomer made his way around, introducing himself to everyone.

"Sorry I'm late," he concluded. "I took a week long summer course that didn't wrap up until late. It was an easy three credits."

"Well, you're just in time for all the work to be done," Emmett joked.

"I'm sure Steve will give us plenty more tomorrow," Alice said, "Unfortunately."

"Do you need help getting your bags?" Carlisle asked, already spotting a few bags in the back seat.

"Oh, um, yeah... sure." Mike smiled and nodded, "If you guys don't mind."

"Not at all."

Carlisle and Esme took the initiative to help Mike with the several bags he was toting before he settled in the last available room in the main cabin.

"Okay, we're burning... moon light," Emmett said, noting the sky outside had gone completely black, "We heading down to that fire pit or what?"

"Fire pit?" Mike asked.

"That's right," Bella said, "I found it." She leaned up against Edward with a grin.

"Oh..." he tried not to stare for too long, noting that Edward was presumably her boyfriend. "Right... great! So, you found it huh? Cool."

"Yup."

"Yup," Edward echoed, seeing that Mike was eying her just a little too long.

Emmett snickered, picking up on the minor bout of jealousy and Mike's all too typical wandering eyes.

"We're ready," Esme told everyone, throwing on a gray hooded sweatshirt over her jean shorts.

"Marshmallows?" Emmett asked.

"Check." She held up a began smiled.

"Beer?"

"Check," Rosalie said with a chuckle, nudging a red cooler with her toe.

"And I got the chocolate and graham crackers," Emmett concluded. He looked around at everyone, "Well... let's go."