The next morning, Ben woke with a thumping headache. He really had drunk a lot last night. Meg wasn't by his side so he unwillingly got out of bed and went to the bathroom to shower.
As he walked down the corridor, he caught a chill. Despite Sarah's overdramatics about the spider yesterday, he had to admit there was something a little strange about this place. Ben had told the owner that he'd like to explore the island while they were here, and asked for a map, which wasn't anywhere to be found. It was as if the house was designed so they'd never have to leave.
The wood for the fire was piled high, there was more food than they could eat, not to mention the lack of contact details for anyone on the island. As the wind hit the shutters on the bathroom window, he wondered if even the weather was conspiring against them.
After showering, Ben made his way downstairs to find everyone eating a huge breakfast. Meg was taking her signature strawberry muffins (and blueberry for Casey) out of the oven, and there were delicious looking piles of toast, eggs, sausages and fruit laid on the counter.
"This all looks amazing", he said, giving Meg a hug from behind.
"We need it after last night" Michael laughed.
"I don't know what you're complaining about" Vanessa said, her hand covering her obviously sore forehead, "at least you slept last night".
"Was your room not comfortable?" Casey asked.
"Oh no, it was great" Michael said smirking, "but Vanessa thinks it's haunted"
"Shut up" she scowled, "I do not, but there was that weird scratching noise, please tell me you guys heard it!"
They all shook their heads.
"Are you serious?, it was going all night" she said exasperated, "I couldn't sleep a wink"
"The note did say the house makes noises, it was probably that", Meg shrugged and tucked into a muffin.
"It wasn't a creak though, it was a scratch. Something was scratching at the wall next door I swear!" Vanessa was the last person to be irrational, Ben thought.
"Alright, I'll go check it out" he offered.
"Casey go with him" Sarah demanded immediately, and got a incredulous look in return. "What?, there could be like...cursed mummies in there".
Ben and Casey laughed and followed the twisting corridors to Vanessa and Michael's room. When they tried to open the room next door, it was locked. As was the door next to it, and the one next to that. In fact, all the rooms apart from the ones they'd already been in were locked.
"That's…" Casey began.
"...odd" Ben finished.
They made their way outside where the winds were picking up and circled the whole house looking for windows into the locked rooms. Every single one was boarded up from the inside. The two of them gave up and went back inside to tell the others.
"It was probably just a rat or something" Gabi said nonchalantly.
Sarah went pale but said nothing. Meg had obviously had a word about insulting the holiday Ben had paid for.
After breakfast, the group decided to talk a walk around the island, without the promised map. Arm in arm Ben and Meg followed Gabi with Michael and Vanessa who had the best navigational skills, and had Casey behind them, who was helping Sarah over what seemed like every rock.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Ben asked her.
"Of course I am" she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "This was the perfect trip thing to do before the wedding", she leaned up and planted a kiss on his cheek.
Meg's approval was incredibly important to him. He wanted to give her the world. He knew sometimes he went over the top - the gondola and the car he bought her were extravagant to say the least. But he did it to compensate for times he was shut off from her and couldn't give her his whole self. Times when the past haunted him. The past two years of knowing Meg had begun to bring his old self out again, and he was determined to keep trying.
After 45 minutes of walking, they finally reached the fishing harbour on the low end of the island. It was eerily deserted. No boats were tied up and there was just one fisherman standing on the harbour with his fishing rod.
"Maybe no one's around because it's stormy" Sarah said, echoing the question they were all asking themselves.
"If that's the case, the boat's would be tied up, not out at sea" Ben said, "let's go ask this guy".
They walked further downwards to the fisherman.
"Excuse me" Ben called.
The man turned around, his eyes scanning the group and landing on Ben. They widened suddenly. Was that fear in his eyes?
"Hi, sorry to bother you" Ben said to the old man gently, he looked a little startled, "we're just visiting from Nighthorn House, are there any more people around, some nice sites on this side of the island perhaps?"
The man stared at him, unblinking and shook his head slowly.
"Maybe you could tell us a little about the island?" Gabi interjected, she had a great way with people.
He shook his head again and looked into the distance and the darkening sky.
"Is there a storm coming?" she asked.
This time he nodded, staring straight at Ben.
"Ok well maybe we'll go past the harbour and loop around before we go back to the house" Vanessa suggested.
The old man finally spoke, his voice shaking "there's nothing to see here, go back"
"But we've come all this way and we haven't found the shop yet" Sarah complained.
He looked at Ben once more, "Closed. Storm's coming. Go back. Now".
Given his tone, they didn't need to be told twice. They trudged back up the island, slightly disappointed and dejected. But a warm house was a much more welcoming prospect than being outside in a storm.
Back at the house, the group bundled back inside and Casey set about starting the fire again.
"Hey you guys, who ate the last muffin?" Sarah called from the kitchen.
"Not me! Not guilty!" were the replies.
"Well someone must've had it, I left it right there on the counter for later" she said accusingly.
"I'll make some more, jeez Sarah" Meg said, rolling her eyes and Ben laughed.
Casey walked into the kitchen, firewood in hand, "Ben where'd you put the fire poker?"
Ben had stoked the fire last night, "I left it by the fireplace".
"Well it's not there now", Casey said, puzzled.
For ten minutes, Ben, Casey and Gabi looked for the poker. "It must be here somewhere", Ben said furrowing his brow.
"You must've misplaced it man, my memory's a little hazy from last night too" Casey said.
"Mine too" Gabi admitted.
"That's one thing I do remember Gabs, you jumping on the chair singing Chapel of love" Ben teased.
"Oh God, I'm never drinking again! Wait til Ricardo hears about this, I'll never hear the end of it" she said.
"Trust me, Ricardo's used to it, apparently Maria and Annie used to roll back home in all sorts of states when they were younger", Ben said, smiling at the memory.
Sometimes there were split seconds where Ben forgot everything that had happened, usually in his happiest moments. This was one of them. For a second, he forgot Maria's brother Ricardo hated him, and only remembered when they used to get along, with Ric telling him stories to embarrass his little sister.
Gabi saw that moment flicker across his face, followed by the instant guilt that he'd forgotten the past five years.
"You know, one day Ricardo will realise hating you won't bring her back" Gabi said kindly.
"I doubt it" Ben smiled. "The man has made a profession out of trying to get me locked up for her murder, he won't rest until I'm in prison".
At that moment, Meg walked in, hearing the tail end of the conversation. She knew instantly what it was about. Ricardo had tried to warn her about Ben many times.
"I could do with a nap after lunch before tonight's festivities, what do you reckon?", she said, swiftly lightening the mood.
"I think that sounds perfect", he said, grateful for the change of subject.
After lunch, everyone retired to their rooms to rest. Walking six miles with a hangover had taken it out of them.
As the sun went down, Ben's deep sleep was interrupted by a thudding on the stairs and a high pitched scream.
"Calm down, calm down" he could hear outside his door.
It woke Meg up too, "what the…?" Ben said, opening his bedroom door.
Casey was standing in the corridor, his hands clasped around Sarah's arms.
"I saw it, I saw it!" she screamed.
"What is going on?!" Meg said, appearing at the doorway. By now, Michael, Vanessa and Gabi had come to check out what the crisis was.
"You saw what Sarah?", Meg said, exasperated.
Casey managed to calm her to a point that she could speak. "I couldn't sleep so I decided to go to all the locked rooms and look under the doors to see if I could see anything"
"Like cursed mummies?" Michael teased and Vanessa nudged him.
"Anyway I don't see anything until I get to the door next to Vanessa's room, and suddenly, I see it!"
"See what!" Meg said.
"The RAT!"
The whole group seem to sigh in frustration at Sarah's amatuer dramatics.
"I thought someone had been murdered!" Vanessa said.
"You guys, it was huge, it was like the size of a foot, and it moved so fast past the door, this place is infested I'm telling you"
"Sarah", Meg said firmly. "This place is not infested with rats. Nor does it have cursed mummies. Or ghosts, just stop already, ok?"
"But...I know what I saw Meg!"
"Stop!"
Sarah shut her mouth mid-protest. She knew when it was time to stop testing her sister's patience. Ben rubbed Meg's back in support.
"Well we're all up now" Gabi said brightly. "Let's get ready for tonight".