A Trip To Remember, chapter 2

About twenty minutes went by and I was starring out the window. As you have perhaps presumed, the rain had indeed not stopped. Raindrops splashed on the front window, and were soon followed by the windshield wipers. We were now just getting to the outskirts of town. Buildings were soon getting an older, worn appearance. There was more grass and greenery in-between the houses. I looked down at Nick who was sleeping peacefully. I ran my fingers through his hair, feeling his soft hair gliding throughout my fingers. Thunder boomed nearby, and was soon followed by lightning flashing throughout the sky. Nick jumped up instantly and was now sitting in my lap. His back was resting on Brendon's shoulder. His weight all at once hurt, and I'm sure Brendon was uncomfortable also.

"Nick!" Brendon and I shouted. I swear, Nick looked like an innocent three year old, about to shed tears. He pouted his lower lip out, and gave me the most guiltless look I have ever seen. For some reason, that has always made me give in to whatever they desire.

"No! Nick stop, fine, sit here then," I said begging him. Brendon gave me a look of absolute horror. Nick grinned and then poked his tongue out at Brendon. Pete then let out a high pitch shrill. I wondered how the heck he could make his voice go that high. I guess the other guys did to, do to the fact that they were starring at him in terror.

"TYSON YOU STOLE MY LEGOS!" Pete yelled very loud. He chucked the Lego at his nose. Tyson swerved and cursed, the sharp turn caused me to slide down by Ashley. Nick toppled on me so his stomach was on my side. His check was now touching mine. Brendon was thrown on top of Nick, but quickly sat up. Pete was laughing hysterically.

Tyson went back into our original lane. Then he started to lecture Pete on why you don't throw things in the car. I felt Nick rise up and his check left mine. I felt his hot breath crawl down my neck. I felt something unusual in the pit of my stomach. Nick sat up so he was in-between Brendon and I. I stared out the window and relaxed. The rain was now dropping in buckets from the sky. I could see the outline of the forest dead ahead. As soon as we entered the forest, you couldn't see anything.

Tyson turned on the headlights, and shadows appeared outside of the headlights range. An eerie feeling was in the air. My body tensed up, and I felt a strong arm go around my shoulder. I looked up and saw Nick, he was staring out the front and side windows. I relaxed, and rested my head on his chest. I calmed down quite a bit, but that eerie feeling we had when we arrived in the wooded area was still there. Nick put his head on top of mine, and we both feel into a dreamless sleep.


*It's currently five o'clock at night*


I felt someone softly shake me. I opened my eyes slightly and rubbed them. After I finished, I saw Nicks pretty green eyes staring back.

"Come on sweetie, we're here," Nick said as I hopped out of the car. There was a gravel path leading up to the small cabin. Around the cabin was low, cut, yellowing grass. Surrounding it, however, were tall trees. You couldn't see anything through the thicket. There was a fire pit to the left of the cabin, and two benches on either side. There was a fire pit to the left of the car. We made our way up the steps to the front porch. As soon as you walked in, towards the left was a open space with no furniture. Just some blankets and pillows I guess that's where we are sleeping. To the right were a couch and a handsome coffee table. We walked back and a few steps to the left were a bathroom. Then farther down the building was a kitchen. It had modern cooking equipment. We all walked around the building exploring and getting to know our surroundings, like any normal human in a new place. We put all out sleeping bags and pillows and where there were already blankets. Tyson, Nick and Brendon all went out to get everyone's bags. Once they came back we started to unpack everything and make it feel more like our own houses combined into one.



One Hour Later*


Dusk was setting in and we were outside on the benches. Tyson started a fire, as the sun slowly dipped behind the mountains. No longer could you see the pine trees that dotted the mountains that lay in front of us. Only the little silhouette of the taller hills and the highest of all the mountains the blended there shadows all together. The sky was layered in color. Yellow was the closest to dipping behind the mountain. Followed by a shocking pink that darkened until it hit a red. A chill ran throughout the crisp night air as the sun was slowly fading. We moved the picnic tables so one was on one side of the fire and the other on the opposed side if the fire. I was sitting in-between Pete and Nick. Tyson, Ashley and Brendon were on the other table. Their faces glowing in the light of the flickering flames of the fire. The sun finally fell, and the sky deepened to a blue. It got cold very fast in the mountains. I shivered as the stinging night air touched my skin, as the bitter night air traded out with the once rainy and humid air.

"Want my sweatshirt Alex?" Pete asked breaking the silence

"No thanks Hon, then you would freeze. Besides, I have one and am just to lazy to get it," I said looking back at him as he laughed causing his eyes to dance.

"You sure?" He asked as I nodded my head and smiled at him once more. He smiled a wide smile and darted his eyes over to the fire. Nick scooted closer to me, and unzipped his sweatshirt and put half around my shoulder and draped the other side around his. I gazed up and Nick and thanked him as my body started to warm up. He muttered a no problem and the part on my shoulder fell off. Nick reached over and helped me pull it up and then moved closer to keep it from sliding off. I felt his bare arm against mine, triggering that feeling in my stomach. Suddenly I heard a far out crash of tree branches. It was far out so it eluded most of the major noise, but form the sound of it... whatever made it was coming. Goosebumps spread over my arms and I looked around to see if anyone else had heard. I glanced up at Nick who had a baffled look on his face. Another crash resounded and was slightly closer then the other crash. Naturally, I grabbed the thing next to me for comfort, which was Nick's arm and pushed up against him.

"Did you guys hear that?" Nick asked as I nodded into his shoulder.

"Hear what?" Tyson asked looking around in a worried fashion.

"We don't know exactly, it was branches snapping really far out, but it was loud" Nick tried to explain to the other whom where huddled around the fire. Brendon and Ashley stood up.

"Here, lets put the fire out and go in just to be safe," Tyson said and we nodded out heads and got up. We walked in to door but I stopped in the doorway and looked around. The cold night air was still and quite. The trees gave no clue as to where that noise came from. Tyson's fire was the only light and the only part still burning was the ashes and coals. A warm hand slid into mine, and gently laced their fingers with mine. My stomach did a flip and I turned around only to run into Nick's chest. He laughed as I backed up and looked up into his eyes. He's amazing green eyes twinkled as they danced.

"Come on, there is nothing out there," Nick said. Although I caught him scanning his eyes outside the doorway.

"Yes, I guess your right." I said following Nicks guiding hand. I reached back and closed the door, locking it as well. Pete, Ash, and Brendon were playing cards, and Tyson was beginning to cook us dinner. Nick lead us over to a one seat chair in the corner. He sat down, unlocking his hands with mine. I turned around to get another chair, when two arms managed to find there way around my waist, and I was forced into Nicks lap. Once we were settled Nick rested his hands on my stomach. I looked up at him and he smiled causing me to also. I leaned my forehead on Nick's delicate cheek and buried my nose into his neck. I closed my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep in a comfortable position but Tyson's booming voice interrupted my wishes. Dinner was called and I opened my eyes in minor annoyance and I sat up. I turned around and stared at Nick.

He looked comfortable and his eyes were dazzling. He reluctantly sat up and we walked over to the kitchen table together. On the plates were steaming hotdogs. We ate in silence, and listened to the rain thud on the roof. Ashley looked thoughtful, and finished chewing her food. She said she had left her coat outside and was going to go and get it. We nodded our heads. She walked out into the rain and the door closed behind her. Tyson started telling us this joke that Ryan had told him. Brendon was complaining about how Ryan told him a billion times in the past 56 hours. Pete was mimicking the both of them and Nick and I were sitting back laughing at them all. Tyson glared at Pete and Brendon glared right back at Tyson. Nick and I shut up and we all became silent. A high pitched scream rang throughout the air. Oh, its just Ashley I thought... OH CRAP..ASHLEY!

"Oh my god guys..Ashley!" I yelled jumping up. I grabbed a flashlight by the door and took off. I shinned the light in the trees, nothing. I looked around and called her name... no response. I started walking farther from the cabin, toward the back of our car. My heart was pounding wondering where she could have gone. I could hear Tyson and Nick calling her and Brendon and Pete behind me. I went around the car and shone the light on the trees. There wasn't any sign of her. My heart continued to hammer when my mind told me to look down. Basic human instincts told me to, so I did. Ashley's body lay, cold on the gravel, blood dripping from her slashed stomach. Her neck was gushing out blood of her once living body. I gasped and put a hand up to my mouth. Tears were free-falling from my eyes and cascaded down my cheeks. I let out a horrified scream and ran back to the cabin. Two arms reached out and stopped me.

"Whoa! What's wrong? Nick asked as his muscular arms wouldn't let me move.

"Ash... she... .blood... all ... her neck... .more blood... NICK SHES ... dead... ." I managed to let those words escape in the form of a stutter. I let out a deep sigh and let more tear break away from my eyes. Nick placed one hand around my back, and the other one on the back of my head, pushing me into his chest. I automatically wrapped my hands around his waist.

"Tyson! Check it out with Brendon!" Nick called. Tyson and Brendon walked to the other side of the car. "Shh! Sweetie, its ok... "

I cried harder into his chest. He sighed and kissed the top of my head. My stomach must have been an Olympic gymnastics gold medalist for it to have flipped that much! I turned about thirty shades of red.

"Honey, lets go in, there's no need for us to be out here". Nick said and I nodded my head into the soaked spot on his shirt. If anything, I was in to much shock to be crying... to much shock to even think about crying. To shocked to scream so everyone can hear. To shocked to even think of the one thing I would regret not thinking of... .and that my friends is FEAR