The Beach House Chapter 1: The Trail

The rolling waves of the ocean could be heard outside. You woke up and stretched your arms. It was the third day of the trip between you and your friends: Merle Stapleton, Kellie Vineyard, and Frank Shepherd. Though... You couldn't shake the feeling someone was missing. But you couldn't remember who else could possibly be on the trip. It was just you four, after all...

Anyway, there's no need to waste time on stuff like that, fantasy thoughts of what could be that obviously aren't true. It's time to wake up for the day. Today's itinerary included the nearby hiking trail, where you could see from the top of the mountain across the ocean. It's even been said you can see the curvature of the Earth from some angles.

You strapped on your hiking boots and bore your cargo shorts, T-shirt, and backpack. The pack had a sleeping bag and extra set of clothes. The hike there and back would be a two-day trip. Walking to the living room of the beach house, you find your friends, each dressed in similar looking outfits to your own.

Merle rushed up to you, putting an arm around you with a tight squeeze. "Let's get a move on, sleepyhead! You haven't even brushed your hair!" He ran a hand through your hair, ruffling it up even worse.

"Stop it." Frank jokingly said while moving Merle's hand away from you. "You're wasting more time messing with them."

The four of you made your way outside, and almost in the blink of an eye, you found yourself already a decent amount of the way up the trail.

"You look a bit disoriented." Kellie said, giving you that ever familiar look of concern she had. She certainly lived up to the motherly role she had in the group. "Do you need to rest for a bit?"

You shook your head no, and she nodded in understanding, placing a hand to your back and helping you keep steady up the next bit of the path. Once up, you were able to get the first glimpse of the view the trail had. While not the main view, it was still a sight to behold, showing the docks miles below as boats made their way out to sea.

"Hey, look!" Frank called to the group. They reached their hand out, pointing at a water spout in the ocean. "Looks like we got to do some whale watching out here too."

Kellie smiled while Merle snapped some pictures, using a more old school film camera than a phone or more modern professional camera. He shook out the photo to help it develop, then snapped another. The flash of light temporarily blinded you, only for you to then find yourself in the campsite for the night.

The tents had already been set up, and a campfire going. A burning sensation on your hand surprised you, almost causing you to drop the s'more that was heating your hand to begin with.

"Someone's jumpy tonight, huh?" Merle asked with a teasing smirk. True, you felt like you were losing some time, but it's not like he knew that. He was just fooling around, that's just how he was. You shrugged in response and took a bite of your s'more, revelling in its delicious, unhealthy flavor.

You took a glance around the area. It was a plenty forested area, with the trail in sight, but far enough away for the group to not be a nuisance to anyone else trying to pass through. Despite the peaceful nature of the area, there was some feeling... Something triggering that primordial sense of being watched... Something that, if it made itself known, it would surely trigger your fight or flight response...

Ah, well, it's probably nothing. You've been the paranoid type for some time. The fact you're in the middle of nowhere is just getting to your anxiety a bit, but your friends are nearby. You're in good hands, that much is certain.

With your snack of a dinner eaten, and the fire put out enough to have lit cinders but not be fully ablaze, it was time to wrap up in the sleeping bags in the tent. You climbed into the bag, nuzzled between Kellie and Merle. Your eyes closed and you drifted, the darkness of sleep crawling over you...

The rolling waves of the ocean could be heard outside. You woke up and stretched your arms, and... Huh. You're back in the beach house. That's... Odd. It's certainly not where you went to sleep, now was it?

But that's fine.

It's nothing to worry about.

Nothing.

At.

All.