Eric walked Cassie and Greta to the room the two girls shared. The house was very quiet and the constant sound of the thunder resounded in the corridors. Lightening illuminated the room, just as Greta opened the door. The two girls held their breath for a few second. Eric, obviously bad at hiding his amusement, leaned over Greta's shoulder and whispered:
"You know what they say about Europe? A house out of two is haunted...." he breathed down her neck, smiling.
"Stop it!" she laughed, hiting his left arm with her hands. "You're trying to scare us and it is not going to work." she smiled.
"And they do not say that about Europe!" Cassie added. "...Do they?" she said turning to Greta.
Greta and Cassie exchanged a weird look as Eric gave them a wide sexy grin and literally bowed in front of them.
"Good night ladies. If you'll excuse me I'll return to my room. If you need anything, I will be straight down the hall. Just scream if you need me." Eric said with a fake french accent.
Cassie smiled and they watched Eric disapear into his room. After a few seconds, they both walked into the dark room. Cassie was holding a flashlight trying to find her way in the cold room.
"Charming...." Greta said with a strange tone in her voice.
"What? This cabin or Eric?" Cassie teased with a smile.
"ah ah ah." Greta replied as they heard something behind them.
"What was that?" Greta exclaimed while Cassie tried to focus the light on the door.
The door slowly opened, making a grating sound. After regaining her thoughts Greta relaxed and listened. She started walking near the door.
"Eric that's not funny...." Cassie said with a sigh.
"Eric?" Greta called out as she went into the corridor.
At the moment Greta stepped outside the room the door closed with a bang behind her.
Cassie jumped from the bed and ran to the door.
"Greta?!" She called out.
"Cassie?!" Greta replied trying to open the door.
"What happened? Why did you close the door?" Cassie asked through the small piece of wood.
"I didn't touch the door!" Greta said with a confused expression on her face.
Eric came out of his room and headed towards Greta. He asked what was wrong and she explained to him that they couldn't open the door.
"What....you locked yourself out?" he asked giggling.
"No...it just closed by itself!" she told him. "And we can't get it to open anymore." she added as Cassie pounded on the door.
"Hello!? I'm here remember....I'd like to be on the same side of the door as you guys, please."
Eric laughed and turned the door knob. The door open easily and instantly.
"Here you go....must have been the wind." he smiled.
"What wind?" Greta asked.
Cassie came out and she and Greta shared a scared look.
"We keep the windows closed during a storm." Cassie replied.
"Don't disturb the ghosts ladies." Eric joked taking his fake accent again.
Eric went back to his room and so did Cassie and Greta. The room had two small beds, probably a children's room. Cassie took the one to the left and Greta to the right. They quietly went to bed without saying much, the covers up to their necks, staring into the dark.
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Michelle was lying in Danny's arms, staring at the wall in front of her. A big picture of a picture of Danny, among others, rested peacefully on this wall. She could feel Danny's deep and sleepy breath near her face as she tried to figure out why Princess Gine, Greta's mother, would have a key to one of the Santos' cabins.
She wrapped her arms tighter around Danny when thunder rolled outside. Somehow she always felt safe in his arms, but this cabin held something....something she couldn't explain just yet but she had this strange feeling about this place.
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Later on that same night.
Cassie carefully strolled down the corridor, jumping at ever weird noise she heard. The corridor was dark but Cassie had her flashlight with her.
Suddenly something grabbed her shoulder and let out loud scream as she stepped aside and hit her back against the wall.
"Cassie....!"
"Michelle?" Cassie whispered, her heart still beating twice as fast as usual.
"I didn't mean to scare you....What are you doing up?" Michelle asked.
"I couldn't sleep..." She answered.
"Neither could I." Michelle confessed.
Both girls walked downstairs to the living room where Jason was, sitting on the floor near the fire. He was holding his chest painfully, staring at the fire.
When Cassie and Michelle walked in he looked up and slowly got up. Michelle noticed that his wound was still bleeding and handed a towel to Cassie.
"I'll go get something to put on this, just try and get the blood to stop..." she said throwing the towel in Cassie's hands.
"It's alright....It's not that bad." Jason said with a twsited face.
"Why won't men every admit when they need our help?" Cassie sighed with amusement.
Cassie walked towards him with the towel in her hands and stopped herself a few feet away from Jason. She smiled nervously as he slowly took his shirt off. The fire lit the ups and downs of his chest as Cassie tried in vain to take her eyes away from him. his wound was somewhere near the shoulder. He carefully sat on the couch and Cassie sat beside him and placed the towel on the blood.
"Is that ok?" she said hesitating to put more weight on the wound.
"Yes...." he asnwered. "Whoa hold it..." he barely choked, grabbing Cassie's hand tight in his.
"I'm sooo sorry...I'm sorry..I..." Cassie started before her voice trailed off in the night.
For a second Cassie lost any kind of feeling in her right hand. Jason's warm touch desoriented her for a mere second. She looked up to his eyes and a deep silence invaded the room. They were standing inches away from each other and Cassie could feel her heart beat faster, for reasons she didn't even want to think about.
Footsteps were heard in the hall, and Michelle soon came reapeared in the living room. Cassie quickly took her hands off Jason's chest and Michelle approached them, giving Cassie a huge smile.
"What took you so long?" Cassie asked getting up.
Michelle gave Cassie a funny look as she handed Jason a few bandages and some peroxide. Michelle helped him clean up his wound then asked Cassie to help her hold the bandages. Cassie stared at Michelle for a little while almost begging her not to do this to her but she obliged. She held the bandages on Jason's chest as Michelle finished up.
Michelle suggested to Jason that he goes upstairs and get some rest, while she and Cassie would take care of the fire.
"It's ok....it's my turn in 30 minutes anyway." Cassie said trying to convince him.
Jason groaned and sat back on the floor.
"I was starting to be comfortable here....If you let me drift off once in a while I think I'll just stay here..." he said lying on a few blankets.
"Drift away my friend..." Michelle whispered adding some more wood to the fire.
Michelle sat back in the small couch while Cassie laid down on the bigger one.
"Why don't you go back to bed....?" Michelle softly suggested.
"Naah...I can't sleep up there....might as well keep you company." she answered staring at the ceiling.
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Upstairs in Cassie and Greta's bedrrom.
Greta was awaken by the thunders. She looked around the room and noticed that Cassie was gone. Her first thoughts frightened her but then she decided to go downstairs to find her.
When she arrived downstairs, she found Cassie asleep on a chair while Michelle was sleeping on the small couch. Cassie had twisted and turned around on the couch until Michelle had fallen asleep then she had taken a chair closer to the fire and had fallen asleep in it.
Greta looked around the creepy living room and grabbed a blanket on the floor. She cuddled on the big couch and stared at the fire.
Soon she heard footsteps in the stairs and she sat up. Eric came walking, sleepy, into the living room and looked at everyone sleeping. Then his eyes fell on Greta smiling.
"What are you doing up?" she asked making some room for him on the couch.
"I heard you come downstairs and wanted to make sure everything was ok..." he said rubbing his face with his hands.
"Everything is fine Batman...." she whispered with a chuckle.
"Hey you're the scary cat not me..." He replied smiling.
"Yeah you just love it don't you?" she said extending the blanket towards him.
Eric simply grinned and accepted his half of the blanket. They both giggled almost in silence and Greta rested her head on Eric's shoulder.
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When Danny walked downstairs, he found Michelle and everyone else asleep near the fire. Jason was lying on his back on the floor and Cassie was still sleeping in her chair.
Eric and Greta were on the big couch and Michelle was peacefully asleep on the small one. Danny went and put some more wood in the fireplace and came to sit beside his wife. Michelle stirred a little when Danny wrapped his arms around her but she didn't wake up.
He stared at the fire for what seemed to be a very long time, lost in his thoughts and listening to the violent rain. He kept stroking Michelle's hair, and a smile curved his lips at the sight of everyone in this room.
"It feels like summer camp....everyone fearing to fall asleep alone." Danny whispered, then his voice became more serious. "If my family has anything to do with this I promise to find out what it is Michelle." he said still stroking her blond curls.
"I will not let my mother hurt you again....I won't let my family destroy you like it destroyed my father and my mother...I will pretect you, with my life." he sighed.
Then Michelle moved a little, opened her eyes and took Danny's hands and wrapped his arms tighter around her body.
"Just hold me..." she said in a bare whisper.
Danny didn't need more convinving than this, and he held Michelle tight in his arms until they both fell asleep, before the creeping fire.