His Twisted Queen

Chapter 8

Alaina.

............

The sky looks crisp, blue and beautiful. It looks welcoming even, but I can't say the same about myself. Thinks like the sky, the weather and even the twilight blue family van seem to have it all together, unlike me.

I always seem to get it wrong, mess up. Why the hell did I agree to come on this weekend trip?

I'm naive, dumb and probably a sucker for a teensy bit of socialising among the right people.

But, are the Romans the right people? With strangers, I can mingle with and walk away like they don't even exist, but how will I walk away from these people?

They literally pulled up at my apartment building and offered me a seat in their family van and made me feel welcome.

How do I turn my back and walk away like I always do?

The night has already crawled closer as we designated at a cabin, deeb in the woods. The surrounding setting is dark, welcoming and surprisingly quiet, just the chirping of a few crickets and the howling of a coyote in the nearby looming around.

"Noah, give your old man a hand with the bags." Uncle Dom yell as Noah has plans to follow his mother and sisters into the place.

He mumbles under his breath and obediently come back to help his dad, unload. But, he stuns me when he just snatch Elle's little pink backpack and dashed off.

"Lazy son of a gun." Uncle Dom rebuke, annoyed and proceeds to do the heavylifting.

At first, I wanted to head for the door too but I rather decide to help him out. "Spoilt kids, you got here." I say, and immediately wonder if that's a compliment or an insult.

"Damn straight." He agrees, easing me. I help load off, carrying a few bags to the doorstep and coming back for more.

"Hey kid," Uncle Dom calls when I head for the door after helping out.

I turn back. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for coming. Good to have you, here." He says, pulling at the strings of my heart. Why does he have to be so good to me?

I simply nod, striding up the few creaking stairs however I halt. "Hey Dominique,"

"Yeah?" He turns around, slamming the van's door close. The moon beams falling on him.

"I still remember how to hike a mountain and navigate through a forest. Piss me off and I leave." I let him know, not really making a joke.

"I'll remember that." His laughter follows me all the way into the cabin.

The cabin is made from logs of oak, the wood's natural beauty radiating a welcome for us...me. It's a small, two-bedroom cabin, alighted by the pure light of oil lamps.

The cozy fireplace offering a different warmth.

The woody floorboards creak under my feet as I stroll around. On one wall is a shelf with books, each volume representing that there linger a stage of life in the cabin. The lifes of the Romans.

"Alaina, you hungry?" Aunt Vi calls from the small kitchen compartment and I find my way, adding myself in the midst of the Roman ladies.

The counter comes in my way and I wonder how aunt Viola could possibly fit all the drinks and food on the counter: it's stuffed.

"Thank you." I appreciate when she slips the avocado sandwich over to me. I stare blankly at the bread. Can't remember when last someone fixed me a plate of food. This is new...weird.

"I hope you don't have a problem sharing a room with these two?" Viola ask, pointing a buttered knife at her two daughters.

"No, I don't. It's fine." I say, lifting the sandwich and taking a bite.

"Can I sleep in your bed with you, Alaina?" Elle asked so unexpectedly that I almost choked. A big, infectious smile on her face.

I look at her mother. Aunt Viola is smiling too, she seems eager to make feel welcome like I belong and I don't really want that.

"Say no, Alaina. This kid doesn't know when to shut the hell up." Nina suggests, stuffing a cucumber piece in her mouth. Her eyes solely on her phone. Does she ever put that thing down?

"That's not true. I know how to be quiet. Please, can I sleep with you? Can I?" Elle pleads.

"Sure." I nod, gaining an excitement shriek from her.

After a quick dinner, everyone sleepily crawl into bed. I faintly listen to the rustle in the surrounding greenery that consists of trees and shrubs as I get comfortable in the bed. Elle's warm body nestling close to me.

The scenery is beautiful and serene, quiet and cool. I can almost taste the crisp of the night air.

Through the large windows, I can view the dark moonlit trees, grouped together in silent formations.

In my lost years, I stepped into these woods, made a journey through. Together with Zack and the others, I learned the challenges of the woods, the adventures it poses, the trials and tribulations that have to be born.

I never expected myself to be traversed into the woods again--that Uncle Dom would show up one day, out of the blue and lead me to the edge of the woods again.