Ghost in The Night

Chapter III Breakfast at 13th

Chapter III Breakfast at 13th

"This will be your room, here's your key."

Dorotha hands me a bronze key as we stand on the doorway of what's supposed to be my room.

It's a small room with a bed on the corner, a table, and a closet on the side. A small window that faces outside the front of the cabin, a table and....nothing else.

I turned to Dorotha. "This is it?" I walked inside, it's so much more narrow than my usual room. "But where's the bathroom? No television?"

I whirled around, facing her. "A painting of something---anything---creepy or disturbing? Decorations? Curtains? It just looks so dull and boring..."

"This isn't a hotel, intruder." Dorotha said with a frown. "We all share the same bathroom down this hall. Breakfast will be ready in a few minutes in the grand hall, and since you don't have anything on you, you can use the spare clothes in that closet." she points on the old-looking wooden closet.

Upon opening it, I saw clothes with colors between gray and brown. "Whose are these? They look like they belonged to someone's grandma."

Dorotha rolls her eyes. "I hope you enjoy your stay."

"But what about---" I was about to ask about payment when she closed the door and left. "Huh...the people here sure are warm and accomodating." I closed the closet door hard. "But ofcourse, who am I to complain? I'm just an intruder."

I let myself fall on the bed. It wasn't bouncy like my bed back at home. In fact, this whole thing is a nightmare, made me wish I was back home, with my room with all my stuff and my super-bouncy bed. I mean, how can you sleep here? It's as hard as a rock.

Okay, that was an exaggeration.

"But of course it beats sleeping in the forest." I sighed, looking up at the low ceiling.

"Oh my gosh, you've slept in the forest?"

Alarmed, I abruptly sat up and saw a girl who looks the same age as me lurking by the doorway.

She has a set of wide brown eyes behind a set of glasses, straight brown hair, and is wearing jeans and a white shirt. It surprised me because she totally looked out of place from this strange town.

"Who are you?" I questioned, raising a brow.

"My name's Daisy. I live right next door to you." she invites herself in, but cautiously. "You slept in the forest?"

"Uh, yeah. One night."

"No one survives in the forest. They don't usually survive even a night." she shakes her head, looking amazed beyond my comprehension.

"Oh." I understood then. "Because there are beasts there, right? No one believed me when I said there was a bear, literally just standing a few feet away from me! I could've died if they hadn't opened the gate!" The anger returned when I relieved that moment. Especially at Jared.

I still couldn't believe I could've died just an hour ago.

"Hmm..." she was looking at me skeptically, not even surprised or shocked by my story. "There are no bears in the forest."

"Okay." I stand up, my irritation boiling on the surface. "What is it with you people telling me there are no bears when literally just an hour ago, I was almost mauled by one?"

Now that I was standing in front of her, I can see that she was a bit smaller than me. It was stupid, but for once it made me feel powerful ever since I entered this town.

"Well..." she avoids my eyes. "It's the truth, though....there are no bears in the forest."

I could've slapped her because she was piling up my irritation with Jared, and Dorotha, my bag lost in the forest, my near-death-experience, and now her.

But because my sanity's still intact and I'm a rather mature person, instead I just fisted my hands, and growled in frustration.

I swear, my face feels hot. "What is wrong with you people? Instead of insistently telling me there's no freaking bear in that endless forest, why don't you ask me if I'm okay like a civilized, normal person? Not a single person in this town has asked me if I'm okay!"

I slumped on my bed, nearly to tears.

I exploded like a bomb in front of a stranger, but I couldn't help it. I'm tired, exasperated, hungry, and no one believed me when I almost got killed. My tears spilled and my body shakes as I sobbed. I've completely broken down.

The girl didn't know what to do and I would have preferred her just leaving me be. It feels so humiliating crying in front of someone I don't know.

I half expected her to go away, being confused and freaked out, but I felt her sit beside me, and a warm hand touched my shoulder gently.

"Are...are you okay?" she asked as nicely as she could.

"No!" I bursted out, tears spilling all over my cheeks. "I'm tired, and I'm starving! And not a single person had even made me feel welcome since I first set foot in this town!"

"I---well..." she looks like she doesn't know what to say, and I don't expect her to. What do you say to a person you barely even know?

"I'm sorry your experience was....horrible, but given this town's history I don't think any of us could really offer a kind smile to any visitors..." she tries to explain, as gently as she could, afraid I might burst again.

"Atleast you didn't call me an intruder..." I sniffed. "I already know this town's reputation but that doesn't give anyone who lives here the right to be rude and just plain horrible to newcomers."

"Don't worry about that, we've all been called an intruder the first time we came here too." She smiled sadly. "It's hard to understand from the outside, but now you're in....you'll know sooner."

"Huh?"

She shakes her head. "Never mind. Anyway....since you're hungry, let's head to the grand hall to grab some breakfast, okay?"

She helps me stand up, then stares at me. "Want to go to the bathroom down the hall to clean your face first?"

***

The main bathroom was okay, it wasn't that dirty. Just don't stare at the mildew stains on the walls, or the graffiti, or the stains on the toilet, especially the lizards by the window that just makes me squeamish.

A dirty bathroom is not going to make me give up. Especially since I just survived the worst treatment I've ever received in my entire life.

Daisy was waiting for me outside the door. When I came out she greeted me with a smile. "You look much better now."

"Oh, yeah? Without the puffy eyes and red cheeks?"

She chuckled and took my arm. Warmth spread through my body. It was just a little gesture but I appreciated it. "Let's go, before they eat the whole table."

We walked the empty hall, door after door with numbers. The walls are empty, and the smell of wood stretched through every step. We passed by a few girls, looking just the same age, and some of them stared at me and didn't even hide their whispering to each other.

"Are there only girls here?" I noticed as we pass another group of girls.

"Uh, yeah. The head doesn't mix the boys and girls. The boys are in another line of cabins opposite to ours." She explained. "So, what's your name?"

"Cara Lane."

"Okay, Cara. Since no one has formally introduced you to our town, welcome to Night Falls! And this cabin we're staying in is the 13th out of 15 cabins for girls. Each cabin houses 30 girls each."

"That's a lot. So, all in all, there are..." I did the math in my head. "...450 girls in all the cabin?"

"Well...more or less, not all cabins are full. I heard two or three cabins are still unoccupied."

"Is it the same for the boys?"

"Correct-o." We reach the grand hall which doesn't really look 'grand' at all. It was just a big dining area with high ceilings, and three long tables with chairs all around it. But the moment we entered the smell of fried eggs entered my nostrils, making my stomach grumble.

The both of us fall in line behind some girls to the table with a lot of food. From where I'm standing, I can see there are a lot of bread, bananas and apples, orange juice and fried eggs. My mouth began to water.

Then I notice Dorotha eating on the end of the right table, alone. "So, I have a question. Is Dorotha the head of the cabin? Like, the one in charge?"

"Yep, every cabin has one like her. To 'maintain discipline' as they like to call it."

Daisy hands me a plate from a stack and I began filling mine with the still-hot, good smelling bread. Eggs and one banana. Then I grab a glass and pour orange juice in it. Nothing's as good as free breakfast. Which reminds me....

"Oh, I forgot to ask, how much is the rent here?"

"It's free." Daisy answered without turning to me as she fills her own plate.

I almost dropped mine. "Say what?"

This time, she turns to look at the befuddlement written on my face. "It's free." she repeats.

I wait for the punchline. It didn't come. "You're kidding me. I mean, I can believe the breakfast is free. But not the rent, there's no such thing as free rent."

We began to walk to the middle table, at its end which doesn't have much chattering girls. "In here, there is." Daisy says, and continues to explain. "The food and everything comes from the farm. The water from the river...."

She sees the look on my face.

"Don't worry, there's a machine here that filters the water, so it's clean. I can show it to you some time."

We sit and settle our plates, but I couldn't dig in without knowing how to pay for it. She sees I won't move until I get the whole explanation and she sighs, she lets go of her apple. "Money isn't worth it here since....we're not going anywhere."

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

She sighs again, probably can't wait to tackle her breakfast while it's still hot, but I wasn't budging. "We can't even send money here, it's hard to explain but this is like a remote island. We can't contact anyone outside...."

"Don't you have phones?" I asked, my confusion doubled.

"Why don't you try sending a message to your loved ones then?"

"I---I left my phone in the forest....with my bag..."

She gives me a pitying look but seconds later it fades away, she stares at her food. "I've been here for almost two years now, Cara. I wanted to see my family so much but I couldn't....why is that?"

"I don't know?" I said. "I mean, you're the one living here, why didn't you just pack your bags and leave?"

"The forest won't let me."

Silence...except only the chatter of other girls and the sound of dining ware echoes in the air. I look at the other table and saw some girls were looking at me, then avoided my eye.

I look back at Daisy but she wasn't meeting my eyes.

"Are you guys serious?" I asked, feeling disgusted. "You guys are really going to sell me that crap, saying that the forest is haunted, that this town is haunted?"

"Shh!" Daisy shushed me, looking alarmed. My voice had risen higher and some of the girls on our right table became quiet. "We don't talk about it here."

"Then stop playing games and just tell me already. What, just admit you got hooked by the mystery case of this place..."

"Who in their right mind would come willingly to a place where murder occurs actively?" Daisy asked looking disturbed.

I avoided her look and just sipped on my orange juice.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "You---

"Whatever, alright?" I said, putting down the glass. "But just tell me the truth, what do you mean by the forest not ..." I still can't wrap my head around it. "letting you?"

She sighs for the third time. "Look, how about we just talk about it later after we eat breakfast. It's difficult and long to explain and I'm starving."

I wait for a beat before agreeing. "Okay. But you can't escape from me after this." I pointed at her with my fork.

"How could I?" she rolls her eyes and drinks from her own glass. "I live just right next door to you."

I smiled and dig in to my own food. I don't know if it's possible but maybe I can consider Daisy as a friend. She's kinda cool.

Besides, the girls here are weird, they kept staring at me.

***

After eating breakfast, we cleaned up and headed to our rooms. I'm so full I could just sleep all day. But instead of going to my own room, Daisy invites me to hers. Since I was curious how the other room looks like, I didn't hesitate to come.

The moment I stepped in I was amazed by how her room is so different from mine.

Poster and frames line her walls, a pot of flower sits by the window, lilac curtains, books align on the shelves. Her bed has flowery bedsheets and a teddy bear sits atop. There's even a rug on the floor.

"Wow, your room looks awesome."

"Thanks, it was a coincidence I packed my whole house." she laughed. "I was moving that day and I incidentally found this town when I got lost, so here I am. And I just couldn't stand blank walls."

"Me too. Wish I could've decorated mine, if only I haven't left my luggage im the forest."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah.... what about clothes?"

"Dorotha said I can use the clothes in my room? Although I don't know who owned those...."

She winces. "Yeesh, do they look like clothes that someone's grandma owns?"

I pointed at her. "Nailed it."

She laughs. "It's probably from the previous girl who lived there."

"Oh, where is she then?" I sat next to her. She didn't answer right away.

She bites her lower lip. "Dunno, maybe changed house. We don't really keep track of anyone here since...."

I wait for her to continue. "Since...?" I prompted.

But it seems like she got back on track and claps her hands, looking at me with a brightened expression. "Oh, I have an idea, how about I lend you some of my clothes?"

My eyes widened with gratitude. "Really?"

"Uhh, yeah?" she snorts and opens her own closet which was a rainbow of colors. "I have a lot, can't really wear all of them, you can borrow some."

I gasped as I held some of the clothes. Holy---they feel and smell like normal clothes. "Daisy, you are a lifesaver!"

She smirks. "I know, right?"

After looking at her clothes and choosing ones I can borrow--some of them are black shirts and light jeans---Daisy flops to her bed, exhausted from rustling through tops and bottoms.

"So..." she rolls onto her back, and leans towards me with her hand on her face. "What made you come to this 'spooky' town of ours?"

"Nu-uh. You don't get to ask questions, remember?" I tutted, waving my finger as I settled down next to her, hugging my new set of borrowed clothes. "You haven't answered mine."

"Alright," she rolls her eyes. "How about this, I answer yours, you answer mine. Let's take turns."

"Deal."

She leans towards me with a morbid expression. "When I said the forest won't let us get out, it makes us lose our path."

I waited for more explanation, and she seems to be amused by the impatience radiating off of me.

"Didn't you wonder why our number one rule is that no one is allowed in the forest?"

I shake my head.

She whispers in reply. "There are strange things in the forest. Things that don't exist, but somehow you see....some of the people here said they saw a tiger in the forest, a wolf, a half-beast, fairies, ghosts....bears..."

The hair on my arms stood up. "But there was a bear." I whispered back.

She shakes her head. "The forest was playing tricks on your eyes. Like it did everyone else. Why do you think the bear disappeared the moment the gates opened?"

"Um, because it ran away the moment it saw the townspeople?"

"Because it was never there."

I stopped.

"It made the people inside the gate panic, thinking you were actually in danger. Once they've let you in, it vansihed cause' it got its goal...."

"What, to make me pee my pants?"

"No....it wanted you to get in."

Another chill went up from my spine. Is she serious? Do I believe this?

"But that's not the only thing the forest can do..."

"There's more?"

Daisy chuckled without any humor in her eyes. "Sure there is. That's why rule number one is very important to us....cause' it could really save your life."

"Try to escape, either the forest makes you lost, going around and around until you just die out of starvation or thirst....or it could just make you disappear."

"D...disappear?"

She nods gravely.

"How?"

"I really don't know, but from what I heard from some of the survivors...."

She reads the confusion in my face and explained hastily. "Ones who tried to escape but got back---yeah, those are the survivors. Well...they said one of their companions just suddenly got....gobbled up by the ground..."

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling excited and anxious at the same time.

She puts her hands together and opened it like a trap. "The ground opened up, and in went one of their friend. And when the ground closed the only thing left was his arm...."

"Hanging up, moving, clasping for air.....or for someone to pull him up from underground...."