The strange girl

He put on his cap and slammed the door open. The sun was a golden brown color, ready to leave its part to its counterpart. Artemis sighed at the mess he had partly created.

'Ugh, what am I going to do with this girl?' he nodded in disbelief and set out to find her.

'Arty, here's a grocery list, can you get them on your way back?' Mom handed him the list while he was leaving with boss music.

'Ugh fine.' he spat.

'Tone down, young man, I don't want to hear that again. And where's your sister? She didn't even come for lunch. Neither did you!' she gasped when she realized she didn't cook them lunch.

'Oh, what a terrible mother I have been! here, let me make you guys something. We should call your father too.' she hurried to the kitchen, but Artemis blocked her from entering.

'No! I mean, we're not hungry anymore, so it's a waste of your time. Better to skip to supper, I guess.' he laughed, nervously.

She studied him suspiciously for a few seconds before she turned back.

'Alright then, I'll do supper then. Ask your sister to have a pop tart at least, that girl hasn't been inside for hours. You think I didn't notice, didn't you? I did!' she mumbled on her way back to her office desk, where she was making beautiful art for her client. It's her side gig to make extra money.

Her side gigs are always so strange.

'Anyways, mum, I-I'm going to go now. Bye.' he ran back outside for a fresh breath of air. That was so close. If she found her he didn't babysit her properly she would throw a fit of rage. And he would be called the immature and irresponsible one.

He heard his mother yell something about meat and supper, but he was too far to let that sink in. He continued over the old, rusty buildings with beautiful architecture and firm underground. He had heard that this mystical town, Havenwood, is a strange one.

He heard them and joked about it later on their campfire last month, but was actually intrigued by its ability to creep anyone out with this barren land and strange atmosphere after four in the evening. He felt something, weird in the air.

The air cooled down, and he had searched almost every place he had known till now. The park, the neighbor's house, the markets, where not a lot of people were present anymore, and bought some things his mom suggested. He searched in the supermarkets, the coffee shop, the school, the pharmacy, and even the clothing boutique.

There was only one place where he didn't search. He felt a chill down his spine, knowing that was the only logical place she could've gone to.

'Damn it, Audrey, you couldn't pick a better place to go hide?' he gritted his teeth once more. She never listens and gets in trouble.

The front gate creaked open, past some dead yellow leaves, at this time of year. There were times he passed through this castle of a house, and ready to see it tumble. Never had he expected to come to stand in front of it, challenging its essence and his very existence.

'God damn it, I really need a break.' he sputtered as he stepped inside the mansion, letting shivers run down his spine.

'I swear, if she's in here, I will make sure she doesn't see the light of day.' he hissed, going inside.

'Audrey, Audrey!' he impatiently called his sister's name, only for no response. He was afraid she had fallen somewhere or had run away far away and maybe had lost her way, but Havenwood is a small town, with a knitted community, so he was sure she must be in here, if not out of the town.

The house was wrapped in shadows, with a dim light reflecting in the mirrors. It's hard to classify if it was a house or a mansion. The huge door was bolted, looks like someone did do some work in this house, as the screws looked new, the only bright thing in this whole house. The wood on the doors, however, was full of holes and was rotting.

The walls' painting was peeling off, and the remaining were clinging for its life but clearly turned darker and muckier.

This was only the exterior. He was shaking to see what would be different in the interior.

'She couldn't have gone inside. No.' he chuckled.

She wouldn't have. Would she?

She definitely would.

He let out an exasperated sigh and knocked on the newly bolted door.

He waited and waited, but no answer. Each second in this haunted mansion made his heart beat faster.

He pushed the door, and it didn't even budge. He wondered if his sister went in after all.

He smiled and thought: 'She must be home right now.' and was about to leave, when...

CAW!

Something dropped on his head, causing a mild throb on his head. He rubbed the throbbing, and cursed the crow, looking at him with its beady eyes.

Crows are pretty scary, aren't they?

That's when he noticed something shiny on the grass. A silver-tinted sunflower bracelet, which opens midway to reveal the message: 'Forever my love'. It was a gift for her birthday.

'Shit, shit, shit.' he ran towards the mansion and banged the door.

'Come on, really?'

He looked around for an opening to go through. He didn't believe she was that stupid and naive to actually fall into that trap. There might be robbers, people using drugs, burglars, murderers, and so much more. they might be together, and gang up on her. They might do something really bad to her.

He was glad he didn't let that intuition go.

he noticed a rope, and an ice pick stuck on that window. Seriously? It's like she had it all planned beforehand.

He tried to climb it, but slipped and fell, two times. He couldn't even get up anymore.

'I cannot do this anymore.' he groaned.

'I don't think you can, not with this rope.' he heard a female voice from behind.

He couldn't even turn his neck but fell backward to reveal a brown-haired girl with an orange sleeve standing there, a blondie standing behind her. They must go together, he thought but was alarmed when he realized they were here for the same campfire stories.