Reaching the destination

Noah, sitting beside him in the passenger seat, laughed, shaking his head. "As long as there aren't any actual ghosts, man. I'm not here for that. I'm here for the s'mores."

"Don't worry, Noah," Chloe teased from the back, "if you get scared, we'll let you sleep in the van."

The rest of the group chuckled, and Noah shot her a mock glare. "You wish. I'll be fine. It's Jake you should be worried about."

Jake rolled his eyes playfully. "You wish."

With everyone settled, the back of the van a jumbled mess of bags, snacks, and laughter, they hit the road.

The drive started off light and carefree, the conversation flowing easily, a mix of inside jokes, funny memories, and plans for the weekend.

"Did we pack enough snacks?" Lily asked suddenly, always the planner of the group. She rummaged through a bag to double-check their supplies, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Ava, please tell me you brought your camera," she added.

Ava grinned, holding up her trusty camera like a badge of honor. "Of course! This weekend's going to make for some epic scrapbook material."

Natalie and Chloe were sitting next to her, already talking animatedly about the rumors surrounding the house. "I heard a family disappear from that place," Chloe said, her eyes wide with excitement.

Natalie nodded eagerly. "Yeah, and there's that story about the old woman who used to live there. They say she haunts the place to this day, looking for her lost children."

"Okay, now you guys are just trying to freak us out," Ethan interjected with a grin, though he was clearly intrigued by the tales. "Let's just hope there's Wi-Fi or at least some electricity. I'm not trying to live in a horror movie."

After a few hours, the van left the main road and turned onto a narrow, winding path flanked by thick, dense woods. The atmosphere inside the van shifted, the previous lightness giving way to an almost palpable tension.

The trees stood like silent guardians, their tall forms casting long shadows that stretched out over the road as the van bounced along the uneven ground.

"Okay, this is officially creepy," Ava whispered, her eyes glued to the window.

Jake smirked, keeping his eyes on the road. "Told you it'd be fun."

Finally, they emerged into a clearing, and there it was—the old house. It stood at the edge of the woods, weathered and worn, like something straight out of a classic horror film.

The wooden boards of the house looked like they had stood against time and countless storms. Its sagging porch seemed to groan under the weight of forgotten years.

"Whoa..." Chloe breathed out, wide-eyed. "This place is...perfect."

They piled out of the van, their excitement now tinged with a bit of apprehension as they stared up at the looming structure. For a moment, no one spoke, taking in the eerie charm of the house. It was like the place had a personality of its own.

Jake broke the silence, hoisting his bag over his shoulder. "Alright, let's get settled in. Adventure awaits, people."

But just when they were about to enter the house, they saw something.

It was a small graveyard, there were seven nameless graves there.

"Ohh.... What's that? Who's grave are these?" Noah asked.

"Weird, I didn't know that there was a graveyard here...well, it doesn't matter," Jack replied and didn't pay much attention.

When Ava saw it, she felt like her soul had left her body.... strangely, she felt like there was another her under the grave...

...

Inside, the house was surprisingly well-preserved despite the layers of dust coating everything. White sheets draped over the furniture, and the air carried the scent of aged wood and long-forgotten memories. The creaking of the old floorboards echoed as the group explored, claiming their rooms and getting a feel for their temporary home.

"Feels like we've stepped back in time," Noah muttered as he peered into one of the rooms. "This place is crazy."

By noon, they had unpacked and gotten comfortable. Jake, ever the organizer of fun, suggested some activities to pass the time before nightfall.

"How about a scavenger hunt?" he suggested with a grin. "I hid some stuff around the house before we left. Whoever finds the most gets to pick what we do tomorrow."

Ava's camera flashed as she documented their hunt, capturing every funny discovery and spontaneous burst of laughter. Chloe found a dusty old key hidden under a chair, while Ethan, in his competitive element, unearthed a mysterious note from under a loose floorboard.

Later, they took the fun outside. Noah had set up a makeshift volleyball net, and soon they were all running around, the game devolving into chaos and laughter.

Ethan's competitive streak showed, his focus intense as he went after every point, while Chloe, who had clearly never played a serious game of volleyball in her life, flailed about dramatically, making the others laugh harder with every exaggerated dive.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the group gathered around the fire pit Jake had prepared earlier. The warmth of the fire was comforting as they roasted marshmallows, their faces glowing in the flickering light. Natalie and Chloe, always the natural storytellers, began sharing ghost stories, each one more chilling than the last. Ava sat quietly, her eyes darting around the darkening woods, an unshakable feeling of déjà vu creeping over her.

"Do you guys ever get that weird feeling, like you've been somewhere before, even when you haven't?" she asked suddenly, interrupting Chloe mid-story.

The group looked at her, curious. "Like déjà vu?" Noah asked.

Ava nodded slowly. "Yeah, exactly. I don't know...I just feel like we've been here before. It's strange, I can't explain it."

Chloe shrugged, grinning. "Or maybe the ghosts are already messing with your head."

Ava smiled but didn't respond. The feeling lingered, gnawing at the back of her mind as the stars twinkled above them and the fire crackled softly in the silence.

As darkness fully enveloped them, Jake stood up and clapped his hands. "Alright, let's head inside. The night's just getting started."

The group slowly got up, leaving the warmth of the fire behind, their minds buzzing with anticipation for what was to come. But Ava couldn't shake the feeling—something about this place felt too familiar