The journey

May 15th, 2024. (24 years later)

"Hey babe, are you excited for our trip?" Maxwell, a young man in his late twenties, called out from the living room to his girlfriend, Hailey.

She hurried downstairs, giving him a quick peck on the lips. "Yes! I'm more than excited. Let's do this. I'm so happy this is going to be our first trip as boyfriend and girlfriend," Hailey said with a grin.

"Then let's do this!" Maxwell replied, his voice brimming with excitement.

He sat on the sofa, and Hailey collapsed next to him. She sighed. "Hmm..."

"Are you okay, babe?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "If you don't want to go, we can reschedule or cancel."

"It's not that... It's just that something caught my attention when I looked up the place this morning."

Before Maxwell could ask what it was, Hailey shook her head. "Don't worry, just some superstitious stuff," she said, letting out a halfhearted laugh before snuggling into his arms.

Maxwell wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer. "You sure? I mean, if something's bothering you, we can talk about it."

Hailey hesitated for a moment, her fingers playing with the edge of his shirt. "It's nothing serious... I just read some weird stories about the place. Creepy, unexplained things. But it's probably just internet nonsense." She glanced up at him, trying to smile, though the unease in her eyes lingered.

Maxwell chuckled softly. "Ghost stories? Come on, it'll just add to the adventure." He kissed the top of her head. "Nothing's going to ruin our trip."

Hailey let out a soft sigh, relaxing against him. After a few moments of comfortable silence, she stood up and stretched, glancing at the clock. "I think I'm going to head to bed early. I want to be well-rested for tomorrow's adventure."

Maxwell smiled, watching her as she made her way toward the stairs. "You're like a kid on Christmas Eve," he teased.

She turned back, grinning. "Can you blame me? Tomorrow's going to be amazing." With a playful wink, she disappeared upstairs.

Maxwell stayed on the sofa for a while longer, smiling to himself as he imagined all the memories they'd make. Upstairs, Hailey crawled into bed, her excitement outweighing the strange feeling she'd had earlier. She closed her eyes, eager for the morning to come, the thrill of the trip buzzing through her mind as she drifted off to sleep.

**May 16th, 2024 – Morning**

Maxwell stood beside his car in front of the house, the car's bonnet popped wide open. "Hurry up, babe! We're gonna get stuck in traffic!" he shouted.

"I'm coming!" Hailey yelled back from inside.

He shook his head with a smile. "Oh dear."

A moment later, Hailey paced out of the room, locking the door behind her. "Whew, damn, baby, you're pretty—and ouuu, you're looking hot in those jeans!" Maxwell teased.

"Close your eyes!" she shot back, trying to hide a grin.

Maxwell let out a laugh. "Come on, babe, let me grab that cake," he flirted, giving her a playful wink.

Hailey shot him a sharp glance, and he quickly lifted his hands in mock surrender. "My bad, my bad, ma'am," he said with a smirk.

They both laughed as Hailey opened the back door and slid into the passenger seat. Maxwell, still grinning, raced to the driver's side.

Just as he was about to start the engine, Hailey raised an eyebrow. "Babe, you left the bonnet open."

"Damn it!" he muttered, jumping out to close it. He jogged back to the driver's seat and quickly buckled in. "Your beauty's got me confused! It's been two years since you became mine, and it still messes me up."

Blushing, Hailey shook her head. "Enough, sir! I thought you said we'd be stuck in traffic minutes ago?"

Maxwell chuckled, revving the engine. "Alright, alright, let's go!" And with that, they were off, their excitement for the trip kicking in once again.