The Better to See You With (My Dear)

We Carried Our Hopes Close to Our Hearts

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Sonya Connolly's cabin was relatively easy to spot as the RV traversed the road leading them up the mountain. The metallic sheen of the cabin's green roof immediately stood out from the rest of its neighbors and could be spotted from a considerable distance.

When Tori first visited with her family nearly a decade earlier, she thought that the building resembled a scaled-up Lincoln Logs model. And observing it now, the comparison was still as fitting as ever, what with its horizontal logs that comprised the exterior walls and intersected at the corners. It was a stark contrast to some of the more contemporary residencies in the area.

The gang figured out that Ms. Connolly was an avid decorator within seconds of reaching the property. The surrounding vacation homes and their sparse furnishings absolutely paled when compared to the cabin's exterior, which was charmingly landscaped with bluebells and hollies. There was an arrangement of stones lining the pathway leading up to the entrance, and the vicinity was speckled with bird feeders that were probably filled up regularly. It was as if the woman wanted to assert that she was a permanent occupant of the house as opposed to some bright-eyed tourist. Which, you know, fair enough.

As the camper pulled into the driveway, the group hastily grabbed their belongings and attempted to dart out of the vehicle, chatting excitedly among themselves. They reached for the door handle only to be stopped by a slightly miffed Beck, who had locked the exit from the driver's seat.

"Where do you all think you're going?" he questioned with the raise of a brow. Tori, Jade, Cat, André, and Robbie traded puzzled glances with one another.

"We're... going inside the house?" Robbie squeaked out with a tinge of confusion. Beck tsked at the response while his eyes wandered towards the RV's living space. The crew followed his line of vision and were greeted with what they could only describe as the aftermath of a windstorm. Blankets and pillows had been discarded in places that they shouldn't have been, and fast food containers and wrappings were left to decompose. There were also several cards and board game pieces that were strewn all over the carpeted floor. The look of disapproval that their friend was giving them instantly made more sense.

"Yeah, maybe we'll, uh, straighten up around here first," André interjected sheepishly.

"Good call."

They spent around ten minutes tidying up the camper and tossing out any trash they had accumulated during the ride until Cat piped up.

"Hey, my pack of gummy worms is missing! And they were the multicolored ones too!" she exclaimed in disappointment.

"Are you sure you didn't leave them on the counter back at the pit stop?" Jade inquired while wrestling with a pillow that wouldn't fit inside its pillowcase.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't. I remember tossing it right there," Cat replied before gesturing to a nearby ottoman. Tori's brows furrowed, and her expression gradually tightened as if she were deep in thought.

"I think I can hear..." she trailed off, eyes narrowed in suspicion. When the crew began staring at her expectantly, she shook her head and declared with an exaggerated sigh, "We can pick some up on the way back, Cat. You guys ready to head in?"

They shrugged and filed out the door, but the singer quickly intercepted them as she opened and closed the metal door emphatically. The group protested, yet Tori put a finger to her mouth to silence the squad. They reluctantly obliged.

After a few moments, they noticed the ottoman shifting as if there were something inside. The top of the storage seat sprung up, and a disheveled person emerged from within, causing the gang to let out noises of surprise.