The Unwanted Guest

Chapter 2 - Road trip

The hum of the engine blended with the steady rhythm of the music, creating a kind of easy, carefree atmosphere in the van. Malik had control of the playlist, and so far, it wasn't half bad. Old-school throwbacks mixed with a few newer jams kept everyone in good spirits.

The bass reverberated through the seats, and I could feel it pulsing in my chest as I tore into a bag of chips Kayla had passed my way.

"Pass the sour candies," Lucia said from my right, poking me playfully in the ribs. "You're hogging all the good stuff."

I rolled my eyes but handed over the candy, shaking my head with a grin.

"You know, we're only two hours into the trip, and you've already eaten half the stash. We're gonna starve before we even hit the cabin."

Lucia smirked as she popped a candy into her mouth.

"Nah, we'll be fine. Plus, Malik promised we'd stop for real food at some point, right?"

Malik shot a glance in the rearview mirror, one hand on the wheel and the other tapping along to the beat.

"Yeah, we'll hit a gas station or something in another hour. Get some actual food before we're stuck with nothing but nature."

"Nature," Kayla echoed dramatically, tossing a few chips in her mouth. "You make it sound like we're heading into the apocalypse."

"Well, technically, we kind of are," Malik replied with a chuckle. "The cabin's pretty deep in the woods. No cell service, no Wi-Fi, no neighbors. Just trees, stars, and whatever creepy stuff your imagination comes up with."

Andres leaned forward from the passenger seat, turning halfway around to join the conversation.

"Dude, don't freak them out. It's gonna be amazing. Fresh air, peace and quiet. I've been to that cabin once before. It's secluded, sure, but the views are worth it."

Lucia scoffed.

"Secluded? You mean we're gonna be totally isolated? What if we run out of snacks?"

The van erupted into laughter, but as I leaned back into my seat, something about the idea of complete isolation sent a tiny shiver down my spine. I brushed it off—this was supposed to be a fun trip. I wasn't about to ruin the mood with my gut feeling.

As the conversation shifted to plans for hiking, bonfires, and late-night games, I tried to focus on the positive.

I let the music take over, drowning out the creeping unease in the back of my mind. But still, there was something about this trip, the way Malik described the cabin, that kept gnawing at me.

No neighbors, no service—it felt too cut off.

Something about it felt... wrong.

I stole a glance out the window, watching the landscape fly by. Trees stretched endlessly in all directions, a blur of green and brown.

We had long since left behind the small towns and highways. The further we drove, the more remote it felt.

Lucia must've noticed my silence because she nudged me.

"Hey, you good? You've been quiet for like five minutes. That's a record."

I laughed, shaking off the weird feeling. "Yeah, just thinking about the trip. Hope the cabin's as cool as Malik says."

"Oh, it will be," Kayla chimed in. "Just wait 'til we get there. It's gonna be awesome. The perfect place to unplug and just chill."

"I'll take your word for it," I said, forcing a smile. There was no way I was going to be the one to ruin the mood with my weird vibes. This trip had been planned for months, and we were all supposed to be relaxing.

Maybe I was just overthinking it.

We continued down the winding road, sharing more stories and making plans. Kayla wanted to roast marshmallows by the fire, Lucia was already plotting out an epic game of truth or dare, and Malik and Andres were talking about a possible midnight hike.

Jack, still quiet in the front, contributed the occasional grunt of agreement but mostly kept to himself, still nursing his earlier irritation about the seating.

Another hour passed before Malik finally slowed down, pulling onto a narrow dirt road that was barely visible through the thick trees.

"Alright, this is it," he said, glancing back at us. "Brace yourselves—cabin life begins now."

The excitement in the van kicked up again as we all leaned forward, straining to get a glimpse of the cabin through the trees.

The road twisted and turned for what felt like forever until, finally, the trees opened up, revealing a small wooden cabin nestled deep within the forest.

It was exactly how Malik had described it: isolated, with no other signs of life for miles. The cabin itself was rustic but charming, with a wraparound porch and a chimney poking up through the roof.

A gravel driveway led up to the front, but beyond that, nothing but the endless stretch of woods.

Lucia practically jumped out of the van the moment Malik killed the engine, stretching her arms above her head.

"We made it!" she announced with a grin. "This place is perfect!"

Kayla followed suit, hopping out with a smile.

"Let's get everything unpacked. I call dibs on the room with the best view!"

As everyone started piling out of the van, I lingered for a second, taking in the sight of the cabin. It was cute, yeah, but something about it... I don't know.

It felt like we were a little too far from everything. 

Too cut off.

I shook my head and laughed at myself.

Come on,

don't be ridiculous.

This was going to be an incredible weekend, and I wasn't about to let my weird gut feelings mess it up.

So, with one last glance at the cabin, I grabbed my bag and jumped out to join the others. After all, we had a weekend full of fun ahead of us—what could possibly go wrong?