The Skylar Experiment : Beginnings

Chapter One - Venture

DAD STRAIGHTENED with a sigh. "Well, that was the last box."

He tumbled down the porch stairs and joined me on the lawn. The sun was blistering, so I cupped a hand over my eyes. It was a lovely house, the white-picket fence type. With three floors and a basement, a modest backyard and many windows, Mom would have adored it.

Days ago, we moved to Oakwood, which was known for its large, diverse forest with tall oaks, hence the name. The locals used to chop the wood for trade back in the day. The region was now protected.

I'd expected different to some degree, but this was next level. All these silent trees, the acres of pure, dry wilderness... like in rich people resorts except for the anxiety. I've never felt so closed in such an open space.

Thinking about it made my heart sink, but it was for the best. My father had a great job opportunity in the city nearby. He was a former Navy Seal now turned engineer. Mom was off traveling around the world with her girlfriend.

"Hey, kiddo." Dad ruffled my hair. "We're going to have a grill tonight to celebrate."

"Grilled pizza with extra bacon?"

"Just because we moved doesn't mean we have to change our family traditions. Now, we'll need to buy actual food if we want to have a grill party so one of us will have to go shopping..." He eyed me intently and fumbled for his keys.

My father disliked shopping as much as I disliked reality TV shows. He said it was too stressful to make so many choices at once. I started for the SUV in the driveway and caught the flying set of keys as I reached the driver's door.

"Sure, Dad," I said and sat behind the wheel.

"Drive safely, Riles. And don't forget—"

"The blueberry muffins, I know!" I completed, then slowly drove out into the road.

Thanks to the GPS, I found the local market in a reasonable amount of time without asking for directions like a tourist. I crossed fields of plantations and cows. I think I saw chickens, too?

I was so not a countryside girl.

I loved the ocean. I grew up on the shore, surfing waves all day. Water crashed against the rocks in front of my house, filling the air with delightful splashes. I tanned in the sun and drew in the sand at low tide to kill boredom. There was nothing comparable to those feelings, and I'll never feel them again.

I stopped my thoughts short and chewed my inner cheek. Dreaming about my old life was pointless. There was no going back no matter how much I yearned to grab my surfboard and hurl myself into the water.

I found everything at the market and browsed through a bookstore to feed my inner book nerd. I'd get into classes in two days. The mere thought of it caused weird jitters to run down my arms, but I took the opportunity to buy some textbooks, too.

Fast-forward my shopping spree to two hours later, I came back with bags of goodies, the muffins, a stack of books and school manuals. Dad and I made three round trips to stash the food in the empty fridge.

I ran upstairs to organize my new books with my old ones on my shelves. Soon after, the enticing smell of grilled meat and cheese wafted all the way to my room. My stomach growled like an angry troll. I jumped down the staircase and stepped onto the sunroom.

Dad was grilling the pizzas and sprinkling bacon while whistling his forever favorite from The Beatles. I watched keenly from a distance. I liked my dad when he was this carefree. Moving here was so that we could spend more time together, after all.