A Dark Moonlight

Here's my story...What I have of it anyway. My lovely twin talked me into posting it. So, here ya go, Dani! If you wanna see more PM me or comment on the topic. I'll probly reply to comments through PM. It's kinda lengthy. Hope y'all like it.
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Andee looked around her room, making sure she had everything packed. She was going on vacation with her family to a small town near a forest. They used to vacation there when Andee was younger, but after her twin brother disappeared in the forest, they stopped going.
Andee picked up the picture of her and Peter when they were eight, before they went on that fateful vacation. They two of them were arm in arm, both wearing baseball uniforms, with their hats turned backwards.
The two of them didn’t really look alike. Peter had light brown hair and olive-colored skin, like their father; Andee had jet black hair and light skin, like their mother. The only similarity in their looks was their eyes: they both had piercing, dark green eyes that looked as though they could see what going on in other people’s minds.
Andee tucked the picture into her wallet. She was determined to make this vacation a good one. She had suggested going back to the little town of Pinelake to see if she could figure out what happened to Peter, her parents just thought she wanted to go to see her Aunt Addie. That was partially true, but she didn’t feel her parents needed to know everything pertaining to why she was going.
Andee’s mother called to her from the kitchen, “Andrea, we’ve got to go. After your father and I drop you off at Addie’s, we have to catch a plane.”
“Alright, Mom. I’m coming. Just let me grab my suitcase.”
Andee ran to the kitchen and her mother was standing at the table looking impatient.
“You’re father is waiting for us in the car. Let’s go.”
Andee followed her mother to the car and climbed in the backseat.
“Hey, Andee,” her father said, turning to look at her, “Are you sure you don’t want to come to New York with us? I’m going to miss not having my little girl with me.”
Andee couldn’t help smiling. “Thanks, Dad, but I’m sure. I haven’t been to Aunt Addie’s in a really long time. I’ll write to you everyday, okay?”
“That’s fair. Well, then, I guess we better head out.”
He turned back to the front and started the car. Andee set back and looked out the window thinking about her parents. Her mother had never been easy to get along with, but ever since Peter had vanished, she had been worse. But, despite all of the constant clashing, Andee really loved her mother. Then there was her dad. He had always understood Andee, never pushing her to be girly and always listening to her problems. When Peter disappeared, they only got closer. Andee suspected her father knew the real reason she wanted to go to Pinelake, but he never said anything. She doubted he’d object; he wanted to know what happened as much as she did.
Andee pulled out her MP3 player and put on one of her favorite songs by Avril Lavigne. She sat back, immersed in her own thoughts for the next hour and a half.
Andee looked out the window and saw the sign welcoming passers-by to Pinelake. Immediately, she sat up and started scanning the main street. There were people walking on the sidewalks, greeting each other as they passed.
Andee’s father turned down a side street and Andee saw Aunt Addie’s house. It was a small cottage that had a little garden in the front. A husky was sitting outside in the yard and as soon as she saw the car, the dog started to bark and ran to the door.
As they pulled into the drive, a slender woman that looked very much like Andee’s mother stepped out onto the porch.
Before Andee’s father put the car in park, Andee had jumped out and ran to the house.
“Aunt Addie!” Andee gave her aunt a hug and then knelt down to pet the husky. “Hey, Mischa.” She scratched the dog’s ears.
Andee heard her father from the car, “Hey! Can you help me here?”
She turned to her dad, “Oh, sorry, Dad.” She ran to the car and picked up one of her bags. She and her father walked to the house with her mother following.
“Hello, Addie,” her father said, hugging his sister-in-law.
“Hi, Brent. How is my dear brother-in-law?”
“I’m good. And yourself?”
“I’m doing great. Hello, Cindy.”
Andee’s mother had just walked up, “Hello, Addie.”
Andee could feel the tension between her mother and aunt. They were twins, but things had been very strained with the two of them. Peter’s disappearance only made it worse.
“Uhh, Dad, help me take these to my room?”
He got the hint, “Yeah, let’s go.”
They took her suitcases to the room Andee used to use when she stayed here. It was just as she had left it. The walls were a pale green and music notes painted on them.
“I think we should go back out there before they get in an argument.”
Andee nodded, “Yeah, I think that’d be a good idea.”
The sisters hadn’t gotten angry at each other yet, so Andee’s dad figured it was a good idea to leave while his wife was still in a good mood. He turned to his daughter, “Bye, honey. Have fun and be careful. I better get at least two letters a week from you. I love you.” He hugged her.
“Love you, too, Daddy. I have the hotel address, don’t worry, I’ll write,” Andee smiled at her dad.
She turned and gave her mom a hug, “Bye, Mom. Love you.”
“Bye, Andrea. Be good. See you at the end of summer.”
She watched her parents walk to the car and waved at her father as he started the car.
“Come on inside, Andee. How is my girl?”
“I’m good. I’ve missed you. Sorry I haven’t been able to come till now. You know how Mom is.”
Aunt Addie smiled, “Don’t worry about it, you’re here now. Are you hungry? I made mac-n-cheese and French Fries.”
“Of course I’m hungry. That’s my favorite.”
They went into the small kitchen and had dinner.
“I have errands to run tomorrow, so do you want to explore while I’m busy?”
“Sure, Aunt Addie. I’m sure not much has changed, but I’d love to see the town again.”
“Alright, then I’ll just drop you off at the bookstore and you can meet me back here after you catch up with everyone. You don’t mind walking do you?”
“Not at all. Does Taylor still live here?”
Aunt Addie smiled, “Yeah, he does. He’s actually been asking when you’re coming back. He’ll be glad to see you.”
“Cool.”
After dinner, Andee and her aunt watched some late-night T.V. like they used to, then Andee headed to her room to get some sleep. She was really happy to be here in Pinelake with her aunt. She loved it here and it made her feel connected to Peter again. She looked forward to seeing Taylor the next day: he had been her and Peter’s best friend in the town. Maybe he’d help her find out what happened to him.
Andee fell asleep thinking about playing baseball with Taylor and Peter 8 years before. It was the last time all three of them were together.
Andee woke up the next morning and was really excited. She got up and got dressed then headed to the kitchen to grab some breakfast.
“Happy birthday, Andee!”
Andee was startled; she hadn’t even remembered it was her birthday. “Thanks, Aunt Addie.”
“How does it feel to be sixteen?”
“The same way it felt yesterday.”
They both laughed as they ate. Then they got in the car and headed to town. Addie let Andee out at the General Store.
“See you at home, birthday girl.”
“Bye, Aunt Addie,” Andee laughed.
Andee walked into the small store and saw that it looked exactly the same way it had the last time she was here. The shelves were still the same, old, wooden shelves. Andee walked through the isles, taking everything in. she walked to the counter and saw Mr. Aldin, the store owner, reading an old fishing magazine.
Mr. Aldin glanced up as she walked toward the counter, “Welcome to Pinelake General. How can I help you?” He sounded bored.
“Oh, I don’t know, Mr. Aldin.”
He looked up, “My, my. If it isn’t little Andee Owens. My word, you’ve grown.”
Andee smiled, “Yeah, I have. Today I’m sixteen. How are you?”
Mr. Aldin had come out from behind the counter. He had to be at least sixty-five by now.
“I’m doin’ just fine. Although my new employee has a bit of a habit to space out on the job. Happy birthday, by the way.”
“Thanks, Mr. Aldin. So, who is this employee?”
“You’ll see, his shift starts in a few minutes. You can sit back here and wait if you’d like.”
Andee walked behind the counter and sat down, “Okay. Thanks.”
Andee only had to wait about three minutes to see who the ‘new employee’ was. As he walked in, she stood up, waiting to see if he recognized her.
The boy stopped a few steps in front of the counter, seeming to be in shock. Andee could tell in his blue-green eyes that he was having an internal argument about whether he was seeing who he thought he was seeing.
“Andee, is that you?”
She had a huge grin as she said, “Hi, Taylor. I see your voice changed.”
He walked around the counter laughing, “Yeah, it did. Awhile ago actually. You look really good. How long has it been?”
At the same time they both said, “Eight years.”
“Yeah, that long,” Andee said looking up at Taylor. “I’m glad to see you.”
“Same here. I’ve still been looking, you know. I’ve never stopped.”
Andee hugged her long-time friend, “I know. Thank you. That’s why I’m back; to find out what happened. But before I start that, I’m going to explore the town a little bit. Learn where everything is again.”
“Awesome. I get off work at four. Do you wanna get a bite and catch up then?”
Andee nodded, “Yeah, I’ll meet you here then. Do you where Angela is?”
“My dear old sister is probably at the bookstore. You should drop in and see her.”
“Yeah,” she said. “I think I’ll do that. It’ll be a bit of surprise for her.”
Taylor headed to the back to clock in and Andee headed to the local bookstore to see Angela. She and Angela had been partners in crime when they were younger. They used to play pranks on Peter and Taylor. Andee and Angela were pretty close, though Angela was a year younger.
It took Andee only about three minutes to get to the bookstore; it was two stores over from the grocery store. She opened the old door and walked into the bookstore. She and Angela had spent many hours here; plotting revenge on their brothers. Andee could smell the smell of both new and used books.
Looking around, Andee saw Angela at a nearby bookshelf. Angela was so absorbed in what she was doing that she didn’t notice when Andee stumbled into a shelf trying to sneak up on her.
“Have you read any good books lately?”
Angela jumped as she turned to face Andee. “Andrea Owens, you scared the crud out of me!”
Andee laughed, “Glad to see you, too. How’ve you been, Ang?”
She smiled, “I’ve been good. And you Ms. Owens?”
“I’ve been good. I saw your brother earlier. He and I are going to dinner later; do you wanna come with?”
“I would, but I have a date myself tonight. Plus, Tay might get mad that I intruded on his alone time with you. He has been incessantly running around, talking about how he couldn’t wait to see you again.”
“How’d he find out I was coming?” the only person that Andee had told was her aunt.
“Addie told us, but she didn’t say when you were gonna get here.”
Andee sighted, “I told her not to say anything. I wanted to surprise you both. But, never mind that, we have more pressing issues.”
“What issues?” Angela asked.
Andee led the way to a nearby table, “Who you have a date with, duh.”
“Oh, yeah, that,” Angela blushed. “I’m going out with Max tonight.”
Andee was shocked, “Max? As in Max that used to tease you all the time? I knew it was because he liked you!”
Angela blushed even more, “Yes, that Max. He’s actually really nice.”
Realization suddenly hit Andee, “What do you mean by ‘alone time’?”
“What do you mean? Tay had told me he was gonna ask you to dinner when you got here. I think he means it as more than a friendly bite to eat.”
“Whatever, Angela. We’re just friends and he hasn’t seen me in eight years. We’re just gonna catch up; that’s all.” Andee was hoping Angela didn’t notice she had started to blush.
The look on Angela’s face showed that she noticed, “You just keep telling yourself that, Andee.”
The two of them talked for the next couple hours, just catching up when Andee noticed the time.
“Oh, it’s almost four. I have to go meet Taylor. Bye, Ang. I’ll try to come by tomorrow.”
Angela smiled, “Alright. Bye-bye. Have fun. I’ve got to go and get ready anyway.”
The two girls went opposite ways when they walked out of the store. Taylor was waiting for Andee when she got there.
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“Hey. So, where are we going?” Andee asked when she got to him.
As she barely came to his shoulder, Taylor looked down at Andee when he said, “Well, it’s not like we’ve got much of a choice. But, I think Hardy’s sounded like a good place.”
“Hardy’s is still open? I would’ve figured old Mr. Hardy would’ve died by now.”
Taylor laughed, “Nope, Grandpa’s still kickin’.”
The two of them walked into the little diner. Andee was thinking of how much of a small town Pinelake was, with Taylor and Angela’s grandpa owning the local burger joint. They sat down at a small table by the window.
“Hey, Grandpa. How’s it goin?”
Taylor’s grandpa had come over to take their orders, “Hey, sonny. I’m good. By George,” he just noticed Andee, “what is little Andrea doin here in Pinelake?”
“Hey, Mr. Hardy. I’m here visiting my aunt for the summer. My parents are in New York.” Taylor caught Andee’s eye as she said she was just visiting. His look seemed to say You’re here to visit? Sure .She chose to ignore that.
“Well then,” Mr. Hardy said. “What’ll you to young’uns have?”
Andee looked at her menu, “Hmm, I think I’ll have a regular hamburger, curly fries and a vanilla shake.”
“I’ll have the same, except I want a cheeseburger,” Taylor said to his grandfather.
“Alrighty then. Those’ll be right up.”
Mr. Hardy walked away; he didn’t look his eighty years.
Taylor seemed to have read her thoughts, “Yeah, he doesn’t seem that old.”
“I’ve never figured out how you managed to know exactly what I was thinking,” Andee said looking at him.
“It’s a gift,” he said grinning.
“Oh! I’ve got a question for you,” Andee said, suddenly remembering something.
Taylor looked a little wary, “Uhh, okay. What do you wanna know?”
“Is your little sister really dating Max?”
Taylor looked down at the table, “Uhh, yeah. I guess she is. I’m guessing she’s finally come to terms with the fact that Peter is gone.”
“She really took it hard, huh. But, I’m here now and I’m going to find out what happened.”
Taylor looked directly into Andee’s eyes, “I know. And I’m going to help.”
Just then Mr. Hardy brought their food to them.
“Thanks a bunch, Mr. Hardy.”
“Anytime, Andee,” he replied.
He went back to the kitchen. And Andee looked back toward her friend, a question burning in her mind.
“The only thing I’ve found is an old abandoned cabin in the woods,” Taylor said before Andee could ask.
“But, we already knew that old cabin was there. It’s been there forever. The four of us used to play in it.”
Taylor pointed a French fry at Andee, “But, it’s not abandoned anymore. At least not until recently; it was being used but I’m not sure who was using it. Our old stuff has been moved.”
Andee was intrigued, “Really? I have to go there. I’d go tomorrow, but I promised to come see Angela. I could always ask her to come with me. After all, she was very close to Peter.”
“I don’t know how she’ll react.” Taylor looked a little uneasy.
“Well, I guess we won’t know until we ask. I’ll have to pack a backpack to take with me…”
“Okay, Nancy Drew. Hold it a minute. Don’t get in over your head.”
Andee raised her eyebrows at him, “I’m not going to get in over my head. It’s just a friendly visit to the forest, and an old club-house.”
Taylor looked as if he didn’t believe her, but decided to drop it. They finished eating and Taylor walked her back to her aunt’s.
“Thanks for the burger, but I could’ve paid for it myself,” Andee said as they reached the door.
He laughed, “I know, but I felt like being nice.”
“Whatever,” Andee said trying to block out what Angela had said earlier. “I’m going to pay you back for it.”
“Okay, whatever makes you happy, Andee.”
The front door opened revealing Aunt Addie, “Hello there, Taylor.”
“Hey, Addie. I’m just walking Andee home.”
“I don’t need a chaperone,” Andee said putting her hands on her hips.
Addie and Taylor laughed at this.
“Would you like to come in for a little while, Taylor?”
He shook his head, “No thanks, Addie. I gotta go pick Ang up from her date with Max.”
Addie smiled, “Alright then. You go play the protective big brother role. I’m sure you’ll do it well.”
Taylor smiled and then headed back down the driveway. Just before he got to the end he turned and yelled, “Happy birthday, Andee!”
“Thanks, Tay!”
She was smiling as she walked back in the house. Her aunt noticed, but didn’t mention it.
“Did you have a good time today?” Addie asked as Andee sat on the couch.
“Yeah, I saw Angela. Is it alright if I go over there tomorrow?”
Addie nodded, “Of course you can. I got you something while I was out.” She reached behind the arm of the couch and pulled out a package.
“You didn’t have to get me anything, really.”
“Okay, I’ll just take it back then,” Addie joked.
“I never said I didn’t want it,” Andee said laughing.
Andee took the package from her aunt. Inside there was a small, oval-shaped locket with a picture of her and Peter inside.
“Thanks, Aunt Addie.” Andee gave her aunt a hug, trying to hold her tears in.
Andee’s cell phone rang. It was her father.
“Hey, Daddy.”
“Hi, Andee. Sorry to be calling so late.”
“It’s alright. In fact, it’s only about 8:45 here.”
“Oh,” he laughed, “It’s about 11: 45 here.”
Andee laughed, “I forgot about the time difference.”
“That’s alright. I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday. Are you having a good sweet sixteen?”
“Yeah, it’s going really well. I saw Angela and went to dinner with Taylor.”
“The Hardy kids?”
“Yes, Dad. It was just as friends, don’t worry,” Andee reassured her father.
He laughed, “I didn’t figure anything else.”
“How’s New York?”
“Don’t tell your mother, but it’s frightfully boring. I’d much rather be with you in Pinelake.”
Andee laughed, “I wish you were here, too. And don’t worry; I won’t tell her.” Andee truly did miss her dad.
“Oh, before I go, I do hope you’ll write and tell me if you find anything out. Don’t think I don’t know why you went there.”
“Of course I’ll let you know,” Andee was shocked, “I’ll let you know everything.”
“Great,” she could hear the smile in his voice, “Your mother says hello. I love you. Talk to you later.”
“Love you, too, Dad. Good-bye.” Andee waited until she heard her father hang up.
“I really love the locket, Aunt Addie. Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome, sweetie. So your father knows why you’ve come?”
Andee looked at her hands, “Yeah, he does. I guess you do, too?”
“Well, of course I do. It was no mystery that you’d try to find out what happened. You’re too much like me and your mother: nothing I say can change your mind now. But, will you please be careful?”
“Yes, I’ll be careful. But, I have one question.”
“Okay, what question would that be?”
Andee looked up, “When, in my mother’s life, would she ever do something like this?”
Addie laughed, “When your mother and I were young, she was quite the explorer.”
Andee chuckled, “If you say so. I think I’m going to head to bed.”
“Alright, honey. See you in the morning. Hope you sleep well.”
Andee went into her small room and changed into her pajamas. She lay down on her small bed. It had seemed so much bigger the last time she slept in it. She turned on her side, thinking about the cabin. The last thought that filled her mind was Taylor’s bright blue-green eyes and how silly Angela’s assumptions were. She fell asleep.
The next morning, Andee woke up to the smell of scrambled eggs and burned toast.
“Morning. Did you forget to set the timer for the toast again?”
“Hey there, sunshine. Yes, I did forget to set it. Was it the tantalizing aroma of the burned toast that gave you that idea?”
“Why, Aunt Addie, indeed it was,” Andee said with a fake British accent.
They sat down at the table, laughing and had breakfast. Despite the burned toast, the meal was very good. Addie was a good cook.
“So,” Addie said breaking the silence, “What’ve you got planned for today?”
“I’m gonna go see Angela and Taylor and we’re going to go out to the old cabin in the forest; the one we used to play in.”
“Oh, sounds fun. It’s only your second day here and you’ve already got plans.”
Andee laughed, “Yeah, I guess I do. Oh, I’d better get going. It’s gonna be a long day.”
“Alright, Andee. See you tonight. Don’t forget your cell and remember: Be careful.”
“Don’t worry, Aunt Addie,” Andee called from her room as she picked up her small camouflage backpack. “I’ll be fine. I’ll call you before I head home.”
She walked to the kitchen table and gave her aunt a hug, “Bye.”
“Bye, dear.”
Andee smiled at her aunt as she closed the front door to the little house. Mischa ran up to her as she walked down the porch steps.
“Hey, girl,” Andee said as she scratched the black and gray husky’s ears.
Mischa looked up at Andee with her mis-matched eyes. One was blue and one was green.
“I’ll be back later tonight, Mischa. Stay here and keep watch over Aunt Addie.”
Mischa looked at Andee as if saying, Like I’d do anything else.
Andee laughed quietly at how expressive Mischa was as she headed down the driveway. Andee hadn’t been to the Hardy’s house in quite awhile, so she wasn’t sure how much had changed.
After about ten minutes of walking, Andee came to a street with most of the houses in the town. She remembered that Angela and her brother used to live in the third house down on the left.
Andee came upon this house, hoping they still lived there. The only difference was Taylor’s old bike wasn’t sitting in the driveway, now an old Mustang was in its place.
Nice car, Andee thought.
She walked to the door and knocked. A little woman with brown hair pulled into a bun opened the door and looked Andee up and down.
“Hi, Mrs. Hardy. I don’t know if you remember me, I’m-”
“You’re Andee Owens. I’d know those eyes anywhere, dear. Come in, how are you?”
“I’m fine. And how are things here?” Andee replied as she looked around.
Mrs. Hardy straightened a picture frame on the table, “Everything is the same here.”
And indeed everything was the same in the house. In the entryway the old table that had belonged to Mrs. Hardy’s mother still stood; atop it was Mr. and Mrs. Hardy’s wedding picture. Andee looked closer, though she had seen the picture many times. Mrs. Hardy had a radiant smile her dark blue eyes shone. Mr. Hardy looked very handsome in his suit. He was also smiling, but the smile didn’t seem to fully reach his brown eyes. Andee had never noticed this before, but she didn’t ask. Mr. Hardy had passed away when Angela was two. Mrs. Hardy never quite got over it. She had their wedding rings on a gold chain around her neck. Andee was led into the living room where, again everything was still in its place, save for the new T.V.
“We’re just finishing breakfast,” Mrs. Hardy said, breaking Andee’s train of thought. “Would you like anything?”
“No thank you. I ate before I left the house. I hope I’m not here too early.”
“Oh, not at all. You’re welcome here at any time.”
Andee surprised Taylor and Angela, who hadn’t expected to see her this early. Even though it was just hitting nine o’clock, Angela was already dressed. Taylor was another matter entirely: he looked as though he had just woken up. His hair was a mess and he was still in his pajamas.
“Hey, Andee,” Angela said.
Taylor just waved because he had just taken a big bite of sausage. The girls laughed at the site of him. At that moment he was the stereotypical teenage boy.
“Why don’t you come to my room while he finishes devouring his food,” Angela said, putting her dishes away.
Andee laughed, “Okay, let’s go.”
Angela’s room was purple, as it had been when she was younger only now, there were band posters on the walls and books on the floor.
“So,” she said, sitting on her bed. “What brings you here?”
Andee sat down in front of her, “Well, I told you I’d come. But, I was wondering something.”
“Wondering what?” Angela was intrigued.
Andee took a deep breath, hoping for the best but bracing herself for the worst, “I’m going to find out what happened to Peter.”
Angela’s face fell a little at the mention of his name, but she didn’t say anything, so Andee continued.
“I want you to help me, Ang. Taylor’s going to and I know how close you and Peter were.”
Angela looked up at Andee, her eyes unreadable. “I want no part of that. I’m not going to help you. I don’t want to know what happened to Peter. I’m afraid of what I might find. You and Taylor can, but don’t include me.”
“Angela, I’m afraid, too. I have no idea what I’m going to find. But, I have to know. But, I won’t involve you anymore.”
“Thank you, Andee. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“So do I.”
Here was nothing more to be said and there was a slight tension in the room, so Andee walked back into the living room and waited for Taylor to come out of his room.
She had just sat down when he came out, “I heard what she said.”
“Well, I guess I can’t really blame her.”
Taylor sighed, “I guess you’re right. Did you see the car out front?”
“Nice change of subject. Yeah, I did see it. It’s nice.”
“Thanks,” Taylor said with a triumphant smile. “Mom gave it to me for my birthday.”
“Cool. So are we driving to the forest or walking?”
“Well…”
Andee tried to stifle a laugh, “We’ll walk. Don’t wanna scratch such a nice car.”
Taylor pushed her shoulder as she walked to the door.
“Bye, Mrs. Hardy. See you later,” she called. “Bye, Ang!”
She heard them both call their good-byes as she closed the door. They walked past the Mustang and Andee couldn’t help but to admire it. It was a red 1965. A classic.
The walk to the forest wasn’t a long one, as the forest surrounded the town.
“Do you remember where the cabin is?” Taylor asked.
Andee shook her head, “Not really.”
“Guess I’m leading the way then.”
“Guess you’re right.”
Taylor headed into the trees and Andee followed. There was a narrow trail that led past the cabin and Andee noticed fresh footprints leading off of the trail, toward the cabin.
“Tay, how long ago were you here?”
“Umm, about a week ago. Why?”
Andee pointed to the footprints, “These look new. Not a week old; hardly even a day old.”
“You’re right,” he said as he knelt down to look at them.
Andee turned to follow the footprints, knowing they led to the cabin.
“Hey, Andee! Wait!”
She turned, “Hurry up!”
Taylor ran to catch up to her. Within a few steps they were standing in front of the cabin. It was just how Andee remembered it. It was small, and had a window on either side of the door. There was something amiss though. The door was slightly open. Andee was about to go in but Taylor turned to her and his look said Don’t you go in there until I say it’s safe.
Andee watched him go inside and waited a few minutes then headed in for herself. She looked around but didn’t see anyone. She could hear Taylor coming out of the other room.
“I thought I told you to stay outside.”
“I got worried?” Andee shrugged.
Taylor gave her a look, “Sure. Well it’s safe.”
“Somehow I gathered that much.”
Andee walked away from Taylor and toward the middle of the room.
“What are you doing?” Taylor asked as Andee crouched down and pulled at a loose floorboard.
“You don’t remember our old hiding place?”
She finally managed to pull up the board. There was a hardcover notebook and a pen there. Andee could tell it had been used because there wasn’t any dust on the cover.
“Taylor, come here.”
He walked over from his spot by the window, “What’d you find?”
“Our notebook has been moved. Nobody could’ve known about that floorboard. It wasn’t squeaky or anything. It didn’t even look loose. The only one other that Ang and us who knew about it was…” she let the thought die. She didn’t want to get her hopes up.
“Well, aren’t you gonna open it?”
“Oh yeah.” She looked to Taylor who just sat next to her. He gave her an encouraging look. At that she opened it.
She flipped through the old entries that the four of them had written over the years. Then she came upon a new entry; one that was dated June 2, 2009. They looked at each other. Andee began to read:
Andee, Taylor and Angela,
I need your help. Please. I hope you find this note in time. I can’t explain everything here, but I’ll try to come back to the cabin as soon as I can. I hope you’re all alright.
- Peter
Andee looked up at Taylor, tears in her eyes. She was trying her hardest not to cry, especially not in front of him. He noticed and pulled her into his arms.
“You can cry, you know. He’s your brother. It’s alright”
Andee sniffled, “We’ve got to come back here tomorrow. I’ve got to write something back.”
She picked up the pen and wrote:
Peter,
It’s Andee. I’m so glad you’re alive. I’ll be back here everyday to wait for you. Taylor’s here, too. I miss you so much.
-Andee
She was overwhelmed and had begun to cry. Once again Taylor held her and, this time she let herself cry despite how much she didn’t want to.
It had been two weeks since they had found Peter’s note. She had been to the cabin almost everyday since. Most of the time it was just her there, Taylor had to work. So far, there was no response.
Andee was sitting in her room hoping he brother was alright and that it was really him that wrote in the book. She was hopeful, but in reality there was a very slim chance that Peter was alive after all of this time. She didn’t wasn’t to think about that, but it was the truth. Her thoughts turned to another subject that had been sitting in the back of her mind since that day. Andee sat at her window and stared up at the sky wondering why she had started to cry that day. Crying was so unlike her. She had fallen out of trees; almost broke her arm playing football and she didn’t cry either of those times. But she reads a letter and there go the water-works? She wasn’t going to let Taylor see her cry again, but even she had to admit that letting all of that out felt good.
Taylor seemed to really care…not just about Peter contacting us, but about me, too, Andee thought. Whatever, that’s just my imagination. I’ve got to concentrate on finding Peter. Should I tell Dad? He said he wanted to know what I found. I’ll write to him and let him know.
Andee looked around and found her stationary set. It was light green and had lilies in each corner. She picked up a pen and wrote a letter to her dad.
Dear Dad,
I told you I’d let you know if I found anything. Well, I found something. I went to the old cabin a couple weeks ago and found a note from Peter. He said he needed help and he’s alive and would try to come back to the cabin. I’ve went back everyday, but he hasn’t came back. I’m hoping he’ll come again. I’ll let you know as soon as I learn anything new. Say hi to Mom for me. Love you both.
Always, Andee
Andee went outside to put the letter in the mailbox. Mischa followed her and when they got back to the porch, Andee let her inside. It was getting quite cold despite it being June.
Pinelake always was an odd place, Andee thought at the sudden chill in the air.
Andee looked in the living room and saw that her aunt was sleeping on the couch. She walked in and put a blanket over her. Addie moved, but didn’t wake up.

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((okay, all. here's the next part. Sorry it's taken so long to post again. I didn't really have much inspiration. But here y'all go. XD))

Andee walked into the kitchen and grabbed a Pepsi out of the fridge and the box of Rainbow Goldfish out of the pantry. She headed to her room, where she hoped to just relax and maybe watch a little T.V. Addie had the T.V. installed in Andee’s room as soon as she found out Andee was coming for the summer.
Andee plopped down on her bed and turned the T.V. on and found that an old rerun of her favorite show was on. She settled into her bed with her Pepsi on the nightstand and the Goldfish next to her. Soon she started drifting off. She started dreaming.
She was in the woods, walking toward Peter. Only every time she got closer, he’d turn and run the other way. She tried to call out to him, but she couldn’t speak. She kept running after him and he only got farther away. She stood in the middle of the clearing she had followed Peter to and watched her twin fade into the dark foliage of the forest behind him.
Andee woke with a start. She had only been asleep for about 15 minutes. Her show was still on. She let her head fall back against her pillow and took a deep breath.
“It was just a dream, Andee. Get yourself together,” she told herself.
She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. Taylor had sent her a text message.
Andee, wat’s up?
She texted back, Nt much. HBU?
Same… Wanna go somewhere?
Sure, where?
She waited for him to answer…it was taking awhile so she sent: Don’t strain yourself thinking about it. Lol =)
Soon he replied saying, Haha, I called Grandpa. He says we can come by his place. He’ll cook up some cheeseburgers.
OK, cool. Pick me up?
Yeah, I’ll be there in a few.
K, see you in a bit.
She closed her phone and got up. She went to her mirror and saw that her hair was really messy from when she fell asleep. She brushed it out, then decided to put it in a high ponytail, and re-did her eyeliner. The black of it contrasted with her eyes, making them stand out even more.
When Andee walked into the living room, her aunt was sitting up watching T.V.
She turned when Andee walked in, “Hey, girly. Thanks for the blanket.”
“No problem. Is it alright if I go to Hardy’s with Taylor? Mr. Hardy said he’ll make us some cheeseburgers. ”
Addie smiled, “Sure, honey. Have fun with your boyfriend.”
“Aunt Addie! He isn’t my boyfriend,” Andee said.
Addie’s smile broadened, “Okay, he’s not your boyfriend. But, you like him.”
“And what makes you say that?” Andee raised her eyebrows.
Addie motioned toward Andee’s face, “You’re blushing.”
“Oh,” Andee said just as she heard a car honk outside.
“There he is now,” Addie said.
They walked out to the Mustang together. Addie opened the door for her niece and gave her a hug before she got in.
“Have fun you two. Taylor, take care of your girlfriend,” Addie said.
Now it was his turn to blush, “Uhh, uhh. Al-alright.”
“Just go,” Andee said laughing.
Taylor pulled out of the drive and Andee rolled down the window to wave at her aunt once more. The drove to Hardy’s in silence.
“C’mon, we gotta go around back. Grandpa’s closed up for the day.”
“Alright,” Andee said following Taylor around the restaurant that doubled as his grandparents’ house.
They walked in and were greeted by the sound of an old John Wayne Western and the smell of frying bacon.
“Hey, Grandpa, Grandma,” Taylor called. “We’re here.”
“Come on in. we’re in the kitchen,” his grandma called.
They walked into the little kitchen that was decorated with chili peppers. The table was set for two and had a big plate of fries set in the middle of it.
“Andee, my dear, how are you?” Taylor’s grandma said. She was a rather short woman with flyaway black and silver hair pulled into a bun. She had startling grey eyes and you could tell she had been very beautiful when she was young.
“I’ve been great, Mrs. Hardy,” Andee said as she was pulled into a hug.
“That’s wonderful, dear. Sit down, both of you.”
Taylor’s grandpa placed a plate in front of each of them. He made bacon cheeseburgers that were huge. Andee thought she’d be full for days if she ate all of it.

((here's the next part. Again, sorry it's taen me so long to post again...about four months. Anyway, hope you like where it's goin so far xD))

After they ate, Mr. Hardy told Andee and Taylor to come into the living room so they could all talk. As Andee had suspected when she walked in, a John Wayne movie was playing on the old T.V.
“Y’know, Grandpa you really should update that thing,” Taylor said pointing to the old T.V.
“It works just fine,” Mr. Hardy said. “There’s nothing wrong with it at all.”
“Okay, Gramps, whatever you say.”
Taylor sat down on the couch and Andee stood in the doorway with Mrs. Hardy.
“Go on in, dear.”
Andee looked at Mrs. Hardy who was shorter than her; Andee was only 5’2”, and walked into the living room. Since there was only a small couch and a recliner in the living room, Andee sat down on the floor so Mrs. Hardy could have the seat next to Taylor. She sat down in front of Taylor and immediately regretted it, because he pulled on her ponytail like he did when he was little, to mess it up.
“Stop it,” she said turning around and pulling her hair out of his hand.
He just laughed. He turned back to the movie and then got in a discussion with his grandpa about whether or not John Wayne really got shot and if he was going to die in this movie. Andee shook her head marveling at how they could still argue about this even though they had both seen it at least ten times.
After the movie Taylor stood up and helped Andee up.
“C’mon,” he said.
Andee gave Mr. and Mrs. Hardy a hug and said thank you before she left. After they got in the car, Andee said, “So where are we going?”
“The cabin,” Taylor said turning the car toward the dirt road that led to an old campsite that was in the forest.
“Oh, did you go there today?”
“Yeah, after work; someone had been there,” he said.
Andee sat up in her seat, “What? Did you check the notebook?”
“I didn’t want to check it without you.” He glanced over at Andee. Anticipation was written all over her face.
Andee looked out the window, scanning for any sign of movement. Though it was unlikely the person would still be there, she couldn’t help but hope.
Soon they arrived at the campsite. Someone had been using the firepit; there were smoldering coals in it. Other than that, it was completely deserted. Since it was the beginning of summer, campers weren’t scheduled to come yet.
“Someone’s been here, too,” Andee said pointing to the firepit.
“Yeah, and pretty recently, too, by the looks of it.”
“Let’s go,” Andee said starting down the path to the cabin.
“Andee, stop running off,” Taylor said catching up to her.
He had to keep at a steady jog to keep up with how fast she was going down the trail. He was amazed at how many logs and other bits of undergrowth had fallen into the path. Andee was jumping over logs and tree roots left and right. Soon they arrived at the cabin.
Andee started to push her way into the little house.
“Hey, wait up. I’m going in there with you. At the same time, because you’re not gonna wait for me to check,” Taylor said.
Andee rolled her eyes and they walked in together. The house was still dusty, but things were moved around. The old chairs were rearranged and in the bedroom, the bed and dresser were on opposite sides of the room and facing the opposite direction.
“It’s like someone came in and switched everything around, just to show us they’d been here.”
“I know what you mean,” Andee said looking around. “It’s really weird.”
Suddenly she remembered the notebook. She made her way to the loose floorboard at the same time Taylor did. He got there before she did, so he moved the floorboard. She sat down next to him as he pulled out the notebook.
“Look at this,” he said as he handed her the notebook.
She looked at it and saw the same handwriting as before. She began to read aloud.
“Guys,
I miss you, too. I’ve been using the old campsite. Something bad happened, that’s why I haven’t been able to write back. See you soon, I hope.
-Peter”
Andee put the notebook down and looked at Taylor.
“I wonder what could’ve happened,” she said.
“You and me, both. I can’t come tomorrow, though. I’m working a double shift.”
“I’m coming. If he comes back, there is no way I’m missing him.”
They decided that she’d come tomorrow and call him if she found anything. Taylor wrote a note back letting Peter know that they’d gotten his message, then they closed up the cabin and headed back to the car.
Taylor drove her home. She was just about to get out when he leaned over and said, “Call me tomorrow when you head to the cabin and when you go home. Just so I know you’re okay.”
“Alright,” she smiled at him. It made her happy that he cared. But, she figured he was just being nice, after all he was her brother’s best friend.
She got out of the car and walked up to the house. She opened the door and was greeted by Mischa sitting at the door, waiting for her.
“Hey, girl,” she said, scratching the husky’s ears.
Andee walked into the living room and found her aunt eating a T.V. dinner and watching an old I Love Lucy.
“Hey,” she said as she sat down.
“Hey, how was your date?”
Andee raised her eyebrows, “Not a date. But, it was fun”
“Glad you had fun. What’d you guys do?”
“Went to his grandpa’s, then watched an old John Wayne movie. Well, Mrs. Hardy and I watched it; Taylor and Mr. Hardy argued about who was going to die.”
Addie laughed and turned back to the T.V. Andee watched the show with her aunt and Mischa climbed up on the couch and laid her head on Andee’s lap. Soon Andee dozed off and Addie covered her up and went to bed herself.
Andee woke up on the couch with a weight on her leg. She looked and saw Mischa sleeping there. Andee shook her head and thought, “she always thought she was a lap dog.”
Andee got up, after struggling to move Mischa without waking her up. She went into the kitchen and got some cereal out of the pantry. As she was eating, her aunt came in.
“Morning. Don’t wanna be rude, Andee, but you smell like dog.”
“Thanks, Aunt Addie. I’m gonna go take a shower when I finish eating.”
Andee finished eating and went to take a shower.
After her shower, Andee went into her room, feeling much better. Then she remembered Peter’s note…something bad happened… Suddenly she wasn’t so relaxed. She jumped off her bed and ran into the living room. Addie wasn’t there. Her camouflage knapsack was still sitting by the end of the couch where she had left it the night before. She picked it up and jogged back to her room, half wondering where her aunt was. Addie was a teacher, so she didn’t work over summer.
Once Andee was in her room, she began to pack her bag, grabbing a flashlight, extra batteries, the Swiss Army knife her dad had given her, a box of matches and a lighter just in case. She was just about to walk out of her room when she remembered her cell phone. She pulled it off the charger and headed toward the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and grabbed four bottled of water and some apples.
Her hand was hovering over the doorknob when, out of the corner of her eye, she saw the First Aid kit. She hesitated for a minute, then decided to take it with her. She could just fit in into her bag, it was completely full now.
She walked out the door and turned down the road heading toward the forest. She had this feeling in the pit of her stomach, it was somewhere in between fear and anxiousness. Andee was uncertain about what she was feeling, but she knew she had to find out what happened.
Andee walked by the Hardy household and paused for a second; debating about seeing if Angela would come and wait at the cabin with her. She decided against it, remembering her argument with her friend.
The walk to the forest didn’t take long, and as soon as Andee came up to the edge of the forest, she took her phone out of her pocket and dialed Taylor’s number. He picked up on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Hey, Tay. It’s me.”
“Oh, hey, Me,” he said laughing.
“I was calling to let you know that I’m heading into the forest right now,” Andee said rolling her eyes.
“Okay. Be careful, Andee.”
“I will,” Andee said.
“I’m serious. Be careful, Andrea,” he said seriously. But other than being serious, there was another emotion hidden under the layer of somberness. Something Andee couldn’t decipher.
“I will be, Taylor. I promise,” she said. She fully intended to keep her word. There was something in what she heard in Taylor’s voice that made her promise mean so much more.
“Call me when you leave the cabin and when you get out of the forest. If you don’t call by the time I get off work at seven, I’m coming out there to get you.”
“Alright,” Andee said knowing he meant that. “Talk to you in a while. Bye.”
“Bye,” he replied. She heard the phone click off after a few seconds.
Andee took a deep breath as she walked into the dense forest.
She soon arrived at the cabin. Andee braced herself as she opened the door. She wasn’t sure what to expect, but if she had expected the place to be ransacked, Andee was going to be disappointed; in fact, when she walked inside, the cabin was perfectly clean. Cleaner than when she had last been there. She walked around looking closely at the furniture in the little living room. Questions were reeling through her mind. Who would clean a cabin that hadn’t been used in years? Why would they? And most importantly, who was behind it?
Walking into the kitchen, she found that a generator was being used to power the appliances. Andee went over to the corner that the little generator was sitting in and laid her hand on it. It was shut off, but still warm; so was the oven. There were plates in the sink. Andee turned the faucet and, to her surprise, water came out. As far as she knew, the water had been cut off from here a long time ago. Apparently someone had it turned back on.
Andee turned her attention from the sink to the kitchen table. It had two chairs, but a placemat was set in front of only one. On that one placemat, a Pinelake newspaper was strewn about. She went to have a closer look. She found that there were papers from surrounding towns, as well as Pinelake.
During her inspection, Andee also saw a jacket slung over the back of a chair. It was a brown men’s jacket. The pockets of the jacket seemed to be weighed down. She was curious to know what was inside it, but she knew it was wrong of her to go through someone else’s stuff, especially someone she didn’t know. She hesitated as she reached out toward the jacket, but her curiosity won over her morals. She reached inside one of the jacket pockets and pulled out a passport, that turned out to be empty and a wallet that held no identification. In the other pocket she found money- a lot of it. She decided that whoever was staying here, would be coming back.
Andee also decided that she would be waiting when that person returned.
Andee walked to the living room and sat in a corner; a nook where she could see the door but couldn’t be seen herself. She waited for what seemed like hours. She didn’t know how long she had been there, but after awhile she began to dose off. As she felt sleep enveloping her, there was a sound from outside the door. Instantly she sat up, alert and fully awake.
The door creaked as it opened, and instantly Andee’s mind flashed to one of those bad horror movies where the person hiding in the ‘haunted house’ gets snuck up on and stabbed. Oddly, the thought made Andee laugh. She held the giggle in, however, because at that moment someone was walking in the door. Andee held her breath, not sure what to expect. She hoped it was going to be Peter walking in the door. The moment she saw the person’s shadow, Andee’s hopes were diminished.
Instead of her brother, a woman walked in. The lady was slim and tall. She was wearing sunglasses, and had short, chin-length auburn hair. She was stylishly dressed in a deep red shirt under a black blazer, matched up with a pair of black jeans and a pair of tennis shoes that looked like they were designer. Andee looked as close at them as she could and saw that they had the thick, well-concealed soles of hiking boots. They were obviously custom-made.
The lady moved into the kitchen-area. From her spot, Andee was losing sight of her. She slowly crawled to crouch behind the dilapidated couch. The move to hide behind there was a slow one; Andee was a lot taller than when she was eight. After a few minutes of quiet struggling, she managed to squeeze herself between the couch and the wall. From her new spot, Andee could see the kitchen. She had a profile view of the lady standing at the table. She shifted her stance, to get a better view and her foot hit an old mouse trap that had been set years before, knocking it against the wall.
The lady turned and Andee held her breath. The stranger glanced around the space behind her. “Stupid vermin,” she said in an Australian accent.
As she turned back around Andee let her breath out as silently as she could. Suddenly, Andee heard a phone ring and looked fearfully at her knapsack, which still sat in the nook. Fortunately, it wasn’t Andee’s phone. It was the stranger’s.
“Hello?” the woman answered in her thick Aussie accent. “This is she. I was told to come here for my money. Why is it not all here?” she paused while the other person, a man it sounded like, explained things.
“I expect it here in two days. I went through a lot to steal that blue diamond for you, I want my payment,” she hung up the phone, cutting off any attempt the other person may have made at speaking.
The lady pulled a small notepad and a pen out of the pocket of her blazer. She scrawled a message on the paper and ripped it out of the notepad, and sitting it on the table. She turned around; it was evident that she was angry. With her eyes flashing, she stalked out of the kitchen, past Andee, and out the door. As she passed, Andee felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the woman’s angry stare.
The door closed and as soon as she was sure the woman was gone, Andee jumped up. She was tempted to follow the woman, but figured that she was probably already too far away. Instead, Andee went to read the note.
She picked it up and saw that the woman had slanted handwriting that almost looked cursive. It looked familiar, but Andee couldn’t place where she had seen it before. Pushing that question to the back of her mind, Andee began to read.
Albert,
I got you that jewel, now I want my payment. You’ve already taken my son from me. I want my money, but that won’t suffice for long. I’ve done everything you’ve asked. I promise you, I will get my son back. Mark my words.
~ Terri
Andee sat the note back down. She was shocked. She had just stumbled upon a crime of some sort. From the way the note sounded, it was a ransom situation. Why the lady, Terri, didn’t call the police when her son was kidnapped, Andee didn’t know. But, at least she now had a name. Someone named Albert was using the cabin for something.
A thought struck Andee: she hadn’t thought to check the notebook. She ran over to the floorboard and pulled it up. There was no new entry in the book.
She was disappointed, but she didn’t dwell on that; she couldn’t. She had to tell Taylor what happened; what she learned. She looked at her watch; it was almost two o’clock. She had been in the cabin for a long time- at least five hours. She got her knapsack out of the corner and headed to the door. She took her phone out of her bag to call Taylor, to let him know that she was leaving the cabin. She dialed his number. He picked up on the first ring, again.
“Is everything alright? Are you alright?” he asked urgently.
“Yeah, everything’s fine. I’m fine. I found something out, though.”
“You did?”
“Yeah…I don’t think it has anything to do with Peter, but I still think you should know about it. We have a name for the person using the cabin now.”
“Wow, okay. I still don’t get off work for another five hours, but you wanna meet at my house at seven?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. I’m gonna leave the cabin now,” Andee said.
“Alright. Where are you gonna go?”
“The bookstore. It’s peaceful there and I can start to figure some of this out.”
“Okay, be careful. I’ll pick you up from the bookstore when I get off work.”
“Okey doke,” she said.
“Oh, and Andee?” Taylor started.
“Yeah,” she answered.
“Thanks. Y’know for calling and letting me know you’re okay.”
“Oh, no problem. I told you I would, so I did. Well, I’ll let you get back to work.”
“Okay, bye, Andee.”
“Bye, Tay.”
They hung up and Andee headed down the path that lead out of the forest, not noticing the tennis shoe-shaped footprints that she was following.