“Yo Brian slow down were dying back here” I shout forward, a rasp forming my throat from being so tired. Doug limping on my shoulder from being so excused. He wasn’t made for such long hikes.

“Wait hurry up. Theres an old house up here! They might be able to give us directions!” Brian shouted back. We perked up and ran to catch up with him.

“See? It looks kind of old but there’s lights on, let’s go see what’s up.” We all walked up slowly. Butterflies formed in my stomach, something wasn’t right here. We were much too deep in the woods for any normal person or camper to be back here. It seemed something right out of a fairy tale… Doug knocked on the door and a shill voice called back.

“Come inn!”

We opened the door and cautiously walked in. there were old wooden knickknacks everywhere. It looked more like a house that would belong in Bavaria, old dark wood floors, rafters, and a dimly candle lit rooms. The air had an old dry smell to it. Quite the contrast to the air outside. It tickled my nose. “AHHCHOO”

“Bless you dearie, come in! come in! I haven’t had any visitors in some time. I’m back here, don’t be shy”

We round a corner to see a short old woman stirring a pot of stew over a potbelly stove. It was red and smelled like some kind of foreign tomato. She glanced back at us. She had an old weather appearance to her, wise, with a top of curly white hair. And a small nose. She had an old blue and yellow apron on with loose threads, as if it has been used one too many times. She kept brushing it.

“Well don’t be rude, tell me your names. Sure you must have names.” She said entusaticly, as if she hasn’t seen a person in years.

“Umm this is Zach, Brian, and I’m Doug.” Doug spoke for all of us, straining to speak from exhaustion. “We came here for a hike, but were kind of lost, we can’t find were we are in the map at all, its like were on some hidden underground trail or something. Do you think you could give us some directions?”

“Of course youngins! But please have a seat, ill make you some soup, I’ve been making a whole batch of tomato bisque. You look exhausted, please sit.” The old women seemed kind. Quickly running around the kitchen for some odd jars and spices.

“I’m Ms. Welden, in case you’re wondering. I’ve lived here for several years now. It’s quite nice, very peaceful, and quite. It’s so nice to get visitors now and then. I’m almost done with the soup; here take a bowl and a glass everyone. So are you boys enjoying your vacation?”

Vacation? None of us have mentioned that to her. Or did we say something to her. I paused for a second. “Oh, umm, yeah it’s going pretty well. We have been doing a lot of hiking, and there’s a lake near by so I have been practicing some swimming while I’m up here too.” I said quietly, clearly tired.

“Oh you’re a swimmer? That’s good to here; you have a nice build for it too. Long torso, long arms, and big hands too. It’s a shame you have all that hair though,” She said without even looking at me. I reached down and rubbed my stomach under my shirt, feeling self concisions about my hairiness. Brian and Doug passed me a curious glance, they too wondering why she was acting so peculiar. For someone who looked old and wise she sure was proving it.

“Umm… yeah I swam at my high school. Doug wrestles and Brian is a sprinter. We all did different sports in school.” I informed her with a puzzled tone.

“Ah it’s good to hear some kids are active now adays… you all seem quite well off for your chosen sports, almost every attribute is set for it.”

Brian spoke up finally; he seemed the most puzzled out of us all. “Yeah were pretty good at what we do, but were not perfect for it.”

“Hmm… well no one is” *ding* “ah the soup is prepared!” she walked around to each of us and gave us a small cup of soup and a glass of water. She smiled sweetly at each of us as she poured.

“Oh dear it is getting dark, I would feel better if you spent the night here, I don’t want to feel responsible if anything should happen. Would you mind?

I sipped my soup as we all looked at each other. Tired and lethargic we just nodded. The old women smiled

“Ill go prepare some beds, ill be right back as I go outside to the storage rooms,” she said as she walked out a backdoor.

The soup tasted sweet and bitter just like tomato bisque does, but different. There was a bunch of unique tastes I could put my finger on. Something similar to cilantro, but it enhanced the flavor

“This is so strange you guys. It all happened so quickly. At least the lady is nice.” The taste of the soup grew on me and I ate faster.

“Yeah but she’s kind of creepy… how the hell did she know we were on vacation? I mean didn’t say anything about and neither did you to, and she keeps looking at us weird, like she’s scanning us for something” Doug said with a tone of concern, he put his arms behind his head and flexed, tightening his shirt, his biceps pushed on his ears.

“well all we can do now is wait till morning, ill tell you one thing I’m not going out there a…” *foowhs* a red light flashed like a flare outside one of the windows we all ran over to see what it was. The old women was sitting on the ground and got up, to grab a grabbed a bunch of cots

“uh i. g…i.g mu.. t.o ..d to .o ..ese t..c.s” it was hard to hear here beyond the glass.

She looked at the window where we were looking, she half jumped and waved. She walked back in

“Ah here we are. Ill lay these out in the living room and you boys can go to sleep when you like. Ooof. Hmm I’m going to get myself a hot rag I hurt my leg outside.” She walked in the other room and called back as her voice echoed thought the house “just put your soup bowls in the sink and do what you would like”.

We placed out bowls in the sink and began to talk amongst ourselves. I let out a long yawn “sheesh I’m more tired then I thought. Anyway after we get out of here what do you guys wanna do tomorrow?” I asked them. Brian just shrugged.

“Well we might as well keep around the cabin, because I sure don’t want you two drag me into something like this again,” Doug said jokingly

“Yeah sure. WE did it and you had noting to do with it,” Brian said as he shoved him in the arm barely budging him.

“That’s right I didn’t.” he said with a smug smile. “seriously though that old lady is freaky man, what the hell was she doing outside, that couldn’t have been no flare, it made a different noise then those things make.” He got a real serious look on his face and said quietly “if she dose anything freaky around me I’m out of here”

“cool it Doug, don’t let your temper get the best of you, well leave first thing in the morning, but until then we best be nice to her, I mean she is letting us stay here, even if she is a bit creepy.” I said trying to calm Doug and his rash tendencies. “It had to have been a flare anyway, what else could it have been.” I bend over far to reach Doug’s short stature.

“Well I don’t know about you guys but I’m tired. I’m hedding to bed, don’t kill each other."

“Yeah as long as the beanpole over here leaves me alone” Doug said jokingly.

“Hey I aint no beanpole. I got some definition right hear bud.” I said flexing my arm at him. It wasn’t huge, but impressive on a swimmers body like mine, I went though a bunch of pose showdown with him. Doug clearly bigger then me in strength.

“Psh you two, night” Brian said as he crawled into bed.

I give Doug another shove and head to the bathroom “Alright I’m really tired too I’m gonna use the bathroom and turn in”. I said and I shout to the other end of the house “good night ms Welden, thank you” a clanks and what sounded like glass bottles drop, but don’t break “opps! Oh good night dears!” she said cheerfully.

I head into the bathroom and look at myself in the mirror. Dark tired eyes stare back at me under heavy thick eyebrows. I looked almost animalistic under the dim light, stubble was appearing all over my chin, and the rest of my face, my face looked withdrawn from lack of water all day. My normally tan skin looked paler. Making my Irish side appear more apparent then my Turkish side. My mind started to drift…

“What the hell are you doing in there whacking off?” said Doug from the other side of the door.

I jump half scared out of my skin. “Geese do you knock?! You scared me half to death!” I opened the door and walked out

“You aren’t the only neverous one this house is creepy as hell at night” said Doug with a hint of fear in voice, it wasn’t like him

I settled in the cot and lied down, my feet draped over the end of the cot, it being clearly too small for me. I began to sleep as I herd a quiet humming coming from the other end of the house, eerie noises sounding somehow familiar. And soft lights flickering from there. I dosed off… •