The fire burned low, reduced to glowing embers as the night grew heavier around them.
"I think that's enough trauma for one night," Dion said, standing and stretching. "Let's call it a day."
Lisa yawned. "Agreed. I'm tired—and I don't want to think about smiling things in the forest anymore."
Jacob pointed at Louise. "This is your fault."
Louise laughed softly. "You asked for a scary story."
One by one, they stood, brushing dirt from their clothes. The cold had settled in, and exhaustion finally outweighed excitement.
"So tomorrow," Celine said as they walked back toward the cabin, "we check out that lake, right?"
"The one a hundred meters from here?" Dion asked.
Lisa nodded. "Yeah. The caretaker mentioned it. Said it's beautiful."
"Swimming," Jacob said immediately. "Non-negotiable."
Louise listened as they talked, the promise of tomorrow easing the lingering unease in his chest.
A lake. Sunlight. Normal plans.
'Tomorrow will be better,' he thought. 'Daytime makes everything feel less strange.'
The cabin door closed behind them, shutting out the forest and the dying fire. Lights flicked on upstairs and downstairs as everyone headed to their rooms.
Outside, unseen and silent, the lake lay still among the trees—its surface smooth, reflecting nothing at all.
***
Morning light filtered softly through the cabin windows, pale and calm, as if the forest had forgotten the night entirely.
Downstairs, the kitchen slowly came to life.
Lisa stood by the counter, tying her hair up while rummaging through one of the grocery bags.
Celine was already awake enough to start the stove, the faint clatter of pans breaking the quiet. The smell of coffee soon spread through the room.
"Why do boys always sleep like they've been knocked out?" Lisa muttered, cracking an egg into a bowl.
Celine smiled. "Let them. They'll wake up when food's ready."
Lisa laughed softly. "Especially Jacob."
They moved around the kitchen with ease, the early morning calm settling comfortably between them.
"Last night was actually fun," Celine said, stirring slowly. "Even Louise's creepy story."
Lisa paused for a second, then shrugged. "Yeah. Creepy, but good. I didn't expect him to be that good at storytelling."
"He's always quiet," Celine replied. "Quiet people think too much."
Lisa smirked. "You saying that like it's a bad thing."
Celine glanced toward the window briefly, sunlight glinting off the glass. "Just saying… he looked really serious when he was telling it. Like he wasn't completely making it up."
Lisa scoffed lightly. "Come on. It was just a story. The forest looks totally normal now."
As if to prove her point, birds chirped faintly outside.
Celine nodded, letting the topic drop. "After breakfast, lake?"
"Definitely," Lisa said. "I wanna see if it's really as pretty as they said."
Upstairs, Louise lay awake, staring at the ceiling, listening to the muffled voices and clinking dishes drifting up from below.
'Morning already,' he thought.
The daylight should have made him feel better.
For some reason, it didn't.
Louise rubbed his eyes as he stepped out of his room, dragging himself down the stairs.
The smell of food hit him immediately, warm and comforting, cutting through the last of his sleepiness.
He yawned, stretching his arms.
"Morning," he said, voice rough.
Lisa looked over from the stove and smirked. "Good afternoon. We thought you died upstairs."
"It's early," Louise replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "You two are way too energetic."
Celine laughed softly, handing him a mug. "Coffee. You look like you need it."
"Bless you," Louise said, taking it gratefully.
He leaned against the counter, letting the warmth wake him up. Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, making everything look normal—safe.
"So," Lisa said, flipping something in the pan, "lake plans still on?"
Louise nodded. "Yeah. That's the plan for today, right?"
"One hundred meters away," Celine added. "Apparently really clear water."
Louise took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Sounds nice."
Lisa glanced toward the stairs. "The boys?"
"Still dead," Louise said. "I don't think Jacob even moved."
Celine shook her head. "Figures."
They shared a quiet laugh. Louise felt the remaining heaviness in his chest ease, replaced by anticipation.
Louise finished his coffee and set the mug down.
"I'll wake them up," he said. "Before breakfast gets cold."
Lisa grinned. "Good luck. They sleep like rocks."
Louise headed back upstairs, footsteps light as he approached the first room. He opened the door just enough to peek inside.
Jacob was sprawled across the bed, half of his blanket on the floor, one arm hanging off the side like he'd been defeated in battle.
Louise sighed.
"Jacob," he said flatly. "It's morning."
No response.
He stepped closer and raised his voice.
"Breakfast is ready."
Jacob mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow.
Louise smiled mischievously.
"Fine," he said, then leaned close to Jacob's ear. "The smiling thing from the forest is back."
Jacob shot upright with a yell.
"WHAT—WHERE?!"
Louise burst out laughing. "Relax. Morning."
"YOU—" Jacob clutched his chest. "You're dead. I'm telling everyone."
Still laughing, Louise moved to the next room.
Dion lay flat on his back, blanket neatly pulled up, breathing slow and steady. Louise shook his shoulder gently.
"Dion. Wake up."
Dion opened one eye. "Five more minutes."
"It's already late."
Dion sat up slowly, hair sticking up in every direction. "…Why does my body feel like I fought the fire last night?"
"Because you did," Louise said. "With marshmallows."
Dion groaned and flopped back down. "Cruel world."
From the hallway, Jacob stumbled out of his room, pointing accusingly at Louise.
"You weaponized your horror story."
Louise grinned. "Effective, though."
Downstairs, laughter echoed as the boys finally made their way down, sleepy, disheveled, and arguing over who screamed the loudest.
"I did not scream," Jacob insisted, rubbing his eyes. "That was a tactical yell."
Dion snorted, grabbing a plate from the counter. "You nearly broke the bed frame."
Louise leaned against the doorway, amused as he watched them bicker. The kitchen felt lively now—full, warm, normal.
The girls laughed at the sight of the boys' messy hair and half-awake expressions.
Lisa shook her head. "You all look terrible."
"Thank you," Jacob replied proudly. "That means we slept well."
Celine handed Dion a plate. "Sit before you fall over."
As they gathered around the table, Louise took a seat, listening to the overlapping voices, the clinking of utensils, the easy rhythm of friends sharing a morning meal.
Breakfast stretched on comfortably, the earlier chatter settling into lighter, everyday topics.
Jacob poked at his plate thoughtfully. "So who's actually going into the lake later?"
"All of us," Lisa answered immediately. "No backing out."
Dion chuckled. "Easy for you to say. You don't freeze as fast."
Celine smiled. "It's supposed to be clear water. That means cold."
Louise listened, sipping his drink, the conversation drifting naturally.
The talk shifted to school, upcoming projects, and how good it felt to be away from everything for a while.
"I swear, I haven't thought about deadlines once since we got here," Dion said.
"Give it time," Jacob replied. "Reality always catches up."
Louise shook his head slightly, smiling. "Not today. Today's a lake day."
Lisa nodded in agreement. "No stress. Just water, sun, and doing absolutely nothing useful."
After breakfast, the group lingered for a moment, full and unhurried, before naturally falling into motion.
"I'll clear the plates," Celine said, standing first and stacking dishes carefully.
Lisa gathered the cups and leftover food, opening containers and sealing them shut. "Someone put these away before Jacob decides they're snacks."
"Too late," Jacob replied, already reaching for something.
Louise caught his wrist lightly. "Don't even think about it."
Dion laughed and grabbed a cloth. "I'll wipe the table. Louise, you and Jacob do the dishes."
The sink filled with warm water, steam rising as Louise rolled up his sleeves.
He handed plates to Jacob one by one, watching as the other boy scrubbed with exaggerated effort.
"You're being aggressive with the sponge," Louise said.
"It's how I show dominance," Jacob replied seriously.
Lisa snorted from the fridge. "You're going to break the plate."
"Impossible," Jacob said. "I was chosen for this task."
Louise shook his head, rinsing dishes and placing them on the rack.
The steady rhythm of work felt calming—simple, ordinary. Water splashed, plates clinked softly, and someone hummed under their breath.
Dion wiped crumbs from the table and moved to the counter, careful and methodical. "We should leave the cabin clean before we go to the lake."
"Agreed," Celine said, drying utensils beside Louise. "I don't want ants."
Louise nodded, glancing around as the kitchen slowly returned to order.
Sunlight streamed through the window, catching on the polished wood and clean surfaces.
Jacob finally shut off the water and stretched. "There. Domestic achievement unlocked."
Lisa tossed him a towel. "Don't get used to it."
As the last dish was put away and the counters wiped down, Louise leaned against the sink, hands resting on the edge.
The simple act of cleaning together grounded him, pulling him fully into the present.
With the kitchen clean and laughter still lingering in the air, the group began talking about what to bring for the lake—towels, water, maybe snacks—ready to step out and start the day.