Chapter 8

It wasn’t a long walk to his house. Not that the side islands were huge, just it seemed really close to the shore. The house broke through a wall of trees, branches covering most of it, and vines swirling around the cloudy widows. Pumpkin crops crawled over rocks in the front, and flowers bloomed randomly around the entrance. The cubs didn’t get why it had a roof at all.

Reminds me of Sleeping Beauty’s Cottage, all surrounded by stones and wood. Thought Elmi, examining the nature almost enclosing around the house. It was dark, but not scary at all. Just like a forest hut.

“Wow,” exclaimed Kaylin. “It’s almost unnoticeable!” It looked like Kaylin was admiring it. “Yes, but it’s not supposed to be,” Grey said quietly, scraping at some moss on a brick. “We never really get to cleaning it.”

Elmi’s attention was warped from the house. “Della!” She yelled to the side of the house. “This is not your property!” Elmi ran into the brush, probably after Della. The others quickly followed. Della was climbing over a rusty, mossy bus. The wheels were almost covered over in a dried, sludgy looking thing.

“This is my old bus. I used to drive it around Arkk a lot. To earn money, I would take other people around too, to make the best of everything I did,” Grey said. He pushed some leaves away from the door of the old, blue bus. He opened it and sat at the driver’s seat. He sat back on the leatherback and breathed a sigh of comfort.

“Ahem…” Annabel interrupted. “Ah yes,” Grey said climbing out. Then, slapping the front he said, “Good ol’ girl!” I might show the kids her driving in the morning, thought Grey with a smile.

The cubs carefully entered Grey’s house. How can we tell if this house is not cursed? Elmi thought superstitiously. “Celeste! I’m home and I-I brought uh… guests!”

An old lady came slowly down the stairs, a hopeful look on her face. This was probably Celeste. Della thought she was really quite pretty. She looked about the same age a Grey, wearing a long, green, woollen coat, a white tunic, and green stockings. She had a bit of a hooked nose. Hmm hmm, thought Kaylin. I feel like that nose on her is a handle. I could just grab it! Not that I would! Though. Her face turned red, even though she knew that no one could hear her thoughts.

“I thought… you were b-bringing our kids,” The woman who must be Celeste said with a very sincere expression. “Wh-wha… Who?” But she stopped short. Her eyes came wide, and slowly she walked towards the girls. She reached out her hand but froze it in the air. She looked like she might cry.

“E-Elmi?”