by Kaiya Adgie (7th)

Chapter one

In a never ending forest lies a green mini van with me inside. The evergreen trees are a dark shade of sage green with pine cones crowding up the branches. The sky has turned shades of pink and blue. The sun is setting, for it has taken us hours to get here. 

“Here” is a broken down, two story house in a slow town in Willow Valley, Oregon. 

We get out of the car and go in to unpack. To be honest, this house is kind of creepy. Cobwebs around every corner, a tree with bare leaves, (even though it is summer) and a falling-apart roof are some of the major problems.

 Another one is that there aren't enough rooms to sleep in, so i’m going to have to share with my sister. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about my family. My mom and dad are pretty great. My siblings on the other hand… let's just say our relations with each other could be better. 

My little sister, Vivian, is a MONSTER. A red haired, adorable MONSTER. My sister Tiffani, the one I have to share the room with, is the oldest and a stuck-up SNOB. Everything is about TIFFANI. The parents' favorite is TIFFANI. Who had the last cookie? TIFFANI.

Not that we could even MAKE cookies in this downgrade of a house. The ovens busted, the showers are freezing, the sink is sputtering, the list goes on and on. 

I pull my golden hair into two ponytails. The hair ties match my rose gold dress. I realize that this will be a lot harder than I thought. I sulk up the spiral staircase as I think how much of this precious day will be wasted        away by cleaning.

I brush past Tiffani. “I'm not any more happy about this arrangement than you are.” She reminds me. “But don't think I'll go around SAYING that. It's my duty to be strong as the oldest and most responsible sister.” she tosses her long black hair and walks away, up the long staircase.

Her words make me boil. I have duties too. But I guess being the parents' favorite has some advantages. I take a break outside to get some fresh air. I think about how unfair it is that Tiffani is the favorite. 

I close my eyes for a moment and hear a crunch. I turn around. I just stepped on a stick. But then, a low rumble fills the air. A hole opens in the ground where I stood. 

I fall for a very short time, and then I land on something hard. It’s pitch black.

             And what I saw next, I will never forget.