AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Probably because we’re here.”
The trees fall away, revealing a field. I can see the corner of a white farmhouse, practically glowing in the moonlight.
Another patch of trees covers it up again.
I turn off the GPS and scroll to a screenshot of the tip.
“We’re looking for a gravel driveway.”
“Shouldn’t we, like, sneak through the woods?”
“If we just walk up the driveway, we can pretend we got lost and needed directions. Harder to do that if you’re acting like a creep in the woods.”
“That’s very criminal mastermind of you.”
“Thanks.”
The gravel drive comes into view between a gap in the trees, and we crunch our way onto it. Lily walks a little closer to my side.
“It’sreallydark,” she says.
“I thought you were into that. It’s why we can see all the stars.”
“I’m not that into it right now, to be honest.”
I turn my phone around and let the glow light our path.
The driveway winds around through the trees, then lets us out into a yard. I stop Lily by the edge of the forest.
“What?” she whispers. “Did you see something?”
“I’m seeing if I see something.”
From here, it looks picturesque in the moonlight. The driveway ends between the white farmhouse and a big red barn. It could be on a postcard with a bubbly script font that saysVisit Upstate New York!
There are no lights on in the farmhouse.
There is no light on the outside of the barn.
There are no night noises from the woods around us. They’ve all gone silent, except for the wind in the leaves. Even that seems muted somehow, like the leaves are softer, or farther away.
“I don’t think anybody’s here,” Lily says. “No cars.”
“Maybe they park in the barn. Let’s find out.”
I can tell she wants to argue, but she doesn’t.
We head to the barn first. The doors in front have handles, so I take one and pull.
The door just…opens.
Smooth, like somebody oiled the hinges.
I refuse to be creeped out by that.
Lily and I step into the barn.
“It’s a barn,” she whispers.
