Theo moved through the woods on a trail she couldn't see, walking a lot faster than she could. If she thought stumbling around the house had been difficult, she had no words for how hard it was on this uneven terrain, covered with sticks, rocks, and roots hidden under wet leaves.
"When is the last time someone walked this trail," she mumbled to herself, stopping to rest against a tree. Sirens swim. They do not hike. "Must have been a long time for it to get like this..."
"Not long enough," Theo said up ahead, somehow hearing her despite being nearly twenty feet ahead.
"Huh... Little weird." Kara dismissed it and stood straight to follow after him before she could lag behind. He walked a little faster, in response, as if trying to put distance between them. But Kara could already see the house through the trees.
It was big, painted a soft yellow, and surrounded by fruit trees of all kinds and vehicles parked in every clear spot.
The moment they broke from the treeline, Donna, the short woman, walked over to meet them.
"You made it," she cheered. "You look beautiful, such a pretty girl."
"Thanks," Kara mumbled sheepishly. She still felt a bit awkward around her outfit. It wasn't what she'd typically wear.
Perhaps the magic had the right idea stuffing her in these nicer clothes, though, because Donna was dressed quite well.
"Not too much, then," she asked cautiously.
"Not at all! It's perfect, actually, the lunch plans kind of fell apart, and well... Now, I hope you don't mind," Donna started, sending Kara's heart rate into overdrive with just those five little words. Nothing good ever followed that warning. "I invited some of the community and it sort of turned into a bit of a cook-out, instead. We don't get newcomers out here, especially young ones, so everyone is excited."
"That's fine," she forced out. There was a strange cold sensation on her palms. If she were human, she had no doubt her hands would be sweating from the sheer discomfort and nervousness. How many was 'some,' again, she wondered.
"Theo, can you go help your father," Donna asked, glancing over at her son with a warm smile before nodding her heard and clearing her throat. Even Kara could tell she was saying go away.
"Yeah." Theo walked off around to the back of the house and left the two of them. Without him looming over her, Kara felt ten times better. Donna seemed to take notice of this, unfortunately.
"I understand my boy might have said some things," she started. "Exactly what happened there?"
Kara kept herself from throwing up, barely. Explaining her dislike for Theo to his own mother sounded like a horrible idea.
"Clashing personalities, mostly. I don't hold it against him." Mostly. How such a rude, disrespectful man came from such a polite woman was bizarre.
"That's very kind of you, darlin', but I raised my boy better than t' go shoutin' at girls. I'm sorry-"
"You don't have to apologize," Kara said quickly. "We don't really do that. Where I'm from, I mean. It takes away the chance for the person to apologize themselves if everyone else already has."
Donna raised her eyebrows, curious.
"Is that so? I like that, very respectful. Well, around these parts you're gonna hear a lot of it. We all want to make the best first impression, I think. Everyone is just so nervous and we tend to think of ourselves as responsible for each other's mistakes in these parts."
Kara is oddly comforted by that knowledge. Sure they probably weren't half as nervous as she was, and for vastly different reasons, but it was one thing they had in common, even being so different.
Donna smiled and took her arm to start guiding her towards the porch. Inside, it sounded like several voices carrying throughout the house. Kara looked back at the vehicles parked along the driveway once again, a dawning horror spreading through her.
"Exactly how many people did you say you invited," she asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Donna didn't break stride for a moment, chin up and smile wide.
"Well, Light Rock has one hundred and thirteen people living in it, and about forty of those people are fairly close by." Kara nodded and waited for her to continue. When she didn't, Kara's dread worsened.
"So like, seven, eight?"
"Oh no, all forty of 'em," Donna corrected, completely serious.
Kara considered slipping free and making a run for it, but they were already at the door and Donna was ushering her inside. There was barely time for Kara to take a deep breath and prepare herself before it all hit her.
Noise. So much noise. The smell of food. Warm air.
It was mostly adults standing around, but a few kids ran past Kara laughing and chasing each other. Donna guided her past them over to a small group of elders chatting where instantly all eyes turned on her. Two women and four men, all with greying hair and excited expressions on their faces.
"Oh my, look at you," the tallest woman gushed with a mischievous smile. "You didn't say she was so pretty!"
"Oh, uh, thanks-"
"When did you move in?"
"Um-"
"How old are you?"
"Do you work nearby?"
"You have such pretty hair, and look at this figure! You should meet my son, he's around your age!"
"Do you have family?"
Kara backed away, heart racing. She had expected a few more people than just the three she had met, but this was just- this was unbearable.
They circled her like wolves and asked more questions than she had answers for, each one louder than the last. A hand appeared on her back and she found herself trapped in their orbit.
Coming here was a mistake.
"I just- well, no, but- I actually-"
"Alright, you stop it, all of you," Donna chastised fiercely, waving the group back a little and keeping a hand on Kara's back to steady her. "Don't go scarin' the little lady. One at a time."
"I'm sorry 'bout that, miss," a short man said earnestly, his big eyes full of so much regret it almost made her look away in discomfort. It never failed to amaze Kara just how open humans were with their emotions. "My name is Robert, but everyone jus' calls me Robbie. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Um, Kara. It's nice to meet all of you," she said and internally thanked the Spirit of the Sea that her voice didn't give out. Small mercies.
"So, you moved in recently, right?"
"Yes, that's right. Just yesterday, in fact." Okay, this was fine, just simple answers. If they asked anything difficult, she could probably wing it.
"You look so young to be buying a home," the oldest of them men said, a very tall man.
"Oh, I just look young, I'm actually twenty five." The old man smiled with a shake of his head.
"Already. I have forgotten how it felt to feel so grown up at such a small age." Kara was reminded, painfully, of wistful smiles and humming, of her mother brushing her hair back as she sang to her.
'Chin up, my little cuttlefish. Mama's got you.
A wave of sorrow washed over her and Kara shook it off with a grimace.
"I'm surprised we didn't see you ride in. There's not much of a road leading up to that old house. Did you have to hike?" Yes, it might appear strange to them for someone to just appear in a house without even a vehicle. Kara coulsn't drive, though, and had no use for a car.
"My mother dropped me off here, actually. She's the one who picked the house out for me," Kara explained nervously. She had found that when lying, it was best to just tell the truth in fewer words.
"Oh... Will she be moving in with you," Donna asked. She sounded excited. "I could use more friends my age."
Kara's mother was... had been far older than Donna ever would be, so that ship had sailed. As old as the lake in Raverden had been, at the very least.
Sirens didn't really age like humans did. Their lives were tied to the water, some could live for as long as they wanted, or until they suffered some injury. The sea folk were evidence of that.
"Ah, um, no actually. She... can't leave home for very long. It's just me living in the house." Well, living in the lake, really. The house was just a nice bonus.
"All by yourself? At your age," the tall man asked incredulously.
"I can protect myself."
"Well, do ya have a dog at least? A nice big dog, that's what ya need. One who will take care of ya." Donna gave the man a look and he backed off, hands raised in surrendor. "I'm jus' saying. You kids can't be too careful these days."
"Now come on now, Vince, everyone knows everyone 'round here and we don't got any criminals," a woman insisted on his left. The man crossed his arms and looked away with a frown.
Kara suspected he might disagree with that sentiment.
"Still, if it were my daughter, I'd at least make sure she was safe."
"I doubt anyone is gonna trek through the woods to bother me," Kara told them. "I appreciate how quiet it is out there, actually."
"We pride ourselves on keepin' things that way," Donna interjected, and Kara could hear that pride shining through in her voice. "This community has been here a long time and everyone really does know everyone."
"That's kind of nice. It was so different back home, people sort of just... Minded themselves." Sirens similar to Kara, the ones who lived in fresh water, the ones who didn't live with pods of other sirens. Even many sea-folk isolated from others.
"And where are you f-"
"You came! Awesome!" Ah, saved by the wonderful polite child. Kara hoped her relief wasn't too visible on her face. Blake came running over, darting around the group to grab her hand. "Want to go outside? There's food!"
Food? Kara could be persuaded.
"I don't know... Got anything sweet," she asked, letting him pull her away from the group and giving them a small polite wave. "Thank you, little guppy."
After Blake showed her around outside, he lead her to a patio under an awning where a man was standing over a grill. He was tall, like Theo, with brown hair and familiar brown eyes. Ah, so that must be where they got those eyes from.
"You must be... The dad," Kara asked, causing the man to turn around. She held her hand out, intent to get at least one introduction right today. "Nice to meet you, I'm-"
"Ah, you're Miss Kara Bint," the man said, bypassing Kara's outstretched hand and pulling her into a hug. She stood there, taken aback by the warm introduction. He sounded less southern than everyone else had. As he pulled back, she felt a pang of familiarity, even. "It's lovely to meet you, the names William. Between you and me, I think that old house has been empty long enough."
"Yeah? Everyone else seems to wish it had stayed that way," Kara muttered quietly, and judging by his expression, he heard. Remarkably good hearing for a human. Just like his son.
"Yes, well... That house has a lot of history," he admitted. "Anyone tell you the story?"
"No, they didn't. There's a story?" Blake nodded seriously and his dad closed the lid of the grill.
"Yeah! The house is totally haunted!"
"Well, I don't know about haunted. There is certainly a story there, though. Te-"
"Dad." Mr Hart and her both turned and looked at the same time, finding Theo in the doorway with the same sour look on his face. Kara was beginning to think that was just his face. It was a shame he didn't know how to smile, honestly.
"It is her house now, son, she has a right to know what went down in it," Mr Hart said gently.
"It's not her business." Theo went back inside, slamming the door shut behind him. Kara once again bristled at such a rude gesture, but William just turned back to the grill with a sad sigh.
"I know it means significantly less coming from me, but I'm sorry for the way he's been acting. He's sorry, too, and he will get around to telling you." Huh. The way he said it was a lot less presumptuous and more... Kind. "Now I know it isn't my job to apologize for him, but I hope you'll humor me."
"I think I will," she told him honestly with a smile. Blake, who had inched his way closer to the grill, snuck a peek under the lid and caught William's attention.
"You aren't sneaky," the man scolded and Blake straightened up instantly. He folded his hands behind his back and smiled brightly, all teeth.
"I wasn't doing anything!"
"Have you helped set up the tables, yet?" Blake's smile deflated. "Go on, then. It'll help pass the time while these burgers cook."
"Fine..." Blake scurried off, leaving just the two of them in total silence.
Kara got the feeling Mr Hart wasn't big on talking. William pointed to a chair on the patio as he went back to grilling.
"You look pretty tired. You can sit down for a bit, if you'd like," he offered. Kara found this human to be just a little different than the rest and she sat down with a nod, relieved. At least it was quiet out there.
"So, about that story..."
"They were the Gossmans," Mr Hart whispered as Kara got comfortable. There was a somber edge to his tone. "They lived in that house for twelve years, until one summer about fourteen years ago..."