Pulling up to her father's cabin on Lake Abanakee, Rebecca stepped out of her brother's car and looked around warily, wrapping her jean jacket around her slender torso.
The night was cool as the long summer days were fading away and being replaced with a preview of the season to come. A gentle breeze came from the direction of the opposite shore of the lake, distorting the reflection of the moon as waves disbursed along its surface. The trees swayed slightly, creating shadows along the ground and adding to the eeriness of the night. The sound of animals scurrying about sent chills through her body.
Vacation season on the lake had ended, and most of the cabins were vacant until next summer. She had driven for a half hour to reach the cabin at Danica's request, but the idea of being isolated in the Adirondacks was frightening. If something should happen, it would be a dark drive down an abandoned and winding road. Still, Danica had told her she needed to speak with her alone. She couldn't even tell her parents she was leaving. She just slipped out of the house while her family slept, unofficially borrowing her brother's car to meet her best friend.
Without further hesitation, Rebecca entered the cabin, seeing Danica standing before the fireplace in the dark. Confused by her friend's behavior, she flipped the light switch on, but Danica became frantic and screamed for her to turn the lights off.
With her eyes wide with surprise, Rebecca quickly switched off the light, closing the front door behind her. "What is going on?" she asked, worried as she looked at her friend.
Once Rebecca's eyes were adjusted to the dark, she saw that Danica was a mess. Her hair was not slicked back in its usual style. Strands had freed themselves from her ponytail, giving her the appearance of a mad woman. Her blue eyes were framed by dark circles as if she hadn't slept in days.
"I didn't see your car parked out front. Where is it?" she asked, approaching her friend who took a step back.
"I parked it down the road. I couldn't take the chance of anyone seeing it," Danica replied, her voice cracking.
"What is it?" she asked, never having seen her friend in such a state. "What is wrong?"
"Are you apart of it, Becca?" Danica asked, her voice shrill. "I need to know. Were you in on it?"
Rebecca shook her head. "I don't know what you are talking about."
"The fires!" Danica said, taking something from the mantle and throwing it on the floor by her feet. "I found these."
Bending down to retrieve the white squares at her feet, Rebecca realized they were pictures. Upon inspection, she saw they were her pictures. The same snapshots from her vanity. "You took these from my room," she said, confused. "Why would you do that?"
Danica stepped forward and latched onto her arm. "Please... tell me."
"I didn't have anything to do with any fires. I swear," she told her sincerely. "But... what do these pictures have to do with anything?"
Suddenly, exterior lights lit up the interior of the cabin, and Rebecca realized a car had just pulled up. Her heart began to race as she feared something was severely wrong with this situation. "We should go," she whispered, but Danica hadn't heard her.
"He is here," Danica said on the verge of hysterics. "You have to hide."
Danica led her to the hall closet, pushing her in before the front door opened.