Sunny Hill, New York is where tourists go to seek adventure. A small town of innocence, peculiar weather patterns, and the occasional supernatural sighting, Sunny Hill is every adventurer's dream.
♢♢♢
𝐌𝐀𝐗 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐅𝐑�...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THE EDWARD HOUSE has a personality. The floors are always covered in toys that I often trip on, the walls display photos of trips to the beach and happy family holidays. Hidden behind elegant farmhouse decor, are dings, scratches, and rare stains to commemorate an array of children. The living room usually smells like babies and something woodsy in the Scentsy Warmer.
I love it here. It couldn't be less like every home I've ever lived in where the walls are bare, the floors feel cold to the touch, and a child's laughter hasn't been heard in years. Some houses tell stories, while others hide them well.
As I spent my allotted fifteen minutes in the bathroom I watched my dreams come to life in the mirror. My eyes turned sunken and hollow with a touch of eyeshadow. My cheeks became blanched and haggard. My dimpled smile shattered the image but it was a good thing I didn't smile often. With a touch of makeup, I covered myself in the dirt. When I turned to the side and lifted my chin, and if I ignored the O2 cord in my nose, I perfectly resembled Sprightly Marisol, a famous pirate who visited Sunny Hill.
John and I came up with the idea when I dragged him to the library to return my books. A large painting looms over the history section in The Sunny Hill Public Library. Standing against the harsh current of blistering salt and fishy mist, Marisol and Captain John Gold keep their chins up. Sickly as they looked, they sailed the seas and discovered Marisol's Cove in Sunny Hill Forest, where merfolk are said to reside. At the time, Mayor Monroe paid them handsomely for their discovery...
He later leaped to his death after hearing the sirens for himself.
☠︎☠︎☠︎
"That costume was made for you," Jen complimented, glancing up at me as I tromped down the rickety steps.
"Literally," John added. Done up handsomely in black beard extensions, fake dirt of his own, an official eyepatch, and a black captain hat.
His gaze raked my body, eyes glowing with unidentified heat. The tension rises so high we could hear a pin drop but we wouldn't look away to acknowledge it.
"Isn't she a perfect first mate!" Joshua glanced up at me, nearly unrecognizable behind his werewolf getup. The anthropomorphic creature nudged John, probably smirking, bright blue eyes flicking around humorously.
John ignored his brother and shifted on his peg leg as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
Just a few feet behind the mantel I meet the best part of John's house. His mother. Jennifer Edward is a mother so kind she embodies motherhood itself. Beneath her ageless complexion of gorgeous eyes, (the same ones she gave John,) set into high cheekbones and a pointed nose, she wears a gleaming, youthful smile of straight teeth. I pull her in for a hug without thinking about it. She embraces me back and I close my eyes, finding my unspoken sanctuary in her arms.
