Serenis

Chapter 16

As Josh led us down the path and through the tropical plants the little village was abuzz with people, young and old, running from cabin to cabin; occasionally they would stop and stare at me for a second or two then would keep going. To the right of the cabins I noticed a large paddock which had been fenced off with white railings, resembling an equestrian arena.  

'That's the training facility over there, where Ben will be spending most of his time. The large building with all the windows is the lab where the Supernaturals with more mind powers go to train.' Josh pointed out the sights like he was a tour guide but I wasn't retaining any of it, focusing only on finding somewhere to pass out for a few hours. 

I let my eyes wonder as we walked up to what I guessed was my cabin; the grounds seemed so much larger than they did when we first arrived. I could still hear a waterfall in the distance so I was sure we'd only really scratched the surface of the area with much more to be explored, though that would have to wait. I was exhausted. We walked up the thick wooden steps of the cabin which sat just behind the main path nicely hidden with a few large lemon trees in the front.  

'This is your cabin, the two of you are sharing but there are separate rooms. Meaning separate beds, Benjamin.' Josh pointed and Ben and gave him a stern look. 'I wanted to stay with you but Roe thought it would be better if you adjusted to your surroundings on your own. She seems to think I'll just get in your way which is ridiculous.' 

'Oh, imagine that.' Ben shot me a little smile. 

Josh continued, oblivious to Ben's jibe. 'I know right. Anyhow, I'll come in and show you around, help you get sorted.' Josh pushed the door open and walked inside; I stayed on the porch waiting for Ben to lead the way. 'Wow! You guys get a huge cabin! Look at all this food!' Josh ducked his head excitedly out the door and called us both in. 

Ben went in first and I followed. As I walked through the doorway I noticed that the names Ben and Evie's cabin had been painted in green calligraphy near the doorbell. I touched the paint to see if it was still wet but when I rubbed my fingers across the rough wood not one speck of paint came off which made me think it had been there for a while. Just exactly how long were they expecting us to stay and more concerning was how long they had been expecting us to arrive?  

As I entered the room I was taken aback as to how large it actually was. Like the library we had just visited, the cabin was deceptively roomier than it looked from the road and was well equipped with everything you could possibly need. I stood in the open hallway; straight ahead of me was a wide wooden staircase made out of the same wood as the front steps though it had been heavily sanded back to appear smooth. To the left of me was a study and lounge area with a large wooden desk which sat underneath a window, perfectly framed with red and white polka dot curtains. And, on the right was the kitchen and eating area. The kitchen matched the curtains, with fire engine red benches sitting on top of beautiful glossy white wooden cupboards. Open shelves sat above the sink home to red and white plates, mugs and lovely little polka dot teacups. The oven was probably my favorite thing in the room; it looked as though it had been ripped straight from the pages of a 1950s' kitchen catalogue. It was a cream enamel color with matching knobs and had an old-fashioned stove top. 

To the right of the kitchen was a round wooden kitchen table and chairs which of course had matching polka dot cushions on them. This was not a mere cabin but a cottage and except for the colors it had the same feeling as my home. 

I looked back up at the staircase. 'Is that where the bedrooms are?' 

Josh excitedly nodded as he stuffed his face with marshmallows he'd found in the kitchen. 'Yep, your room's on the left and Ben's is on the right. You each have your own bathroom so there are no excuses for accidently walking in on each other in the shower - Ben...'