An Orphic Love

FIFTEEN

ATTRACTIONS

SEE GEORGE WASHINGTON'S SIGNATURE

WITNESS HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS

READ A MESSAGE FROM AMERICAN AUTHOR, CHARLOTTE M. GREENE

"Oh." Isaiah cocks his head to the side.

"That's a little on the nose, isn't it?" Ellie mumbles. I just laugh, because she's right. I was definitely expecting something a lot more... cryptic. A lot less in your face. But I'm not complaining. The less brainpower, the better. Or we might just be wrong. 

Dario and Isaiah get out of the car first. Ellie and Nolan get out, Dario helping Ellie out. Aw, how chivalrous. To get out of the third row, we have to push the seats in front of us forward and climb through the sliding door.

Even while I attempt to get out, Dario is still standing by my side of the car, with his hand out to help me out. Dawn is already long out of the car, so it's just us.

He's looking at me expectantly, with the slightest little smirk on his face. I look at his hand, and back at him. The last time he offered me his hand, I didn't take it.

"You don't have any excuse this time," Dario tilts his head to the side. "No buttery hands,"

Oh, he remembers too. My heart beats in my chest as I get unnecessarily nervous. Maybe it's because of the way he's looking at me. It's nothing special, but he's here. And it's just the two of us. It's something I've wished for, but not quite like this.

I take his hand because he's right. I don't have an excuse. Not really, anyway. He's being nice. I can accept it. His hand that latches onto mine is so warm, and slightly callused. But I can't dwell on that. If I do, I'll start thinking about other hands, and probably lock myself back in the car.

I jump out of the car and land on my feet, thankfully. I mutter a thank you before catching up with Ellie. My heart is still going a little too fast. Dario slowly follows behind.

The Lighthouse is on a patch of land that you can't drive to. Instead, there's this colonial-style building with gray brick that probably has emissions and a gift shop, or something. Past that building, is a pretty wide path that leads to the lighthouse itself.

It's not very crowded. There are a few other tourists walking up and down the path, but I guess because of the overcast weather and the strong winds, not many people wanted to come out and visit this landmark today.

The six of us start walking towards the building to get tickets. Thanks to Ellie and her insane planning, we have a savings account meant for this trip. I've put in a a hundred, and everyone else put it what they could. So we should be set with the money that we have, but we can't be frivolous with it.

After we buy tickets, and get our brochures with maps in them, we all end up in the room with all of the documents. Nolan and Isaiah look at all the pictures and whatnot.

"That's Washington's signature?" Isaiah points to a document. I just smile. Meanwhile, I'm looking for any sign of Charlotte.

To be honest, this whole place feels like the book. There's a room that has the desk of the first Lightkeeper, according to the brochure. I find myself wandering in there, leaving my friends behind. In the book, the victim dies at a desk just like this. Wooden and brown, with a matching chair with it. The walls are painted a blue-tinted gray that kinda matches the sky right now. The desk looks like it opens, but something tells me I probably should not open it.

There's an oil room too, across the hall with a bunch of names and information I skimmed lightly. I can hear my friends still in the front rooms of the building.