A/N
Sorry guys, this chapter got accidentally deleted by Wattpad so I'm republishing it. Here you go.
~
I stand next to Abby as we work on a new idea for a feeder for the animals.
"And then when they come near it...bang! Instant food." I exclaim excitedly like a kid in a sweet shop.
"You can be such a nerd sometimes, you know?" I roll my eyes at Abby's comment knowing she is just as excited about it as I am.
"Yeah and you love it." She shoves me making a small giggle leave my lips.
Feeling a sudden pair of eyes on me I look up across the room to see Becker staring at me smirking obviously hearing my giggle.
I huff at him in annoyance trying to hide my blush by dipping my head downwards.
"All right. Listen up!" Snapping my head in the direction of were Cutter's voice is coming from I start making my way over to him were a small group of people have started to gather.
"We've analysed the most recent anomalies and put them into the model. The prediction is specific and local, but there's a problem. It could happen tomorrow or many years from now."
Nick looks over at me with a slight nod. "Check it out, and take Sid and Nancy with you." He says referring to Connor and Abby which makes me chuckle at their reactions.
"I'll go too." Jenny informs stepping forward so me and her are elbow to elbow with each other. I frown slightly in concern. Jenny is someone I've been close to for awhile since Stephan died nearly a year ago. I know as crazy as they can be Abby and Connor can look after themselves but Jenny? She could get hurt.
"No, I need you here." I let out a small sigh of relief before angling myself towards to exit of the room; ready to prepare to go.
"I should handle this." Becker's voice comes out indifferent but in his eyes I notice him scanning me in concern. This makes me slightly suspicious. Someone wouldn't have told him about me and my reckless self, would they?
Shaking it off I square my shoulders slightly and turn to face him with a ghost of a smirk. "No. We can do it, Captain." I can see his eye twitch in slight annoyance of me calling him 'Captain' which makes my smirk grow. Can't let anyone know I'm warming up to the head of the ARC's security. I've got a reputation to protect.
"If anything happens, call me." I nod at Nick and as I am about to leave I feel myself being dragged to the side slightly. Now fully facing Becker I angle my head upwards so I can stare into his eyes properly.
"Please promise me something?" He asks searching my eyes for something with a slight frown in his as his lips droop at the corners. "Depends. What is it?" I slightly joke trying to erase the tension but he doesn't seem to be in a joking mood.
"Don't be reckless." My smirk drops from my face. "At the end of the day I want to see you checking out like you do everyday ready to go and get a coffee from down the road." Ignoring how creepy it is that he knows what I do after I leave work I give him a slight smile. It is his job to know about all of us, I guess. "I promise, Captain." He groans at the nickname making me laugh a little.
Walking out of the room I head for the armoury. Glad that today I wore something more practical I happily strap my knives, guns and tranqs into place. Strapping my gloves on I rub my thumb against the knuckles enjoying the feel of the smooth leather.
Without the extra grip these gloves allowed me I probably would have fell from that building a couple weeks ago. Shaking my head I swiftly exit the armoury and head to the ARC's exit knowing that's where Connor and Abby will be.
Finding them at Abby's car I nod at them while walking over to my bike. "Let's go." Pushing down the ignition pedal I hear the familiar roar and smile as we take off down the motorway.
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Not long later we make it to the house which is surrounded by dense woodland. Almost like something out of a horror movie. "This is the place. This is where Cutter predicts the anomaly will open." Connor tells us while looking down at his device.
"We'd better check it out." The words leave my mouth as I examine the old rundown house while the sound of the rushing river in front if us swirls in my ears. "Then what? We sit twiddling our thumbs till an anomaly appears?"
Smirking, "Something like that."
"Hold me back! I don't think I can take the excitement." Rolling my eyes at him I can't suppress a chuckle. "Come on, Idiot." I mutter grabbing ahold of Connor as he whines about how boring this is going to be. As we get closer to the house more details become visible like the pile of broken furniture on the porch or the wind chimes.
"Creepy." I mutter to Abby which she nods at while we watch Connor move the wind chimes making them release a beautiful sound which sadly only adds to the eerie atmosphere.
"Seems quiet enough." Abby speaks aloud our own thoughts while we look around for a way to get in since the door is locked. Wondering something, I try to gaze through the glass of the door and into the quiet house. With the glass being dirty and textured I can't seem to see very far at all.
Suddenly, the door is opened making me jump back fast in freight as I let out a small yelp in surprise. Taking in a sharp breath, "Connor!"
"Door was open. Nobody in." He smirks amused at my surprise. Shoving past him I walk into what was probably one of the nicest yet bleakest houses I have ever been in. It could have been beautiful if it wasn't for all the leaves on the floor or the tarps covering everything or the smell. Mostly the smell. The stink coming from this house is disgusting yet all too familiar.
"Animals." A mumble escapes my mouth making Connor look towards me as Abby goes on about how this place could be worth millions. "This place smells like they've been keeping animals." Abby nods along agreeing with me as she traces patterns on an old, expensive looking rolled up carpet.
"What kind of aninals, skunks?" He wrinkles his nose in disgust making me chuckle as I slowly shake my head heading for the stairs. Abby follows behind me as I walk up the creaky steps.
"We'll keep watch for a while, but we can't stay here indefinitely to satisfy Cutter's whims."
"You think he's wrong?" Abby is now in a different room to me while I search around in my own room. "I think he's crazy but not necessarily wrong."
"Sounds like he's getting under your skin." Abby assumes. Forcing a short laugh from my throat. "He's my uncle, Abby. It's his job to get under my skin."
We search in silence for a while. Thinking of Becker a small frown graces my lips. "Abby? Have you ever been attracted to somebody that you don't even like?" Frowning deeper as I analyse my new found attraction towards the man who saved my life but can also be so annoying as well.
She pops her head round the door giving me a small smile, "I fall for the wrong men all the time. One thing I do know is if you're interested, don't wait for the man to make the first move 'cause you could die of old age before anything happens." At the end she smirks. "So what brought this on then? Is the new Captain of the ARC ticking all the right boxes for you?" She raises an eyebrow in assumption while teasing me. Flushing beat red I scoff, "far from it." She nods slowly still smirking.
Wanting to take the attention off of me, "you going to take your own advice?"
"Thinking about it." She smiles before leaving the room I am in to go back to hers.
Smiling slightly to myself I carry on searching, coming to a halt only when I notice some police tape laying on a stack of boxes. "What happened here?" It comes out as a whisper as I think about how this cannot be a coincidence with the anomaly prediction.
We continue to search for a long while, looking for anything out of place, but when we find nothing we decide it's finally time to leave. "Well that was eventful." I mutter sarcastically still slightly annoyed to have wasted petrol for nothing.
"It's a nice place, isn't it? Care to explain what you're doing here?" He flashes us his police badge still not facing us.
Arrogant much?
Biting down my pride, "just visiting."
"The way I see it you're either burglars or trespassers." Rolling my eyes as the strawberry blonde man turns to face us I force a smile onto my face.
"Do we look like burglars to you?"
"I'm pretty sure I've seen laughing boy on a wanted poster." In any other circumstances I probably would've laughed and agreed but this man just can't help but rub me up the wrong way. "Are you talking about me?" Connor mumbles only to be shushed by Abby. "Officer?"
"Detective Constable Quinn. You are?"
Panicking my eyes flicker to the 'For Sale' sign next to the house.
"We're property developers."
"You're lying. I should arrest you, but to be quite frank I can't be bothered. You people aren't worth the paperwork. Now go." He dismisses us with a look of disgust moving aside to let us go.
"What do you mean 'you people'?" Abby questions.
"Murder tourists. You make me sick. Now get out. If I see you here again, your feet won't touch the ground." His threat only makes me more annoyed and anxious to just leave this dump. "Come on." I mumble pulling Abby along. "Can I just say that I think the police do a fantastic job? The occasional lapse into cliche is understandable in the circumstances."
"Connor." I shout over my shoulder in warning not wanting to actually get arrested.
"There is something strange going on here." I say once we are off the property and away from the prying eyes of detective Quinn.
"Abby, you and Connor go do some investigating in the neighbourhood. Get answers. I'll stay and keep an eye on things." They nod and start heading towards the car.
"Stay safe!" Abby shouts over her shoulder while getting in the car.
"Always." I mumble before turning and making my way back towards the house.
I wait for what feels like hours for the detective to leave and then finally make it back to the porch.
Looking over the anomaly device Connor handed to me I start playing with the buttons while sitting on the porch swing trying to find a clear reading.
After a few minutes of swinging I get bored of just sitting down and decide to go wander about the property.
Hopping off the swing I fly down the steps and start looking around.
Coming over to a bigger tree I place my hand against its bark revelling in the rough feeling while wondering how many other hands from different times touched this, probably hundreds of years old, tree.
Shaking my head to clear it I wander a bit further before hearing a muffled scamper from inside the house.
Alarmed I look up in the window of the second floor seeing a shadow pass by it.
Gulping I head back towards the house and inside.
Without anyone else with me I start to feel the true effects this creepy house has on a person.
Walking up the stairs as quietly as I can with nothing but the sound of my own breathing surrounding me I can't help but wish I wasn't in this position.
I mean, running from bloodthirsty dinosaurs? Not a problem but creepy houses?
Shuddering I carry on until I reach a room I haven't been in before which also is the room with the window that I saw the shadow in.
"Hello?" I stupidly mutter.
No answer.
Taking a breath I step fully into the room. It takes only a couple minutes but I hear the shuffling again along with some animalistic noises.
My eyes widen in alarm as I press my ear against the wall.
Next to me, also leaning against the wall, is a mattress that when I look on the underside of is hiding an entrance through the wall to a hidden room.
The room seems like any of the others except the only difference is that the horrible smell seems to be a lot stronger here.
Pushing a curtain back I look out of the window and onto the front of the house. This was the window I saw the shadow from not the other one. I could have sworn-
My thoughts are cut off by a very alarming sound followed by scampering along the walls.
Feeling the adrenaline kick in I run out of the room via the hole in the wall and out of the first room as my breathing gets heavier.
Getting to the landing I step closer to the stairs ready to book it down.
The shuffling stops for a second causing me to turn around only to come face to face with what I can only describe as a monster.
I've never seen a prehistoric o present day animal like it. It looks more like a mix between Gollum and a gremlin.
Its long talon like claws shine in the lowlights of the house as it raises its arms and opens its mouth revealing fangs, ready to pounce on me.
I let out a scream as I stumble back from it all thoughts of my knives and guns gone as I trip and fall down the stairs.
At some point I must have hit my head because all I can remember after that is blackness.
A/N
Thanks guys, for reading the first part of 'House In The Woods.' Also if you could, could you please press that orange star for me? You have no idea how much even one person voting makes my day.
QOTD: What is your favourite creature in Primeval and why? Mine would probably either have to be Rex because well Rex or the future fungus creature because I'm weird like that.
Least favourite has to be the future predators. When I was younger they scared the sh!t out of me.
Anyway, thanks again.
-Abbie.