Its been a year since David and Gwen adopted Max as their son. They have decided to move to a new place, to start their new lives with Max in hopes they could learn more about him as he could them. David was collecting a few boxes from the mover trucks with some of the movers helping him settle them in.
Gwen helped out as well in the since she would tell them what boxes go where and if they even dared to place them in the living room to leave them there she threatened them by not giving them tips or a good review on yelp. Max leaned against the wall on his porch holding his bear to his chest watching David and the movers move the boxes inside. He looked around the yard before him and scoffed before turning inside.
The movers passed Max without a second glance as he entered. David stood there with his hands on his hips looking at the boxes in their corresponding places. He sighed with satisfaction. "Isn't this great, Max?" David said cheerfully, "Not only did we get to move into such an amazing home, but I got to move in it with you!" David said turning around and picking up his son to hug him.
Max squirmed out of his father's grasp forcing him to let go and drop him on the floor. Max landed on his feet dusting himself off. "Yeah, great in the sense that not only was I forced to spend my whole summer with you, but now my whole life." Max said venously. David sighed kneeling before Max, "It can't be all bad, just think of all the fun we could have together." David said hopefully, Max starred at his father blankly before turning away from him and heading into the hallway to find Gwen arranging the books on the bookshelf.
"Oh, hey, Max." Gwen said looking over her shoulder, "Would you mind handing me that stack of books over there? I kind of can't get them at the moment, if I move from here the books will fall and be out of place." Max shrugged picking up the stack of books, he walked over to Gwen and she placed each one by one on the shelves in order from volume to volume.
"Where are your movies?" Max asked as he handed the last couple of books to Gwen, "Oh, they are in my office, well... Its not really an office yet, but I'm working on it." She said taking the last book from Max. " Thanks, Max, maybe you should unpack to, pick your room or whatever. If not that then maybe explore the place a little bit, get use to your surroundings and find where everything is. We're going to be here for a long time to might as well." Gwen said placing glass over the bookshelf.
Max shrugged and took her suggestion, he wondered the house aimlessly finding the foyer, the living room, the kitchen, the three bathrooms, and a few empty rooms that had nothing special in them. He couldn't really complain about the place though, it may be boring, but then again his life has always been pretty boring--well until he met David.
He entered a room with a fireplace and a painting of a boy in blue, on the other side there was a piano. Max walked over to the piano examining it--touching the surface he finds that it has been collecting dust, how long well he could only guess for perhaps a decade by the condition the house itself is in. "This place is falling apart." He said wiping the dust off his fingers and onto his hoodie.
"Now where is David?" He asked himself searching the house for his father, he went up the stairs towards the rooms he has found before that were empty, he walked into the one in between the other two and found David unpacking Max's things. He already had the bed set up and a few shelves surrounding the room. He even added a few posters and a couple drawings Max has made during camp.
"David? What are you doing?" Max said looking down at the man who was under Max's desk putting it together, Max's sudden words spooked David and he ended up hitting his head on the birch desk. "Ouch... Hey, Max! I'm glad you're here. I was going to come and find you but, Gwen told me you were familiarizing yourself with the house and I didn't want to bother you. What do you think?" David said happily showing Max his new room. Max looked around eyeing the many things David used to decorate it. He even had a picture of everyone from camp on his night stand.
"Good job, David, but why is there so much stuff here? How did you even manage to do this in a short period of time--not to mention that you moved all those boxes into the house--with the help of the movers of course." David beamed at Max's praise and his concern for his father's health. "Oh, Max, it brings me much joy to hear you say that. I decorated your room like this because that's how much I love you, heck, even this much won't cut how much I love you." Max looked at David quizzically. It wasn't familiar with 'love' let alone love from David who was his camp consoler not too long ago.
Max gave up--letting out a sigh he rolled his eyes. "After this we should do some gardening! It would be great Max! We could have some yellow trilliums, acoma irises, grape hyacinths, oh! Maybe even some daffodils!" Max held up his hand towards David's face.
"David, that's enough. We are not gardening." Max said putting his hand down, David quirked his head pouting his lip. "No, David. I already spent my entire summer outside last year, I don't want to spend my spring outside as well because I know you will make me go to Camp Campbell again."
"Oh, c'mon, Max it'll be fun! I know you would enjoy if you just try and--" "No, David! I am not gardening with you alright?! Gardening is fucking stupid, just hire someone to do it and get it over with." Max said turning on his heel and leaving. David looked at Max and sighed, "But, what's the fun in that?" He said before Max closed the door behind him.
"Fun? What fun is there in gardening? I would be happy if I could be somewhere else. Anywhere else but here." Max said kicking a few fragmented pieces down the steps. Max walked down the hallway towards Gwen's 'study'; he wasn't sure if he wanted to actually go in there let alone talk to Gwen. He wasn't sure why he came here in the first place or why he accepted the terms in court, maybe because he had no one else? Nah, he thought to himself, such a pathetic excuse.
He turned on his heel again--turning away from Gwen's door as he pulled his hoodie over his head, put on some rainboots and headed outside. As he walked down the steps he starred at the 'dirt' garden before him, he spat at it and continued on his previous path heading towards the gate that lead to the outside world.
He walked down a trail through trees that were still dead from winter only a month ago. Walking down the path he discovers an odd dirt pile, a small mound--it was like as if someone was trying to hide something, but did so poorly, or in a hurry. Max kicked at the dirt only to find it went further in. He continued to dig with his feet until he heard a growl in the distance. He looked around picking up a large stick that could be shaped into a spear--using it to defend himself.
"Show yourself!" He commanded, but nothing appeared, the growling continued and only gotten louder--closer. Max circled around the dirt pile watching the woods before him on the hill when suddenly a wild dog attacks him out of nowhere. Max swings the stick at the dog--not hurting it in the slightest. "Stay back!" Max commands pointing the stick at the growling dog. As its about to lunge a voice is heard in the distance. "Down boy!" A female cries out, the dog sits docilely as if it were a pet. Max looks up towards the voice and find a green haired girl jump down from the trees.
"Hey there!" She says joyfully petting her pup in the process, "Sorry about that, I trained him to attack anyone who comes near here." She says walking over to Max who still held the stick. He watched her confused. "My name is Nikki, what's yours?" "Max...?" He said pulling away from Nikki as she was too close for comfort.
"Nice to meet you, Max! I live over there beyond the hill and in the forest, I ran away from home. I don't like the city--it really changes me you know?" Max slowly shook his head, "Right..." "So where do you live, Max?" She asks smiling at the young boy. He points down the hill towards the large pink house. "You live there?! Wow, no one has lived there for... ever. I should know, I know the owner of the house. Man I am amazed that she even let you move in. She doesn't let kids move in because something happened to her sister." Nikki said waving her hand in the air.
"She says she went missing years ago when they were children. In that very house nonetheless. I would go there and investigate myself but, I don't want to die." Max didn't believe her story and assumed she was just trying to spook him like before. "Anyway, if I were you I would stay away from anything that seems out of place. Lot of crazy stuff going on in there." She says walking back to her pup petting him again.
"Oh, by the way, this is Jasper. He's a wolf if you couldn't tell." "I didn't think there were wolves here..." Max said continuing to doubt her and her story. "Oh yeah, I found him out here. He was taken by these hunters, but I saved him from them. After that we worked together to hunt *them* down, it was great."
"So... you're telling you killed them?!" "What? Oh god no, we just scared them a bit. We understand each other." The wolf barked wagging his tail happily. This girl is nuts, Max thought watching her play and pet her wolf friend as if he was just a simple dog. I need to get away from her. "Right uh... well it was 'great' talking to you, but I should head back, I'm sure David needs me to move some boxes or whatever." Max said as he walked pass Nikki and Jasper.
"Well, okay, but don't say I didn't warn you, Max, also there is this really weird kid that lives somewhere around there. Try talking to him, he will be able to tell you the history of the house you live in. Its pretty spooky stuff." Max looked over his shoulder at Nikki, "How do you know he's not lying?" Max asks, Nikki looks up at Max and smiles. "Because he is a man of science. He *loves* history on places like these. It makes no sense to him so that is why he is staying near the palace."
"Palace?" "Yeah, its called the Palace because it looks like a castle. Did you know that?" Max shakes his head facing Nikki once more. "Well, try talking to him, I think his name is... Neil? He lives with another Neil, he's a crazy space kid. Don't pay him no mind." "Well that's confusing..."
"Nah, just call him Space Kid and you should be fine. He goes by that name anyway." Nikki hopped on her wolf friend, "One last thing, Max, if you ever find ring let me know. Welp, gotta go! Let's go Jasper." Jasper barked and carried Nikki off into the forest out of Max's sight. "A ring? Why would she be asking me about a ring?" Max asked himself heading back down the hill towards home leaving the well discovered for the world to see.
In the woods stands Nikki and Jasper watching Max leave, "Jasper, keep an eye on him will you?" Jasper nods rushing away from Nikki silently following Max staying out of sight. "Something is going to happen. I can sense it." Nikki says watching Max until he's out of sight, she looks over at what was once a well starring at its lid. "Good luck, Max." She says before turning away and fading into the forest.