Chapter 1: 2017
There he lay awake, his heart palpitating as he hyperventilated like the world was running out of air. His body manifested vibrations, giving Arctic shivers that he had never experienced before.
The dark room was solely illuminated by the glimmer of his phone's light. Why did he inquire further and entrench this wound deeper into his heart?
Eventually he recomposed himself to a somewhat collected state of mind again. His shaking fingers tapped the screen. Struggling to type a single word without fumbling. Asking for details couldn't be more hurtful nor traumatising. This unwarranted journey of self-discovery unleashed a pain which he is still yet to heal from.
She never understood what he went through that night, if anything, she found it peculiar. All the way to her grave, she never discovered what she awakened within him that night.
Peter continued living with a mental limp he couldn't shake off. He got his degree, a typical office job and began a normal life, never addressing this night again.
Chapter 2: Morning of Day 1 (2024)
Evelyn shut the boot of the car with a thud and sat passenger side before her boyfriend drove off. "It'll be nice to get away from the city and more importantly, the office," she said to her boyfriend behind the wheel.
They had been dating for just shy of three years and living together for two. Evelyn was a cheerful person who always tried to see the best in everything and everyone. Peter had a much more cynical worldview, or in his eyes, a more realistic outlook.
Evelyn had met Peter at work when he bumped into her in the corridor and was immensely drawn to her. The typically risk-averse Peter decided to seize this possibly one-time chance encounter and struck up a conversation, the rest is history. However, things had started to slow down lately and they both saw the vulnerable commitment of a long-term relationship take root.
They were headed to a lodge in the West Coast with their friends Aurelia and James. It was late July and they were all lucky to get the same time off, wanting to get their minds off work and enjoy the summer heat in the country, getting away from the urban jungle they all hail from.
Leaving the city behind, he carefully merged onto the dual carriageway.
"Could you go over the plan one more time? We chopped and changed it so many times, I kinda got lost amongst it all," asked Evelyn.
"If traffic is light, we should arrive at about three. James won't arrive until a few hours later since Aurelia got called into work last minute to finish off some paperwork. You'd lose your head if it wasn't screwed on."
"Geez, I ask one question and get a whole lecture,"
They teased each other back and forth for a while to pass the time. The carriageway had pastures of sheep on the left, on their right were steep hills dotted with trees. If you looked closely, you could even see a tower castle enshrouded within some foliage atop the hill. All that was left of it was a stone cylindrical mast which stood erect next to a ruinous cottage it was adjoined with.
Evelyn remarked, "Must have been real tiring to always have to climb back up there to get to and from work. Bet the servants hated it back in the day."
"Actually, no one's ever lived there. It's just a folly," Peter replied.
"A folly?"
"Architecture built for decorative purpose rather than function. It's the old-fashioned way of flaunting obscene wealth, kinda like how people these days buy expensive designer brands and sports cars," said Peter once again lecturing her.
"What a waste of money, at least it looks pretty. I wish we had that kind of disposable income."
"People quite approved of them back in the day, they created lots of jobs in the area when it was built and then they'd leave a fund after death for hiring maintenance workers."
"I guess when you put it that way it's alright. At least they spent the money on something everyone could enjoy," said Evelyn.
"Funny thing is, if you ever actually go up to see the tower, it's full of anti-suicide messages. Since it's such an accessible cliff it's become somewhat of a suicide hotspot. A couple decades ago there was unfortunately a murder-suicide by a mother and her children."
"Way to kill the vibe, you loser."
The drive continued in a mutually comfortable silence as they took in the sights and nature of the country. Spotting deer, pheasants, a quantity of sheep which would please a Welshman and a majestic crane by a body of water.
Departing the carriageway, the car went on to tread the Military Road. This was one of many military roads paved in the eighteenth century to make the army more mobile to quell the rebellions in the country.
The road was full of Glens which reached the skies and went as distant as the eye could see. The desolate road felt like trespassing within nature and the gods had given them the grace to pass through. They passed the ski centre, the only other evidence of man's impact on the world in this region besides the road. Just over half of the journey was behind them. There weren't any main roads remaining enroute, it was all backroads so Peter focussed on driving for the remainder of the uneventful journey.
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A wooden sign with the words 'Dunross' indicated to the travellers where they had to turn off. He pulled into the dirt road as the immediate smell of lush petrichor permeated within the car. They passed by a few lodges, each of them unique rather than the mass-produced kind most lodge resorts hastily put out.
The lodge that they decided on was The Stag, a cosy two-story cottage made of planks of wood, resembling a snowy mountain cabin. Peter pulled into the gravel driveway on the right side of the lodge and parked his car. As he got out, the fresh air attacked his lungs. Being a city dweller made this untainted air foreign to him.
The lodge manager was waiting inside for their arrival. She was an older woman named Ann. A retired retail worker who stayed in the graces of a loyal customer who let her manage his small kingdom of lodges since Ann's health was deteriorating and the unremorseful retail conglomerate offered no sympathy to her.
She was a sweet and professional lady who told Peter and Evelyn the lodge rules. Both of them, slightly weary from the drive, tuned out whilst Ann explained the rules and hoped there wasn't anything abnormal about them. The keys were handed over and Ann left.
"Don't know about you but I'm up for a nap," said Evelyn.
"Good idea, let's get our stuff sorted then we can nap until James gets here."
They returned to the car, opened the boot and took out their sole suitcase. Upon carrying it upstairs, he realised that they had to either decide on a bedroom or wait for the others to arrive and negotiate. As he inspected the two rooms, Peter breathed a sigh of relief. The two rooms were practically identical.
Both rooms were dominated by a bed in the middle with a nightstand on each side. A desk and chair in the corner. They were themed wood and white, conveying a sense of cleanliness and cosiness. Peter found it rather cliché but couldn't deny the inoffensiveness of the décor.
