Dive In

Chapter 1

The car went flying down the old gravel road, bouncing over deep potholes and kicking up dust as it raced along. Ella Keaton had given up reading her book once they had turned off the paved highway and onto the bumpy side road. The words on the page were jostled about too much for her to focus on them without giving herself a headache.

The drive from her house in the big city to her aunts cabin at Mirror Lake was a long one, and she'd driven it so often that sight-seeing bored her to tears. When she was reading she could escape the insipid atmosphere of the car, but now she was stuck listening to her little brother Derek whine and her step-mother Tracy try to pacify him.

Her aunts cabin was her favourite place to be in the whole world. However, now that her brother was old enough to go too, he put a damper on her trip. He was always complaining about something, whether it be the lack of television or how insanely boring Ella was to hang out with. Ella didn't think she was boring, just mature. Much too mature to entertain her eleven year old brother.

Ella stared up into her reflection on the windowpane, her own two light grey eyes staring back at her. She hated how fragile and child like she looked, she was nearly fifteen but still fit in children's clothing. She squirmed around in the leather seat, trying to angle herself so it was harder to hear Derek whine.

Tracy took a turn around a familiar corner, and her aunts cabin rolled into view. It was a beach front cabin, surrounded by so much wild forest that the nearest neighbour was the gas station ten kilometres down the highway. Sometimes they got the occasional camper on the lake, but they didn't bother the occupants of the cabin, as long as they followed proper camping protocol. Hiding food, putting out fires, and so on.

The cabin itself was a small log building, stained dark and weather worn. There was a front porch that held a swinging chair, and a screened in patio out back. Their aunts jeep was parked outside of the dingy little garage, its new coat of green paint sparkling under the sun. Tracy pulled up to the cabin and parked the car outside the front door.

Ella grinned as she saw her aunt come bounding out of the cabin to greet them. She was a friendly looking women that wore the families crooked grin on her face. She pulled Ella into a fierce hug. Wrapped in her aunts embrace, it made her realize how pale and tiny she really was. Maria's skin was bronzed from spending so much time outside, and she boasted an athletic build from all the hiking and swimming she did.

"It's so good to see you Ella! I've missed my favourite niece!" she exclaimed, pulling away so she could grab Ella and Derek's bags.

"I'm your only niece," chuckled Ella, slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

Behind her, Derek came tumbling out of the car, dragging all his portable gaming systems with him. He grunted a hello to Maria before stomping off inside the cabin. Tracy gave a wave before backing up and driving away from the cabin. Ella hadn't expected her step-mother to talk to Maria, she didn't care for her aunt. Ella could see why, Maria had been her mother's best friend before she had disappeared. Maria had actually been the one to introduce her parents. Ella was pretty sure that her dad was still in love with her mother, but the pain and heartache of her leaving him without reason would be too much to forgive. Ella wasn't even sure she could forgive her mother at this point. Fifteen years was a long time for her to be absent, how could Ella just let her back into her life?

Ella helped her aunt drag the luggage into the cabin. They were small suitcases but they were stuffed to the brim with clothes and books. Ella sighed happily, the cabin looked just the same as it did last time she had come out here. There was still a tiny kitchen and the old circular dinning table with its wobbly legs.

The rest of the main floor served as the living room, with the pull-out couch and brick fireplace. A tall, broad bookshelf leaned against one wall, and to Ella's delight, she noticed her aunt had added to her personal library. She strolled over and selected a few books to bring with her and carried them to her room. She could hear her aunt in the adjoining room where Derek stayed, trying to make conversation with her grumpy brother.