Credence

make out any details in the dark, it’s big, and there’s three floors, as well as
upper and lower sprawling decks.
A twinge of relief hits me. When he said cabin, I immediately registered
“doomsday prepper with the barest essentials to survive,” thinking more of
the solitude and space away from L.A., than the potential hovel I might’ve
just agreed to live in. It wasn’t until I got here that I started worrying about
my rash decision and what I had actually signed up for. I didn’t need the
Internet, but I was hoping for at minimum, indoor plumbing.
And—I gaze at the house, still sitting as he climbs out of the truck—I
think we’re in luck.
I only hesitate another moment before I open my door and slide out of
the truck, taking my backpack with me. Maybe I overreacted. Maybe there
wasn’t much to be nervous about. It’s quiet like I hoped, and I inhale the air,
the fresh scent of water and rock sending chills down my arms. I love that
smell. It reminds me of hiking Vernal Fall at Yosemite with my summer
camp years ago.
He carries my two suitcases, and even though it’s a little chilly, I keep
my pullover tied around my waist and follow him up the wooden steps. The
front of the house is almost all windows on the bottom floor, so I can kind
of see inside. The downstairs looks like one large great room with high
ceilings, and even though there’s a lot of one color—brown wood, brown
leather, brown antlers, and brown rugs—I make out some stone features, as
well.
“Hello!” Jake calls out, entering the house and setting my suitcases
down. “Noah!”
I follow him, gently shutting the door behind me.
Two dogs rush up, a brown lab and another one, scrawny with gray and
black hair and glassy black eyes. Jake leans over, giving them both a good
petting as he looks around the house.
“Anyone here?” he yells again.
I immediately look up, seeing a couple levels of rafters, although the
ceiling drops to the left and also where the kitchen is to the right. There’s
not a lot of walls down here as the living room, dining room, sitting room,
and kitchen just all melt together, not leaving much privacy.
It’s spacious, though.
“Yeah, I’m here!” a man’s voice calls out.