Page 10 of Enter if you Dare: Part One

I extract myself from the window and right myself. The inside of the house is small and well lived in. There are dishes in the sink, and a jacket slung over the back of a chair. Books are stacked on the floor beside the couch, which looks like it has been recently slept on, with a pillow at one end and a blanket balled up at the other.

We move into the kitchen, and there are photos on the fridge, held up by little pineapple magnets, and one magnet from a place called Sunset Diner. I recognize the woman from the phone’s lock screen. She is in a lot of the pictures and must be the girl Cave found.

Cave sets the bag down on the kitchen table. “She must live alone,” I say, moving through the house again, checking the bathroom. “Yep, only her here, one toothbrush.”

He looks at me and shrugs as I walk back to where he stands.

We stare at the bag that is ringing again. “Somebody must be worried about her. It’s fine, she will come home and find it here.”

Cave’s eyes move to the photos on the fridge, while I observe and don’t say anything—which is a huge personal achievement for me. There is something behind those eyes of his, but I have no idea what. They are typically a void, and if you try to read Cave, you won’t get far. His clothes alone are enough for someone to think he is unstable, and maybe he is a little, but isn’t everyone? This world is pretty fucked up for the most part.

He snatches a picture and shoves it into his pocket, and I shrug when he glares at me in challenge. We leave through the door, and before I pull it shut, Cave makes sure it’s locked.

Valli

As I stare at the hoodie, I keep telling myself I need to take it back. She was so nice letting me use it, and now someone has returned my bag with everything inside. Surely it would be okay to thank them. I have no proof it was them who returned my bag, but who else could it have been?

Screw it. I grab the hoodie and head out to my car. After a Google search, I’ve learned more about Fear Island, and I’m not sure how I didn’t know about it before.

The drive is peaceful, and when I reach my destination, I slow down.

It looks a lot different in daylight; the bridge is not so foreboding when I’m clearheaded and not being chased over it by some crazy man who kidnapped me. The gates are open this time, and I drive right through and park my car. People seem to be leaving, and I only hope the place isn’t closing.

A man stops me at the next gate. “Miss, we are about to shut for the day.”

“Oh, I’m here to see Kayla and return her hoodie.”

He pulls up his radio. “Kayla, there is someone at the gate to see you.”

Kayla’s voice comes back through the radio. “Thanks, Khodi. Send them through to the bar.”

Khodi smiles at me. “Follow the path, and the bar is on the right.”

I nod as he lets me through, and I follow the path. I see a gift shop and so many other things I wish I could stop and explore, but when I see the sign for Ares Bar, I push through the swinging doors.

Kayla is behind the bar, and there’s a man is sitting on the bar top with his legs crossed. She is handfeeding him what looks like chicken nuggets.

“Valli,” she calls out, dusting off her hands. “It’s nice to see you again.”

The man on the bar swivels his head so fast, I’m surprised it stays attached to his neck. He tilts his head and runs his eyes over me and grins, then he quickly slides off the bar, almost taking a glass down with him. Kayla reaches out and grabs the glass before it can fall to the floor. He stops a few feet away from me.

“You’re her, the one Cave didn’t kill!” he exclaims.

I open my mouth to answer, but he keeps talking.

“I’m Vero. Kayla talks about me constantly. She is a little obsessed, but I can’t blame her, so you probably already know who I am. Did you know, Cave has never helped anyone before now without them owing him? I owe him, but that’s a whole different story. I’m not even sure he will collect—he doesn’t like me much. You must be special, and I will figure out why,” he says as he points a finger at me. “That’s not even the point. When Kayla helped you, Clay and Brawley were so mad, but they are dramatic when it comes to her safety. Not that you look like a threat to her, so I will tell them you’re all good. But Kayla owed Cave a favor. That’s what happens if you answer one of his riddles, in exchange for not being chased.”

Kayla coughs, and Vero glances back at her with a grin.

“I’m very glad you’re not dead,” he adds. “Do you want a chicken nugget? I have three left.”

“Vero, go annoy Brawley for a while, please,” Kayla tells him.

“Okay,” he says. “I will see you later, Valli. Don’t be a stranger—we like visitors here.”

Vero moves past me and out the door.

“Sorry about him,” Kayla says. “He is like an excitable puppy when he meets new people.”