It was the middle of December when Owen and Ethan arrived with Judith. Different than Amanda in many ways, Judith was awkwardly quiet and shy around Ethan and Owen. But there was one thing her and Amanda had in common, their long, vibrant auburn hair.

Owen, Ethan, and I had agreed to never speak of Amanda again, especially in Judith's presence. It wasn't difficult to see why. Who would stick around if they knew the previous girl who arrived under similar circumstances mysteriously vanished?

Every day I would glance out the window and imagine a swarm of police officers rushing out from behind the wall of trees to surround the shack, guns raised. I was constantly on edge, frightened that Amanda's family was close to finding her beneath the ice twenty feet or so from our doorstep. Thankfully, for me and Ethan's sake, no police officer or family member ever came.

Surprisingly, Judith had no issue befriending me. As she told it, when Ethan and Owen met her at the tourist stop, she had no problem going to her hotel to gather up all of her belongings before coming to the shack. "My parents are long gone and my sister constantly complains about me tagging along with her and her boyfriend anyway."

I frowned when she did. "Will your sister miss you?"

"No." She shrugged. "I told her and Jimmy I was leaving before I left."

I pulled my legs onto the chair and wrapped my blanket tighter around me to block out the chill and awkwardness in the air. "What did she say?"

"She asked me where I was going, and I told her I was leaving with some friends." Judith returned her finger to her lips and chewed her fingernail while gently rocking back and forth on the wooden floor where she sat.

I cocked my head. "That's all?" Was anyone ever concerned about the teenage girls in their lives? Or were they more concerned for themselves and their own happiness and needs?

She nodded, bringing attention to the long, wavy hair that framed her freckled face. "Yes, that's all. She really doesn't care."

I raised an eyebrow. Although she had been with us for most of the day, and we had talked quite a bit, there were things I was still curious to know. "So, you're willing to stay here with us total strangers?" A sense of sorrow for her hit me as soon as the question left my mouth. Were she and Amanda so desperate to quickly escape their burdens and fit in with a bunch of misfits, no matter the consequences?

"Yes, I am." She nodded more vigorously. "Yes, yes, yes. Even if your cousin is a bit weird."

"Yea." I let out a nervous chuckle, surprised that she seemed to not have been taken under Owen's spell.

"But your brother's cute!"

"Ethan?" I shifted in my seat, wondering if he was the reason she was so quick to come and stay. "You think Ethan's cute?"

"Sure." She smiled sheepishly, flashing a row of metal braces. "He doesn't seem so arrogant and vain like your cousin. He reminds me of ... well ... of me. And I like his hair." She giggled.

"Yea?" I nodded, remembering waking with my fingers tangled in the silky dark tresses on several occasions. How comforting it was to have him so close during my most vulnerable dreamtime moments.

"And your cousin seems a little bossy, too." She grimaced, making a disgusted face. "I hate that. That's how my sister is."

"You don't find Owen attractive at all?" I turned in my seat to face her, more curious than ever. "Not even physically?"

"No." We locked eyes. "Do you?"

I smacked my lips. "I absolutely hate him," I said instead of answering the question. I glanced to the window out of instinct, afraid of him standing on the other side of the glass listening. The last thing I wanted was to stir the pot. Not now.

"Ethan's a ton more ... attractive," she went on. "He's tall and fit like a swimmer or something. You just kind of want to feel his arms around you and- " She paused when she realized how attentive I was being. "But anyway, your cousin. Why do you hate him?"

"Because he's weird, bossy, and narcissistic." Also a vicious murderer.

As if on cue, Ethan and Owen walked through the door, bringing in the cold from outside. Ethan kept his head hung low and his face shielded by the curtain of dark hair. He refused to look up as he rushed by to disappear into the bathroom.

In stark contrast, Owen glowed and flashed a satisfied, beaming grin as he strutted to the bed and sat on the corner. We each sat in silence, listening as Ethan struggled to fasten the lock on the bathroom door.

"Wow." Owen sighed and reclined on the bed to gaze at the ceiling.

Judith and I stared. My imagination swarmed with curious scenarios of what could have taken place moments before to cause the sort of behavior we were witnessing.

"Oh man, what a wonderful day." Owen continued to stare at the ceiling, but hummed a melodic tune.

Judith grinned and gasped. "I know that song. It's Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah!" She laughed excitedly, as if she had just won a prize.

Owen sat forward, showing off his seductive bedroom eyes. "Yes," he hissed. "Mister Bluebird's on my shoulder. . ." he sang, surprising me by hitting each note and staying on key. But I couldn't help feeling pained at the possible reasons why he felt so good.

I rolled my eyes, furious that although Ethan was the cause of Owen's happiness, he didn't seem to share the same result.

When Ethan emerged from the bathroom he avoided eye contact with everyone, hiding most of his face behind the thick drape of hair. He sat on the edge of the bed in his favorite spot, head down, shoulders slumped.

Owen raised his voice. ". . . plenty of sunshine headin' my way. . ." He playfully poked Ethan's rib.

Ethan slapped his hand away and glanced at me before darting his eyes to the floor.

"Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah," Owen continued, ignoring Ethan's blatant gesture, "zip-a-dee-ay." He sat forward and gently rested his chin on Ethan's shoulder. "Come on. Smile," he whispered. His lips inches from Ethan's ear. "You don't want Judith to think today is a gloomy day, do you? Didn't you have fun?"

Ethan moved the hair from his face, tucking it behind his earlobe, and after a deep breath he smiled.

"Finally." Owen huffed. However, Ethan's smile didn't last long. "It's okay to be happy. Right, Judith?"

Judith glanced at Ethan's frown and with a bit of reluctance she nodded.

"See?" Owen said. "She agrees."

"Hi, Ethan." Judith waved and rapidly brought her hand to her mouth to chew her fingernail.

"Hi." Ethan shrugged his shoulder, causing Owen to back away.

An awkward silence erupted through the room. It was easy to see a brief bit of jealous anger in Owen's expression as he scratched his temple and looked back and forth between Judith and Ethan. He studied them with his eyes, possibly exploring scenario after scenario in his mind.

Ethan ignored the uneasiness in the air. I could tell by the way he refused to acknowledge the odd look on my face. "Allison, who do you see today?"

I took in a long breath and turned in my seat to face the window. My eyes quickly adjusted to the moonlit stage as I searched beyond the glass for our visitor. "There's a lady holding a bouquet of dark red roses. She's wearing a long black dress that's collecting specks of white snow on the bottom hem. She's mourning."

Judith frowned and turned toward the frosted window.

With Ethan and Judith's full attention, I continued, "She's holding the bouquet tight in her hands while walking back and forth over the ice. Petals are falling onto the lake with each step."

Ethan approached the window and peered out at the frozen lake with a somber look on his face.

"Now the lady stops. She slowly kneels and places the dark red roses onto the snow-covered ice and as soon as they touch the freezing cold they immediately turn black as tar. The petals melt into the snow and sink into the ice. One by one, they disappear beneath the surface, trapped until the ice completely melts."

Owen breaks the somber mood with a round of applause. "Wow. What a vision!" He finally stopped clapping when no one else joined in. He focused on Judith, who like Ethan, remained focused on the magic beyond the window. "Judith, do you like her stories?"

She nodded. "They're fascinating," she said, keeping her gaze on the window.

Owen sighed and grinned. "You know what else is fascinating? The lake in my grandparents' back yard in Virginia. It's massive, probably bigger than the one outside."

Judith curiously narrowed her eyes at Owen. "You live in Virginia?"

"I sure do." He nodded and flashed a pleasant smile. "Well, when I'm not here."

"Do you not miss your grandparents?"

"No, not really." Owen shrugged. "They're dead. They died years ago, but they left the house to my parents. My dad renovated it several times, adding rooms and changed the floor plan. He left a lot of sweat, blood and tears in that place. So, imagine how he felt when Mother threatened to take it all." He scoffed, embellishing mother as if it were a bad word. "What about you? You miss your family?"

"I mean, it's only been a few hours but I don't really miss my sister." Judith picked at her fingernails. "I'm glad I don't have to go back to her either." She quickly glanced at Ethan as if gauging his interest in her story. He continued to stare out the window, not showing much fascination in anything going on in the room.

Owen nodded to me. "What do you think of Allison?"

"I don't know. She's cool." Judith shrugged. "She's like the sister I never had, I guess."

I suppressed a smile, not wanting to show any intrigue either. I refused to do or say anything that would possibly inflate Owen's ego.

"What do you think about me?" He slowly licked his lips and smiled, keeping his seductive gaze locked on Judith's.

"You're okay." She shot me a glance. Again, I held back a smile, knowing her true feelings about him.

"Hmm." Owen fingered the fine stubble on his chin. He narrowed his eyes, giving her an all-knowing look. "What about Ethan?"

Ethan looked over his shoulder at her, and when she locked eyes with him she instantly turned red. "He's ... cool." She quickly looked away.

"He is." Owen waited until Ethan looked his way and shot him a wink and a smile. "He's a little shy, too."

Judith nodded. "I-I can tell."

Without a word, Ethan moved to the bed, glancing at Judith before sitting beside Owen.

"He's really needy, too." Owen playfully nudged Ethan with his elbow. "Really, really needy."

I glared, taking offense to the comment, but I dare not say a word. Always on edge and afraid of triggering his anger, I stayed mum. I refused to put Judith or anyone else in danger by not putting the reins on my fury.

Owen placed his hand on Ethan's thigh. "All he wants is someone to touch him," his palm slowly slid up the length of his thigh, "and pleasure him-"

"Stop!" Ethan pushed Owen's hand away.

Owen replaced his angry shock with a forced chuckle. "You don't have to be embarrassed, Ethan."

Judith's eyebrows pulled together as she observed their odd interaction in silence.

"No, Owen." Ethan's voice remained calm, almost as if he was struggling to stay in control.

"Are you embarrassed?" Owen replaced his hand. "Oh, I know what it is. You know Judith likes you, huh?"

"Stop it, Owen." Ethan gulped. "Please."

"You like him, don't you?" Owen looked to Judith.

"No." She shook her head vigorously.

"You don't like this soft baby face?" Owen brushed his thumb across Ethan's lower lip and cheek. "Or this magnificent hair?" He tangled his fingers into the dark strands and yanked Ethan's head back, exposing his bobbing Adam's apple.

"Stop it, Owen. Please." Ethan's voice quivered as he pleaded. Was he afraid of causing chaos and struggled to put the reins on his emotion too? He placed his hand over Owen's and gently removed it from his hair. Surprisingly, Owen complied.

I couldn't help but blink away the tears that stung my eyes. The tired and defeated aura Ethan exuded crushed my heart. The absolute hell we must endure for each other's sake was beginning to take its toll on him.

Ethan stood, his head hung low.

Owen grabbed his hand. "Hey, Ethan? I was just teasing." Worry flooded Owen's face, and it fascinated me to see him so concerned, especially over the pain he had caused. "You're not mad at me, are you?"

Ethan shook his head and walked away, his hand slowly slipped from Owen's grip. He didn't look up as he disappeared into the bathroom.

"See?" Owen turned to Judith. "You made him mad. Nice going, Judith."

Judith's jaw dropped and she looked to me, probably hoping I'd say something in her defense. I frowned and turned to the window instead.

Owe sighed. And after a few moments of silence, his voice filled the room as he continued to sing, "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah . . ."

So we met someone new. What's your initial take on Judith and her situation? How do you think her presence will impact the siblings and their wellbeing? Thanks for sharing.