TW:
mention of death,trauma,miscarriage and mention of toxic parents.
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Cat's Pov:
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July 4th 2023
Brooklyn,New York
We were all together as a family.
Me,Claire,Nora & Ben.
Benjamin Moore,my brother in law.
Always nosey,always meddling in my life but I never minded him since he was like a father figure for me growing up.
Growing up with no parents and having Claire in my life made life seem like a dream sometimes,Claire worked hard from a young age so we would be content.
Eventually achieving the dream of living close to the city since we were born in a rural part of New York,our dream growing up was to live in the city.
We had been perfect,as perfect as two siblings who raised each other and loved each other to death were.
Ben was a good man,he loved Claire so much.
He took care of me and made sure nobody messed with us.
Always cracking jokes with me,messing with my hair before school,gave the best cuddles sometimes.
He was more than a brother in law to me,it felt I knew him my whole life.
It was a normal picturesque day,the usual in our household.
Ben's family was supposed to visit for 4th of July and barbecue with us later in the day.
With road delays due to everyone traveling down to Manhattan to see the fireworks that day,it was taking them longer than usual.
That's when he got the call.
Ben got a call,that there was a emergency.
A factory in downtown Manhattan was on fire and he had to run to the scene.
Claire was confused by the situation but understood her husband's duties to the city of New York City and as a firefighter in general.
So we let him go,but he kissed Claire and Nora goodbye and hugged me tightly.
One last hug.
I still smell the musky cologne on myself,I used to joke on him for wearing it.
Then hours went by and we were stuck waiting for Ben.
Ben never came home.
Instead Claire got a phone call from Mount Sinai Hospital with the news,that Ben had died after running back into the burning factory building after realizing one of the firemen never made it out.
Both him and the other fireman died that day.
So instead of watching the fireworks,we stood inside sobbing with Ben's mother and it was the day our life changed...forever..
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[present]
September 13th 2023
it's been 2 months since Ben's death and we're moving out of Brooklyn for a small town upstate called Scarlet Woods.
We vowed to never move back to rural New York but we had no choice,with no money coming in and Claire's early pregnancy and then miscarriage left in shambles.
We heard about the town after sitting on the subway and seeing a newspaper talking about how cheap the rents were there and the community being amazing.
It sounded unreal,a utopia.
Of countryside roads,Oak trees and small picturesque homes.
It didn't seem real.
Naturally wanting to escape from what we had been dealing with since July,we packed our bags and moved out of Brooklyn.
Leaving behind the city nightmares and returning upstate,where it would seem it was where we belonged after all..
I lean my hand against the window,it's nighttime.
It's past midnight and Nora's fast asleep behind me in her seat,the fog is inescapable.
Even with her headlights fully on,Claire struggled to drive through the fog.
It's scary driving at this hour,especially in the woods because of the wildlife.
Deers could come in our path at any second.
I watch as Claire swerves slightly to the side and I grab the wheel hastily.
"What's wrong?" She snaps at me side eyeing me.
"You're driving like you want to kill all 3 of us!" I scold her and she stays silent.
"Hey- I didn't mean that...it's just I'm nervous that's all" I add looking at the floor of the rental car.
She sighs and stops the car in the middle of the road.
"Listen I know it's not the same since Ben died,but we'll be ok I promise?" She says to me and I look at her with tears swelling up in my eyes.
"are you sure? It's been forever since we were last alone..and now we have Nora" I say glancing back at the sleeping redhead child in the backseat.
Claire married Ben at the age of 18 and met him at the age of 14,since they were 16..he lived with us.
So now at the ages of 24 & 32,we are now alone with a bubbly and energetic 5 year old child.
Ben was our sworn protector,he used to say he would always be with us protecting us.
However I feel his void in our lives.
Me and Claire had started bickering since his death,always lashing out at each other somehow but we recover every time.
Because we know Ben wouldn't want us to be bitter towards each other especially since we were so close.
"We'll be ok I promise,Nora will be safe..so we will be safe as well!" She says rubbing my arm gently and i sniffle before spreading my arms out to her.
She cuddles me in her arms and brushes her fingers through my hair softly.
"My sweet baby sister,I'm sorry you were burdened to be with me" she says sniffling.
"It's no burden being your baby sister,I'm sorry you were stuck to raise not only yourself but a small child" I say and she sighs.
"That's not any of our faults,they were just...not ready to be parents" she says.
"I can't believe how you defend them for abandoning us!" I say.
"Cat,you see...I thank them at times because it taught me to never depend on anyone and work hard at a young age,then I met Ben...somehow forgot how to manage life without him." She says.
"He did mostly everything except the bills,that was your territory" I say giggling as I remember seeing her with her reading glasses,rummaging through the bills.
"I probably grew some grays from those god forsaken bills" She says chuckling and my heart warms seeing her smile for once.
My stomach growls loudly and she looks at me with a eyebrow raised.
"Someone's hungry?" She giggles.
"Starving." I groan and she starts the car again to drive to whoever has food and is open at this hour.
A small diner sits at the end of the road.
Bright red lights reads out "Ray's Diner".
It looks lonely but it's the only food place open at this hour as the door says "24/7  food and service",so Claire pulls in to the empty parking lot and I nearly fall as I burst out of the car.
I open the side door and start tickling Nora to wake her up.
Of course she's grumpy upon being woken up but I carry her in my arms into the diner.
The owner who I presume is Ray,the one the diner is named after walks to our table.
A older man,possibly in his 40's.
Towering over our red colored table.
Which in my opinion clashes with the bright faded blue interior of the diner.
"What can I get you ladies at this hour?" He asks.
"Would it be silly to ask if Burgers and Fries are still available with a milkshake?" I ask him and he chuckles.
"Of course not! Our breakfast menu starts at 5am!" He says scribbling it down on a paper.
"For you?" He asks Claire.
"Cheesy fries with a Milkshake as well" she says.
I kick her from underneath the table.
She groans in pain and rubs her foot.
"That's all? You always pig out with me at the diners!" I whine and she sighs.
"Yes that's all,I'm not that hungry.." she says lying through her teeth.
She claims she's never hungry ever since Ben's death,I have to force her to eat sometimes.
"Fine,but you're eating dessert with me later!" I say waving my finger in her face and she chuckles.
"Fine yes,I'll have dessert" she says rolling her eyes playfully at me.
"What are you 4?" She adds sticking her tongue out at me.
"What are you? 2?" I remark and she flips me off playfully.
"you do have dessert right?" I ask the man in front of us,completely forgetting he was standing there still.
"Yes of course we have triple chocolate ice cream  cake,cheesecake and chocolate chip cookies" He says.
"ICE CREAM!!" Nora squeals at the sound of the ice cream cake.
"We'll have that ice cream cake for dessert" I say and he scribbles it all down.
"What flavor for the milkshakes?" He asks.
"Vanilla for me" I say.
"Strawberry for me and can you put Nutella on top?" Claire says.
"Nutella? Oh..Ben's favorite milkshake combo" I say pouting and she smiles at me.
"Yes,it reminds me of him always rummaging through the fridge for Nutella late at night and me finding you both eating junk food in the living room watching tv" She says shaking her head giggling.
"Hey he insisted on tv in the dark!" I say throwing my hands in the air.
"And for the little one?" Ray asks us.
"Nora what would you like? Nuggets? A hot dog?" I ask her.
"I want a hot dog and onion rings!" She says loudly and I raise a eyebrow at her.
"What is it with you picking things Ben liked hmm?? Is there a theme?" I ask them both.
Ben was the only one who liked Onion Rings,well now I suppose Nora likes Onion Rings all of a sudden now also.
"I miss daddy" Nora says pouting and I grab her.
"Hey! He would've told you to stop your pouting before the Lip Monster comes and snatches your lip!" I say tickling her and she laughs.
"Fine! But only because daddy said so!" She says sassily and we wait for our food quietly.
(After a while)
We sit with our food on our table and Ray returns with our milkshakes.
"I bought the juice box for the little one since you two forgot by accident!" He says and I mentally smack myself for forgetting.
"Thank you Ray" Claire says reading his name tag and grabs the juice box.
She stabs the juice box with the straw attached and hands it over to Nora.
Nora happily drinks her juice while he hands us our milkshakes.
"So are you guys from nearby?" He asks.
"No actually we just moved up here,we're from Brooklyn" Claire says stirring her straw in her milkshake before taking a sip.
"Really? Ain't that nice? As a local resident of Scarlet Woods,I must tell you girls to be careful and mindful to the residents..they're not used to new people" he warns lowering his voice as he tells us.
"Is there something to worry about Ray?" Claire asks him.
"N-no...it's just they're a eccentric bunch of people in that town so be careful!" He says before retreating to the kitchen.
"That was weird huh? He seemed shaken up" Claire says brushing it off and digging into her food.
I stare at the entrance of the kitchen and take a bite of my burger.
"Something feels weird..." I say.
"Of course you're gonna say that,it's a new place. Give it time it's gonna be fine" she says and I shake my head.
"I don't know..." I say as I stick a fry in my mouth...
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(After a while)
We leave the diner and leave Ray a tip,who never returned to see us off but did hurriedly return to grab our plates after we left.
We get in the car and I stare at the diner.
"That's weird how he waited until we left to grab the plates.." I say and she sighs.
"Catherine Rose Pierce! I cannot believe you're judging a man who's clearly been tired from working possibly all day and now all night" She scolds.
"I didn't mean to but he's giving weird vibes-"
"You and your vibes! Let's just think positive for once and try the town out? Ok? Please for me? For Ben?" She says and I freeze.
"You know he would've liked the trees,remember he was a nature guy" She says.
"Fine. For both of you." I huff out and she pats my back.
"Atta girl!!" She says and we drive off.
As we drive off,a bright red sign on the edge of the road reads out "Welcome to Scarlet Woods,New York" and then disappears in the fog.
I turn around to see the diner,to find it has vanished and it's a empty plot of land.
I turn around slowly in shock.
"What's wrong?" She asks me.
"Huh? Oh I think I spotted a deer behind us be careful!" I lie knowing she wouldn't believe me if I told her the truth.
The diner and Ray.
Vanished.
Out of nowhere.
Where did they go?...
Where are we going?...
"I don't see anything maybe you need to rest,relax I'll let you know when we get there" she says and I sigh.
I recline my chair back and close my eyes.
Hoping it was just my eyes playing tricks due to sleep deprivation and not that the actual diner disappeared out of nowhere...
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Hi everyone,it's Reina here!
I introduce you all to "Scarlet Woods" a gothic horror mystery-thriller fanfiction that came to my head after spending weeks watching horror films like psychological horror films,supernatural horror films,mystery films and thrillers.
This is a stray kids fanfiction,so I'll be including our wolf men!!
I can't wait for you all to read this book,I'm really proud of it and excited to introduce new characters that are so exciting for this series.
Peace & Love Always💜
-Reina☁️🌿✨🦋🍂🍁💕🧿