The group settled into their room, throwing their bags on the bed and flopping onto the chairs, exhausted from the long drive. Josh, though, wasn't about to let the night end quietly.
"Alright, party people!" Josh grinned, pulling a speaker and a six-pack of beers from his duffle bag. "It's time to hit the lake. Ain't no way I'm crashing this early."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "Right now? We just got here, man."
"Exactly," Josh said, cracking open a beer and taking a swig. "Perfect time to let loose. The night's still young, my dude. Drinks, music, and that creepy-ass lake we drove hours to see? Come on, it's practically begging for us."
Mia exchanged a glance with Jason. "Yeah, alright. We can hang for a bit."
Natalie, however, was sitting by the window, nervously fidgeting with her cross. "I don't know, Josh. It's kinda late, and this place… it just feels off."
"Of course it feels off, Nat," Josh shot back. "It's an old motel by a lake in the middle of nowhere. That's the whole point of this trip, duh."
The group laughed, but Natalie stayed quiet. Meanwhile, on the far side of the room, Ashley and Ryan exchanged a glance and smirked. They weren't thinking about the lake at all.
"Yeah, uh, we'll pass," Ryan said, leaning back against the wall, his hand resting on Ashley's knee. "You guys go ahead."
Josh raised an eyebrow, catching the sly grin on Ryan's face. "Oh, I see what's goin' on here. Y'all wanna have your own little 'private party.' Fine, go ahead, have your fun in bed while we party under the stars." He winked, making a crude gesture with his hand, which got a few laughs from the others.
Ashley rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile. "You're so gross, Josh."
Josh shrugged, unfazed. "Hey, I call it like I see it. We all know what's about to go down in this room."
"Go to the lake, Josh!" Ryan laughed, tossing a pillow at him.
"Alright, alright, we're outta here." Josh grabbed the speaker, and the rest of the group, minus Ryan and Ashley, followed him out of the room. They walked across the lawn toward the lake, the faint glow of the moon reflecting off the still water.
Once they reached the shore, Josh set up the speaker and cranked the music. He cracked open another beer and held it up. "Here's to nights we'll never remember with friends we'll never forget!"
Jason and Mia clinked their cans together, but Natalie stood off to the side, still clutching her cross.
"I'll be right back," she said suddenly. "I… I need to pee."
"Uh, Nat, just go here," Mia said, pointing toward the trees near the lake. "It's dark, no one's gonna see you."
Natalie shook her head. "No, I'll go to the other side of the lake. I'll be quick." Without waiting for a reply, she hurried off, disappearing into the trees.
Josh raised an eyebrow, taking a swig of his beer. "There she goes, off to commune with the spirits or some shit. Probably gonna come back chanting again." He laughed, but Mia gave him a look.
"Cut her some slack, Josh," Mia said. "She's just... different, you know?"
Josh smirked. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Still, it's a little much, right?"
Meanwhile, on the far side of the lake, Natalie moved quickly, the eerie silence of the woods pressing in around her. The air felt colder here, and she shivered as she found a secluded spot. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she glanced over her shoulder nervously, half-expecting to see something lurking in the darkness.
She finished quickly, not wanting to stay out there any longer than necessary. As she made her way back to the others, she began muttering her prayers again, her fingers clutching her cross tightly. The whole place gave her a bad feeling—like something was watching.
When she got back to the group, Josh was the first to comment. "And she returns! Lemme guess, you blessed the lake while you were over there?"
Natalie ignored him, still whispering her prayers under her breath. Josh rolled his eyes, but the others chuckled awkwardly, the vibe slightly tense.
"Alright, enough weirdness, let's drink!" Josh said, trying to break the tension. He handed Jason a beer, and they clinked cans again. The music picked up, and for a while, they just stood there by the lake, drinking and chatting, but the feeling of unease never really left.
Back in the motel room, things were heating up. Ashley sat on the edge of the bed, unbuttoning her top slowly, teasing Ryan with each movement. Ryan, already impatient, reached into his bag and pulled out a couple of condoms with a sly grin.
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "When did you bring those?"
Ryan shrugged, still grinning. "I'm always prepared, babe. You know how it is."
Ashley chuckled, rolling her eyes. "You're ridiculous."
Ryan leaned in, brushing his hand along her shoulder as her top fell to the floor. "Well, I gotta say," he murmured, "this view is way better than the lake view."
Ashley smirked, lightly pushing him back. "Shut up and let's get to the real fun."
Ryan didn't need to be told twice. He tossed the condoms on the bed and pulled her in closer, the sound of the lake just a faint murmur outside the window as the night grew darker.