Another move, another city to start a new life. Though none of this was new to William Carter. It seemed that it was all he was used to these days. Moving three times a year to another city, more often than not it was another state. This time it was Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Will stopped caring as much after the fifth move. He didn’t have time to make any real friends, or any time to truly get used to the place he was living in, so what was the point?

Seeing a water tower in the distance, the name of his new destination clearly discernible, Will knew he would arrive at his new house soon.

“You’re going to like this place more than the last, Will,” his dad called from the front seat. “There’s a lot of history here.”

Will rolled his eyes. The only thing his father was interested in within the town was the hot springs. He watched as the solitary tower disappeared in the distance.

His father, Jonathan Carter, was always in need of new inspiration, for his novels had brought Will on the longest road trip in his life. It seemed like they were always moving, finding new materials for his book, and then departing, never staying more than a few months between moves. Will knew he wouldn’t truly have time to get to know any “history” within the town. None of it will matter at the end of the year anyway, Will thought. He knew at least three colleges he wanted to go to and wouldn’t allow his father’s crazy road trip to stop him from applying. Soon he would actually have a say in where he wished to live.

“Will, I promise, this is our last move,” Jonathan said as if he sensed his son’s mood. “I know you’ve had a lot of thought in what college you’d like to go to.” Jonathan looked in the rearview mirror at Will for a moment. “There really are lots of possibilities here, so don’t be afraid to make friends either.”

Will sighed. With all the moving they had been doing, the thought of college had always been fresh in his mind though every time he picked one out, they ended up leaving again. As for friends, Will only had one back in his hometown and only one girl he would ever call his girlfriend—Bianca Jean from Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The girl and the town his heart ached to return to every day for two years.

Will had been a sophomore football quarterback at Tech High back in Minnesota. With his above average build, his long brown hair, decent tan, and deep hazel eyes, he stood out from the rest of his peers. Girls dreamed of being able to say they were in a relationship though there was only one in which would be true. He had met Bianca in middle school when she and her dad moved from Connecticut to the house next to him. They had always been good friends growing up though as time went on and they truly connected, they were inseparable. Will and Bianca would always walk to school together, do homework at Will’s house, and then hit the town.

Bianca wasn’t the only one Will left behind. He thought of his best friend Leo. He was practically the brother he never had. In third grade, Will had been pretty much the school outcast. He either played on the swings when they were abandoned or sat on the soccer hill at his school just to watch the clouds in the sky. He had always been drawn in himself, finding solace only through his isolation. Leo had changed all of that one day when he saw Will on his hill and dragged him to the spring loaded rocking truck to play spaceship.

Will smiled at the thought of how much he’d been through back in Saint Cloud. All of the isolation, then to be saved by Leo, and ultimately leading up to meeting Bianca. Though Leo had always been an odd one, Bianca warmed up to him as a friend through all of their times hanging out. Their most favorite place in the world was Java Joint. All of the concerts they held at night as well as the pleasant atmosphere in the day time. It was a club and a coffee shop; it was also where Will brought Bianca to dance most of the time.

The two friends of his were never without trouble though. Will remembered the times they had broken into newly built houses, looking around as if they were actually planning to purchase it in the future. Leo had always just liked to explore the places not meant to be explored; Bianca on the other hand, Will knew, was actually focused on the future.

Will sighed as he thought of the past. Everything seemed as though it happened so long ago. Both of his true friends were still in contact with him even after two years of being away. Bianca treated her phone as if it was him, she could never truly give up on them. Leo, however, had grown distant though that wasn’t much of a surprise. He had always been electronically savvy. If there was any information one would wish to attain, Leo was the one to get it for you. Though he was an amazing walking thesaurus, he ironically had people skills others might consider lacking. Every now and then, he would message Will out of the blue asking him how his whopper tasted while he was at Burger King or if he had fun at Walmart. Will always knew that ‘big brother Leo’ was watching.

Even with so much attention from his friends over the years, Will always felt as if he had suffered a great loss when he left. All of the plans he made with the two of them, the school he was meant to graduate from, and the fun times that were meant to be had all disappeared along with his mother two years ago.

“Hey, Dad, if you want to offer me something, maybe try food that’s not fast for once?” Will asked in a hopeful tone. If he had to eat one more time at McDonald’s, he was going to lose his mind.

“No can do kid, it’s way too late to be cooking, and I think it would be better if we order out one more time,” his dad said with a small chuckle. “Think of it as a celebratory number two for reaching the house.” Jonathan winked in the mirror.

Will groaned. McDonald’s was all they had to eat for the past week of travel; he didn’t know how many more cheeseburgers his stomach could handle.

What Will truly wanted was his mom’s famous spaghetti she made from scratch or her chicken ala king. There were lots of things he’d wish to have from her, but most of all, it would be to ask where she had been for the past few years.

Isabella Crater was the most kind and caring mother on the face of the planet. Everything she did whether it is a smile or a frown had always been out of love. She cleaned, packed foods, and made amazing dinners without as much as a single complaint. Though she would also ensure Will sat at the table after such an amazing dinner until his homework was finished. If his room was a mess, she would make sure he knew. She was very caring and concerned. Anything anyone would expect from a model mother. Though not all of what he missed was cuisine or her concern, but also her movie nights on Fridays, their camping trips and nature walks, or just sitting in the family room spending time together. Isabella was the glue that held the family together.

Two years ago, Isabella left Will at the house to go shopping. Usually she asked if he would like to come along, but that time she neglected to extend the offer. If that wasn’t strange enough, she usually was back within an hour at most. When Jonathan returned home from work hours later and saw she was gone, he did nothing. No phone calls, no missing persons reports, he just packed up the house, and left the next day without so much as a glance back. They had been moving ever since.

Will had always thought he should feel resentment toward his father. He had done nothing at all to try and find her. Though when Will thought of the look in Jonathan’s eyes that day, he knew there was more to the story, an actual reason as to why she left. Will left the thought alone, knowing Jonathan would tell him one day. Maybe he actually knew where she went and when she was returning. The look in Jonathan’s eyes that day made one thing clear to Will, it was better not to ask questions.

Taking his mind off such depressing thoughts, Will turned his gaze to the window. What greeted him were the usual convenient stores one would find in a decent sized city, a massive amount of fast food joints, a few high-end grocery stores, some bookstores, and surprisingly a few video store outlets. Will sighed. It’s like we never left, he thought as he remembered the last few places they moved to. It was always the same sized city, never bigger, never smaller, and almost exactly the same layout. Will was about to return his attention to his kindle when something else snagged his eyes to the window.

An odd group of men walking in on what looked like a formation one would see in an army. A two-man front and someone on the side to guide them. What made them stand out wasn’t necessarily their organization but more toward what they were wearing. It was a group of five; each one had a pitch black cloak hiding any identifying features. It was a somewhat windy night as Will and his father drove past. Will was able to see one of the cloaks sway with the trees, revealing a black hilted sword underneath. Not adorned at all but still unusual to see these days.

“They must be having a renaissance festival or something around this area,” Will muttered to himself. Who knew, maybe he would check it out if he got bored enough. Will and his girlfriend had always wanted to check out a festival one day. Maybe he would go take a selfie with a knight to make her jealous. He chuckled at the thought.

Lost in thought, Will hadn’t noticed that the car had come to a stop at a light. While they were waiting, he could have sworn one of the cloaked figures was staring at him. It was pretty late at night though, and any traffic could warrant a glance though what happened next raised warning signs in Will’s head.

As he noticed the cloaked figure staring at him, they all turned to face the car. Though they were thirty or so feet away, he could still feel a slight chill enter their heated car. Watching the figures while they watched him, Will was slightly disturbed when they started walking directly toward the car.

They could just be crossing the street, Will thought as he tried to rationalize what he was seeing. Maybe the festival just ended, and they’re on their way home. Satisfied with his observation, Will returned to his book.

The light seemed to be broken for how long it was taking to turn. Will paid it no mind instead he focused on the book in front of him. The longer it took, the colder the car became. Feeling goose bumps raised on his arm, Will instinctively looked out the window. The five cloaked figures were almost to the car. There was no mistake and now he knew it, they were looking directly at him. With each step, they brought winter’s chill with them.

Finally, the light turned green, and Jonathan hit the gas just as the first of the cloaked figures reached the car. “We’re skipping dinner tonight,” he said to Will’s surprise. “I think it would be best just to get indoors and hit the sack.” Will noticed his dad tried to put on a cheerful voice though when he looked in the mirror, the man had the same serious look he had the night Will’s mom disappeared.

Will looked out the back window just in time to see the cloaked figures before Jonathan turned the corner. As they got further away, the chill within Will finally subsided.

He would have thought the cloaked figures were just his imagination from all the traveling, but the look Will saw his father give wouldn’t depart from his mind. There was that and the fact they were going forty-five in a thirty. Will kept his eyes glued to the window out of paranoia. He saw fewer businesses now, and it seemed like they were getting closer to the housing district. To distract himself from everything going on in his mind, Will decided it would be best if he just counted the street signs until they finally reached the house. He couldn’t wait to finally be out of the car for the first time in a week.