Wilder House

Trigger Warnings 

My stories at times contain sex, light drug and alcohol use, grief, and other mature themes. Read at your own risk!

Aside from detailed, consensual sex scenes (which are always labeled "After Dark"), I consider my stories to be on the lighter, more innocent side. However, if you come across a specific, untagged trigger that you want me to start tagging for any reason at all, please message me and I will!

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What to Expect

FAQ

Non-Story Posts (#nimzyramblings)

Builds (#wilder house build)

WIPs (#wilder house WIP)

Story Content (#wilder house original) -> [filters Sims content only]

“Most of them are Liberty’s friends, or friends of Liberty’s friends, though Summer and I have gotten to know a lot of them pretty well. They’re an…interesting bunch,” he said, laughing.

Ember wondered just how interesting he found some of them. He’d been flirting with someone new every time she'd looked that evening, even with Summer and Liberty at times. Had he brought all of them up here to look at the stars while surrounded by a romantic garden and flickering candles?

“Kat and Candy both seem really nice,” she said, keeping her eyes firmly on the stars above.

“Yeah, they are both fun to hang out with. What do you think of the group? You seemed to be getting along real well with Liberty and Marc.”

“I think it's impossible to not get along with Liberty,” Ember snorted, turning to look at Travis. “You're lucky to have her as a housemate.”

“Yeah, for sure. She and Summer are both better housemates than I am. I don't deserve them, if we're being honest.” Travis took on a faraway look as he gazed up at the stars, his expression turning almost sad.

“I doubt that,” Ember said, reaching out to nudge him with her elbow.

She wondered why talking about Liberty and Summer made him sad, but thought it wasn't her place to ask. “Want to know a secret?” she asked instead.

Travis looked at her, his expression brightening. “Of course. I love secrets.”

“I'm supposed to be writing right now. But instead I’m here, and I don't think I ever want to leave.” She paused, looking back up at the sky. “Do you think that makes me immature and irresponsible?”

“Nah, I don't think so. I think it means you're finding the balance between work and fun, is all.”

“Yeah, I guess we all need to be in touch with our inner child just as often as our outer adult,” Ember laughed.

“Can I tell you a secret?”

“It would only be fair.”

“We totally didn't have to sneak into the library tonight.”

“Wait, what?” Ember asked, bolting upright to look at him in disbelief.

Travis grinned. “We all agreed that we wanted to give you a proper welcome to town, but Summer was the real mastermind.”

“Summer?” Ember asked incredulously. “Sweet, gentle Summer came up with the idea to welcome me to town by pretending we were breaking and entering into a public building?”

Travis laughed, nodding his head and turning another faraway look to the stars. “Don't let her fool you. That girl’s got fire, if you give her a reason to use it.”

Ember studied his face while he talked, his eyes still on the sky. When his voice trailed off, she turned her head away before she got caught staring.

“I’ll have to thank her later,” she said, readjusting to get more comfortable. “It was exhilarating, feeling like we were getting away with something. I have to admit, though, that I'm relieved the loud music and absurd amount of fairy lights won't get us into trouble.”

Travis laughed, sitting up next to her. “We aren't exactly subtle, are we?”

“I mean, I can hear the actual lyrics of this song, it's so loud,” Ember laughed, looking toward where they had left the window open below them. The music drifted up, soft but clear.

“—we’re higher than the noise now, breathing in the unknown—”

“This is a great song,” Travis mused, going quiet as they listened.

“—on this rooftop, I can feel the future, spilling over every tower line—”

Ember’s heart tugged in her chest, and she could feel the music settling deep within. Tonight felt like her future was finally opening up before her, in ways she hadn’t been expecting. Her chest constricted, a sudden panic taking her.

“—if we jump, we’re landing somewhere better. I don't know the way, but it feels right—”

How could she know? That she would land somewhere better? The stars, the music, the candlelight, this amazing, impossible place filled with laughter—it did feel right in a way that was almost too much for her body to contain.

But how long would it last? What if she jumped and it was the hard truth of the ground waiting for her instead of the open sky?

She frowned as she looked up at the stars, feeling almost angry at how beautiful it was. The last thing she needed was the hint of a hopeful future luring her in, only to be ripped away. Again.

And yet, there it was. Hope. For a future that didn't suck.

“Travis?”

“Yeah?”

“This is going to sound so cheesy, but I think I really can see my future out here on this rooftop.”

“Do you like what you see?”

Ember turned to look at him, her eyes meeting his. “Let’s just say I'm cautiously optimistic.”

He held her gaze for a long time, seeming to search for something there. Ember felt her pulse pick up, her heartbeat sounding loud in her ears.

It felt like that look meant something. She wanted it to mean something. But she couldn't help but remember Liberty's warning, and watching him flirt all night. Or that faraway look only minutes ago.

“—I see tomorrow in your eyes, like a door that's cracked with light—”

Was Travis a part of her future? She knew she wanted him to be. Would he want that? And in what way, exactly? She wished she had more experience with this type of thing.

He gave her a small smile and reached out to take her hand in his. “I think you and I are going to be amazing friends,” he said softly.

Friends. The word instantly quieted her whirling thoughts, and she was amazed to realize that she was relieved to hear it. It gave her a label, a guideline, to grab hold of instead of spinning in circles, wondering what Travis was supposed to be to her. Now she knew.

Taking a deep breath and letting the label settle, she squeezed his hand. “I would really like that,” she said, holding his gaze for a moment longer before turning her eyes to the sky again.

“—all the roads we haven't taken stretching past the edges of the sky—”

It was what she wanted, a life with possibility and friends and happiness, stretching before her like a path to adventure. She knew it couldn’t last forever, and would likely vanish with the stars in the morning, but she would enjoy it while she could.

They sat in comfortable silence for a long time, watching the stars until Summer called from the window, telling them it was time to go. Ember was sad for the night to end, but she stood and followed Travis down anyway, feeling surreal as Liberty shut the lights down.

They all trudged through the dark building to the shadowed parking lot, taking the front door this time. Ember laughed to herself at how easy it was in comparison to their arrival.

Then they were somehow parked in front of her house, and there was a chorus of goodnights as she climbed out of the car and gave a wave goodbye.

When the front door clicked closed behind her, she threw her bag on the floor, kicked off her sandals, and padded to her computer, sitting down with a plop. She could feel her words stirring again, like all they’d needed was a night with new friends under an obscene amount of stars and twinkle lights to jump start them back to life. Knowing she was too keyed up to sleep anyway, she set to work, determined not to waste the words while she had them.

She had no idea what time it was by the time she quit, but her work was done, and, somehow, she knew her clients would love it. Practically buzzing with exhaustion and the lingering high of the night, she dragged herself to her room where she collapsed on the bed, falling asleep with the sound of laughter and the song from the rooftop echoing through her head.

^ Listen to "Edge of the Skyline," the song Ember and Travis were hearing while talking!

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She looked at his outstretched palm for only the span of a breath or two, but it felt like her brain faltered for much longer. Her thoughts were suddenly whirling, sifting through all the possibilities of what exactly that hand meant, and what it would mean if she accepted it.

Deciding that she was overthinking it, she placed her hand in his. He led her up the slope of a nearby roof and helped her step over a small railing. Then they were on top of the world, no more roofline in the way of the horizon that stretched out before them. 

Ember sucked in a breath, looking out over the water, shimmering in the moonlight and the sweeping glow of the lighthouse across the bay.

“Wow. It’s beautiful.”

“You’re lucky to see it on such a clear night.”

Still holding her hand in his, he lifted a finger to point up as he tugged her toward what looked like a garden near the far edge of the rooftop. She bit her lip and looked up at the night sky, trusting him to lead her while she wasn’t paying attention to her feet. He was right, it was the perfect night to be out. 

When he dropped her hand, she stopped where she was and tore her eyes away from the sky, trying to hide her disappointment at the loss. He reached down to pull something out of a watertight box by his feet, and, a moment later, she realized it was a blanket when he snapped his arms out and unfurled it over the ground.

“You people have thought of everything,” Ember said, giving an appreciative laugh.

He gestured for her to sit, so she kicked off her shoes and folded herself onto the blanket, tucking her knees in against her chest.

“Growing up in a small town with literally nothing to do but go to a dusty little bar that closes at midnight…. It kinda has that effect,” Travis said, sitting beside her. “We learned to make our own entertainment, including impromptu, yet comfortable, rooftop stargazing.” He grinned, then reached to where he had set the container they’d brought from inside, handing it to her.

“Is this what I think it is?” she asked, taking it with eager hands.

“If you think it’s food, then yes,” Travis laughed. “You have to be starving, considering how hungry you sounded when we got here.”

Ember blushed at the reminder, happy for the shadows of the night to hide the color that she was sure had crept up her neck and into her cheeks. “I don’t know what I was thinking, leaving the house without eating. You’re a lifesaver.”

“Don’t mention it.”

She opened the container and squinted down at it, trying to see what she was dealing with in the moonlight.

“Oh, here,” Travis said, hopping to his feet and reaching for something else in the watertight box. After a minute of puttering around, he sat down again, a plethora of candles now set out and lit around them. It was gorgeous, watching the candles flicker amongst the little potted garden someone had put a lot of love into. It barely made it easier to see what she was about to eat, but she still appreciated the thought, and the atmosphere. 

“So how’s it been, living in Willow Creek?” Travis asked, studying her closely as she dug into the food. 

Ember could tell by the way he asked it, he didn’t mean in the “oh, the library’s great” sort of way.

“Oof,” she said around the green beans that she had just stuffed into her mouth. “Hitting me with the big questions right out of the gate.”

“Sorry,” Travis said with a small laugh. He didn’t sound sorry. “I just wanted to know how you're really doing. Starting a new life is…well, not easy, I'm sure. “

Ember felt tears prick her eyes, overwhelmed by how nice that was. 

“It's going,” she said, truthfully, poking at what she thought was a baked potato. “You and the girls, all of this…. It makes it easier. I would be pretty lonely otherwise.”

“How's the writing going?”

Ember gave a dry laugh. “It’s not, at all. I have multiple clients, and none of them are happy with my work at the moment. I know I can do better, it's just hard understanding what they want sometimes.”

“People are weird.”

Ember laughed, for real this time. “That's all you've got? Your sage wisdom is ‘people are weird’?”

Travis grinned. “They are. If you don't understand what they want, it's probably because they're weird.”

“As much as I'd like to be able to tell my clients that the issue is that they're weird,” Ember said, amused, “I can't if I want to eat on the daily. Which I do, despite appearances.”

“Fair,” Travis laughed.

“Tonight will help, though, I think,” she said, spearing her fork into a cube of steak and popping it into her mouth. It didn’t matter that the food was cold from being hugged by an icepack all evening, it was the best meal she’d had since she’d been forced to start cooking for herself.

“Yeah, how so?”

“Sometimes I just get stuck in a rut and need to be pulled out of it. The last—” Ember pulled out her phone to check the time, “—three hours have definitely done that.”

“Tonight’s been wild,” Travis agreed. “More wild than usual, I mean.”

“You mean you don’t all normally turn into dancing zoo animals every time you get together?”

“Ha,” Travis laughed, hugging his arms around his knees. “No, that was a first. Lucky you, to be here for it.”

“Lucky me. This food is amazing, by the way.”

“I’ll tell Summer you said so.”

“Please do.”

They fell into a comfortable silence for a few minutes, listening to the faint music and happy sounds of laughter from inside mingling with the soothing cadence of waves lapping the shoreline. Ember watched the swells come and go as she ate, feeling more content than she had in a very long time.

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Ember thought for a moment, then put her hands up in the universal ‘I have no idea’ shrug, which Liberty mimicked and turned into a dance move, bumping her hip into Ember’s as she did so.

A little to their right, Travis and Summer started attempting a synchronized back to back dance that might have worked had they not been laughing so hard.

“You all are a bunch of animals!” someone called from the seating area, mocking the terrible dancing the group was putting on display.

“YES!” Liberty crowed, jumping up and down like she’d had an inspired thought. “Marc!” she ordered, pointing at him. “Flamingo!”

Without missing a beat, Marc lifted a leg and stuck his neck out, flapping around in the most hilarious attempt at a dance that Ember had ever seen. She laughed out loud, somehow managing to continue dancing through it all.

“Liberty!” Marc said, suddenly freezing with one leg still in the air and his arms in mid flapping motion. “Jellyfish!”

Liberty immediately put both hands in the air and started rolling her body in a rapid wave-like motion, capturing the fluidity of a jellyfish so surprisingly well that Ember thought her own legs might turn to jelly from lack of oxygen.

“Ember!” Liberty yelled a moment later, freezing mid wave, and pointing a finger at Ember.

“No—!” Ember managed through her laughter, shaking her head and waving her hands in front of her, trying to thwart Liberty’s plan. It didn’t work.

“Koala!”

“Koala?!” Ember squeaked in disbelief, which made Liberty and Marc double over in hysterics. She wanted to ask how the hell one koala-ed but couldn’t get the words out, so she just kept shaking her head.

“Aw, come on,” Liberty laughed, “let’s see what you got! Marc, I think she needs a little encouragement.”

“Wha—no!” Ember squealed as Liberty and Marc both threw themselves back into flamingoing and jellyfishing, closing in on either side of her. 

Ember lost it, not even able to dance anymore she was laughing so hard.

Good lord, she had to pee. 

“Okay, okay!” she pleaded, trying to catch her breath while extracting herself from the zoo sandwich she had been made the center of. “I’m gonna go koala over there before I pee my pants,” she said, still laughing as she took a step away from the dance floor toward the sitting area.

“Fine,” Marc said, pointing a stern finger at her. “But only because you’re new. We’ll take pity on you, just this once.”

“Also, the bathroom is downstairs on the first floor and to the left,” Liberty added, giving her finger guns and a wink. 

Ember was so relieved to hear it that she practically ran down the stairs, desperate to give her poor bladder release. It wasn’t until she was in the stall and sighing with relief that it occurred to her that perhaps she should have been quiet on the way down. She could still hear the thump of music from upstairs, though, so she wasn’t sure what tiptoeing around would accomplish.

Her stomach growled loudly in the quiet of the echoey bathroom, and she gave a surprised laugh before clapping a hand over her mouth immediately after. Now that it was quiet and she wasn’t distracted with Liberty’s antics, she realized just how famished she was.

Travis had offered her the steak earlier, but the arrival of Candy and all the others had derailed her brain, making her forget all about it. Then she was having too much fun to even notice her hunger. But now her body was demanding, rather boldly and adamantly, that she pay attention. Hopefully that steak was still an option.

Finishing up in the bathroom, she trudged back up the stairs, chuckling to herself as she thought of the last hour that they’d spent dancing. Ember wasn’t usually one to jump onto a dance floor, but it was clear from the beginning that none of the partiers were taking themselves too seriously in any sense of the word.

She grinned when she saw that they were still at it as she emerged back into the attic, though Travis had now stepped off to the side and was standing with something held in his hands. He saw her emerge onto the landing and waved her over, holding up whatever it was that he was carrying.

“Hey,” he said, leaning in close when she reached him so that he could be heard.

It was amazing how much louder it seemed up here now that she had escaped to the quiet for a little bit.

“Hey,” she said, eyeing the container he had in his hand.

He leaned in again to say something else, then looked up at the speakers and shook his head. Instead of saying what he had been about to say, he jerked his head toward the wide doorway that led to the alchemy room, and walked that direction.

Ember followed after, curious to see where they were going.

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“So you're new to town, huh?” Candy asked, folding herself onto the floor next to Ember.

“Oh, uh, yeah. I just moved in a week or so ago. This is probably the best thing I've seen in town yet,” Ember said, waving her hand at everything around her. 

Candy grinned. “Girl, this is probably the best thing around for like three towns over, if we're being honest.”

“Are you from Willow Creek?”

She shook her head. “Nah, Windenburg. I'm one of the few out-of-towners they let in this joint.”

“So what do you all usually do here?”

“Exactly what you see right now,” Candy said, leaning her head close to Ember’s and scanning the room. Ember leaned in and followed Candy’s gaze, feeling giddy like she was being let in on a secret.

“Liberty is the life of the party, so everywhere she goes a group of at least three will follow.”

Ember zeroed in on the corner Candy was indicating, and sure enough, there was a small group of eager people gathered around Liberty, who was standing beside a ridiculous statue of a butler, lighting the candles held on his tray.

“Travis, bless his heart, always thinks he can get the music going, and flirts while he does it,” Candy continued, nodding toward Travis still rifling through the records with the brown-haired girl. “I can guarantee, however, that someone is going to complain about his music choice within the next three minutes. Never fails.”

Ember was skeptical. The smooth sound of lo-fi music drifting from the record player and several wired speakers around the room was rather pleasant, she thought.

Next Candy turned and pointed through a wide opening into a small room right beside them, which had just enough floor space for two of the newcomers to stand, their heads bent over something. “Those two are always in the Alchemy Room, working on whatever takes their fancy.”

“The Alchemy Room?” Ember asked.

“It's a glorified art studio, but they insist that everything they create in there is pure gold. Plus it has the only access to the rooftop area, so it's like they've conjured a portal to the stars. Or so they say.”

“Fascinating,” Ember said, leaning forward in her seat to better see. “This is amazing. What else?”

“Travis!” someone called from behind a wall of hanging fabric that created the only private space to be found in the attic. "You’re putting us to sleep, man! Change the music!”

Candy gave Ember a look and Ember laughed, silently clapping her hands together in mock applause. “I bow to the master,” she said, dipping her head toward Candy with a grin.

“Hah! Doesn't take a master to be able to see through these fucks. They’re just predictable.”

“You mean fun, I think,” Liberty said, skipping over and reaching down to haul Ember to her feet. “Come on, time to dance!”

“To this?” Ember laughed, nodding her head toward the record player, still spinning out pleasant, low key sounds.

“Well, no,” Liberty admitted, then leaned around Ember to give Candy a look. “Candy, for the love of all who want to have fun, go take over the music selection, please.”

Candy laughed and hopped to her feet. “On it!” She hurried across the room to take over the record crate, which the brown-haired girl relinquished with a somewhat sour look as Candy stepped in next to Travis. 

“I don’t know why we even pretend anyone other than Candy is capable of picking music around here,” Liberty said, shaking her head. “So, what do you think so far?” she asked, turning a raised eyebrow on Ember.

“I love it!” Ember said, unable to think of anything more eloquent. “This is better than anything I could have asked for. Thank you.”

“Anytime. Literally. Just call and we’ll hit the place up. Want any?”

Ember blinked at the jarring transition, then looked down at Liberty’s palm where she had a square, sugar coated gummy held out. Ember felt her eyebrows raise into her hairline. That definitely wasn’t allowed on library grounds.

“No, that’s okay,” she said, shaking her head a little too quickly.

“Suit yourself,” Liberty shrugged, pocketing the square. Ember cringed, thinking about all of the sugar crystals that now had to be lining her pocket, not to mention all of the fuzzies that were most likely sticking to the gummy.

“Liberty!”

“What!?” Liberty yelled back, holding up a middle finger to the guy that had called her name.

He laughed, and waved her over. “Stop being rude and introduce us to your friend.”

“Oh, that’s actually fair. I am being rude,” Liberty said, dragging Ember over to the sitting area where people now sat on every available surface, whether it be chair or floor. Even the two ‘alchemists’ had emerged from their studio, and were chatting with Summer, animated expressions on their faces.

“Everyone, this is Ember,” Liberty announced, causing everybody to quiet as they turned to look. Ember hoped with everything she had that they didn’t notice the heat flooding her cheeks. 

Liberty pointed a stern finger at the group. “She’s new to town, so be nice,” she warned.

The guy who had called them over snorted. “If she can tolerate you, I think she can handle the rest of us,” he teased, giving Ember a wink. “Hey, Ember, I’m Marc.”

A chorus of hellos and welcomes followed Marc’s introduction, and Ember nodded to each in turn, listening to all of the names and trying to imprint them into her brain. She knew it was a lost cause, there was no way she would ever be able to remember the dozen or so new names that were thrown her way. When had so many people shown up, anyway? If she was lucky, a few of their names would stick. Maybe.

Just then the music scratched to a halt, followed by a moment of glaring silence.

“Hell, yes!” Liberty crowed, grabbing Ember’s hand again.

The record spindle clicked into place, and a song hit the speakers a beat later, kicking the room alive with bass. 

Ember laughed in surprise when she and Liberty were swarmed by half a dozen whooping, eager dancers, pressing them backward until they were gathered on a mostly open floor, shoving aside scattered cushions to make room.

It appeared it was time to dance.

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She blinked down at the blotchy black shapes below, which weren’t discernable as anything in particular, then looked across the way, just barely able to make out the wide, sweeping shape of the staircase that led downstairs. If she walked to her right, she could follow the railing around three sides of the gallery, eventually coming to the stairs, which were close to where she had sat with her research the last time she was here. 

To her left was the fourth side of the gallery, made up of solid wall rather than railing, and if she were to walk that direction, she knew she would round a corner and find herself in a tight hallway lined with bookshelves on both sides. That was the direction Liberty had gone, so Ember pushed herself away from the railing and followed after, trying to keep her footsteps from being too loud in the profound quiet.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when Summer sneezed behind her, the high pitched sound echoing throughout the entire building. 

Ember placed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her heart to a normal pace again.

“Shhhh!” Travis whispered with a quiet laugh, causing Summer to dissolve into hushed giggles. Their laughter was infectious, making the whole place seem more alive, and Ember had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing with them.

They were all still trying and failing to stay quiet when they rounded the corner into the hallway where Liberty was waiting for them.

“Good thing no one patrols this place,” Liberty scolded in a hushed voice. “Remind me never to take you three anywhere we actually have to be quiet.”

Ember covered her mouth, finding it even harder not to laugh while Travis and Summer continued to shush each other in between bursts of now barely contained laughter.

“Come on, let’s get upstairs before these two get to laughing so hard they can’t walk anymore,” Liberty said, sounding exasperated. She grabbed Ember’s hand and pulled her through a doorway that Ember hadn’t noticed during her daytime visits.

The door led into a tiny stairwell that wasn’t even wide enough for the two of them to walk shoulder to shoulder, the walls nearly brushing their arms as they climbed the creaky, wooden stairs, one right after the other. 

It was darker here, with no windows letting in the glow of moonlight or streetlamps, and it smelled a weird mix of dust and age while also having a pleasant spicy aroma, like the faint, lingering smell of burning incense.

A moment later she and Liberty stood on a landing at the top of the stairs, seeming to have emerged into some sort of largish room, though Ember couldn’t see anything other than a dim glow from what must be a mostly obscured window across the way.

“Stay here,” Liberty said, then stepped away, leaving Ember alone on the dark landing. 

Miraculously, Travis and Summer had mostly stopped laughing, and were now standing behind her on the stairs, anticipation emanating off of them like an aura. What exactly was in this room that they were all so excited about?

A moment later the sounds of Liberty's movement went still. “Okay, you ready, Ember?”

Ember bit her lip and nodded with excitement, all earlier apprehension forgotten. 

It took her a moment to remember that nobody could see her. “Yes, I’m ready,” she said out loud, clasping her hands in front of her and staring with rapt attention in the direction that Liberty’s voice was coming from.

“Here come the lights,” Liberty warned, and then a second later, light filled every inch of the room.

Holy. Shit.

Those were the only words Ember could formulate as she looked around in awe, completely speechless.

Surely Liberty had just wielded magic to teleport them to an alternate reality, because they were not in a library anymore. 

Color met her eyes everywhere she looked, and it appeared as if a couple of fairies had collided in midair, splattering an explosion of twinkle lights across the walls and ceiling. The most random assortment of furniture and rugs she had ever seen filled the rest of the room, creating vibrant, hodge podged spaces that, at first glance, looked like they had been thrown together without a thought. But the more Ember looked, the more she began to see purpose behind it all.

She stepped further into the room, doing a slow turn to take it all in. It was glorious.

“Told you you’d like it,” Travis said, a wide smile on his face as he came up to stand beside her. 

“What is this place?”

“Liberty started it years ago,” Summer answered, scooting by to flop into a nearby overstuffed chair that looked like it had seen better days. “She would sneak in here after hours and rearrange everything to be cozy, and then one night she brought a friend who later brought a random item to add to the chaos, and another night she’d bring another friend, and so on and so forth. Now it’s the town’s worst kept secret, and we’ve all put a bit of ourselves into it.”

Ember did another sweep of the place, the hodge podge aesthetic taking on a whole new meaning. There were many items that seemed to be relics of the library, squirreled away for later use and now repurposed to create seating and surfaces of all kinds. But there was also a surprising number of items that had obviously been brought in from the outside world, layered throughout the space over time. She couldn't get over how beautiful it was.

The moment was dulled slightly by the sound of her stomach growling, and she flushed, hoping it wasn't loud enough for everyone else to hear. She had forgotten to eat in her rush to get ready.

“Speaking of steak,” Travis said suddenly, like he had just thought of something, then slung the bag he had been tasked with carrying off of his back and to the ground. 

“Literally nobody said anything about steak,” Liberty said from where she was sitting on an old card catalogue repurposed as a coffee table, looking at him like he had spoken complete nonsense.

“We brought you dinner,” he continued, pulling a container out of the bag and holding it out to Ember. “In case you were hungry.”

“Did somebody say steak?”

Ember whirled around at the sound of a new and unexpected voice coming from the stairs, and found herself looking at a girl with a bright smile and blonde hair dyed such a vivid pink at the ends that it was practically neon under the blue-toned twinkle lights.

“Candy! You came!” Liberty squealed, rushing over to hug her. 

“And I brought a few others with me,” Candy said, nodding down the stairs as she laughed and extracted herself from Liberty's exuberant hug. 

The sound of creaking stairs under the weight of multiple sets of feet and a chorus of greetings confirmed her claim to be true. Ember twisted her fingers, suddenly feeling awkward standing in the middle of the room as half a dozen or so new faces started flooding the landing. She hadn't realized others would be joining them. 

“God, why’s it so quiet in here?” someone asked through all of the excited chatter and laughter.

Ember thought it was plenty noisy.

She looked around for somewhere to sit, then made a beeline for a cushion on the floor that was tucked up against the wall, out of the way of all of the newcomers that were now happily spreading throughout the attic.

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“Up and over, and you’re all done,” Liberty whispered.

“Is there a trick to it?” Ember whispered back, resisting the urge to look down or think about how far away the ground was.

“Um, go up and over?”

“Real helpful, Liberty,” Summer said, pushing Liberty aside. She leaned over the railing and pointed at an empty spot on the trellis a little higher and further to the right than where Ember was currently perched. “If you can get your foot there, it gets you high enough to swing over the railing without too much effort.”

Ember nodded and resituated herself, getting her feet placed just as Summer had suggested. She was then able to basically sit on the banister and swing her left leg over, leaning until it took her weight so that her right leg was free to follow after.

She breathed a sigh of relief as soon as both feet were solidly on the floor, glad to have the climb over with. There was a rustle of leaves as Travis appeared on the trellis, and then he too was on the balcony, joining their huddle and grinning like he was having the time of his life.

“What now?” Ember asked as she looked around at all of their faces, a shiver running up and down her spine even though the air was far from cold. She wasn’t sure if it was fear or a strong sense of anticipation that was the root of the sensation.

“Now we run,” Summer said, giggling and taking off down the length of the balcony, bent at the waist in an effort to stay hidden.

“Quietly!” Liberty whisper-shouted, then grabbed Ember’s hand and pulled her into a hunched run as well. 

When they rounded the corner, Summer whistled to get their attention, waving them over to where she was hunkered in the shadows, waiting. Ember dropped Liberty’s hand and darted through the strange, blotchy light of the streetlamps, her eyes locked on Summer and the shadows that surrounded her. 

She came in at full speed, grabbing Summer’s arm and nearly toppling them both in her haste to reach safety.

They had just righted themselves and were still covering their mouths to stifle laughter when Travis skidded in next to them, crashing into Summer and sending them toppling all over again. 

In a flurry of limbs and surprised squeaks, they all scrambled to catch themselves, Ember falling against the wall at her back while Travis wrapped an arm around Summer’s waist and latched onto a windowsill, anchoring them both in place.

Time seemed to freeze for a moment, with all of them going perfectly still and listening for any indication that they had been heard.

“Really, people?”

Ember jumped, whirling around to see a shadow lean around the corner, staring at them from only an arm’s length away. With her heart pounding as loudly as it was, it took her a moment to register that, thank god, the shadow was only Liberty.

Summer snorted and Travis clamped a hand over her mouth. No one spoke in the ensuing silence, but Ember was almost positive she saw the whites of Liberty’s eyes roll upward before she disappeared around the corner again.

Fighting a laugh, Ember got to her feet and crept up to the corner, peeking around it to see Liberty’s silhouette standing in front of a pair of french doors, pulling something out of her pocket and leaning over the handles. 

“You still stand by that promise?” Ember whispered back to Travis, giving him a look over her shoulder as he unwrapped his arm from around Summer’s waist and shifted into a crouch.

“One hundred percent,” he said, the grin in his voice obvious despite the shadows.

A moment later, Liberty gave a small, quiet crow of victory and Ember peeked around the corner again, just in time to see her disappearing inside.

“After you,” Summer whispered, sounding downright giddy.

Giving them one last look, Ember shook her head, hoping that their shenanigans up until now weren’t about to take a turn for the worse. Then, taking a deep breath, she darted forward and slipped through the open door, unable to stop the anticipation welling in her chest. 

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Liberty put the car in park and then hopped out, jogging back to the trunk to start pulling out a stuffed bag that looked to be on the brink of bursting.

“We need supplies?” Ember asked, giving Travis a look, which made him laugh.

“She's not completely insane, I promise. I think you'll love it.”

“Okay,” Ember said, lacing her voice with as much skepticism as she could muster. 

Even so, she couldn't help but feel a thrill of excitement as she got out of the car, in spite of her exaggerated misgivings. It had been a long time since she had done anything remotely unexpected or impulsive.

“This is for you,” Liberty said, handing Travis the pack. “And you, Ember, get to just follow.”

“Okay,” Ember said, then looked around them. “Where are we going?”

There was nothing in sight but the dark landscape, the even darker library building, and the glow of the tree-obscured building next door, which she thought was the gym. The one place she was sure they weren't going to visit.

“Not far. Let's go,” Liberty said, and headed for the corner of the library.

Travis swept a hand through the air, inviting Ember to go next, so she obliged and fell in step. They were all silent as they walked, the distant thump of workout music and breaking waves floating to them through the warm summer air.

It occurred to her then that a midnight picnic by the bay would be a really lovely thing to do at this time of year. They could sit on the hill overlooking the water, enjoying an incredible view of the lighthouse across the way, all backdropped by the gentle cadence of waves. Not to mention the stars overhead.

She looked up and her breath caught. There wasn't a cloud in sight, and the stars were glorious. Her shoulders relaxed, and she looked back to her path, stepping with a renewed vigor.

A few moments later, Liberty reached the end of the building and made a hard left, disappearing around the corner. Surprised, Ember jogged to catch up, her steps faltering when she scanned the open area between the library and the water. She didn't see Liberty’s silhouette anywhere.

“This way,” Travis said quietly, pushing past her and nodding his head toward the back patio of the library. The small stone haven was surrounded by a half wall jutting out from the building, and a dim light showed that the rustling of leaves she was hearing came from vines clinging to the entire back wall of the library, climbing an old, white trellis.

She saw Liberty, more visible now that she was in the influence of the light, skirting around the tables and chairs that littered the patio, headed toward the back of the building.

Ember looked over her shoulder at the bay, feeling uncertain. Maybe Liberty just needed to get something she had stashed here earlier?

She still felt unsure, but turned and followed Travis through the patio gate anyway. Summer wasn’t far behind as they all threaded through the tables and came together in a cluster at the corner of the patio, just beneath the light. Gathering in the light seemed counterintuitive to Ember, but she wasn’t leading this escapade, so who was she to complain.

She was dying to ask what they were doing, but didn't want to sound too anxious, so she bit her lip and stayed silent. Even though they were technically loitering on library grounds after hours, it could barely be considered trespassing, right? Once Liberty got what she needed and they left, they would have hardly been there long enough for anyone to notice. It was fine.

“Okay, time to go up,” Liberty whispered from where she had been waiting for them to all gather around her. She turned and tested the trellis, tugging at it before stepping up like a ladder and putting all of her weight on it.

Ember watched in disbelief as she started to scale the wall, climbing higher and higher. 

What the hell was she doing? Were they all going to do that? Surely not.

Making it look as if it hardly took any effort at all, Liberty climbed all the way to the second floor and scurried over the railing of what was presumably a balcony. Ember was still staring up in disbelief when Liberty’s head popped out over the railing again, beckoning with a wave of her hand. By all appearances, she was encouraging the rest of them to follow.

Surely not.

“Summer, you go next,” Travis whispered. “Then Ember, and I'll go last in case anyone needs help.”

Her indignation at the implication that she needed help was almost enough to make her forget that their destination was, in fact, the second floor of the library.

Where they would undeniably be trespassing, in the full, legal sense of the word.

Ember gawked as Summer took to the trellis, scaling it just as Liberty had. She moved more slowly, but still with confidence and ease.

Her neighbors were decent people, right? They weren't planning to break windows or graffiti the walls of a cherished public building just for kicks, were they? They seemed really kind and level headed—mostly—but she had literally only spent half a day with them. Did she actually know these people?

She jumped when Travis stepped closer to her shoulder, leaning in to speak quietly. “Don't worry, you’ll love this.”

“Yeah, so you keep saying,” she whispered back, letting her voice tell him just how unconvinced she was. “Just promise me I'm not gonna end up in jail?”

Travis gave a low chuckle and nodded. “Done. I promise you won't go to jail.” 

He stepped back and, looking up to where Summer was climbing over the balcony railing, put a hand on the small of Ember's back and gave her a gentle push forward. “Your turn,” he said, looking her in the eye as a wide grin spread across his face.

Ember held his gaze for a long moment, finding it hard not to trust him despite the sketchiness of their current situation.

“Come on!” someone whisper-shouted from above, and Ember looked up to see Summer and Liberty both staring down at her over the railing.

Taking a deep breath and hoping she wasn't going to regret this, she gave one last look at Travis, then stepped up to the trellis and began to climb.

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Grabbing the dirty plates and mugs that had accumulated on her desk, she pushed herself to her feet and trudged to the kitchen. 

She needed a break, and, somehow, washing dirty dishes seemed like a better time than continuing to stare at that damn computer screen.

Hitting the faucet handle to full blast, she put a stopper in the sink and propped her hip against the counter while she waited for the water to fill. Maybe she needed to get out of the house, get her eyes on something besides tiny black lines on a white page, and oppressive, beige walls. She barely even knew what time it was, other than dark, judging by the lack of light coming through the large, floor to ceiling window just outside the kitchen.

She startled when a train blew past across the way, blasting its horn and flashing bright lights into her eyes for a moment. Well, at least she had proof that the rest of the world was still alive out there.

She guessed that answered the question of 'If a tree falls in the middle of the forest with no one around, does it actually fall?’ Was that even the question? It didn't seem right. God, she couldn't even use other people's words correctly!

Either way, the point was, obviously the world kept spinning, even when she wasn’t looking. She wasn't entirely sure what that meant for her, but she did find it strangely comforting.

Turning the tap off, Ember plunged her hands into the water and began scrubbing, happy for the mindless, methodical work. If only writing were so— 

No! No more thoughts about writing. Even though she probably couldn't afford to walk away from her writing right now, she wasn't sure she could afford to stay and keep beating her head against a wall either.

So no more writing, no more thoughts about writing, and absolutely no guilt that she wasn't writing for at least the next three hours. She felt a pang of worry that this was a really irresponsible decision, but then rolled her eyes and grabbed the pan she had burnt a grilled cheese sandwich in earlier that morning, plunging it into the suds.

No guilt. If she needed a break, she was going to take one.

She finished scrubbing the pan and then released the sink stopper and dried her hands on a towel. Done with the task, she folded her arms across her chest and turned to lean against the counter. 

What was she going to do for three hours?

She stared at the dark void that was her window, thinking through the options. She could take a nap, maybe. But she didn't really feel sleepy, just mentally drained. Watch a movie? There probably wasn't anything interesting on.

What did other people her age do at this time of night when they were bored out of their minds?

Oh. Duh. Did she actually want to do that, though? Go out of her way to bombard herself with flashing lights, too loud music, and socializing with people she didn't know and therefore didn't care about?

She supposed she could go to a gym instead. Snorting, she walked back to her desk and rummaged through all the papers until she found her phone hiding underneath one of them. 

Scrolling through her contacts, she flicked past far too few names before she reached ‘Travis (Neighbor)’ toward the end of the list. For some reason the tag-on struck her as funny, and she laughed to herself.

Somehow, despite having a chronically short contact list, she still needed notes to know who was who. It didn't matter that he was the only Travis on the list, there was still every chance that however many weeks from now she would look at the name Travis and be like ‘Travis? Travis who?’

Though maybe not. That lopsided grin of his was kind of hard to forget. 

Either way, they had exchanged numbers a week or so ago, and her tag-on made it 100% clear that he was, in fact, her neighbor, the same Travis who had helped her move a million and one boxes around. 

Surely she knew him well enough to see if he and his housemates wanted to go out for a few hours, right? He had helped her put her bed together, after all.

Before she even had time to fully think it through, Ember hit the green call button and stared at the phone for a second before she remembered she should be listening for him to answer.

Jerking the phone to her ear, she tapped her foot against the wood floor. Each consecutive ring felt louder than the last, causing her stomach to twist further and further into knots.

“Hey, Ember.”

Ember froze when his voice came over the line, suddenly realizing that she had absolutely no idea what she was going to say.

“Hello?”

“Yeah, hi, I'm here! Hi, Travis, how are you?”

How are you? That's the best she could come up with? 

“Doing great, actually. We just got done grilling steaks and potatoes and eating by the pool. I wish you had called two hours earlier, we woulda had you over.”

Ember's stomach growled at the thought of steak and potatoes. When was the last time she had eaten? Surely one of those dirty plates had been from relatively recently.

She sighed. “Bummer,” she said, hoping she hadn't missed her chance to hang out with them. “I am in desperate need of getting out of the house, so I was hoping you or the girls would have some suggestions on what might be fun to do around town at this hour?”

“Who's that?” 

Liberty's voice, muffled and faint, came through from the other end of the line.

“It’s Ember,” Travis said, not even bothering to hold his hand over the phone, or whatever it was people did to have a side conversation while talking on the phone these days. “She says— oh man, I'm probably going to regret this, but she says she desperately needs to get out of the house.”

Ember heard Liberty squeal on the other end.

“I take it she likes that idea?” she asked, laughing. 

“You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into,” Travis answered, sounding amused.

“Well, I am looking for a distraction, so—”

“Ember?” Liberty's voice came through loud and clear this time

“Yeah, I'm here.”

“Good. Get ready, we’ll be over in thirty minutes.”

“Okay, what shou—” Ember cut off when there was an unnatural silence in her ear, and pulled the phone away to find that Liberty had hung up.

Well, okay then. She would just have to figure out her wardrobe on her own. Lifting an arm, Ember took a whiff of her armpit and immediately turned her head away, wrinkling her nose.

Thank god she had half an hour until they arrived.

When a knock sounded on the door exactly thirty minutes later, Ember was clean, had dry hair, and had even applied some makeup. She had also definitely over-thought her outfit many times over, but eventually settled on something she felt was versatile enough to handle whatever Liberty had planned.

Jogging to the door with her head awkwardly tilted as she attempted to get an earring into place, she swung it open.

“One thing you need to know about this town,” Liberty said, pushing past Ember before she even had time to blink, “is that there is absolutely nothing to do at this hour except go to the gym.”

Ember stopped fighting with her earring and stared at Liberty, her head still tilted. They were going to the gym?

“Also, hi!” Summer chirped, giving her a bright smile as she came through the door. Travis was right behind her.

“But if there's anything you need to know about me,” Liberty continued as if she had never stopped, “it’s that I am nothing if not creative. You look great, by the way.”

The earring finally slid into place and Ember stood up straight, running a hand over her blouse as she glanced down at her outfit.

“Thanks,” she said, pleased that her overthinking had paid off. “I'm ready when you all are. Though I'm a little nervous about what you mean by ‘creative’, exactly.”

“Good instincts,” Travis laughed, crossing his arms.

“Don't worry, we're not doing anything illegal,” Liberty said, then added. “I think.”

She didn't sound very convincing.

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“It’s a good thing we're here to help, I think,” Travis chuckled as he walked across the empty room, his footsteps sounding loud and echoey. He put the box down, then grabbed a drawer from the top of the dresser and began sliding it into place.

Ember jumped to help, grabbing the other drawer.

“So, Ember, tell me more about yourself.”

“Oh, uh…I don't know that there's much to tell,” Ember shrugged. “I wanted a fresh start to life, something that was all my own, so I moved here.”

“And what do you plan to do with this new life of yours?”

“I'm a writer, or at least pretend to be. I plan to do freelance writing to pay the bills. It's not always fun, but it's something. At least I'm writing, which I love.”

“Sounds nerdy.”

Ember’s eyes snapped to his in shock, until she saw that he was teasing her. She let out a relieved laugh. He grinned and leaned against the dresser now that all of the drawers were in place.

“Sorry, I'm just messing with you. Besides, I actually kind of have a thing for nerds,” he said, giving her a wink.

“Oh my God, Travis,” Liberty groaned, rolling her eyes as she stalked into the room, startling Ember. “Don't listen to him, he flirts with anything that moves. No offense to you or anything, you're obviously really pretty. But still, don't listen to him.”

Ember laughed, deciding that she liked Liberty a lot. It was refreshing to be around someone who had little to no filter. “Too bad,” she said, giving Travis a shrug. “You’re gonna have to get yourself a better wingman next time, I suppose.”

Travis snorted, and Liberty laughed. “I'm not sure if you're slamming him or slamming me, but either way, I respect it.”

Ember tried not to look as pleased as she felt at the compliment. Travis and Liberty started to argue over who would be the better wingman, and Ember watched, feeling a small burble of hope squeeze out around the sadness that had settled in her chest a long time ago.

At one time she had dreamed of this. Of moving into her own house and making friends like it was easy. Of laughing and talking and enjoying life as the sun streamed through the windows. Of making a whole new life for herself with her writing, maybe even becoming a published author.

All of that had been the dream until it wasn't anymore. Until laughter and sunshine had lost their appeal because her parents were dead, and all she had left was a chunk of cash from their little homestead that had once held so much love but now felt empty. It had felt so wrong to sell the farm and use the money to start a new life without her parents, but she hadn't been able to bear the thought of staying with the ghosts of their memories any longer than she had to.

So she had looked to the sky to beg their forgiveness, sold the farm, and found a place of her own. Every happiness she felt at finally stepping out into the world was shadowed by the reminder that she was only there because her parents were dead.

She had been beginning to think that driving hours and hours away from home had done nothing to keep their ghosts from haunting her, but for the first time in a long time, she thought that maybe—

“Helloooo,” Liberty called, breaking into Ember’s thoughts. “Earth to Ember—wait, that would be a dope band name.”

Ember blushed and gave a nervous laugh, hoping she hadn't ruined the moment by getting lost in her head for what was apparently a noticeable amount of time.

Travis laughed and nudged Ember with his elbow. “If you ever decide to audition for a band, turns out you've got an automatic selling point.”

“So, do you know where the rest of the TV cords are?” Liberty asked, sounding a little impatient. She must have asked at least once before.

“Yeah, sorry, there's a small box under the table.”

“Cool.” Liberty disappeared through the doorway, leaving Travis and Ember alone again.

“Well, I better get the rest of those boxes moved,” Travis said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, okay,” Ember agreed, still feeling flustered. “I think I'll stay here and try to get this bed put together so that I can actually sleep tonight.”

“Do you want help?”

“With sleeping?” she asked, her brow tightening in confusion. Why would he ask that, and how could he even help with something like that?

“No,” he chuckled, “with putting the bed together.”

“Oh,” she said, embarrassment flooding her cheeks again. She was going to permanently turn into a tomato at this rate. “Of course. Sorry, I take things super literally sometimes.”

“Don’t worry, it's cute. So, where do we start with this bedframe?” he asked, giving her another lopsided grin.

Ember couldn't help but smile in return, finding him to be very disarming. Maybe the claw foot tub wasn't the best thing about this place after all.

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“For the record,” Liberty said, leaning around Summer. “I told them you were probably busy unpacking and didn't need us bothering you, so we can go if you want.”

“Oh, uh—” Ember stammered, taken aback. “No, please, come in,” she said, moving aside so they could enter. “I was just, uh, unintentionally bonding with the floor, but bonding with you all sounds way more fun,” she laughed, then blushed when Travis raised an eyebrow at her, his eyes twinkling.

“I wouldn't be so sure,” he said as he stepped into the house behind Summer. “Liberty, here, can be pretty hard headed and abrasive, so perhaps the floor would be better.”

“Hey!” Liberty said defensively, grinning. Ember found it interesting that insults were what put a smile on her face. “I am more fun than both of my housemates combined, uh—what's your name, again?”

“Oh, sorry!” Ember said, her cheeks flushing even hotter. “I'm Ember. I just moved in last night.”

“This your first time in Willow Creek?” Travis asked, leaning against the back of her couch. The couch sat at a weird angle where the movers had plopped it the day before, and she itched to straighten it. Why hadn't she done so earlier?

“Yeah,” she said instead, looking away from the couch. “Seemed like a good place to start, so here I am,” she shrugged, then blurted out, “Sorry it's such a mess in here. I guess I'm not very organized.”

“You should see Travis’ room,” Liberty snorted. “And he doesn't even have the excuse of just moving in.”

Summer walked over to slide the cake onto the dining table, pushing aside the box of dishes, then turned and crossed her arms over her chest.

She looked at Ember with raised eyebrows. “So, how can we help?”

“Oh, uh, what do you mean?” Ember asked, taken by surprise. Surely they hadn't come over to help her unpack.

“Yeah, Summer, what do you mean?” Liberty asked from where she had plopped onto the couch.

“I mean,” Summer said, drawing out the word and giving Liberty a look before turning back to Ember, “what can we do to help get you unpacked and settled?”

Liberty groaned and flopped back on the couch, clearly not a fan of the idea. Travis rolled his eyes and reached over the back of the couch to poke her.

“Don't mind her,” he said as Liberty swatted his hand away. “She thinks she's allergic to anything remotely adult.”

“That’s because I am.” Liberty retorted.

Ember laughed, then looked around at the mess of boxes shoved in every corner of the room.

“Well, I have most of the boxes labeled by what room they belong in, but the movers decided that this room was as far as they were gonna go. So maybe we start by moving them to where they belong?”

“I see that this box is labeled dishes, maybe I can go work on putting these away in the kitchen while Travis moves boxes around?”

“Sure, that sounds great!” Ember said, relieved that Summer was taking initiative.

“Great. Liberty, you can watch TV once you get the TV hooked up and the couch straightened,” Summer threw over her shoulder as she grabbed the box of dishes from the table.

“Fine,” Liberty conceded, rolling off the couch with dramatic flair.

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