? ???????? ???????

5

"yeah," y/n lied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "nothing. it was just...a spam call."

mike nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer as he grabbed the pizza box. but y/n couldn't shake the weight of that voice, its familiarity gnawing at her like a splinter lodged under her skin. whoever it was, she knew this wasn't the last she'd hear from them. when they returned to their booth, mike wasted no time digging into the pizza, taking huge bites that almost made y/n queasy just watching him. she, however, found her appetite had all but disappeared after the strange phone call. questions swirled in her mind-who had called her? why did the voice sound so familiar? and what did they mean by "you'll figure it out?" the unease sat heavy in her chest, making it hard to focus on anything else.

mike, on the other hand, seemed completely unbothered. he leaned back casually, his phone in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other. the glow from his screen reflected in his eyes as he scrolled through whatever random articles or memes he had stumbled across. he didn't even glance up as y/n hesitated, finally picking up her first slice of pizza and bringing it close to her mouth. "yo..." mike suddenly said, his voice muffled through a mouthful of food.

y/n stopped mid-motion, her slice hovering just inches from her mouth. "what is it?" she asked, her voice weary.

mike swallowed his bite before continuing, his tone far too casual for the chaos he was about to unleash. "vermont has squatters' rights."

y/n blinked at him, unsure she heard him correctly. "what...? you're kidding." mike flipped his phone around to show her the screen. the headline was bold and direct, and her stomach sank as her eyes, now widening, skimmed the words.

"look," he said, pointing. "apparently, if someone squats in your house and you don't kick them out in time, they can legally claim it." he summarized.

her heart thudded heavily in her chest. "what the f-" she cursed under her breath, unable to finish the sentence. the very idea of someone taking up residence in her home-or worse, the cabin they were about to stay in- without her knowledge made her skin crawl. she felt a pit of paranoia forming in her stomach. mike turned his phone back toward himself and shrugged.

"yeah, crazy, right? people are wild." he didn't seem remotely disturbed by the information. instead, he took another bite of his pizza, entirely unaffected. y/n, on the other hand, set her slice back down on the paper plate with a sigh. she leaned back in her seat, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

"mike..." she started slowly. "what if someone's already in the cabin?" she said, her voice low but filled with tension. "what if there's a squatter hiding there right now? you hear stories about this all the time-people living in attics or basements, stealing their food and watching the owners without them knowing." she shivered.

mike raised an eyebrow but didn't seem overly concerned. "you're being paranoid, y/n. i'm sure the cabin's fine. besides, rick owns the place, right? it's his responsibility to handle stuff like that." he pointed out the obvious.

"still," y/n pressed, her voice rising slightly. "we should check the cabin when we get there. like, really check. every room, every closet, under the beds. we don't know who's been in there before us, and i'm not taking any chances." she whined, she couldn't believe she actually accepted this trip. she should've just stayed home...

mike shrugged again, clearly humoring her. "fine, if it'll make you feel better, we can check. but seriously, i doubt anyone's squatting in some rented-out vacation cabin. most squatters go for abandoned places, not airbnbs." y/n wasn't convinced, her mind still racing with worst-case scenarios. she imagined someone lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. her pulse quickened just thinking about it. mike, however, had already moved on. "anyway, did you see that new trailer for that horror movie coming out next month? it's called dead-end road. looks cheesy as hell, but i kinda want to see it..."