Leaning on the windowsill, Alex smoked a cigarette and looked at the trees surrounding the forest cabin where his group was staying. Exhaling cigarette smoke, Alex couldn't hide his smile. At that moment, he was thinking how nice it would be to go on vacation with his entire large family.
Enjoying the fresh forest air and warm weather, Alex leaned against the window frame, listening to Samantha unpacking her bag behind him. Finishing his cigarette, Alex turned around and saw Samantha lying on the bed with her eyes closed and a contented expression on her face.
Seeing Samantha lying there, a mischievous plan formed in Alex's head. Grinning widely, Alex began quietly sneaking toward the bed without making any noise. Once he got close, Alex grabbed Samantha's leg and started tickling her. At that moment, Samantha burst into loud laughter, trying to break free from Alex's grip and push him away with her other leg.
"Hahaha! Let go, you idiot, it tickles!" Samantha said, laughing loudly as she pressed her foot against Alex's face to push him away.
"You can try, but you won't escape," Alex said, continuing to hold Samantha's leg.
Samantha began rolling around on the bed to break free from Alex's grip while he tickled her foot. With tears in her eyes from laughing so much, Samantha pushed against Alex's face with her other foot to get a moment of relief. Taking advantage of the second of freedom, Samantha deftly pushed off the bed with her palms and did a backflip, twisting out of Alex's grip.
Freeing her leg, Samantha pushed off the bed again and landed on the other side, putting distance between herself and Alex. Standing on the opposite side of the bed, Samantha looked at Alex with a grin, making it clear he could try attacking again. Seeing his wife's look, Alex slowly got up from the bed and took off his haori, remaining in just his black sleeveless shirt. He didn't mind if Samantha wanted to have some fun playing childish games.
"Come on, attack me, Hun. Just no using any of your tricks," Samantha said, raising her hand and beckoning Alex over.
Alex laughed cheerfully, understanding what Samantha was getting at, and he was happy to play by her rules. Alex narrowed his eyes slightly and exhaled a cloud of white vapor. Seeing this, Samantha also exhaled a cloud of white vapor, preparing to use the Breathing techniques she had mastered.
Before Alex could take a single step, both he and Samantha heard a strange rhythmic thumping on the floor coming from the corridor. Looking at each other, Alex and Samantha chuckled lightly and decided to check what was happening. Stopping the use of Breathing techniques, Samantha walked over to Alex, jumped onto his back, and wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Forward, let's go see what Chris is up to," Samantha said, patting Alex on the shoulder while hanging on his back.
"I also think Chris is plotting something again," Alex said, shaking his head.
Carrying Samantha on his back, Alex walked out into the corridor and immediately saw Chris and Josh walking in circles around the living room, tapping their feet on the floor as if searching for something. Watching this, Alex tried to hold back a sigh, wanting to ask what they were doing.
Shaking his head, Alex felt Samantha pat him on the shoulder and point forward, hinting that they should ask what these two idiots — Chris and Josh — were planning. Nodding, Alex walked down the corridor into the living room and stopped in the doorway. Chris and Josh continued pacing around the living room, occasionally tapping the wooden floor with their feet, paying no attention to Alex and Samantha who had come due to the noise.
"What are you two doing?" Samantha asked, resting her chin on Alex's shoulder.
"Hear that hollow sound?" Chris asked, tapping the wooden floor with his foot and producing a dull thud.
"So what are you getting at?" Samantha asked, getting down from Alex's back and folding her arms across her chest.
"Isn't it obvious? There's definitely a basement down there. And if there's a basement, there might be something interesting," Chris said with a wide grin.
"Did you ask for permission?" Samantha asked the obvious question, looking at Chris.
"It's fine. Let them look. Pete said he's going to renovate the house anyway. All the junk will just go to the dump," Jessica said, poking her head out of her room.
Alex and Samantha turned around to look at Jessica. Jessica nodded again, rolling her eyes to show that everything was okay. Seeing Jessica's approval, Chris grinned and continued searching for the entrance to the basement.
Shrugging, Alex walked over to the sofa, moved it aside, lifted the rug, and revealed a hatch in the floor leading to the basement. Seeing how easily Alex found the entrance, Chris whistled and walked over with Josh. Leaning down, Alex pulled the metal handle and lifted the hatch, which slammed against the wooden floor with a loud thud.
Hearing the noise, everyone else came out of their rooms and saw Chris standing over the basement entrance, shining a flashlight from his phone into the darkness. Everyone crowded around the basement entrance, wanting to see what was down there. Alex already knew there was nothing dangerous, so he simply leaned against the sofa, standing behind everyone.
"I hope there's nothing dangerous down there," Ashley said, squatting next to Chris.
"We need to check. What if there's some object with a ghost attached to it? Or maybe some old book or the diary of a forest maniac," Chris said with great enthusiasm and a wide smile.
"Really? And who's going down there then?" Josh asked, looking at Chris with a grin.
All eyes immediately turned to Chris, since no one wanted to go down into a dirty, dusty basement. Watching this, Alex walked over to Chris, took the phone with the flashlight from his hand, and went down. Holding the phone, Alex began descending the old wooden stairs, ducking so as not to hit his head.
Once in the basement, Alex began shining the flashlight in different directions to see what was there. Looking around, Alex saw shelves filled with old junk covered in a thick layer of dust. Continuing deeper into the basement, Alex saw an object covered with a dusty tarp. Pulling off the tarp, Alex saw an old boat with fishing gear inside and several old folding chairs.
"Found anything interesting?!" Mike's voice came from above.
"Yeah, I found a boat and fishing rods! Can you come down, Mike?" Alex called back, thinking about lifting the boat upstairs.
"Alright, I'm coming down, just grabbing a flashlight," Mike shouted after hearing Alex.
Alex waited for Mike to come down. A moment later, he heard footsteps on the stairs. Turning his head, Alex saw that not only Mike but also Chris, Josh, and Matt were coming down — they weren't going to stay out of it and miss the chance to explore the basement of the forest cabin.
The group of guys went down, holding flashlights and animatedly discussing everything they saw. Mike walked over to Alex and shone his light on the old boat Alex had mentioned. After checking the condition of the boat and fishing gear, Mike squatted down to inspect everything better.
"Want to go fishing?" Mike asked, turning his head toward Alex.
"That's one option. Or we could take the girls on a romantic boat ride. Both sound good," Alex said with a grin, starting to move boxes aside to carry the boat upstairs.
Mike thought for a moment and immediately grinned, considering both of Alex's plans quite good. Especially taking Jessica out on the boat. Loading the necessary items onto the boat, including the chairs, Alex and Mike grabbed the boat to lift it upstairs. Ignoring the other three guys, Alex and Mike carefully began lifting the boat up so they wouldn't drop it. When Alex and Mike were lifting the boat, Matt noticed and decided to help push it from below.
"So why do you need the boat?" Jessica asked, watching Mike pull the boat toward himself while Alex and Matt pushed from below.
"I'll tell you later, Jess. Trust me, you'll like it," Mike said with a grin.
Jessica looked at Mike suspiciously and folded her arms across her chest, intrigued by what he was planning. Finally pulling the boat out of the basement, Alex and Mike carried it outside so it wouldn't be in the way. Returning to the house, Mike told Jessica about his plans, and she immediately nodded with a pleased smile.
Alex, watching this, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Seeing Alex's reaction, Samantha walked over to him and whispered in his ear that she wouldn't mind going for a boat ride with him either. Nodding, Alex kissed Samantha on the cheek, showing he was fine with it.
Smiling, Samantha went to change so they could head to the river. Everyone else also went to change to go swimming in the river as a group. Only Chris and Josh remained, continuing to explore the basement of the forest cabin. Alex walked over to the basement entrance, leaned down, and called out to Chris and Josh.
"Josh, Chris, how much longer are you going to rummage around down there? Come on up. We're heading out," Alex shouted, watching the flashlight beams moving between the dusty shelves.
"Alright, we're coming up. We found some old board games. We can play them tonight," Chris said, approaching the stairs and showing dusty board game boxes.
Alex looked at Chris with a tired gaze, unsure whether he should mention that it was unlikely anyone in their group would want to play board games. Deciding to keep his opinion to himself, Alex took the board games from Chris so he could climb out. Helping Chris out of the basement, Alex looked at Josh, who had also found some interesting trinkets. Helping Josh out, Alex brushed the dust off his hands and went to change so they could head to the river.
Entering the room, Alex snapped his fingers and instantly changed clothes using magic. He was now wearing a red Hawaiian shirt, beach shorts, and the Cainhurst Badge hanging around his neck. Samantha, who had watched Alex change, just rolled her eyes at him. She was wearing a long, loose white T-shirt with the straps of a dark swimsuit visible underneath and light beach shorts.
"Couldn't you have picked a less noticeable Hawaiian shirt?" Samantha asked, walking over to Alex.
"I only have one Hawaiian shirt, there isn't another. What's the problem?" Alex said, shrugging and adjusting his Hawaiian shirt.
"Then you should have washed the blood out of it. Look how many bloodstains are on it. Whose blood is it anyway?" Samantha said, grabbing the hem of the Hawaiian shirt and showing Alex the bloodstains.
"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe it's from those special forces guys in Rio. Or from that idiot with the cards. I don't remember. And no one will notice the stains anyway," Alex said, stroking his chin and shrugging carelessly.
Samantha looked at her husband's carefree expression — he didn't even remember whose blood was on his clothes. Raising her hands, Samantha placed her palms on Alex's cheeks and squeezed them, pulling his cheeks in different directions to make him stop.
She was already tired of listening to the list of beings whose blood might have ended up on his clothes. Stopping pulling Alex's cheeks, Samantha took him by the hand and led him along. Grabbing their things to head to the river, Alex and Samantha walked out into the corridor and into the living room, where everyone was already dressed for the trip to the river.
"Aren't you afraid people will recognize you in that outfit?" Mike asked, folding his arms across his chest upon seeing the familiar Hawaiian shirt.
"No one will recognize me. Am I the only one who wears clothes like this?" Alex said, waving off Mike's comment.
"Yeah, all that's missing is a bear head," Chris said with a grin, nodding and adjusting the bag on his shoulder.
Looking at Chris's smug face, Alex wanted to kick him. Noticing Alex's movement, Chris immediately hid behind Ashley so as not to get caught. Chuckling, Alex went outside and loaded all the things into the boat.
The guys also put their things in the boat instead of carrying them themselves. Meanwhile, the girls had already headed straight to the pier by the river, not waiting for the guys. Before leaving, Alex wanted to take the beach chairs so they wouldn't have to sit on the ground.
"Guys, grab the beach chairs. Or are you planning to stand the whole time?" Alex said, looking at the four guys.
"I already got them. There was even a folding table in the basement. So we can fully relax," Josh said, coming out of the forest cabin holding a folding table and chairs.
"You brought beer, right? In this weather, I wouldn't mind something cold," Mike said, lifting the boat with one hand.
"I put the beer in the cooler, it should be nicely chilled by now," Matt said, opening the lid of a small blue cooler.
Seeing the cold beer, Alex immediately grabbed a can for himself and opened it. At that moment, he wanted something cold, and if it was cold beer, that was even better. The guys also each took a can of beer and opened them. Holding a beer in one hand and the boat in the other, Alex walked forward with the guys. Chatting on the way to the pier, Alex took a satisfied sip of beer with a pleased smile. A couple of minutes later, walking through the forest, Alex and the group of guys caught up with the girls, who were laying out their things and choosing a good spot in the sun to tan.
"I see why you weren't in a hurry," Jessica said, standing on the pier and noticing the guys with beer in their hands.
The guys just laughed at Jessica's comment and set the boat down. Quickly setting up the folding chairs and table for relaxation, Alex, still holding a can of beer, stepped onto the pier. Squatting down, Alex touched the water with his hand. Moving his hand through the water for a bit, Alex stood up and began looking around.
Looking around, Alex didn't notice anything unusual except for the trees on the opposite bank. Alex thought that so far everything was going normally and there was nothing suspicious around. While Alex stood on the pier, Samantha walked up behind him and hugged his arm.
"So far everything is good. Fresh air, a cool breeze, and warm weather. Everything is perfect for now," Samantha said with a contented smile, leaning against Alex's shoulder.
"Don't jinx it. Don't forget what kind of luck our family has. As soon as someone says something like that, we either fall underground somewhere or some creature decides to jump out from around the corner. Do we really need that right now?" Alex said, pinching Samantha's nose so she would say fewer silly things.
"Hahaha. You're right. It seems the Goddess of Luck you always complain about is way too petty," Samantha laughed, pressing her forehead against Alex's arm.
Hearing Samantha's words, Alex laughed along with her, not denying it. After all, not only Alex but the girls had already encountered the minor pranks arranged by that petty Goddess of Luck. Continuing to laugh, Alex suddenly pulled Samantha toward him and spun around sharply. Samantha didn't have time to understand what was happening before there was a splash of water. Turning her head, she saw Chris emerge from underwater, his glasses sliding down his nose.
"Damn, dude! Do you have eyes in the back of your head?" Chris asked, spitting out water and looking up at Alex.
"You just breathe too loudly. Try harder next time, chum," Alex said, releasing Samantha from his embrace.
Chris began grumbling as he climbed onto the pier, upset that he hadn't managed to push Alex and Samantha into the water. Seeing Chris climbing out, Alex extended his hand with a smile to help him up. Chris smiled and grabbed Alex's hand. Alex pulled Chris toward him, lifting him up. And just as Chris was almost on the pier, Alex let go of his hand, letting Chris fall back into the water.
"Damn it, what the hell!" Chris shouted, ending up in the water again and looking at Alex with an irritated gaze.
"Oh, sorry. My hand slipped. Let me help you again. Wouldn't want you to fall again," Alex said in an innocent tone, looking at Chris with a mocking gaze.
At that moment, loud laughter came from the shore as the group saw what had happened to Chris. Looking at Alex's outstretched hand, Chris wasn't going to fall for the same trick twice and calmly pushed Alex's hand away.
Watching Chris climb out of the water by himself, Alex did nothing. And as soon as Chris got out, he started grumbling and headed back to shore. After taking just a few steps forward, Samantha lightly pushed him sideways, and he fell into the water again.
"You too, Sammy!" Chris shouted, ending up in the water once more.
"Sorry, Chris. The pier turned out to be pretty narrow," Samantha said in a cheerful tone, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her smile.
"Go to hell, both of you," Chris said, swimming toward shore, refusing to climb back onto the pier.
"It's too boring over there, Chris," Samantha said, chuckling as she watched Chris swim away.
Chris didn't quite hear Samantha's last sentence and only briefly turned his head back. What Chris and the others didn't know was that the escaped King of Hell lived in Alex and Samantha's house. Alex, standing behind Samantha, was surprised that she was so vengeful as to push Chris into the water. Noticing Alex's look, Samantha narrowed her eyes slightly and smiled.
Chuckling, Alex and Samantha returned to shore with the others. Jessica and Emily had already lain down on a blanket to sunbathe. Mike and Matt were inspecting the boat for holes so it wouldn't sink. Ashley, Hannah, and Josh were laughing at Chris, who had ended up in the water twice due to his own stupidity. Grabbing one of the chairs, Alex pulled it closer and lazily sat down, stretching his legs forward and closing his eyes.
"Weren't you the one who said you were going to swim?" Samantha said, standing behind Alex and placing her hands on his shoulders.
"I'm tired and deserve a rest. Right now I want to drink beer and just relax," Alex said with a contented smile, not opening his eyes.
Samantha looked at Alex with a blank expression and placed her hands on his face, starting to massage it. Feeling his face being massaged, Alex didn't even think about resisting, making it clear he wasn't planning to move anytime soon.
Stopping teasing Alex, Samantha put sunglasses on him and went over to her friends, letting Alex rest in peace. Holding a beer in one hand, Alex, without opening his eyes, took small sips, enjoying his relaxation and listening to the voices in the background.
Listening to the voices, Alex opened his eyes and lifted his sunglasses. He watched the group jumping off the pier and laughing. Observing this, Alex lazily yawned and closed his eyes again, deciding to continue his lazy rest.
Time continued to pass while Alex dozed in the folding chair, paying no attention to what was happening around him. He had come to rest and was going to rest in his own style — being lazy and doing nothing. Even the loud laughter and splashes of water didn't disturb Alex's rest.
Continuing to lie there, Alex paid no attention to Chris and Josh, who were trying to sneak up on him holding a bucket of water. Before they could get close enough, Alex suddenly jerked his hand and pointed a finger at them. Seeing the finger pointed at them, Chris and Josh froze in place, holding the bucket of water.
"Don't even think about it. If you try to douse me, I'll tie you both to a tree upside down," Alex said without turning his head, continuing to point his finger at Chris and Josh.
"How do you even do that, dude? We didn't make a single sound," Chris said in surprise, seeing that Alex's eyes were still closed.
"Did you become a Jedi or something?" Josh asked with a grin, looking at Alex.
"No, you just breathe loudly. And if you want to catch me, do it more creatively," Alex said calmly, lowering his hand.
Stopping paying attention to Chris and Josh, Alex sank back into relaxation, forgetting about everything. Samantha, standing with the girls on the pier, had watched what Chris and Josh had planned. Seeing how Alex stopped them, she just shook her head. The girls standing next to Samantha watched the whole circus, wondering how it would end and what would happen to Chris and Josh if they managed to disturb Alex's rest.
"I'd be more surprised if they actually managed to douse him with water," Emily said, watching what was happening on the shore.
"Tell me about it. But I'm more interested in what Alex would do to them if they managed to douse him," Ashley said, nodding and turning her head toward Samantha.
"If Chris and Josh can run fast — which I doubt — then nothing good awaits them," Samantha said, chuckling slightly.
The girls shifted their gaze to Samantha, and at that moment there was a splash of water. Turning their heads toward the shore, they saw Chris and Josh holding an empty bucket of water, standing a couple of steps from Alex, who was now wet. Chris and Josh grinned at Alex, but as soon as he moved, one thought appeared in their heads — run. Alex calmly removed his sunglasses from his head and brushed his wet hair back, shifting his gaze to Chris and Josh.
"I'll give you a three-second head start… Start running. One… Three," Alex said calmly, getting up from the lounge chair and wiping water from his face.
Chris and Josh didn't have time to react before Alex finished counting to three and immediately grabbed them. Holding the two guys by their collars, Alex dragged them toward the pier. Walking past the group of girls, Alex approached the edge of the pier and threw Chris and Josh into the water like two sacks of potatoes.
With a loud splash, Josh and Chris ended up in the water, and everyone else laughed, watching the two of them surface. Stopping paying attention to the two idiots, Alex looked at his wet clothes and sighed heavily. He hadn't planned on getting wet anytime soon and had only wanted to relax.
"Since you're already wet, go for a swim. Or do you want me to join you?" Samantha asked, nudging Alex with her elbow.
"I can't, I'm shy. What if everyone sees me without a shirt," Alex said in an exaggeratedly shy tone, covering his chest with his hands.
"Pff. God, I got goosebumps when you said that in that tone. That's creepy, dude," Mike laughed, clutching his stomach.
"I'm just joking. I just don't like undressing in front of people," Alex said, chuckling along with Mike.
"Oh, stop being shy. What could you possibly have there? Scars?" Jessica asked, leaning on Mike.
Alex rolled his eyes at the question and simply took off his Hawaiian shirt to go swimming. When Alex removed his Hawaiian shirt, everyone saw a strange tattoo on his back with odd symbols and inscriptions.
Not wanting to answer any questions, Alex jumped into the water to swim a bit. Surfacing, Alex lay on his back and began to drift, putting his hands behind his head. Seeing Alex in the water, Samantha jumped in after him and swam toward him. Hearing the splash, Alex turned over and saw Samantha swimming toward him.
"Decided to swim with me after all? Or were you afraid some underwater thing would kidnap me?" Alex asked, treading water and watching Samantha swim over.
"That underwater thing would probably run away from you rather than try to kidnap you," Samantha laughed, swimming up to Alex and kicking him in the chest underwater.
"Ouch, that hurts, you know," Alex said, swimming away from Samantha.
"I'd believe you if you didn't pull this trick every time. Or do you think Zhang Ya would let some underwater thing near you?" Samantha said, rolling her eyes.
Alex pursed his lips and dove underwater. Samantha immediately felt Alex beneath her. And the next moment she was thrown into the air. Flying out of the water, Samantha was momentarily confused, then laughed as she fell back in. Surfacing, Samantha gave Alex a playfully angry look and began swimming quickly toward him.
Seeing his wife's angry look, Alex started laughing loudly and swam quickly toward the pier, fleeing. The group standing on the pier watched with amused expressions as Alex laughed loudly while trying to swim away from Samantha. Reaching the pier, Alex grabbed the edge and tried to climb out. Just as he was almost out, Alex felt himself being pulled back.
Turning his head, Alex saw Samantha wrapping her arms around his waist, bracing her feet against the pier and trying to pull him back. Grinning, Alex was about to pull Samantha out of the water along with him. But a moment later, Alex felt pressure on his shoulders. Turning his head back, Alex saw Jessica and Emily pressing down on his shoulders.
"Sorry, Alex. Girl solidarity is still a thing," Jessica said with a wide grin.
"Ah, you…" Alex said, feeling his foot slip on the wet wood.
Seeing Alex's foot slip, Samantha smiled and, bracing her feet against the edge of the pier, flipped Alex over herself, throwing him back into the water. Surfacing, Samantha grinned, and the girls laughed. They helped Samantha climb onto the pier.
"Thanks, Jess, Emily," Samantha said, climbing onto the pier.
"No problem. That was actually fun… Ah," Jessica said, chuckling, feeling her feet lift off the pier.
Turning her head, Jessica saw Mike lifting her up in his arms with a cheerful smile. She quickly realized what Mike was about to do and began trying to break free from his grip. Emily watched with a smile as Jessica was about to be thrown into the water, then felt her own feet leave the pier. Matt had lifted Emily with the same smile, carrying her to the edge of the pier.
"Nothing personal, Jess. It's just guy solidarity," Mike said, jumping into the water with Jessica in his arms.
Jessica's scream and Mike's loud laughter followed, then a splash. Emily was still trying to break free from Matt's arms, pushing against his face so he would let her go.
"Let me go, Matt. If my hair gets wet, I'll strangle you!" Emily shouted with all her strength, resisting.
"Nope. Time to swim, Em," Matt said, jumping into the water with Emily in his arms.
Emily's loud cursing followed Matt's words, then another splash. Surfacing looking like a sea monster, Emily glared at Matt like a woman ready to strangle her partner. Meanwhile, Alex calmly climbed onto the pier with a grin, watching as Emily and Jessica faced instant karma. Putting on his Hawaiian shirt, Alex looked at Samantha, who sent him an air kiss in response to his gaze.
"Damn, Sammy, I didn't know you were that strong. How did you even throw him?" Josh asked with a grin, pointing at Alex.
"I just train as usual. You need to be tough for this kind of job," Samantha said, tilting her head thoughtfully.
"Ah, you're a twenty-year-old federal agent, how could we forget," Chris said mockingly, leaning on Josh's shoulder.
"You better watch it, Chris. I've got enough strength to throw you in too. Want to test it?" Samantha said with a cheerful smile, pointing her finger at Chris.
"I'll pass. Once was enough. First time I felt like a sack of potatoes… Although I admit, it was damn cool when Alex threw me in," Chris said, immediately hiding behind Josh.
"Want another one?" Alex asked, lighting a cigarette and looking questioningly at Chris.
Chris looked at Alex thoughtfully, weighing his options. A moment later, Chris nodded with a grin, not refusing Alex's offer. Seeing Chris's nod, Alex grabbed him with one hand and threw him into the water. Flying through the air, Chris laughed loudly until he hit the water back-first.
After throwing Chris, Alex shifted his gaze to the others, offering them the chance to experience a similar throw. When Chris surfaced, he was still laughing loudly. Seeing Chris laughing, everyone decided to try Alex's throw for themselves.
Seeing that everyone agreed, Alex smiled and handed his cigarette to Samantha to hold. Grabbing Josh, Alex threw him next, and he nearly landed butt-first on Chris's head. Seeing Josh almost land on Chris, everyone immediately burst out laughing.
To be continued...
(While I was writing this chapter, I really wanted to go on a similar vacation with my friends. I remember going to a place like this with my friends, swimming in the river, drinking beer, and laughing. Oh, how I miss that. Oh well, I can always lie in the bath and relax. Hehe. Anyway, as usual, we'll move on gradually. I'll go get something to eat. Peace, love, and monsters can't swim. Or can they?)
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