Family Trip Essay

During his youth in the summer, it was customary for Merit Myer and his parents to visit family members that lived out of state. The reunions themselves were things Merit did not care for, but everything else was, all in all, fun. The car trips were filled with cool conditioning, rest stop food, and sleeping with oldie music playing was pleasant enough. He would consider it a big bonus if said reunions took place near an amusement park and had cozy living arrangements. He was generally quiet and was not adept at being social with people that were strangers to him. Family to him was his to his mom and dad, aunts, uncles, and cousins that lived nearby and/or saw on a yearly basis. It was hard for him connecting to the larger family of distant family members he hardly sees or talks to in less than a week. It didn't help that he was socially awkward and had interests most of his family didn't share. He would often feel out of place and just wanted to have fun and relax. On one stop during a family road trip at the age of 12,

Merit! Wake up! We're here," Merit's dad said while patting him on the leg. "Hmm." Merit muffled as he slowly layed up on the back-car seats and became conscious.
"Grab your stuff," dad urged.
It was late in the afternoon and they arrived in a small cul-de-sac parked in the driveway of fair sized two-story home. Merit's mother was already inside talking to his Aunt Delia in the den. The front door was left wide open for Merit and his dad to bring in the suitcases. As Merit walked up the stoop, the first thing he saw was a stairway with light beige carpet that stretch up to the second floor.
"You'll be sleeping in the room to the left with your cousin," dad said.
Merit walked upstairs only to suddenly stop in his tracks when he noticed a large painting on the wall in front of the staircase. His heart skipped a beat and he ran into his bedroom. He dropped his bags on the floor and caught his breath.
"What was that!?" he