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After they visited the mental asylum where Sarah's mom stayed, Adrian tried to lighten the air.
"Do you want to get boba?" he asked gently.
Sarah smiled—soft and bright like a child seeing the sun for the first time.
"Of course," she said.
Adrian almost laughed. It had been so long since he saw her smile like that. Inside, he promised himself he'd fight every battle for her—whatever it took to keep her safe, calm, and happy.
But his daydream broke when Sarah snapped her fingers in front of his face.
"You spaced out," she teased. "Changed your mind already?"
Adrian coughed. "No, no. Let's just go in already."
They went into the small boba shop, ordered two drinks, and sat near the window. When they walked out, Adrian said, "You can stay at my house as long as you want. You don't bother anyone, and my dad likes seeing you around. It's a win-win."
Sarah hesitated. "Okay, but I'll still go home sometimes. I don't want to be a burden."
Adrian smiled. "Fine. Deal."
As they walked, she added quietly, "My birthday's next week."
He blinked. "Wait—what? Why didn't you tell me?"
Sarah shrugged. "With everything happening… I just didn't think about it."
Adrian pouted. "Still, a birthday girl needs a gift."
When they got home, Sarah cooked dinner for everyone. Adrian's jaw almost dropped.
"It's my way of saying thank you," she said shyly. "For everything."
Before he could reply, his little sisters ran into the room yelling, "Auntie Sarah cooked for us! Auntie Sarah cooked for us!"
They giggled, calling her brother Adrian's wife.
Sarah turned bright red, while Adrian stammered, "H-Hey! Don't say stuff like that!"
The girls only laughed harder.
That night, after everyone was asleep, Adrian knocked softly on Sarah's door.
"I can't sleep," he whispered. "Can I… stay here for a while?"
Sarah sighed. "You're going to get us in trouble one day, Adrian. Sharing a bed is husband-and-wife stuff."
He scratched his neck. "I just… sleep better knowing you're safe."
She rolled her eyes but moved over. "Fine. But no talking."
He smiled and slipped beside her. The room fell silent. But after a while, he turned toward her, eyes half open, and before he could stop himself—he hugged her.
Sarah froze. "You're squeezing my organs," she muttered.
He quickly let go, embarrassed. "Sorry, I just thought you were cold."
Sarah looked at him weirdly. "Cold? Really?"
"Go to bed," he said, trying not to laugh.
Sarah smirked. "You're always the one bothering me. Now that it's my turn, you're scared?"
Before Adrian could reply, the door burst open.
His three little sisters ran in yelling, "We want to sleep with Auntie Sarah!"
"Hey—what are you three doing here?" Adrian groaned.
"Go back to bed!"
"Nooo," one of them giggled. "Brother Adrian, just wait till you finish school before you start anything!"
Sarah's face turned crimson. "What are you talking about?!"
Adrian covered his face. "They're impossible…"
The girls climbed onto the bed, cheering, "Sleep with Auntie Sarah! Sleep with Auntie Sarah!"
Sarah laughed softly. "Fine. The bed's big enough for everyone."
Soon, the room was filled with gentle breathing. Adrian lay on one edge, Sarah on the other, and the girls in the middle—tiny barriers between them.
But around midnight, Adrian woke up, thirsty. He quietly got up and went to the kitchen for water. The house was dark, too quiet.
Then he heard it—a faint sound. Like footsteps, slow and dragging.
"Sarah?" he whispered. No response.
He poured the water, but the sound came again—closer.
He turned, flashlight in hand, but saw nothing. Only shadows stretching across the walls.
Then, a dark shape flickered in the corner—tall, still, wrong.
Adrian aimed the flashlight at it, but when the light hit—there was nothing there.
Something brushed behind him. He spun, heart racing, but again—nothing.
A dry snap echoed under his feet. A branch. Inside the house.
The air grew heavy. The kitchen light flickered once, then went dark.
And that's when he saw it.
A shadow—looming behind him, stretching across the wall, too tall to belong to anyone.
"Who's there?" he whispered.
No answer. Just the faint creak of something shifting.
Then—
"Adrian?" Sarah's voice.
He turned sharply and saw her standing by the stairs, her hair messy with sleep.
"Why are you on the floor?" she asked.
He blinked, realizing he'd dropped the glass. "Uh—I fell."
Sarah frowned. "Come to bed before your sisters wake up."
Adrian forced a laugh, drank the last sip of water, and followed her upstairs.
But as they walked back, he couldn't stop thinking—
about the branch,
the shadow,
and the feeling that something else was in the house that night.
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