Out in the countryside, the night was quiet—too quiet.
A lone figure lurked near the site of the recent car wreck, her steps hesitant, her breathing shaky. It didn't take long before soft, broken sobs escaped into the cold air.
"Sophia… what am I supposed to do with you, huh?" Harper's voice trembled as she spoke to the darkness. "I told you. I begged you—be careful. But you never listen. And now you're gone, and no one can find you."
Her throat tightened. She swallowed hard, fighting the fear clawing at her chest.
"I don't believe you're really dead. So stop playing games with me, okay? Come out. Please… just come out."
Tears pooled in her eyes, shimmering beneath the beam of the flashlight clutched in her shaking hand. She searched through the debris, desperate for anything—any sign.
With every few steps, she tied a yellow ribbon to the branches, marking the place where Sophia had vanished.
