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Avery's POV
After leaving the house in a panic, we had been driving for what felt like hours.
In reality, I didn't even know where we were going.
My mother, however, knew perfectly well. It showed in the way she stared straight ahead at the road, unblinking, as if even the slightest blink could make everything fall apart.
A heavy silence crushed my chest.
I was sitting in the back seat, Daniel stretched out across my lap.
Poor thing—he'd fallen asleep as soon as the car started moving. His face was pale, his lashes fluttering every now and then… his mind was still foggy, probably dizzy too. I could feel his uneven breathing against my thigh.
I hadn't asked a single question.
I wasn't even capable of it.
I was still dazed… shocked… as if my brain refused to process what had just happened back home. Everything had come too fast, too hard.
I didn't even notice when my eyelids finally gave in to exhaustion.
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The car came to an abrupt stop.
I jolted awake, my heart pounding.
My mother unfastened her seatbelt, holding back a shaky breath, and finally looked at us—almost as if she were checking to make sure we were still in one piece.
"You okay, you two?" she asked, trying to sound steady, though her voice trembled.
Then she asked me to gently wake Daniel.
I placed a hand on his arm. He groaned softly and sat up, blinking sleepily.
Only then did I lift my gaze toward the outside.
And I froze.
"No…" I whispered.
We were there.
In front of our old lake house.
I hadn't seen it since I was eight years old.
Not since… the incident.
The one that had stolen part of my childhood memories.
The one no one ever talked about.
A breeze brushed my skin, sending a shiver through me.
Why here?
Why now?
Something wasn't right.
And the more reality settled in, the stronger that oppressive feeling became…
As if everything waiting for me inside that house had always been meant to catch up to me.
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We went inside.
And it was as if time had never touched the place.
Despite my blurry memories, I immediately noticed that nothing had changed.
What was even stranger—
No dust.
No cobwebs.
Nothing.
Even though the house hadn't been lived in for years.
I scanned every room, every detail, searching for a clue, some kind of logic.
My mother simply told us to go take a bath, "to wash off the fatigue."
But I knew the truth.
She just wanted to avoid our questions.
Bad move.
When Daniel walked away, I finally confronted her.
"So… are you going to explain?" I asked.
"This isn't the time, Avery. We're all exhausted. Go take a shower and change, I'll make something for us," she replied, forcing a smile.
"Oh, we're exhausted, alright. And I wonder why."
"Enough with the sarcasm. Please go upstairs."
"Are you serious right now, Mom? You, of all people—always so cautious—how could you let that… that psychopath stay in our house?"
"Avery…"
"No, Mom. Don't even try to dodge this. That guy hit Daniel and he…"
I swallowed hard.
"I don't even know what he did to me."
That's when she noticed the mark on my wrist and rushed toward me.
"What is that?" she asked, grabbing my arm.
"It's nothing. That's not the important part."
I pulled my arm away.
"Did you know there was a secret passage in Dad's office? That it leads to some strange room filled with weird objects?"
Her complete lack of reaction hit me like a slap.
She knew.
"So you knew. Since when?"
"That's not imp—"
"There! You're doing it again. Running away from the question."
"Stop asking questions and go take a shower," she said, looking away.
"Mom!" I shouted.
"Avery Shirley Greenne!" she yelled back.
"Go upstairs and change. Now. And enough with your pointless questions!"
I stared at her, my throat burning.
"Fine. Have it your way. But I will find out. Sooner or later."
I went upstairs, ignoring her when she tried to apologize.
"Oh, not this again…" she sighed, rubbing her forehead.
Daniel had heard everything.
And while I stormed upstairs, my heart pounding with anger, my mother received a call.
"Finally. You're calling."
…
"Where are you?"
…
"Okay. Hurry. I need you."
"They're starting to ask questions…"
"And I don't think I'll be able to hide all of this after what happened."
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