Mia drove through the old forest path of Villaluz hamlet in total silence, her fingers tight around the steering wheel.
I knew it was my fault we were moving again, but I couldn't bring myself to admit it in front of her. I stared at my reflection in the window and looked away.
The pain of leaving our home and friends behind was still fresh. Alicia had promised to call every week and visit me during the holidays, but it didn't change the fact that we might never get to walk home together from school or dodge classes to swim in the ponds again.
We wouldn't throw stones at John's window at night and pretend to be his ancestors' ghosts. I had to start from scratch and go through the shame of being the "newbie" all over again.
I gazed out the window as our old Kia Picanto made a rhythmic thump-thump sound. I tapped my foot against the car floor and exhaled sharply. It was so irritating.
If only Mia had agreed to my idea of quitting school and starting work, we would have had a new car by now. Who knows? Maybe we would be moving to Sydney with a house of our own.
"Huhhh..." Mia let out a soft sigh—the one she usually made when she was done giving me the silent treatment and was ready to talk. My heart flipped in anticipation, hoping this was all a prank. We couldn't possibly be about to stay in an almost isolated village.
"I think this will be a fresh start," she said. "Mr. Fisher was merciful enough to rent us his old house, so I hope you behave yourself this time, Hana."
My heart sank. Fuck my life. Why didn't the world just end already? I would have honestly rather disappeared than stay in this shithole.
"I don't think people even live in this place," I snapped. "We haven't seen any houses for heaven's sake, and it's almost dusk."
"I've seen a couple of houses; funny that you missed them. Plus, we are just a few miles away. Hang in there." She smirked. I hated that she was enjoying my frustration. She could have thought of any other way to punish me! It was just another school expulsion; we had been through several of them.
I bit my nails out of habit to soothe my nerves. "We wouldn't have to come here if you just let me work…" I finally said after a long while.
Silence.
"Mia, I don't need school. I already know how to make money. You just have to let me—" I turned fully toward her.
Her slim fingers left the steering wheel and turned up the car radio, drowning me out. The speakers rattled with a Stephen Sanchez track. My heart was still pounding, hoping she'd listen to my suggestions. My fingers dug into the edge of the seat. But she was already vibing to the music.
"Come on, I know you're dying to sing along," she teased.
Of course I was. Who wouldn't? but how can I when she is ignoring me again
It was getting darker outside, the clouds slowly turning grey, but she didn't seem to care. She brought the car to a stop and stepped out slowly, dancing all the way to the middle of the dark, empty road.
"Come on!" she called.
I took a deep breath to release my frustration. The car rocked gently under my weight as I stepped down onto the leaf-strewn road. Stones crunched under my boots. "Fine," I muttered. "If you insist."
I tried not to give her the satisfaction of seeing me upset. Before I knew it, her hands were pulling me gently toward her, warm and steady against mine. "Come on, I've seen you do better moves than that."
I couldn't resist it any longer. Step by step, we moved in unison like we had done so many times before. Even the road seemed to come to life; the trees seemed to dance along. This was what 'me time' with Mia always felt like. I was happy—or I would have been, if we were back in the city.
The music was still pulsing and we were lost in the moment when a sudden, ear-piercing howl cut through the air. It came from somewhere deep in the trees. We both jumped, hearts hammering like someone who had almost been killed in a nightmare. I felt my breath hitch in my throat.
"We should… maybe go back inside," she whispered.
We scrambled to the car, almost tripping over stones and damp leaves. Once inside, I turned down the radio, terrified the sound might attract whatever was out there. The bass faded into a tense quiet. I could hear my own heartbeat. Mia was no different; her fingers clasped her chest as if her heart might fly off if she didn't hold it back.
Knock.
A sharp rap against Mia's window made us freeze. I lifted my torch with trembling hands and shone it toward the glass. There, in the glow of the light, stood a blonde-haired guy. He didn't introduce himself.
"You shouldn't be out here at night," he said. His voice was low and steady, definitely not scared like we were.
Had he not heard that sound?
"Wolves roam these woods." He signalled for us to drive off. I kept the light on his face, but I still couldn't make out his features clearly.
Mia nodded quickly and fumbled with the ignition. The car shuddered to life and we drove up the incline. When I looked back, the man had vanished. We hadn't heard him approach or leave. Did he live in the forest? Didn't he fear the wolves? Or... was he the wolf?
This place was creepy.
The sun hit my face like a specimen under a microscope the next morning. I checked my phone: 7:20 AM.
"Holy shit!" I was going to be late. I nearly tripped over my own feet as I bolted down the hallway.
I stumbled into the small, unfamiliar kitchen, tripping over a sneaker I'd left in the hallway. "Good morning," I said to Mia, who was making pancakes, before rushing past her.
The air outside was freezing, but I wasn't prepared for the view. Hills formed endless ranges, stretching out and blending into one another. It looked like a painting. Last night, I'd been too scared to notice.
Last night! My mind raced back to the guy—blonde hair and blue eyes. After the encounter, Mia had driven the remaining distance in silence, absorbed in her thoughts just as I was in mine.
The moment we had approached the old house, we crept in like we were being hunted.
Every floorboard had quaked under our weight, the sound echoing louder than it should have. We had checked the rooms one by one: an empty kitchen, a living room covered in dust and sheets, and crooked pictures on the walls with faces that stared as if they'd been waiting for us.
We had done very little unpacking before dozing off in the one room we managed to tidy.
In the daylight, the house looked even older. The walls were made of uneven stone, stained dark by years of rain. Ivy crawled up one side, thick enough to reach the windows. The tiled roof dipped slightly in the middle, though not enough to look broken.
"Breakfast is ready!" Mia shouted, breaking my trance.
I was supposed to be at school by 8:00. I rushed to the bathroom and took a "mini shower." I had to make a good impression if I wanted Mia to consider moving us back to the city.
She dropped me off a few miles from the school gate. My new uniform had been delivered by Mr. Fisher before we even left town. At my old school, being dropped off was embarrassing, but here, walking felt safer—anonymous.
If they didn't treat me well here, another principal was about to get their hair glued or their food filled with ink. Did I enjoy it? Not really. But I had to protect myself, and being feared was far safer than being a damsel in distress.
I stopped at the school gate and squinted through the drizzle. The school looked ancient. Stone pillars rose like they had stood for centuries. The windows were cracked, the paint peeling. The rusted gate creaked, and an old man dozed in a nearby chair like part of the scenery. It felt uneasy imagining myself here for years.
"Hey!"
I blinked. A girl was waving at me. "Watch out!" she shouted.
Too late. A car sped past and drenched me, soaking my new shirt and my legs. I just stood there, stunned. Water dripping down my legs.
What in fuck's name!
The car slowed a few steps ahead. The driver rolled down his window and held out his middle finger.
"Ass hole!" I screamed. Great. Now I looked as pathetic as the building. If we meet again, dummy, you'll pay for it, I swore silently.
The girl approached me with a sympathetic look. "Hey," she said, searching her tote bag. "That happens every morning."
"I guess today was my turn," I responded, finally looking at her. She had an oval face, chestnut bob-cut hair, and deep brown eyes.
"Here, use this. I'm Abie," she said, handing me a green handkerchief. "Your hair is actually really cool."
I almost laughed. I'd been bullied for my ash-blonde hair most of my life; people said it looked prematurely grey. Still, I blushed and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear.
"Thanks. I'm Hana."
We approached the gate together. She was surprisingly easy to talk to. Hopefully, the school would have a spare shirt. "We moved in last night. Haven't met anyone yet," I told her.
We entered the classroom, and I was surprised to find the interior looked better than the outside—like an ancient castle or a spotless museum. The walls were a dull cream with golden-brown accents on the ceiling. Wooden desks were arranged in neat, tired rows.
As we entered, the vibe shifted. Every head turned toward me. I shrank slightly and adjusted my bag on my shoulder. They were boring holes through me. Despite my fearless façade, the truth only Mia knew was that I was incredibly timid. I hated being the centre of attention but i don't mind being if i'm provoked.
"Won't you introduce yourself, or just stand there?"
The teacher looked like she'd had several bad face-lifts. Her skin was pulled so tight I was worried she couldn't blink. I smiled despite my sour mood.
"I'm Hana. Hana Anuki," I said, keeping it short.
"Was that all?" her voice was high-pitched and irritated. Did my mere presence piss her off, or had she heard about my record? I didn't wait for an answer. I left the front of the room before she could make a scene.
Unfortunately, the seat next to Abie was taken by a petite blonde girl. My eyes searched for a free spot. There it was—right at the back in the "invisible zone."
The chair scraped loudly against the stone floor as I pulled it out. A guy was sitting at the desk next to it, laughing with his friends, but he went dead quiet the second I sat down. Their laughter died instantly.
"It's taken," his voice was low and irritated.
I didn't even look up. "By who?"
"Me."
I turned toward him. "You're already sitting in a chair."
He clicked his tongue and pointed at a name carved into the wood: JADEN. "See?"
I stared at the desk for a second, then looked back at him. "Too late," I shrugged, leaning back and reaching for my bag.
That's when my eyes dropped to his hand. He was still pointing at the name, stunned by my dismissal. I saw the silver rings—several of them—on his middle finger.
My brain did a quick rewind to the car and the puddle. I reached out and grabbed his hand before he could pull it away. The whole class gasped.
"What the hell—" he started, but I wasn't having it.
It was the same finger. The same stupid middle finger. My jaw tightened. I slammed my bag onto the desk, the impact making my hands sting. The sound echoed through the silent room I stood halfway up, glaring straight into his eyes.
"Are you the motherfucking ass hole who splashed this shit on me?"
The room went dead silent. Even the plastic-surgery fossil at the front stopped breathing. Jaden blinked, looking at me like I was a bug he was about to squash.
"...What?"