Chapter 2 Her Name Was on the Cover

Audrey's POV

The moment I stepped off the plane and walked through the chaos of the terminal, I spotted Mrs. Beaumont behind the wheel, waving at me with broad smile on her face.

I was maybe ten feet from her when I slammed into someone. Turned to say sorry—he was gone. Just… gone, as if the crowd swallowed him.

What…...?

I stopped and looked around. He was right there. Not even a full minute ago. That was weird…. Too weird.

Mrs. Beaumont motioned me over, all frantic hands and wide eyes. I yanked my suitcase along and barely got close before she pulled me into a hug.

“Welcome to Ravenfalls, sweetheart,” she said, pulling back just enough for me to see her eyes shining.

 “My… my…, look at you…, you’re so grown up now. You look just like your mother.”

I swallowed hard, offering a tight smile. I hated hearing that. Yeah. That didn’t help the wreck happening in my chest.

She talked the whole time we loaded the trunk—fast, nervous, as if she was trying to fill the silence.

I wasn’t listening. I couldn’t stop thinking about that guy. The one I bumped into at the terminal. That vanishing act. He was just… gone. Like he vanished into thin air.

Oh my gosh!

Probably just tired, I told myself it was jet lag. Or maybe grief. That creepy dream still clinging to my brain.

We pulled out of the airport and onto a road that looked like it led straight into a horror movie. Trees everywhere. Leaves dying. Sky looked pissed off.

“You’ll like it here,” she said, way too chipper. “Quiet little town. Peaceful and safe.” Is she trying to sell it to herself more than me?

I looked out the window. We passed this tiny-ass playground. Swings were moving, but there was no wind. The whole town looked beautiful and creepy at the same time.

“Yeah, doesn’t really look like a town that loves visitors nor scream welcome,” I muttered.

She laughed, kind of. But her eyes stayed flat. “People here just keep to themselves,” she said, as if that was supposed to make me feel better.

As we drove further into town, I noticed antique shops, and people on the sidewalk who avoided eye contact like it was a disease.

A man stood off to the side of the road. Not moving. Just staring straight into the car. And when our eyes locked—no joke—, I thought they were glowing, amber. Animal-like.

But when I blinked, they were normal again.

Maybe I was losing it.

*****

The Beaumont house sat at the edge of the woods. Big and old. Beautiful in that haunted, creaky sort of way.

The stone walls where beautifully decorated, and the chimney let out a constant stream of smoke even though it was warned out.

“You’ll be in the guest room upstairs,” Mrs. Beaumont said as she led me inside. “Make yourself comfortable. We’re just so glad to have you.”

The inside smelled like rosemary and something sweet, was it honey? I couldn’t place it. The walls were lined with old photographs some of the people I didn’t recognize, but one of them… one of them was my mom.

She looked young. Happier.

“Is this—?” I started to ask.

Mrs. Beaumont gently steered me away. “Let’s get you settled first, darling.”

*****

Later that night, I met their kids.

Elena was friendly. Too friendly. The kind of girl who smiled too wide and asked too many questions while never answering any herself. It was annoying but I kept smiling.

Adrian, her older brother and my childhood friend, didn’t even say a word.

He nodded—barely—and disappeared into the woods like that was a totally normal thing to do. Backpack over his shoulders without any explanation.

“Does he always do that?” I asked.

Mrs. Beaumont glanced after him, her smile faltering. “Oh, he just like to take a walk in the woods”

In the dark woods?

Okay.

*****

I Couldn’t sleep that night. Not even close.

Just me, the ceiling, and that sound—soft, like someone whispering. I sat up and it stopped instantly. I got up, opened the door. It was pitch dark. Except for this faint light coming from downstairs.

Curious, I followed it.

I found a door slightly cracked open at the end of a hallway I hadn’t noticed earlier when I came in. Inside, it was stacked with old bookshelves. It looks like a study.

I pushed the door all the way open. Cold air hit me first. Then the dust. The room hadn’t been touched for some time; God knows when it was clean last.  Table in the middle, buried in books and papers that looked older than I was.

I stopped.

Right in the center was a leather-bound journal with a name faded across the cover.

Juliette Dauval.

My mom’s name.

My hands shook as I picked it up. Most of the pages were worn, some water-stained, others torn. But the last page was still legible.

 “They’re coming for her next. Audrey is not safe here.”

My blood ran cold with fear.

What the hell? I wasn't safe from what?

“What are you doing here?” Mrs. Beaumont’s voice came from behind me. It wasn't as sweet as earlier.  It was strict. “I’m sorry… I just wandered in here. Couldn't sleep.”

I was still holding the book when she walked in. No hello, no warning. Just grabbed it out of my hands.

“This part of the house is off-limits, okay?” she said in a calm voice.

“Yes, of course. I won’t come in here next time.”

“Go to bed. You start your first day tomorrow,” she said, holding the book in her hand.

Thought she’d put it back. She didn’t.  I headed for the door but paused. Turned back to her, heart thudding hard. She knew. Or maybe I just thought she did.

“I haven’t seen Mr. Beaumont since I came. Is he out of town or something?”

“Yes, he went hunting over the weekend. “He’ll be back soon.” She smiled. But it never touched her eyes.

“It’s late, Audrey. Go get some sleep.” I nodded and walked out. But with every step, my heart beat harder and faster.

Something was off.

The way her voice shifted when she found me… the way she gripped that journal like it was a weapon instead of a memory.

And that journal with my mother's handwriting I knew. I'd seen her cursive before. That message wasn’t just scribbled panic. It was a warning.