Chapter 2: The Escape Plan

POV: Aria Monroe

The plan was simple.

Wait until Darren passed out. Grab Luna. Run.

But nothing about leaving was simple. Not the way her heart clenched every time she looked at her daughter. Not the way her fingers trembled when she packed the emergency bag. Not the way the air in the trailer felt heavier than usual, like the walls themselves were holding their breath.

Aria moved through the day like a ghost.

She made breakfast—eggs, toast, and coffee—just the way Darren liked it. She cleaned the kitchen, folded laundry, and smiled when spoken to. She laughed at his jokes. She nodded when he criticized her. She agreed when he said she was lucky to have him.

All while her heart beat like a war drum beneath her ribs.

Luna sensed something. Children always did. She clung tighter than usual, her big brown eyes watching Aria with quiet understanding.

“Are we going on an adventure soon?” she whispered while coloring at the kitchen table.

Aria paused, her hand frozen over the sink. “What makes you say that?”

Luna shrugged. “I dreamed about it. You said we were going to a castle.”

Aria’s breath caught. “A castle?”

Luna nodded. “With glowing trees and a big wolf that talked.”

Aria turned slowly. “Did the wolf say anything?”

“He said you were brave.”

Aria knelt beside her daughter, brushing a curl from her forehead. “You’re very brave too.”

Luna smiled, but her eyes stayed solemn.

That afternoon, Aria sat on the porch steps while Luna napped inside. The sun was low, casting long shadows across the yard. The woods behind the trailer rustled softly, the wind whispering through the trees.

She remembered playing there as a child. Building forts from fallen branches. Pretending she was a warrior queen. Back then, the forest had felt magical. Now, it felt like the only place left that hadn’t turned against her.

She closed her eyes and let the breeze wash over her.

The scent of pine was stronger than usual.

That night, Darren drank himself into a stupor. Aria watched him from the hallway, her body tense, her mind calculating. He slurred something about bills and responsibility before collapsing onto the couch, the bottle still in his hand.

She waited until his snores rattled the walls.

Then she moved.

She crept into Luna’s room and knelt beside the bed. The little girl stirred, blinking sleep from her eyes.

“Mommy?” she whispered.

Aria smiled softly. “It’s time.”

Luna sat up, rubbing her eyes. “Is the wolf coming too?”

Aria hesitated. “Maybe.”

She dressed Luna in warm clothes, wrapped her in a blanket, and kissed her forehead. The child didn’t cry. She didn’t ask questions. She trusted her mother completely.

Aria’s heart broke a little more.

She grabbed the emergency bag and opened the back door.

The night air was cold and wet, the Indiana woods behind their trailer thick with fog. Aria walked quickly, her breath visible in the moonlight. Luna clung to her, silent and trusting.

The forest was familiar. She remembered the old trails, the hidden paths. But tonight, the woods felt different.

The mist shimmered. The trees leaned inward. A soft hum filled the air—like a song without sound.

Aria paused, her heart pounding.

Luna pointed. “Mommy, look. It’s glowing.”

Aria squinted. A faint silver light flickered in the distance. She stepped forward, drawn by something ancient.

The clearing opened like a breath held too long.

At its center stood the tree from her dream.

Massive. Timeless. Its bark pulsed with light, runes etched deep into the wood. The air around it buzzed with energy. Aria stepped closer, her feet moving without permission.

She reached out and touched the bark.

A pulse shot through her body. Her vision blurred. Her knees buckled.

She collapsed at the base of the tree, clutching Luna tightly.

And just before the darkness took her, she heard the voice again.

You are not lost. You are found.