Chapter 5

I stared at her, transfixed, as she approached. Her hands were stained with fresh blood.

My body felt frozen, and the sound in my throat was trapped, useless. She drew closer, and the darkness in my vision closed in on me.

The next thing I knew, I was blinking awake, the harsh light of day spilling through the window, yet it brought no warmth.

"Ahhh! Stay away from me!"

A scream split the air, sharp and high-pitched, and I jerked upright in bed, my heart hammering in my chest.

The bedroom. Was it just a dream?

"Darling? Are you awake? Come get up and have some breakfast. Why are you lying down like that last night?"

It was Lily's voice, but it wasn't the soothing tone I was used to. There was an eerie quality to it, one that sent a chill crawling down my spine. It was as though the words were dripping with something dark and cold, something from the depths of hell.

"Finn? Where's Finn?" My voice was hoarse, laced with fear I couldn't suppress.

"Oh, he had something to take care of, so he left early," she responded nonchalantly, as if it were nothing.

She turned to leave, her footsteps soft, almost too light, and I listened intently, waiting until the sounds faded.

Only when I was sure she had gone to work did I get up. My limbs felt heavy, my mind racing with confusion and dread.

I made my way to the storage room, only to be met with an odd calm. It was spotless, untouched, everything in its place, just as it always had been.

No blood, no sign of anything unusual.

"Darling, what are you doing here?"

Her voice drifted in from behind me, soft but chilling.

I spun around, stumbling back in panic. My heart pounded in my chest as I stammered, "Nothing, just... just came to look around."

Lily chuckled. She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around my waist, and rested her head against my shoulder.

"Are you still upset about yesterday, darling?" she murmured, her voice low and soothing.

"No. I'm not upset. Not at all." I forced the words out. The warmth of her body pressed into mine, and I could feel her body heat mingling with the cold sweat of fear crawling across my skin.

When she heard me say this, her grip tightened, and she pulled herself closer, her body like a vice.

"I have to go to the office. Something came up," I said abruptly, pushing her away, desperate to escape, to get out of this room, away from her.

"Honey, what's the rush?"

Her voice called after me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't.