LOGINAn hour later, we arrived at West Hills Cemetery.Section C, Row 7, Plot 12.A headstone of black granite had my name carved into it.[Beloved Daughter — Luna Larson]The grave marker was real.The date of death was real.The photograph was real, too. It was the same one from my father’s phone.“So...” I lifted my head, tears blurring my vision. “I really am... dead.”My mother nodded, weeping. “Luna, we mourned you. We buried you.“But three days later, you came back as if nothing had happened. You smiled and asked where we’d been.“We were terrified. We sought help everywhere.“Finally, we found a priest. He said you loved us so much that you could not leave.“Your soul refused to cross into the light. And... you forgot. You forgot you had died.”My father wiped his eyes and added, “At first, we were afraid. Then, we just... accepted it.“We were able to see you every day. At least you were still here with us.“But the priest warned us. A soul lingering too long in t
My parents, Stella, and Jesse all stood in the doorway. They watched me with complicated expressions on their faces.My father’s expression was particularly grim.He turned and strode quickly toward the storage room. A few minutes later, he emerged carrying an old, worn leather suitcase.A thin layer of dust had settled on it, but the handle was smooth and worn. Clearly, it had been wiped down often.He set the suitcase on the coffee table in the living room.He turned to look at me. His expression was unreadable.“Password,” he said curtly.I struggled to my feet and walked inside unsteadily.When I reached the suitcase, I took a deep breath and entered my birthday.Then, a soft click could be heard in that silent living room.Everyone held their breath.My father slowly lifted the lid.Inside, nestled quietly, lay an exquisite white wedding dress. It was made of silk. The fabric had been embroidered by hand. Golden threads caught the light and shimmered faintly.It w
The tension in the living room grew tauter.Kathy grabbed my arm and pleaded, “Luna, please. Let’s go. Enough of this.”I shook myself free from her grip and looked at my parents with teary eyes. “Mom, Dad... why are you doing this to me?“It’s me, Luna! Your daughter! I grew up right here with you guys!”My mother’s lips trembled. She avoided my gaze.My father’s face turned an ashen gray. He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.“Enough! I’m telling you for the last time, our Luna is dead!”He looked like he wanted to hurl some vicious insults my way, but he forcibly held himself back.Instead, he just waved his hand wearily. “Get her out of here. Now. We don’t want to see her again.”Stella was watching the whole scene indifferently. Her arms were crossed. “I’m not leaving! This is my home!”I stood there, unwilling to move. I sweep my gaze across every corner of the living room.“We bought this couch the year I got into college. I remember the four of us
The next moment, the furious group knocked me to the floor. The coppery taste of blood flooded my mouth.My father, still not satisfied, grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and raised it to strike me.Then, a realization flashed through my mind. They had kept threatening to call the police, yet no one ever actually did it. Something had to be wrong!Just as the extinguisher was about to hit me, I screamed, “Stop!”My father froze mid-swing, and the others stood stunned. Ignoring the excruciating pain, I pulled out my phone.“You wanted to call the police on me? Fine. I’ll do it myself.”My mother’s face went pale. Jesse lunged for my phone, but I had already hit the emergency button.“911, what’s your emergency?”The 911 operator’s voice sounded loud and clear. Jesse’s hand stopped mid-reach.My parents’ faces turned ashen.The living room fell into dead silence as they exchanged panicked glances.In less than ten minutes, the police arrived.“Who called 911?” th
I rushed toward her.My words tumbled out in a choked, tearful rush as I said, “Mom, I have no idea what’s happening right now!“One minute you were gone after using the washroom, the next you’re here acting like you don’t even know me.”My mother grabbed the necklace around my throat with brutal force.Her gaze was hostile.“So you really are a burglar! You had the nerve to steal this! It was my mother’s heirloom!“I’m calling the police and having you arrested today!”With that, she yanked the necklace away with all her strength.It left a raw, bloody mark across my neck.The searing pain and sudden suffocation stole my voice.In all my life, my mother had never once laid a hand on me!At that moment, I felt my heart shatter into pieces. My home stood right there, yet I could not bring myself to walk in.Just as we were locked in confrontation, the elevator chimed. Kathy burst out and wrapped her arms around me. “Luna, are you okay?”I looked at her, then gripped h
I shouted Jesse’s name again, louder this time. But the washroom was quieter than it had ever been before. My blood ran cold.I instinctively grabbed the handle and rushed inside.Jesse was standing perfectly fine by the sink. He was drying his hands.He was startled by my sudden entrance! His eyes went wide.I drew in a sharp breath and complained, “Why’d you turn off the light to dry your hands? You know that scares me—”Before I could finish, he asked, “Who are you? How did you get into my girlfriend’s house?”When I noticed that he was looking at me as if I were a stranger, my heart dropped.“This is my house! I’m your girlfriend!”As I was still trying to figure out how to explain, Jesse’s expression darkened.He grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the door.“I don’t know who you are, but you need to get out now, or else I’m calling the police!”I shook my head frantically, but he was already pulling out his phone to dial 911.As we struggled, the sound of a key tu







