Unfolded Secrets

Chapter 3

Seventeen years ago........

Grandma Rose’s POV

The smoke alarm was screaming like a banshee. I flapped a tea towel like my life depended on it, cursing the fancy non-stick pan that apparently didn’t understand the concept of non-stick.

“Oh fiddlesticks! Why did I try something new today?” I muttered, fanning the burnt lasagna like it was a disgruntled cat.

I’d bought the new cookware to impress Amber—my son Raymond’s girlfriend. First impressions are everything, and I wanted her to think we were a respectable family, not one that battles cookware like it’s a wild animal.

The doorbell rang.

“Oh heavens, they’re here!” I yanked off my apron, fluffed my curls in the hallway mirror, and slapped a smile on my face.

“Raymond, my big boy!” I wrapped him in a bear hug that nearly knocked his glasses off. “And you must be Amber! Aren’t you just a delicate flower. Come in, come in!”

The house still smelled vaguely of scorched cheese, but I herded them in and set the table like I hadn’t nearly burned it all down fifteen minutes ago.

Raymond’s eyes widened. “Mother, you’ve prepared a feast!”

I gave my best sitcom-worthy wink. “I cook for those I love. And I love you and Amber already.”

He laughed. “You haven’t even gotten to know her yet.”

Amber chimed in with a dazzling smile, “I’m a lovable person—even without the resume!”

I liked her. She had spunk.

As we dug into what was left of the unburned sides, I decided to do a bit of polite snooping. “So, Amber, dear. Where are you from? You’ve got a look that’s just… ethereal.”

She hesitated. Just a beat. “Australia.”

I clapped. “Australia! Well, call me a kangaroo and color me impressed. What part, darling?”

“Uh… Perth.”

“Perth!” I laughed, pouring more lemonade. “I’ve never met anyone from Perth! What did you do there?

Amber looked like she’d swallowed a fork. “I… was a librarian.”

“A librarian! Oh, I love books. Not that I ever finish them. I tend to fall asleep by chapter three.” I leaned in with a conspiratorial grin. “Especially the steamy ones.”Raymond coughed violently into his drink. 

Raymond sensed Amber's discomfort and chimed in, "Mom, don't grill her with so many questions. Let's just enjoy the meal."

But Grandma Rose was curious. "Oh, I just want to know more about you, dear. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

Amber forced a smile. "No, it's fine. I just... need to get used to talking about myself, I suppose."

Grandma Rose's eyes narrowed slightly, her instincts telling her that something wasn't quite right. She made a mental note to ask Raymond more about Amber later.

As they sat around the dining table, Grandma Rose was reminiscing about Raymond's childhood, and everyone was laughing. Suddenly, Amber pushed her chair back and stood up abruptly. "Excuse me, where's the restroom? I need to use it," she said, her voice filled with urgency.

“Oh, down the hall to the right, dear. You okay?”

Before she could answer, she bolted. Something was wrong. I leapt up too, forgetting my age.

As soon as Amber rushed off, Raymond stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. Without a word, I stood too, my instincts already alert. Something wasn’t right—not just discomfort, not just nerves. 

We hurried down the hallway together, stopping just outside the bathroom. The door wasn’t fully shut—it hung open by a few inches. Neither of us spoke. We just listened.

First came the violent sounds of vomiting. That alone would’ve been enough to worry me. But what followed wasn’t normal. There was a low, guttural noise—something primal, raw, almost inhuman. My breath caught in my throat.

Then, slowly, the door creaked open.

What I saw next stopped me cold.

Amber stood in the center of the bathroom, gripping the sink with trembling hands. Her skin was slick with sweat, her body tense like something was fighting its way out from within. Her eyes—Oh my—her eyes glowed a sharp, unnatural yellow, and her features had twisted, just slightly, but enough to make my heart pound. Her pupils were thin slits, and her face bore the briefest flicker of something… feral.

She looked like someone caught between two worlds, and neither of them was ours.

Raymond stepped slightly in front of me, protective even though he was just as shaken. “Mum,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper, “just… stay calm.”

But I couldn’t. I didn’t scream, I didn’t run—but inside, I was unraveling. The ground beneath me felt unsteady, like reality had cracked.

Amber’s breathing slowed, and I watched—frozen—as her body shifted back. The monstrous edge faded, her features softening until she looked mostly like herself again. But her eyes… they still carried that unnatural glow. Not as bright, but undeniable.

She stepped out slowly, her expression hollow, her face drained of color. I could see the shame, the fear, the sorrow all fighting for space behind her eyes.

“I can explain,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

I didn’t know what to say. My mind was racing, searching for answers that didn’t exist. My mouth opened, and the words came before I could stop them.

“You’re… you’re not human.”

She didn’t flinch. She didn’t deny it. And somehow, that scared me more than anything.

There was a long, heavy silence. My heart thundered in my chest.

Then she looked at Raymond, her voice barely audible.

“I think I’m pregnant.”

The words seemed to echo through the hallway. My hand instinctively went to my chest. I felt like something inside me had shifted—like the floor had dropped away.