Chapter 3

Tears spilled down my cheeks when I saw him.

“Miles, Dad hit me!”

Miles glanced at me, then at Charlene. He set his suitcase by the door, brushed the dust off his clothes, and smiled.

“Officers, don’t leave just yet. The arrest can wait. First, let me show you something.”

My heart sank.

But he had already pushed open the gaming room door and beckoned the police officers over.

“Come on in and take a look. You’ll understand once you see it.”

Charlene exchanged a glance with the other two officers, then stepped inside.

I stood in the living room. My hands and feet were ice cold.

Time seemed to crawl.

I eventually sat on the couch. Muffled voices drifted from the room, but I could not make out what anyone was saying.

Dad sat at the other end of the couch, his face deathly pale.

Ten minutes later, the door opened.

Charlene walked out without looking at me. She stopped in front of me, then raised her head and looked at me.

Her expression mirrored Zoe’s, Erin’s, and Dad’s.

“Nora…” Her tone had changed completely. “How old are you this year?”

“Twenty-seven.”

“Do you realize we could take you into custody right now?”

I stared at her in disbelief. “Take me in? Why?”

One of the other younger officers snorted.

“Why? You know perfectly well what this is about.”

“What did I do?” I asked.

Charlene pulled out a small notebook from her pocket, tore off a page, and wrote a phone number on it. Then, she placed it on the coffee table.

“We don’t have enough evidence yet, but you just wait. We’ll be back.”

She stood and headed out, but stopped at the door and glanced back at me.

“Effective immediately, you’re not to leave Javerton, and you must report your whereabouts to us.”

With that, the officers left.

Dad got to his feet, shot me a furious glare, and followed them out, leaving Miles and me in the living room.

I sat on the couch, still reeling from everything that had happened.

“What have I done wrong? I’ve never stolen or hurt anyone my whole life. Zoe blocked me, Erin slapped me, and Dad called me a monster and nearly beat me senseless. Now, the police are saying it too. What exactly is in that gaming room?” I thought.

I slowly got to my feet.

Miles was heating water in the kitchen, the water splashing noisily.

I approached the gaming room door. Dad had already picked the lock, and the door was slightly ajar.

“Nora.”

Miles’ voice drifted over from the kitchen.

“Don’t go in.”

I ignored him and pushed the door open.

“I said don’t go in!”

Before I knew it, he was right behind me. A chill ran down the back of my neck, followed by intense pain.

I turned and saw him gripping a charging cable looped around my neck. He held back, but he was using enough force to keep me still.

He stood behind me, his expression impassive.

“I told you that room was off-limits.”

My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the floor. As my vision darkened, I heard him pull out his phone and dial a number.

“Hello, is this emergency services? My wife just passed out…”

His voice grew fainter until I blacked out.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital. My neck was wrapped in bandages, and it hurt whenever I moved.

A commotion outside my hospital room caught my attention.

I turned my head and, through the crack in the door, saw several people carrying cameras crowding around Miles and my parents, peppering them with questions.

“Mr. Connell, what exactly is in your gaming room?”

“I heard everyone who went in there came out hostile toward your wife. Is that true?”

“Some people are saying your gaming room is haunted?”

Miles smiled at the cameras and said, “There’s nothing supernatural going on. It’s just some things from the past.”

“Then, what exactly did your wife do?”

“Well…” After a pause, he continued, “Now isn’t the time to talk about it.”

A sharp-eyed reporter noticed I was awake and pushed through the crowd, rushing into my room.

“Miss Lillard, do you know what your husband is hiding in the gaming room? I heard the police came to your house. Is there really something going on with you?”