All Chapters of House of Quiet Screams: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Chapter One: Childhood HomeThe town hadn’t changed.Cracked sidewalks still wound past tired houses, sagging like old men under the weight of too many winters. The air smelled the same—cut grass, the dump down the road, and something sour, like a secret left to rot.Familiar. Foreign. Like a memory wrapped in mildew.Lissa tightened her grip on the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. Just a few months. Just until you get back on your feet.From the backseat, her son stirred. “Are we there yet, Mama?”Almost. Almost somewhere she swore she’d never return.She pulled into the gravel driveway of her childhood home. The crunch under the tires sounded like breaking bones. The house sat slumped behind overgrown weeds and peeling paint—battered and bloated with ghosts.Her stomach twisted. Memories clawed at the edge of her mind, eager to rise. She shoved them down like she always had.“Mama?” Her son’s voice again, smaller this time.She forced a smile. “We’re here, baby.”A

Chapter Four: LucasThe sound of small footsteps echoed down the hallway as Lissa sat at the kitchen table, staring at the half-filled mug of coffee in front of her. It was still early—too early for the weight of the day to settle on her shoulders—but the world outside was already waking up."Momma!" Lucas’s voice called out, high-pitched and full of excitement, as he barreled into the kitchen.Lissa’s gaze softened as she looked up, her heart lighting just a little. Lucas was standing there, his hair a mess of wild curls, his pajamas covered in tiny cartoon dinosaurs.He had that look—the one that said he was on the verge of a new adventure, ready to explore anything and everything. To him, the world was a wonderland of possibilities."Good morning, baby," Lissa said with a smile, though her exhaustion tugged at her words.She watched Lucas for a minute with a tenderness she couldn’t quite put into words. Sometimes, she wondered if he had any idea how much she relied on his energy to

Chapter Six: AnnieAnnie had always been complicated.To anyone outside their family, she was the kind of woman who turned heads—tall, effortlessly put-together, with the kind of beauty that lingered even when she didn’t try. She was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, the kind of woman who knew how to survive. Lissa respected her, even admired her strength as an adult. But their history was a patchwork of silences, half-truths, and emotional potholes.Growing up, Annie had never been the warm-and-fuzzy type. Affection was rare and always earned, never freely given. Lissa could remember being a child and watching other moms hug their kids, press kisses into their hair without needing a reason. Annie didn’t do that. Her love was practical—clothes folded neatly in drawers, dinner on the table at five, Band-Aids for skinned knees, even if the hug never came with it.They fought more than they talked when Lissa was younger. Sometimes over big things, but usually over the small—missed curfews,

The clink of dishes, the hum of the fridge, the silence between them. Lissa stood at the kitchen sink, washing the same plate for the third time. She wasn’t really washing it was muscle memory. Something to do with her hands while her brain spiraled. Behind her, Colt rummaged in the junk drawer, muttering to himself. Then she heard it. A name. Soft. Unclear. But not unfamiliar. “What did you just say?” she asked, without turning. He didn’t answer right away. “Colt?” He cleared his throat. “Nothing. I'm just looking for the damn batteries.” “No. You said something.” He closed the drawer. “I said I need to call Terry back. From work.” Lissa’s shoulders stiffened. “Terry.” “Yeah. He—he’s been helping me with the shed project.” Funny. He’d never mentioned a Terry. Lissa knew every single person Colt worked with because he always brought his work stories home. She turned slowly. “You don’t have a Terry at work.” Colt blinked. “I do. You’ve just never met him.” “You said T.

Chapter Thirteen: Happy Birthday Today was Lucas’s fifth birthday. She could hardly believe how fast time had flown by. One minute he was wrapped in hospital blankets with a tiny fist gripping her finger and now he was tearing through the living room in a blur of frosting and dinosaur balloons. “Momma! Look at my T-Rex! He ROOOAAARS!” Lissa smiled, snapping a picture with shaking hands. “He sure does, baby.” The living room looked… happy. Streamers hung above the windows. A small cake sat on the counter, its green icing just beginning to melt at the edges. Marley had helped with decorations, and Emily dropped off cupcakes from the bakery. It was good. It was normal. And that terrified her. Because five. He was five now. The same age she was when her own world stopped being safe. The number had haunted her all week. Every time she looked at him, at his tiny hands, his trusting eyes. She saw the version of herself she’d locked away. The one who sat frozen in the dark. The one no o