CallieThe next morning, everything felt heavier, like Mary had left her mark on the whole town.At the cafe, a woman I vaguely remembered from high school smiled too sweetly when she saw me. “Back home for the summer, huh?” she asked, voice honeyed. Her gaze flicked to the faint shadow on my neck, lingering with a knowing tilt of her lips.At the grocery store, Mr. Hanley, who’d known Mia and me since we were children, frowned as I passed. He didn’t say anything, but the weight of his stare was enough.And outside the florist, two women leaned in close, whispering behind their hands. The words didn’t reach me, but the way their eyes cut toward me made my stomach knot.Mary’s influence. Her poison was seeping through the cracks already.On reaching the parking lot, my palms were already sweaty. The world around me moved as usual—traffic humming, kids laughing—but it all felt distorted, like looking at life through glass warped by heat. My reflection in the car window startled me… eyes
Last Updated : 2025-09-29 Read more