--
Durin sent her out late in the afternoon.
“Get groceries,” he said, not looking at her. “And don’t take long.”
He only did that when he planned to stay home.
Rosie nodded immediately.
“Okay.”
She didn’t ask why. She never did.
She picked up her bag, slipped on her sandals, and stepped outside. The door closed behind her with a soft, final sound.
The house watched her leave.
And something within it followed—
not beside her, not behind her—
but close enough to learn.
---
The street was ordinary. People passed her. Shops buzzed. Life went on.
Rosie walked slowly, carefully. She checked prices twice. Bought exactly what he liked. Avoided anything unnecessary. She even picked up his favourite snack, though he’d never thanked her for it once.
All the while, she felt… watched.
Not stared at.
Observed.
Like someone memorising her.
The way she hesitated before crossing the road.
The way her shoulders curved inward when a man brushed past her.
The way she smiled at the shopkeeper too quickly, too brightly.
Arav learned this version of her too.
The one who survived outside.
---
When she returned home, the door was unlocked.
That was wrong.
Her heart dropped—but she stepped inside anyway, forcing calm into her breathing.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
The first thing she noticed wasn’t sound.
It was smell.
Sweet. Heavy. Unmistakable.
Perfume.
Not hers.
Rosie stood still in the hallway, grocery bag digging into her fingers. Her chest tightened painfully.
She walked toward the bedroom slowly.
Each step felt deliberate. Controlled.
The smell was stronger there.
On the bed.
On her bed.
She set the groceries down carefully and reached for the sheets. Her fingers trembled as she lifted the corner.
Nothing visible.
No trace.
Just the scent—bold, unfamiliar, invasive.
She laughed.
A small, breathless sound.
“I’m imagining it,” she said aloud. “It’s just… the house. Old smell.”
Her voice sounded thin even to her.
She stripped the bed anyway.
---
Rosie scrubbed the sheets herself.
She didn’t call Durin.
Didn’t ask questions.
Didn’t cry loudly.
The tears came silently, dripping into the sink as she worked the fabric under her hands again and again. Soap burned her skin. Water splashed onto the floor.
She scrubbed harder.
As if cleanliness could erase memory.
As if removing the scent could make the truth disappear with it.
Somewhere in the house, something watched her break without sound.
Arav stayed invisible.
But he learned something new.
---
When the sheets were clean, she remade the bed carefully.
Smoothed every wrinkle.
Sat on the edge for a moment.
Then she stood, walked to the mirror, and practised smiling.
Once.
Twice.
There.
Convincing enough.
“It’s nothing,” she whispered to her reflection. “You’re overthinking. He wouldn’t.”
The lie settled into her chest like a stone.
That night, Durin came to bed as usual.
Rosie lay beside him, stiff, silent, staring at the wall.
The house remembered the perfume.
And so did Arav.
---
The moment froze there—
Rosie trying to smile again.
Trying to forget.
Trying to believe.
And something unseen deciding, quietly—
this was no longer ignorance.
This was pattern.
---
End of Episode 4
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 9 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments