chapter one

"My grandma looked at me with a sorrowful yet worried expression. 'Oh honey, I'm so sorry about your loss,’ she said, grabbing her purse from the front chair. 'I'll be going now, but call me if you need anything, dear…' With a slight hint of confusion and haste in her tone, she left leaving me alone , “in the house that Once was a happy place for many”.

"I thought I'd be left alone, but to my surprise, my father walked in the room, holding a small pinkish suitcase . “What's that?" I asked, watching him slowly approach me with a small suitcase. "Oh, this is your mother's final file's from before she...you know." He motioned me to sit opposite him and started to slowly move a chair next to me, we sit around the suitcase and he slowly opens it using a key that had a cute keychain , I smile knowing I gave it to my mother . When it's finally opened we see cryptic photos and unusual symbols.

My perplexity only increases as I study the surreal images, unable to make sense of the cryptic writings and mysterious symbols on the walls.

"What...what is that, pa?" I finally ask hesitantly, my words catching in my throat as I stare at him for an answer, but I get none.

"Pa? W..what is that?" I say again, unable to process the eerie collection of images and symbols.

He finally lets out a sigh and explains, "this case was given to your mother because she was a renowned lawyer and...you know how we can't antagonize the government, right? So instead of him taking the fall, your mother accepted the blame.

"Your mother was targeted by the government..." he murmurs, "because she knew a secret they didn't want getting out.”

He pauses and stares blankly at the case, not Moving a muscle , maybe he stopped breathing for some time aswell but I'm not sure .

...----------------...

He continues to stare blankly as the news sinks in, leaving me stunned in shock.

"So...so she didn't actually commit suicide?" I finally manage to ask, my mind reeling from the revelation.

"No, honey," he replies softly, avoiding my gaze. "She didn't take her own life. She died fighting a battle we were ignorant of, one she never intended for us to be a part of.”

"B...but, dad?' I shout, my voice trembling with anguish and terror as I remember the gruesome sight of my mother's lifeless body. "I saw it...the blood...the blade...the ropes...everything."

I shudder, the vivid image of her suicide still fresh in my mind.

"You saw it, too, dad! And not just that, but the conspiracy theories and twisted logic that fueled your insane delusion that drove her to this point.”

As if just waking from a nightmare, I pause at the realization of the harsh words I've unleashed on my father. I pause, my rage and despair slowly giving way to exhaustion. My mind is scrambled with so many thoughts and emotions, I'm unable to articulate any proper apology for the cruel words I've uttered to him.

He just smiles and pats my head, gently nudging me to take some rest. "You need sleep, my butterfly. Go to bed."

I simply walk upstairs without another word, knowing that he's still staring at the same spot I left him at and likely replaying my hurtful words in his mind.

Before I even get a chance to complete my apology, my father cuts me off. "It's fine, honey. I know you've had a long day taking care of our guests, while I did nothing but add to the burden."

I try to protest, but he quickly reassures me and dismisses my concerns. "Really, it's all right. I wasn't in a great mood either, so I know how frustrating it can be to have to deal with difficult people like Damian and his fiancée.

"But dad, I was really mean to you earlier. I know I was just frustrated, but that doesn't excuse my cruel words. I just want you to know how sorry I am."I speak from the stairways.

My father's expression softens as he considers my words. "I know, sweetie. I know it was just a moment of weakness. Don't worry about it. You're already dealing with so much... let's try and get some rest.

I sigh knowing he won't say anything since she's here , come here emma let's go upstairs.

"Torrie, where's mummy?" she asks, her innocent voice devoid of any concept of death or loss.

" Mum is all right, Julia. She's just out on a business meeting," I reply as I try to shield her young mind from the harsh realities of life.

A wave of sadness washes over me as I remind myself what a difficult thing it is for a six-year-old to comprehend the passing of a loved one, let alone our mum.

A sudden thought strikes me as I watch the tears spring up in her eyes. I slowly pull her into a gentle hug, trying to provide some comfort.

"It's going to be okay, Julie my Julia. You can miss mum, but she'll always be with you in your heart. Never forget that.”

She look at me and says,

“Sissy you won't leave me to go to a trip like momma will you?”,”You won't leave our dad and me here alone will you?”.My whole world nearly stops as I grasp the full weight of what she has asked and the fear behind the question. It's the last thing in the world I could ever imagine doing to her or our dad, but her genuine concern for our relationship breaks my heart.

"Oh Julie," I reply, my voice trembling, "I would never do that. I promise you that I'm not going anywhere, and we're all staying together, always.”

I try to suppress the tears building up in my eyes as I reassure her. "We're staying together, always."

She wraps her small arms around my legs, squeezing tightly as if she can't possibly let go of me. "Promise?" she pleads, looking up at me.

"Promise," I reply, kissing the top of her head. The overwhelming emotions I feel are too much for me to fully describe, and I simply let her embrace me while I slowly console her.

She's my sister and I must protect her at all costs, I remind myself as I carry her to our shared room. I place her on the bunk bed and give her a gentle kiss on her forehead before tucking her in and heading to sleep myself.

"Julia and Torrie, you guys have been skipping school for like forever!" My father exclaims, his voice growing louder as Julia continues to give him a "mini pedicure" that oddly consist of applying pink nail polish.

"Look, dad, she's turning you so pretty," Julia giggles, "why so fussy, eh?"

My father isn't really swayed by her charms, though, and remains insistent that we return to school.

My father stands his ground, refusing to be swayed by Julia's charming attempts to get him to allow them to skip school again.

"No, no, no," he replies firmly but gently, "I don't care how pretty she makes me look, you two need to get your education. It's time to start taking school seriously and get back into the classroom.”

After a heated argument, we ultimately concede to our father's wishes and get ready to make our way to the bus stop. Julia and I both keep quiet as we wait for the bus to arrive, knowing that any further disagreements would just set him off all over again.

Julia seems to have accepted her fate and even tries to distract herself with my phone while I stare at the ground, feeling utterly defeated.

As we enter the school bus, I take my seat across from Kate, my best friend. We share a brief glance in which I can sense that she's fully aware of my disappearance.

She nods in solidarity, letting me know that she understands, and I try to distract myself with my phone while I wait for the bus to start moving.

After a moment of silence, Kate breaks the tension and asks the unthinkable: "Why haven't you been to school recently?"

I can't bear to look up and face her, but I finally mustering the courage to answer. "It's because... my mother passed away."

My whole body shakes as I say that last word aloud, and I finally allow myself to cry after suppressing the emotions for so long and being the strong sissy, julia thinks of me as .

After a long and arduous school day, the last thing I need is more discomfort. The weird glares I got from some of my teachers, including my favorite "sir Hampton," had me feeling quite down.

I take a moment of relief now that I'm finally on the bus and sitting in my seat. Suddenly, a guy I've never seen before walks over to me. "Is this seat taken?" he asks.

"No" I reply, not knowing what else to say in the moment.

"Well, can I sit here?" Jacxs asks, and I simply nod in approval.

We sit there quietly for a few moments, both of us minding our own business and avoiding awkward conversation.

"You're new here, right?" Jacxs finally questions, breaking the silence.

“Oh! , no I'm not new”I reply.

"Oh, you're not?" Jacxs asks, seeming surprised.

"Nope, I've been here for a while now, I'm not a new student," I clarify. "You just started at this school, right?"

"Yeah, I did," Jacxs replies nervously, "I transferred in from another school."

"Well, welcome to our school," I reply warmly, trying to make the conversation less awkward.

Jacxs seemed to be taking the conversation a little better now that he knew I wasn't a new student . He is still a little nervous, but the awkward tension seemed to be fading a bit.

"Thanks for the welcome," Jacxs replies, looking somewhat relieved as he looks at me and smiles warmly.

"No problem," I reply, smiling back at him. "So, what brought you here specifically?”

He looks a bit shaken but replies anyways.

Well..I heard the myth about thsi school.

Jacxs seems curious about the old myth, and he asks about it directly.

"I've heard this strange myth about the school, the one where a chosen one gets picked to be taken to a secret dungeon with hidden treasure. Do you know which one I'm talking about?"

I chuckle at the absurdity of the myth. "Yeah, it's just a myth created to get kids to go to school," I explain.

Jacxs continues to ask questions about the myth, expressing his interest in it and wanting to learn more.

"So... so it isn't real then? Really?" he asks, seeming a bit disappointed.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but no, it's not real," I reply, feeling slightly bad for bursting his bubble. I try to lighten the mood with a joke. "Although, the secret dungeon would be pretty cool if it wasn't just a myth.”

Jacxs seems slightly let down by the news, but I can tell that he's accepting it. I think the joke helped a bit with that.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he says, smiling slightly. "Although, I wish it was real. I could really use some treasure in my life right now.”

The bus eventually reaches my stop, and I realize I need to get off. I look over at Jacxs, who's also getting off at this stop.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye," I say with a sad smile on my face.

"Sadly so," Jacxs replies with a sigh. He looks at me, still eager for more conversation. "It was nice talking to you.”

"It was nice talking to you too," I reply, "Could I have your number so we can keep in touch?"

Jacxs smiles and seems pleased with the request. He quickly provides me with his number, then we reluctantly say our goodbyes before parting ways.

I feel relieved to have his number, and I look forward to chatting with him again soon.

Oh fuc- I shout at the bus , julia! Where are y- I feel a tug on my shirt I look back and see her Little smile . “See I fooled you sissy!”she says in her cute baby voice , I smile and pick her up in my arms but I put her bsck , “ oh God! My baby sister is so big now! . She giggles and we make our way to the house.

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