REPORTER 2: As of just a few hours ago, officers have confirmed that the grave of Willow Montgomery, the local student who was recently found dead, was found disturbed. The casket, which was supposed to be resting peacefully, has been found open and empty.
(Cut to a close-up shot of the open grave, with the empty casket visible. The scene is dark and somber, with the grave’s disturbed earth creating a jarring contrast against the otherwise still cemetery.)
REPORTER 1: The disturbing nature of this discovery has prompted an immediate investigation. Authorities are currently working to determine the circumstances of this incident and what might have happened to Willow Montgomery’s remains.
REPORTER 2: It’s worth noting that this latest development adds another layer of mystery to an already complex case. Willow Montgomery’s death, which was initially treated as a missing persons investigation, has left the community on edge. With this new revelation, questions and fears are mounting.
(Cut to a police spokesperson addressing the media.)
POLICE SPOKESPERSON: We are treating this incident with the utmost seriousness. Our primary goal is to find out who is responsible for this act and to ensure that justice is served. We are asking anyone with information to come forward and assist in our investigation.
REPORTER 1: As the investigation unfolds, the community is left grappling with the gravity of these events. The cemetery, once a place of rest and peace, has now become the focal point of an unsettling and troubling case.
REPORTER 2: We will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they become available. For now, our thoughts are with the Montgomery family during this incredibly difficult time. Stay tuned to Channel 5 News for the latest developments.
ANCHOR: This is Jessica Martinez, reporting live from Mills Creek Cemetery. We will keep you informed as more details emerge.
[The screen fades to black as somber music plays in the background.]
Chapter Five
The front door closed with a soft click, its sound swallowed by the stillness that filled the small house. Lilia paused in the entryway, her eyes tracing the familiar contours of the space that she had known all her life. Compared to the sprawling, manicured lawns and estates in Mills Creek, her home was modest, almost claustrophobic. The narrow hallway led to a living room that was more functional than inviting, its neutral tones and minimal decorations reflecting her mother’s pragmatic nature. A wall of framed certificates and awards dominated one side of the room, each one a silent testament to her mother’s accomplishments and the expectations placed on Lilia’s shoulders to succeed in the ways that she had.
The house always felt too small, too confining, especially on nights like this, when the weight of everything seemed to press down on her from all sides. Mills Creek was a town where secrets had no place, where reputations hung like knives, poised to strike at the first sign of weakness. Everyone knew everything there was to know about everyone, and the pressure to maintain a pristine image was suffocating. It was a place where a single misstep could unravel everything.
Lilia took a deep breath, steeling herself for what was to come. She had barely kicked her shoes off when her mother’s voice cut through the silence.
“Lilia, we need to talk,” her mother called from the kitchen, her tone sharp with disapproval.
Lilia’s stomach twisted with dread as she made her way down the hall. The kitchen was as spotless as ever, every surface gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. Her mother stood by the sink, washing the same glass over and over, her movements tense and mechanical.
Lilia knew this routine all too well; it was her mother’s way of holding onto control when everything else seemed to be slipping away.
“What were you thinking?” her mother began, turning to face Lilia with eyes that blazed with a mixture of anger and fear. “Do you have any idea how this looks? How this reflects on us? On you?”
“I didn’t—” Lilia started, but her mother cut her off.
“You didn’t think that’s the problem,” her mother snapped, setting the glass down with a sharp clink. “You were found at the cemetery in the middle of the night, Lilia. At Willow Montgomery’s grave, of all places! What were you even doing there? Do you have any idea how badly this could hurt you? How badly could this hurt me?”
Lilia felt her chest tighten, the guilt and frustration that she had been holding back all day threatening to spill over. “Mom, it’s not like that. We didn’t?—”
“Then what was it like?” her mother interrupted, her voice rising in pitch. “You think people are going to care about your intentions? No, they’re going to see a girl who should have known better, who should be more careful, and wonder what on earth she was doing there.”
Her mother’s words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Lilia’s gaze dropped to the floor, her throat tight with unshed tears. She knew her mother was right, in a way. In Mills Creek, appearances were everything. It didn’t matter if she was innocent; it mattered how it looked.
Her mother’s tone softened slightly, but the worry in her eyes was unmistakable. “You have more to lose than the rest of them, Lilia. You know that. You’re different. You have to be smarter, more careful than the rest.”
The unspoken words lingered between them, a reminder of all the ways Lilia’s life was shaped by expectations she couldn’t escape. Her mother had worked so hard to get to where she was—a successful lawyer in a town where reputations were currency. She expected the same drive, the same ambition from her daughter.
And it was more than just the professional success at stake; it was survival in a town that would tear you apart if you gave it the chance.
“Mom, they’re my friends,” Lilia said, her voice barely above a whisper. “They’re not?—”
“They’re trouble,” her mother said firmly, her eyes hardening. “They’re going to drag you down, and you’ll be the one who suffers for it. Do you think they’ll be there when you need them? When everything falls apart? No, Lilia. They don’t have to fight the same battles. They don’t carry the same expectations.”
Lilia flinched at the harshness of her mom’s words, but she couldn’t deny the truth in them. Her friends were all she had in this town, the only people who made her feel like she belonged. But they weren’t the ones who had to navigate the minefield of being the daughter of a Chinese American lawyer in a place like Mills Creek. They didn’t have to deal with the constant scrutiny,and the unspoken pressure to be perfect in a world that was always waiting for her to fail.
“Are you doing this because of your father?” she asked quietly, her voice softening. “I know you miss him. But you can’t let that grief pull you away from what’s important. You have to think about your future, about the kind of life you want to have.”
