But what the hell does it mean?
Who is that girl in the photo?
And why was the photo up here right next to where my father died?
15
AVA
By the time we make it out of the woods, the last of the sunlight has slipped away into the bleakness of the night. My nerves are humming because of that, but once I’m in Ellis's SUV, I settle down a bit.
But it gets woken up again when, right as he’s about to pull onto the road, his headlights shine across two women walking up the side of the road, heading in our direction. The instant the light hits them, puzzlement creeps through me.
Because the two women are my mother and my aunt.
And it looks like they’re heading towards the path we just left. When the spotlight casts across them, they freeze—my aunt, the timid woman that she is, inches behind my mother. I’m not sure what she’s afraid of or why she believes my mother will protect her, but regardless, my mother appears annoyed.
“Is that your mother?” Ellis asks with his gaze trained on my aunt and mother.
He has stopped the SUV and left the headlights blinding them.
“Yeah, and my aunt.” I shake my head in confusion. “I’m not sure what they’re doing out here this late at night.”
“They look suspicious walking around in the dark without a light,” Ellis mutters, then drives forward, pulling out onto the road and leaving my aunt and mother in the darkness.
“You’re just going to drive away?” I question, surprised.
“Nope. I’m going to drive around, park the car, get out, and follow them.” He does exactly what he says, parking the car down the road on a turnout. He silences the engine and shuts off the lights. “Are you okay sitting in here by yourself for a minute?” he asks as he grabs a flashlight from out of his backpack.
I want to tell him no because I don’t want to be here, sitting alone in the SUV so close to the woods and my haunting childhood home. But I also know he needs to do this, so I nod.
Sensing my hesitation, he tells me, “There’s a taser in my glove box. If anything happens, use it. And then call me.” He waits for me to nod, then climbs out, locks the door, and closes it.
Moments later, he’s gone, slipping into the night. I wait in utter silence, constantly scanning the darkness around me. Every so often, I swear I see shadows creeping around me, but it could just be my paranoia.
I hunker down in the seat to avoid staring out at the field beside me. The stillness in the air feels eerie, like it’s a quiet warning that something bad is about to?—
A knock on the back window startles the shit out of me. I reel around, hoping to god it’s Ellis. But in the back of my mind, I think I know that Ellis wouldn’t knock on the window like that. I can’t see anything through the back other than the faint outline of the trees in the distance.
I turn around and check that the doors are locked before I glance around at the surroundings outside. Just as I start to question if I even heard the knock, I spot a person in the distance, a ways into the field.
The person is dressed in a white dress, which is the only reason I can see them. They’re standing motionless, staring at the SUV. My heart hammers in my chest, erratic beats that cause my breath to hitch. I can’t see their face, but their blond hair is like a halo against the moonlight.
Dread slithers down my spine.
I don’t know what to do.
Should I call Ellis?
Should I get the taser out of the glove box?
I’m not sure. I don’t feel super threatened by them, which is strange considering the circumstances.
The person suddenly takes a step toward me. My breath gets stuck in my throat as I watch them take another. The shadows outside occasionally block out my view, but it always returns once the moonlight reaches them again. They’re getting close enough that I can almost see their face. I hold my breath for longer, in the back of my mind, wondering…
Is this Clover?
It’s an insane thought, but the blonde hair looks so similar. And those daisies I received earlier?—
