Chapter 10

The drive to Ridgewater was long, winding through dense woods and sleepy towns that seemed frozen in time. Dan was unusually quiet, one hand on the wheel, the other occasionally drumming the leather as if trying to expel nervous energy. Luca was just speaking, nonstop, trying to remind me of my childhood that I should not even be remembering. I tried to sketch the house from my vision again, what little I could remember, but the image kept breaking apart in my mind like a puzzle missing key pieces.

"You keep frowning at that like it's personally offended you," Dan said, glancing over at my notebook with a slight smirk.

I sighed. "It’s just... some of it’s clear. Like the crooked porch and the blackened tree stump near the steps. But the rest… It’s like my mind refuses to remember." Dan reached over and gently tugged the notebook from my lap. "Let me see."

His touch was warm, surprisingly gentle, and I found myself watching his profile as he studied the sketch. This was a different Dan, not the cold, businesslike man I married. His brow furrowed in thought. “You’re not bad at drawing. But I think this chimney was on the other side of the house in your dream, wasn’t it?”

My eyes widened. “You remembered?”

“I listen,” he said, glancing at me again. “More than you think.” I blushed, looking at him, unable to control the feeling of warmth from his words. "Wow, you guys are so cute," Luca said in a sarcastic tone, and I instantly remembered that he was in the car with us and got annoyed. I don't even remember why he came with us, ruining such a perfect moment for us.

The woods around us thickened as we turned off onto a gravel road. A chill crawled up my spine even though the sun still hung above the trees. The deeper we went, the quieter everything got, like the air was holding its breath.

"Is it just me, or does it feel... different out here?" I asked, gripping my seatbelt.

Dan nodded. “Like the air’s watching.”

That made me shiver. “Creepy. Thanks for that.”

He just smirked again. “I mean, it’s Ridgewater. If we don’t feel creeped out, we’re probably dead inside.” Eventually, the road gave way to a clearing. And there it was. The house from my vision exactly as I remembered. Or dreamed. Or whatever it was. I stepped out of the car, my boots crunching on dried leaves, and everything inside me went still.

Every time I stood in front of the house, it called out to me, I can feel it beckoning me to come inside and relieve me of the duty that it's been left, but I can't gain access to it. “Do you hear that?” I whispered.

Dan frowned. “Hear what?”

“The house… It’s like it’s breathing.” He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, definitely creepy. Stay behind me.” As we took a step forward, the wind picked up not cold, but heavy, pressing. A soft creak echoed from the porch, though no one was there.

And then, just beyond the house, a figure appeared.

They were standing still, half-hidden behind the tree line. There was no movement; the person was hovering, looking, and waiting for us to make the first move. The figure seemed prepared for a fight or flight situation. Dan stepped in front of me instinctively, and I crooked my neck to look at him. "Oh, now you want to protect me?" He didn't say anything in response, just kept staring at the figure."When have I ever left you in time of need?" He turned to look at me with an annoyed look on his face. I rolled my eyes, not up for the debate that he wants us to have; he has never protected me.

“Did you see that?” I breathed.

“Yeah,” Dan said, jaw clenched. “We’re not alone.” I looked at him in disbelief and a bit annoyed, "Again?"

"What do you mean again?" Luca asked, looking at me, I stared at him for a second, confused. "This is the second time we are coming back here. I thought we told you this." As soon as I said that, he started smiling awkwardly, creeping me out. He looked pretty confused a few seconds ago, and now he's smiling. "Cross must've been the one telling me, I tend to doze off when he's speaking."

"Something feels wrong," I said as soon as a wave of fear attacked me. Something felt wrong, and I didn't want to stick around to find out what might happen. "We need to go, now," I said, walking back to the car. "Just like that? We came all this way for that?" Luca asked, throwing his hands in the air in frustration. "We can still come back tomorrow, we need to go. I'm getting a sudden urge to be as far away from here as possible."

The sky had started to darken by the time we turned back toward the car. The house behind us stood silent, still... too still. It was like the land itself was holding its breath. The air had grown heavier, thick with something I couldn’t name. The hairs on my arms prickled despite the stillness.

Dan had one hand on the door handle, the other on his phone, when I turned around one last time.

Something moved at the tree line.

A figure, again standing there watching up, but this time I had a very bad feeling about this. Not close, not far. Just enough to make my breath catch. I couldn’t make out a face, but I knew it was the same one who’d been watching us before. The one that vanished.

“Dan,” I whispered, backing up.

He turned, followed my gaze, and swore under his breath realising that I was right all along.

“Get in the car,” he said sharply.

But I didn’t, I didn't get the chance to.

Because in that moment, something shifted in the air.