Setting: The three of them meet up in the park the next morning, tensions running high. Briar and Celeste haven’t spoken much, and Angelo looks like he hasn’t slept at all. They’re on edge, knowing that the caller won’t stop until they confront whatever truth is being hidden.
Briar’s POV:
I could feel the weight of the call pressing down on me as I walked up to the park bench where Angelo and Celeste were waiting. My stomach was in knots, and I didn’t know if I was more scared of what I’d find out or of not finding out anything at all.
As soon as I sat down, I blurted out the question that had been burning in my mind all night. “What aren’t you telling me, Angelo?”
He looked startled, like he hadn’t expected me to be so direct. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Celeste chimed in.
“I got a message,” she said, her voice tight. “From the same person who called us. They said you’re hiding something, Angelo. What is it?”
Angelo rubbed his temples, looking like he was about to explode from the pressure. “I don’t know,” he muttered, his voice barely audible. “I don’t remember.”
I felt a surge of frustration. “You don’t remember what? The dreams? The past life? What?”
He shook his head, and I could see the fear in his eyes. “I don’t know. But whatever it is, it’s connected to dreams. To us.”
Celeste’s POV:
I couldn’t stand it anymore. The secrets, the lies—it was all too much. “You need to figure this out, Angelo. Before this person does something worse.”
He looked up at me, his face pale. “I will. I promise.”
But even as he said the words, I could tell he wasn’t sure. And neither was I.
Briar’s POV:
The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. We were all scared, confused, but the one thing I knew for sure was that the caller wasn’t going to stop.
And whatever they wanted, whatever this “truth” was, we needed to find it before it was too late.
Setting: Angelo is alone in his room, trying to piece together fragments of his dreams. He’s starting to remember details about his past life with Briar—things he hasn’t shared with her or Celeste yet. Meanwhile, Briar and Celeste, unaware of this, are both getting closer to discovering the truth through more disturbing calls and messages.
Angelo’s POV:
The headaches were getting worse. Every time I closed my eyes, the dreams felt more real, like memories instead of just fleeting images. Tonight, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was about to surface, something I’d been suppressing for too long.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall, trying to remember.
Then, it hit me. A rush of cold air, and suddenly, I was somewhere else—somewhere else.
Flashback:
I was running through the forest, the heavy thud of my boots echoing through the trees. My heart raced, but not from exertion—from fear. I was searching for someone.
“Briar!” I called; my voice hoarse. “Where are you?”
She was in danger—I knew it, felt it in my bones. The trees were blurring past me, my breath shallow, and then, I saw her.
Briar stood by the riverbank, her caramel skin glowing in the moonlight, but there was a shadow looming behind her. Someone was there—a figure I couldn’t quite make out. They were speaking to her, their voices low, menacing.
“No!” I shouted, but my voice seemed swallowed by the night. I tried to run to her, but my legs felt like they were moving through water, heavy and slow.
I saw Briar turn, her eyes meeting mine, filled with a deep sadness. Then, the figure stepped forward, and everything went dark.
End Flashback:
I jolted awake, gasping for air, sweat dripping down my face. My heart pounded in my chest as fragments of the memory flickered in my mind—Briar, the shadowy figure, and that overwhelming feeling of helplessness.
What had happened in our past life? Why couldn’t I remember everything?
And why did I feel like I was the one who had failed her?
Setting: The next day, Angelo meets up with Briar and Celeste at a café. The tension between them is palpable—Briar has received more calls, and Celeste is growing increasingly suspicious of both Angelo and Briar’s connection.
Briar’s POV:
I could feel the weight of the stares as I walked into the café. Celeste sat stiffly at the table, her arms crossed, while Angelo looked like he hadn’t slept at all. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I knew the caller wasn’t going to stop until something broke.
I sat down, forcing myself to meet Celeste’s eyes. “I got another call,” I said softly.
Celeste raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with skepticism. “Another one? What did they say this time?”
I hesitated, glancing at Angelo. His face was pale, and I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. “They told me…” I took a deep breath. “They told me to ask Angelo. That he knows more than he’s letting on.”
Celeste’s expression hardened. “Of course they did.” She turned to Angelo. “What is it, Angelo? What are you hiding from us?”
Angelo looked between us, clearly torn. “I don’t know everything,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. “But I’m starting to remember things—about our past lives. Things that aren’t good.”
I leaned forward, my heart pounding. “Like what?”
He hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like how I couldn’t save you.”
Celeste’s POV:
My patience was wearing thin. Angelo and Briar had been dancing around this whole “past life” thing for too long, and now it was starting to feel like they were hiding something important from me. My stomach twisted with jealousy and unease.
“So, you two were together in some past life?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. “And now what? You’re reliving it in secret while I’m kept in the dark?”
Briar shook her head quickly. “No, Celeste, it’s not like that. I don’t even fully understand it myself.”
But her words only made me angrier. “It sure feels like it.”
Angelo looked like he was on the verge of breaking. “This isn’t about us, Celeste. It’s about what’s happening now about the caller and whatever they know.”
I crossed my arms, glaring at both of them. “Then maybe one of you should start figuring it out before I do.”