Chapter 67: Plans for Tomorrow
Chapter 67: Plans for Tomorrow
Lydia sat on the edge of her bed, scrolling through her phone. Her bag was still near the door where she dropped it after Dennis dropped them off earlier that day. She hadn't unpacked. Part of her didn’t see the point—not yet.
Julia was in her room across the hall, probably talking to their parents again. Lydia could hear the faint sound of her voice through the wall.
“We’re fine. Nothing happened while you were gone,” Julia said softly.
Same line, rehearsed. Lydia knew it wasn’t the full truth, but it was easier to say.
Lydia sighed and stared at her phone. A new message popped up from Melissa.
Melissa:
“Let’s go to school tomorrow. We can’t keep hiding. We’ve told Detective Philip everything—we can’t live in fear of the unknown anymore.”
Lydia read the message twice, her chest tightening slightly. But she understood. Staying home wasn’t making anything better. It wasn’t bringing Brian back. It wasn’t solving the mystery around the attacks. Life was just sitting still, and that wasn’t helping either of them.
She typed back.
Lydia:
“I was thinking the same thing. We’ll go together?”
Melissa:
“Definitely. Together.”
Lydia let the phone fall onto the pillow beside her. Her stomach churned a little, but her mind was steady. Going back to school wasn’t going to fix anything, but it felt like the next step. It had to be.
Next door, Kieran Matthews sat quietly in the living room with his father. The house was dim except for a small lamp near the window. They’d already seen the man in black again that evening—the same figure that had been lurking around Lydia’s house.
They both agreed it was time to tell Lydia and Julia.
“We’ll let them know tomorrow,” Mr. Matthews said, his eyes still fixed on the front window.
Kieran nodded. “After school?”
“Yeah. After school,” his father replied, rubbing his temples. “Let them have the day first.”
At the Wrights’ home, Melissa sat on the couch beside her mom. The television was on, but neither of them was really watching. Mrs. Wright kept glancing at her daughter.
“You’re sure about school tomorrow?” she asked, her voice low.
Melissa nodded. “Yeah. We can’t pause life forever.”
Her phone buzzed again. It was a text from her dad.
Mr. Wright:
“Just checking in. How’s everyone tonight?”
Melissa replied quickly.
Melissa:
“We’re fine, Dad. Just relaxing now.”
Mrs. Wright noticed but didn’t say anything else. She just sat quietly, grateful for the small normal moments between the storms.
Upstairs, Victor stretched in his chair after closing his laptop. His eyes were tired, but his mind was still running. He’d overheard part of the conversation downstairs—Melissa saying she was ready to go back to school. That was something, at least.
He picked up his phone and sent a quick message to Lydia.
Victor:
“Let me know when you get there tomorrow. I’ll check in.”
Lydia responded almost right away.
Lydia:
“Will do. Thanks, Vic.”
Later that night, Julia peeked into Lydia’s room. Her sister was still awake, lying on top of the covers.
“You okay?” Julia asked.
Lydia sat up slightly. “Yeah.”
“You think going back to school is a good idea?”
“I don’t know if it’s good,” Lydia answered honestly, “but it’s necessary.”
Julia leaned against the doorframe. “If you’re going, I’m going.”
Lydia gave a small smile. “We’ll manage.”
Julia nodded and left the room, the door clicking softly behind her.
The night dragged on slowly.
Melissa lay in bed, her phone beside her, staring at the ceiling. The soft light from the streetlamp outside made faint lines across her wall.
She wasn’t expecting peace—not yet. But at least now there was a plan.
At the Matthews' house, Kieran checked the window one last time before going to bed. The man in black was gone for now, but he didn’t feel relieved.
Tomorrow, they’d tell Lydia. That was the decision. It wasn’t something they could keep to themselves anymore.
Kieran’s dad came into his room quietly and placed a hand on his son’s shoulder.
“We’ll tell them tomorrow,” he said again, just to be sure they were on the same page.
Kieran nodded, though sleep felt far away.
In the Wright home, Mrs. Wright moved through the hallway, stopping briefly at Melissa’s door. She listened for a moment, then walked back to her own room.
She lay in bed and whispered a quiet thought into the dark.
Not a prayer exactly, just a hope—that tomorrow would bring clarity, not more confusion.
Across the neighbourhood, the night continued in quiet houses where people carried too many questions and not enough answers.
But they all knew one thing for certain:
Monday wasn’t going to wait.