Chapter Five — Ashes Don't Stay Buried
The next morning felt colder than it should've.
The air had that strange stillness before rain — heavy, waiting.
I kept thinking about the last note.
> "She remembers the fire."
Who was she? And what exactly did she remember?
When I got to school, River was already sitting on the steps by the courtyard fountain. Hoodie up, earphones in, staring at nothing.
He looked like someone who carried ghosts in his pockets.
"Couldn't sleep?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Could you?"
"Not really."
I sat beside him. The sound of water spilling from the fountain filled the silence between us. It almost felt peaceful… until River spoke again.
"There's a name I didn't tell you about," he said quietly.
I turned to him. "What do you mean?"
"In Eli's notebook — the page after mine. Number Four. Her name's Hannah Veer."
The name didn't ring a bell.
"She was here last year," he went on. "Art student. She was in the building the night of the fire. She survived, but she transferred schools right after. Never talked about it again."
I frowned. "And you think she's the one who remembers?"
"Probably. If anyone knows what really happened, it's her."
---
We found an old yearbook in the library archives — its spine cracked, pages yellowed with time. Hannah's photo was easy to spot: short red hair, freckles, a paint stain on her cheek like she never noticed it.
Underneath her picture someone had scribbled, "Fire girl."
My throat tightened. "She must've seen something that night."
River nodded, flipping to the back. "There's an address here. It's old, but we can try."
I raised an eyebrow. "You mean go there? As in, skip school and show up at a stranger's house?"
He gave a small smirk. "You've got a better plan?"
I didn't.
---
The bus ride to the edge of town felt longer than it was. The streets grew quieter, the houses older. By the time we reached the stop near the woods, clouds had gathered above us like gray bruises.
River checked the paper again. "She used to live on Willow Lane."
We walked until we found a small yellow house with chipped paint and an overgrown garden. It looked empty, but as we stepped closer, the front door creaked open.
A woman's voice came from inside.
"Who's there?"
River stepped forward first. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am. We're looking for Hannah Veer."
The woman — older, tired eyes, paint smudges on her hands — stared at us for a long time before answering.
"She doesn't live here anymore," she said finally. "Left two months after the fire."
"Do you know where she went?" I asked.
The woman hesitated. Her eyes flickered between us, then down to my hands. "You're Eli's sister."
My heart nearly stopped. "You… knew him?"
She nodded slowly. "He came here once. After the fire. Asked questions about Hannah. Said he thought she was in danger."
River and I exchanged a look.
"What did he find out?" I asked.
The woman looked past us, out toward the dark clouds gathering above the trees. "He said there was a list. Names carved behind the old gym. Said if anyone found it, it would mean the fire wasn't an accident."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "He was right."
She looked at me then, really looked — like she could see the fear under my skin. "If you're smart, you'll stop looking. Some secrets don't like being dug up."
---
We left in silence. The rain finally started, soft at first, then harder, soaking through our clothes.
Halfway back to the bus stop, I turned to River. "You said Eli gave you his notebook. Why you? Why not the police? Why not me?"
He froze.
For the first time since I met him, River looked completely unguarded — like my question had cracked something open.
"He wanted to tell you," he said quietly. "He just… never got the chance."
I waited, heart pounding. "River… how did you know him?"
He rubbed a hand over his face, water dripping from his hair. "We weren't friends. Not really. The night of the fire, I was working late — campus maintenance. I saw smoke. I ran in to help."
He paused. "Eli was already there. Trying to pull someone out."
I swallowed hard. "Who?"
"I don't know. He yelled something about a girl being trapped. Then the ceiling started to give way. I dragged him out before it collapsed."
I stared at him, barely breathing. "You saved him."
River shook his head. "I tried. He came to my house two days later. Said he'd found proof someone started the fire on purpose. He wanted me to help him expose it."
His voice faltered. "The night he disappeared… he texted me. Told me to meet him behind the gym. Said he had the final two names. I was late."
He looked at me then, guilt flooding his eyes. "By the time I got there, he was gone. His phone was on the ground. And the shed door was open."
The rain blurred the world around us.
I didn't know what to say — anger, grief, confusion all twisting inside me.
River finally whispered, "I've been trying to find out what happened ever since."
I nodded slowly, tears mixing with the rain. "Then we find Hannah. Together."
He met my eyes, and for the first time, I saw something like hope flicker behind the guilt.
"Together," he said.
---
That evening, as i returned to school to grab some stuff, another note waited in my locker.
Folded perfectly. The same blue paper.
> "Number Five watches you from the dark."