"I can't exactly pinpoint the moment where things between me and Daniel got so bad... But I'm beginning to think It didn't start anywhere. Maybe it just... Wore down, little by little. And somewhere along the way, I stopped feeling like his sister and started feeling like his babysitter. Still, even if I can't tell when it really started... I remember the time I first started to notice something has changed."
Around a year after James' Anderson's death. It was the beginning of winter, despite the fact Daniel was told time and time again he would catch a cold if he didn't wear a jacket, he never listened. Today was one of those days, which was terrible timing considering the fact Lauren had a night shift that day.
"I mean, yeah, I gave him the pills, but the fever isn't going down... Alright, I'll call you if it gets worse... Bye."
Overhearing Amanda talking to their mom on the phone, lying in bed, Daniel glanced toward the empty doorway.
"...Let me guess, she's gonna be back late again."
He asked, his voice weak but just loud enough to be audible in the upstairs bathroom. A moment later, Amanda entered his room with a bowl of cold water and a small towel.
"Yeah... She's still stuck at work."
Daniel could only roll his eyes in response, of which Amanda quickly took notice.
"...She's trying her best, you know?"
"Yeah, sure..."
This time it was Amanda who rolled her eyes. She was well aware that their mom was also struggling, working long shifts and overtime to provide for the three of them. This was usually the point where Amanda and Daniel would get into an argument about this, but seeing as Daniel was sick, she decided to just let it go.
"You don't have to do this, you know... I said I'm fine."
Daniel said, Amanda ignored him and took out the thermometer from under his arm. 102 fahrenheit, it said.
"Oh yeah? Well, your temperature says otherwise. Besides, somebody has to do it... Oh, and don't forget, if you actually listened for once in your life and wore your jacket then you wouldn't be sick right now. Then, I could be studying for my chemistry test and you could be doing... Whatever it is you even do nowadays."
To that, Daniel had no response. Amanda sighed as she soaked the towel in the cold water, before wringing it out and placing it on Daniel's forehead. The two of them sat in awkward silence, as Amanda kept replacing the cold towel on Daniel's forehead, waiting for his fever to go down. It was maybe 20 minutes later when Amanda decided his fever went down enough.
"Alright... Your fever calmed down, so I'm going back to my room, try to get some sleep. I'm gonna check on you later."
She stood up, picking up the towel and bowl of water. Just as she was about to leave the room, Daniel spoke up.
"Look, I'm fine, seriously. You don't need to bother yourself with me, I mean it's just a fever. And besides, you said it yourself. It's my fault that I'm sick in the first place... So just go study for your test or whatever."
That was the day Amanda first started to notice that something had changed with Daniel, which, unbeknownst to her, was a facade of strength that Daniel was putting up. A mask, which in Daniel's mind was as tough as steel. And yet, when standing in front of the TV, hearing the news about the death of Ellie Price, the same girl that he watched die in his dream, the mask began to crack.
"Holy fucking shit, Daniel... What the hell is going on... First Dave and now Ellie Price? I mean, what the fuck..."
Amanda asked, her voice a mixture of fear and confusion. She looked over at Daniel, not quite sure what to expect, but for the first time in what felt like years, his usual deadpan, indifferent expression wasn't there. He stared at the TV, his hand twitched slightly, his face pale, like he had just seen a ghost.
"Daniel... Are you okay?"
He didn't respond, in fact, he didn't even register Amanda's voice. A sharp ringing filled his ears, drowning out the world around him. Then, as if triggered by the silence, voices began to echo in his head. Overlapping, relentless, all at once.
I'm at Amanda's math tournament. I was able to get off work a few hours early today, so I took the chance and drove over.
I kept telling you over and over that if you don't fix your grades you're gonna get held back! Why can't you be more like Amanda?! Did you even actually try?!
I just need some, Daniel. I'll text you when I'm ready to talk.
You know... Sometimes it wouldn't hurt you to be a little nicer to the people who look out for you.
It's Officer Dave... Last night... His body was found in the woods... Completely massacred.
You are... a mistake. A shadow. But you watch me. You are here, and you will be... remembered.
Authorities say the victim has been brutally massacred, in a way much simmilar to yesterday's death of Officer Dave Gonzalez... She has been identified as eighteen-year-old Ellie Price.
Daniel... You should have never been bor-
Just as quickly as they started, the voices had suddenly stopped. Then, a sick churn coiled in Daniel's gut, cold sweat beading at the back of his neck as his throat tightened and his stomach clenched.
"...Dani-"
As Amanda placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder, his body twitched. Without a word, he bolted from the living room and rushed to the kitchen. The moment his hands gripped the edge of the sink, he doubled over and vomited a harsh retch that emptied what little was in his stomach.
"Dude! What the hell was that?! Are you okay?!"
Amanda's voice broke through the silence, low and laced with concern. He didn't answer at first, only coughed, hunched over the sink, the harsh sound echoing off the kitchen tile. After a moment, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Y... Yeah... I'm fine... I just... Ugh! Sorry... I'll, uhh... Clean this up..."
"Cleaning the sink is not the issue here! You just threw up out of fucking nowhere! What the hell is going on with you, Daniel?!"
Daniel didn't respond, his eyes wandered at the clock hanging on the wall, it was already 11:47 AM. Daniel stood over the sink, not saying anything. After a moment of silence, Amanda, not sure what to say to her wreck of a brother, placed a hand on his shoulder with a bit of hesitation.
"...Daniel, what the hell is going on with you these days? This isn't some 'tough kids don't cry' bullshit show that I thought you were putting up... You know you can talk to me-"
Suddenly, Daniel moved away from the sink as he recalled the talk with Lyla that he was supposed to have today.
"S-Sorry... I just remembered I have to be somewhere soon... I better take a shower and get ready."
Daniel said, as he walked out of the kitchen and headed for the stairs. Amanda quickly followed behind.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"
"Uhhh... To the shower?"
He answered, walking up the stairs. Just as he was about to enter the bathroom, Amanda grabbed his shoulder.
"There's no way in hell you're just walking away from this conversation, Daniel! You just fucking threw up out of nowhere! Either you're going to talk to me, or I'm gonna tell mom when she gets back from the sto-"
"Not a goddamn word about this to mom!"
Daniel's sudden raise in his voice made Amanda let go of his shoulder and take a step back. She hasn't heard Daniel raise his tone or flat out scream in months. And for some reason, it scared her more than she expected. The sudden change in Daniel's demeanor almost seemed like a fracture in a mask. A glimpse of something that had been festering beneath the surface for far too long.
"...Look, just please don't say anything to mom, alright? She has enough things to worry about, the last thing she needs is this."
Daniel added, this time in a calmer, more tired voice than before.
"...Fine... Do whatever the hell you want."
Amanda said, before turning away and walking down the hallway.
"...Don't you dare be late for today's wake, Daniel..."
She added, heading towards the stairs. Daniel sighed, as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. He gazed into the mirror, as the water from the tap ran into the sink. His eyes were normal, so there was that, at least. He took his toothbrush and applied way too much toothpaste on it.
"...If by some miracle Lyla isn't breaking up with me today, my breath smelling like vomit will seal the deal for sure..."
Meanwhile, the residence of the Price family was swarmed with police. Ellie's body was found by her parents in the early morning around 5:32 AM. Chief of Police Michael Bennet was standing outside, looking at the police officers investigating the crime scene as he himself leaned on a tree. Medical examiner Anna Brown walked up to him.
"Chief, I've just finished the examination of Price's body... Her tongue was ripped out from her mouth. It wasn't a cut, it's like it was ripped out with sheer force... Her right arm was severed clean off. There's no sign of a struggle; it was done with precision... The heart was ripped right out of her chest... There were no defensive wounds, which suggests she didn't fight back... She was likely incapacitated or unconscious before... You know..."
"God fucking dammit... The same pattern... Same fucked up removal of the heart... Ugh, make sure the report reaches my desk as soon as possible. We may have a serial... Ugh, great... This is the last thing we need today..."
Michael stepped away from Anna as he headed towards the driveway, where the driver of a Mercedes had turned off the engine. Before Rick could get out from his car, Michael had opened the passenger seat.
"What the hell are you doing here, Rick?"
"...What do you mean? We've got another victim of the same sick fuck that got my brother, don't we? I-I mean, you said it yourself, I'm too close to help with Dave's case, but I should be clear for this one, right?"
Michael sighed, his voice shifting into a firmer, more authoritative tone.
"Have you forgotten already? You're still on mandatory leave."
"Come on, don't feed me this bullshit, Chief! I need to fucking help! Who the fuck cares if I'm on mandatory leave?! We need every pair of hands we can get, otherwise-"
"Enough!"
Michael cut Rick off mid-sentence. After a brief silence, he continued.
"Listen to me, Rick... As cops, there are rules that we follow, you understand? I personally determined you unable to perform your duties. Not as a fucking suggestion, but as an order! Listen to yourself, it hasn't even been two days since Dave's death! Right now what you need is to go home, and fucking rest! ...Listen, Dave's and Price's wake is in 3 fucking hours, so get your shit together and don't be fucking late. You got that?"
Without a word, Rick gritted his teeth and started the engine. He reached over, slammed the passenger door shut, then pulled out of the driveway and drove off. Not 2 miles away, Mia was sitting alone in her room lying in bed, staring at the ceiling. The reality of the situation was only now beginning to dawn on her. The complete silence was broken when a gentle knock came on Mia's door.
"...Mia, honey? I'm just letting you know that the wake that was supposed to be for Officer Gonzalez today will also... You know... Be for Ellie too... I know you probably want to be left alone right now, but... We should go... To at least try and support Ellie's parents..."
The words that Mia's mom directed at her came through one ear and straight out the other.
"...Okay..."
Were the only words that Mia could muster up. Without another word, Mia's mom left the room and closed the door behind her. Tears had burned Mia's eyes dry, leaving them swollen and red. Her cheeks were also red and sore from slapping herself over and over, when she was still convinced that she was trapped in a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. How was it, that just yesterday night Mia was convinced of being in the right about the matter of Ellie moving out of Noorwood. And yet, today, she wanted nothing more but to go back in time and go about their last conversation differently?
"...Well, it's not like any of that matters now..."
Only now did Mia finally understand how much of a brat she was her entire life. Ellie was always the more reasonable and mature one of the two. Each time they got in trouble, she was always the voice of reason. Even yesterday night, in the heat of their nastiest fight yet, all she wished for Mia was that she finally started to grow up, and think about her future. Mia's eyes gazed at her phone, 12:43 AM, it read. Mia slowly got up from her bed, despite going to the wake being the last thing she wanted to do, the least she could do now was show support to the parents of her late best friend.
"Hey, I'm outside your house now."
A message from Lyla poped up on Daniel's phone, one that he was not at all ready for. He picked up the phone from his desk.
"Didn't she say afternoon? It's only 1:07 PM..."
Daniel mumbled to himself, before picking up the phone and typing back, asking for 5 more minutes. He dragged himself into the bathroom, looking in the mirror. His stomach churned like it had that morning. He pressed a palm against his stomach, but the thought of seeing Lyla again was making his hands shake. She was totally breaking up with him today, wasn't she? On top of everything that has happened recently, that would be...
"...Pull yourself the fuck together."
He thought to himself, before hastily opening the mirror cabinet and taking out a bottle of chewable pepto-bismol and grabbing two tablets from the bottle, before shoving them in his mouth, chewing them up and swallowing without even drinking water. With the chalky taste of the medicine still in his mouth, he closed the bottle and placed it back in the cabinet. Outside, Lyla stood by Daniel's front door, waiting. As the minutes slowly passed by, she was beginning to wonder if everything was alright. Just as Lyla was starting to consider knocking on the door, it creaked open. Lauren stood there, car keys in hand.
"Oh, Lyla, I didn't realize you were here... You should have knocked, you know?"
"Yeah, uh... I was just waiting for Daniel, so..."
Just as Lauren was about to call out to Daniel, he walked down the stairs and made his way towards the door. He glanced over at Lyla, acknowledging her presence, before shifting his attention to Lauren, her car keys to be precise.
"...Where are you going?"
"Oh, I have to run some more errands before the wake... So... I guess I'll leave you two to it."
As quickly as it started, the interaction between Lauren and Daniel ended. Truth be told, most of their interactions nowadays looked like that. Short and to the point. Lyla and Daniel watched in silence as Lauren got in the car and left. Daniel closed the front door, before finally greeting Lyla.
"...Hey, Lyla..."
Was all he could muster up to say. The first thing that Lyla noticed was Daniel's appearance. His hair seemed unkept, eyes tired. His skin seemed more pale than usual, and perhaps it was her imagination, since the baggy clothes Daniel wore made it harder to tell, but he looked a bit thinner than he did when they last saw each other. All in all? He was a mess. On the contrary, despite her recent absence in school, Lyla looked just as she always did. Her black hair falling neatly over her shoulders, dressed in a simple hoodie and jeans, she looked casual and grounded. Like their two week break from each other has not affected her in any way, shape, or form.
"Hey, uhhh... I was hoping to talk somewhere more private, but considering what happened in these past two days, I don't think it's a good idea to go wander off into the woods by ourselves."
"Yeah... Right... So, like... Where do we talk then?"
Lyla looked at him for a moment. Despite the efforts Daniel made to hide his clear stress, it seemed like Lyla saw right through it in moments. She always had a good eye for people, that one.
"...There's that wake for Officer Dave and Ellie Price today in the town hall today... It starts in about an hour. How about we just talk on the way there?"
"...Uhh, yeah... Sure... That sounds good..."
Lyla took a few steps towards the sidewalk. However, she quickly noticed that Daniel wasn't following her. She looked back and noticed him just looking down at the ground, not moving.
"...Are you coming?"
Suddenly, as if her words snapped him out of something, he looked at her, a little panicked.
"Oh, y-yeah... Sorry."
The two of them walked in silence for a while. Both of them had something different on their minds. Whilst Lyla was still trying to figure out how to go about this whole thing, Daniel was already berating himself over the fact that he already messed up not 2 minutes after leaving the house. Lyla looked at him then, finally deciding what to say.
"Hey... Listen, Daniel. I'm gonna be completely honest with you... I'm not really ready to talk about us just yet... Truth be told, if it wasn't for what happened to Officer Dave? This meeting probably wouldn't even happen... But I decided that in times like, you know... This... I should put whatever problems we have aside and be here for you. For you know... Support."
The two locked eyes, no matter how much Daniel hated to admit this to himself, Lyla saying that today wasn't really about them made him feel relief. However, that didn't mean everything was fine. Things still were bad. And if Daniel didn't play his cards right today? Tomorrow it could get even worse.
"Yeah... That's fair."
Today was going to be a horrible day for pretty much everyone in Noorwood. Maybe the deaths of Dave and Ellie didn't affect everyone personally, but so what? Two people have been brutally killed by god only knows who. The thing that was truly on everyone's minds wasn't "who did it", "when they're going to catch them" or "why is this even happening". The question that everyone was truly asking was "who's going to be next?". Even if they catch whoever is behind this, so what? Noorwood isn't going to be the same for a very, very long time. This kind of thing is what haunts small towns for years. Even right now, the wind had a sorrowful feel to it.
"So... How have you been holding up, Daniel?"
Considering his uncle-figure was dead, his dream had come true in the worst possible way, and Lyla's company made him physically ill from stress, Daniel decided he was doing about as well as anyone could expect.
"...I'm okay. No need to worry."
Hearing that, Lyla couldn't help but sigh. There it was again. The emotional distance that Lyla had long since stopped being surprised by.
"That's good, I guess..."
And yet, despite that very distance being the main reason why Lyla started to question their relationship, she decided to keep playing along. For now, at least. Like she said, today wasn't about them, after all... But that wasn't really true, now was it? Call it selfish, maybe even cruel, but for Lyla today wasn't totally about being there for Daniel. No, she wanted to see if anything about his behaviour had changed, and right now? Well, Daniel shoved his hands deeper into his hoodie pockets, eyes fixed on the cracks of the sidewalk like they're the most interesting thing in the world! He thought about saying something, anything, to break the awkward silence. And yet, every single sentence he rehearsed in his head sounded wrong. And so, he decided on something that any normal person under these circumstances would find strange.
"So... Uhh... Have you been catching up with schoolwork?"
Lyla gave him a sideways glance.
"...Seriously? That's your opener?"
"I'm just trying to, you know... Make conversation..."
Why yes, because asking someone about school while going to a wake for two people who were brutally murdered in the span of the last two days is such great small talk.
"You don't have to force it."
She replied, her tone even, not snarky or cold but distant enough to sting. And just like that, it was back to awkward silence. The only sound was the crunch of their shoes against gravel and the low hum of wind through the trees. Daniel's stomach twisted once more. Doing his best to ignore it, he stole a glance at Lyla. She walked steady, shoulders squared, looking perfectly composed. Meanwhile, his own posture was a mess. Slouched, hands fidgeting in his pockets like he was trying to fold into himself. A few moments later, Daniel blurted out something he immediately wished he hadn't.
"...You look fine."
"...Fine?"
Daniel panicked, trying to salvage the situation.
"Oh! Uhhh, you know! What I meant to say was that you look good! You know... Nice, and uhh... Yeah, you look, uhhh... Nice..."
".........Thaaaanks?"
She didn't laugh. She didn't blush. Instead, she gave him a look similar to what a girl might give a stranger on the street who just told her she smelled nice. Daniel's throat went dry. He was supposed to act normal today, and yet? It hasn't even been ten minutes since they left his house, and he already managed to screw up multiple times. They walked a few minutes later, neither of them said a word.
"...I'm only making this worse, aren't I?"
The silence stretched between them was heavy and suffocating. Should he just keep it this way? Maybe that was the safest option? If he didn't open his mouth, he couldn't screw it up. She'd just walk beside him and then later she'd go home thinking, "Well, at least he didn't make a fool of himself this time". But staying quiet wasn't really safe either, was it? Because then she'd think he didn't care. And wasn't that the whole problem? That he never let her in, never gave her more than these half-assed fragments of himself? If he stayed silent, he'd just be proving her right. So what was left? Talk. Say something. Anything. Risk another awkward stumble, risk sounding like an idiot. At least then it would look like he was trying. But trying and failing wasn't that worse than not trying at all? God, which was it? Stay quiet and lose her by doing nothing, or open his mouth and risk losing her even faster?
"Lyla? I want you to know, that... Despite our recent problems... You're very important to me"
Is what Daniel wanted to say. But for some reason or another? The words never left his mouth in the end, and the two kept walking in silence. Back in the Anderson house, Amanda sat at her desk, an old photo album open in front of her. The page showed a barbecue from three years ago. Daniel, Lauren, James, Amanda, and even Dave, who had always felt like part of the family back then. He and James were partners, so he was there for birthdays and parties. Amanda wanted to linger in that memory, to lose herself in it, but something more important was on her mind right now.
"Wait, wait, wait... Run me through this again, cuz' I don't think I'm following..."
Thomas's voice crackled through the speakerphone, carrying a tone that suggested he didn't understand her. Amanda picked up the phone from her desk.
"Ugh, is the line breaking up or something? If so then-"
"No, no, I can hear you fine, Amanda... But like, are you serious? He just straight up puked in the sink? Maybe he ate something weird, or he's sick or something..."
"No, Thomas, I am telling you there's something weird going on with him! First he went pale, then ran straight for the sink and threw up... After that when I tried to confront him about it he legit screamed at me..."
The line went silent for a moment, as if Thomas was trying to process what Amanda had just told him and was having a hard time at it.
"...Maybe you're just overreacting? You two get into fights all the time, don't you?"
"I am telling you Thomas, this was different! Daniel never screams like that, and I mean never! It's like the moment I mentioned telling mom he just snapped! I'm dead serious here, there's something really fucking bad happening with him!"
"...So what are you gonna do about it?"
This time it was Amanda who had to process what was just said to her. The moment everyone left the house, the first thing she did was call Thomas. She barely had time to think about what to do about any of this.
"...What do you think I should do?"
"I don't know..."
Whenever Amanda was struggling with something, be it school-related, something more personal, or even something mundane, Thomas always had something smart and helpful to say. But now for what felt the first time, he was just as clueless about what to do as her.
"...I mean... He's your brother, Amanda. You've known him his entire life... If I were in your place and I was certain there was something bad going on, then... Outside of trying to talk to him about it? I'd really have no clue what to do."
Another moment of silence, just as Thomas was about to ask Amanda if she's still there, she finally spoke up.
"...I'm gonna... You know... Get dressed, the wake is starting soon... Don't wanna be late."
"Yeah, alright... Am I still picking you up?"
"...Yeah."
Amanda set her phone down on the desk. She stared at the open photo album in front of her, the page frozen on a summer barbecue three years ago. Daniel with sauce smeared on his cheek, James trying to wave the camera away, Lauren actually smiling for once. Dave was there too, beer in hand, grinning like he belonged at the table as much as anyone. For a moment, she let herself imagine what it would be like if things had stayed that way. Her dad still alive, her mom still present, her brother still... Daniel, before he turned into the stranger who slammed doors and spoke in half-words. She shut the album gently, the cover closing like a lid over a coffin. Some time after, the wake was ten minutes from starting, Daniel and Lyla sat outside the town hall on a bench. As much as Daniel wanted to put Dave's death out of his mind, the time has come to confront reality. Dave was truly gone, his and Ellie Price's wake being minutes away from starting. Ellie herself being on a whole different level of messed up.
"How and why the hell did my dream about her death come to reality? Did my dream cause her death? Did I somehow... Watch it happen in real time? Or maybe it was all just a coincidence of unbelievable odds? After all, it's possible that it just so happened I had a nightmare about Price dying, and that... She just so happened to die for real? I mean, it's fucking crazy... But the first two options are even crazier... And what the fuck was that thing that spoke to me? It looked like a person, but..."
"...Daniel?"
"Oh! Uhhh... Yeah?"
Amanda's voice snapped Daniel out of his thoughts, he looked up to see Amanda, Thomas and Lyla already standing up, ready to go inside the town hall. He was so deep in his thoughts that he didn't even notice Lyla getting up from the bench and Amanda talking to him.
"Are you alright? You weren't answering..."
"Y-Yeah... I uhh... I guess I'm just a little... Confused, you know? About all of this..."
"We all are, Daniel... Come on, it's starting any minute now."
The town hall loomed ahead, its brick walls dulled by the cruel years, its flag at half-mast and barely stirring in the weak wind. The doors had been propped open, and the low murmur of voices carried out into the street. The four of them stopped at the foot of the steps. No one spoke. Daniel caught Amanda's reflection in the glass doors, shoulders squared, lips pressed tight, her whole body stiff with the effort not to break down right in that moment. Amanda took the first step inside, her arm brushing Thomas's. Lyla followed, steady, her hand almost, but not quite brushing against Daniel's. For a split second he thought about reaching out. He didn't. Inside, the air smelled faintly of polished wood and wilting flowers. Rows of chairs stretched toward the front, where two framed photos stood surrounded by bouquets. The photo on the left was that of Officer Dave Gonzalez in uniform, smiling like he knew the whole town by name. On the right, Ellie Price's, her eyes bright in a way that made Daniel's stomach twist.
"...There's two empty seats next to mom."
Amanda whispered when she noticed Lauren somewhere in the middle row. She looked over at Daniel, their eyes meeting.
"...You two go on ahead, Lyla and I will find somewhere else to sit."
Knowing what she was indicating, Daniel spoke up. Though Amanda wasn't all that pleased with this, knowing it would be more appropriate if they all sat together, the last thing she wanted to do here was start a fight with Daniel. After giving him a disapproving look, she headed towards the front row, Thomas a few steps behind.
"Hey guys, over here!"
A hushed voice, just loud enough to cut through the constant murmur, pulled Daniel's and Lyla's attention. When they turned, they spotted Carl and Finn tucked away at the far end of the back row. The pair gave a small nod before quietly shuffling over, settling into the seats beside them.
"...Hey dude... How are you holding up?"
Carl whispered to Daniel, to which Daniel had a dry and quick response.
"I'm fine."
Though seeing Lyla with Daniel again made them curious, Daniel's tone of voice and Lyla's concerned expression when hearing it, made it obvious it would be best not to ask. Moments later, The Chief of Police, Michael Bennet walked up to the podium at the front of the hall. The quiet murmur of the crowd died out until the only sound present was the creak of the wooden floor beneath his boots. He adjusted the microphone, and the speakers groaned with a muffled thud, followed by a faint scratch of static that made a few people flinch in their seats. He muttered a quick apology under his breath, tapping the mic once to make sure it was alive. The sound echoed awkwardly in the hushed room. Then, after a pause, he drew in a breath, his hands tightening on the sides of the podium.
"...Friends... Family... Neighbors... We gather here today, to honor two lives, that were taken from us far, far too soon... Officer David Gonzalez, many of you knew him as more than just another cop... Many of you knew David as a friend, a neighbor... But most importantly as someone who you could count on no matter the hour... And Ellie Price... A bright, young woman who had her entire future ahead of her... A future, that now we'll never get to see..."
And there it was, that same twist in the stomach that made Daniel vomit that morning when he learned Ellie Price was dead. As strange and messed up as it was, hearing Ellie's name stung Daniel more than hearing Dave's. It wasn't sadness, or even anger, it was a sick sense of something that could not be described by words. Mia's eyes were already streaming down tears. Though she already cried her heart out that morning, she still had that quiet, naive hope somewhere deep inside her head that all of this was just a misunderstanding, and that Ellie was alive and well somehow. But all that hope was crushed the minute Bennet spoke Ellie's name.
"...Dave dedicated his life to this town. He wore the badge with pride, but more than that, he carried the heart of Noorwood in everything he did. Whether it was helping a neighbor in need, lending an ear when someone was struggling, or simply cracking a joke to ease the weight of a hard day... Dave reminded us that being a protector isn't just about duty... It's also about compassion... And about family... And then, Ellie Price. Just eighteen years old. A bright student, a daughter and a friend... Someone who should have had her whole future ahead of her... To lose a young life like hers is beyond words. It is cruel, and it is senseless... Noorwood will forever fell smaller without her in it... The loss of a young person cuts deeper than almost anything else. It reminds us of how fragile life can be, how unfair... She deserved so much more time than she was given..."
Lyla looked over at Daniel out of the corner of her eye. She saw his pale face and his hands shake in his hoodie pocket. Concern flickered across her expression, but it's mixed with that familiar frustration, while Daniel was looking around the room, watching the faces of people around. Some were tearing up, others looked like they were trying to make sense of all of this.
"...What the fuck is wrong with me?"
Daniel thought to himself. He felt angry, yes. But not about Ellie, or even Dave. No, he was angry at himself. Angry for the fact that he couldn't feel this like them. People who had no real connection to Dave or Ellie were able to cry for them, even the stone-cold firm, and strict math teacher, Mrs. Peterson was tearing up.
"...Why the can't I grieve for them like everyone else? Amanda was nearly crying before we even went inside... Dave was always good to us... He was practically family... And all I can do is sit here, like a fucking fraud... What kind of person does that make me?"
That was when his eyes drifted towards Amanda and Lauren. What quickly caught his attention was Lauren looking down at her phone. She then whispered something in Amanda's ear, before quietly getting up from the chair and heading towards the front door, her phone still in hand. She glanced over at Daniel before leaving the wake. Assuming she got some important call, and that she will be back in a moment, Daniel sighed. Then, after what felt like hours, Michael gripped the podium a little tighter, continuing his speech.
"I know there is fear in this room. I feel it too. A crime like this shakes us all, and it's natural to ask: why them, and who's next? But I want you to remember this... Noorwood has always been a town that stands together. We've weathered storms, we've faced hardship, and we've come through by leaning on each other... That hasn't changed, and it won't change now. I give you my word that we will find whoever is responsible. And they will face justice."
His gaze swept across the crowd, noticing Rick sitting in the back. Arms crossed and face dark. His eyes were fixed on Michael, but it wasn't grief on his expression, it was anger. Like he was ready to punch through the wall.
"...Dave and Ellie deserve that much. Their families deserve that much. All of you deserve that much... We may never forget them. We will honor them not only with our words today, but with the way we carry ourselves tomorrow."
And just like that, Michael's speach was over. Everyone was back to chatting and giving condolences to those most affected by the deaths. Daniel sighed, as he leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling.
"...So what do you guys think really happened?"
Carl decided to finally break the silence. Lyla looked over at him, before answering with a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean?"
"You know... From what I hear the cops are still unsure about what happened... I heard your dad was helping them search the forest for tracks and stuff... Does that mean an animal attack is still on the table?"
"...I mean, yeah he's helping them out, but... It's not like he's part of the whole investigation or something... And he didn't really tell me what exactly they were looking for, so..."
After Lyla answered, Finn spoke up, giving his own opinion on this mess.
"Don't write off an animal attack just yet, you guys. This one time I watched a documentary about a man-eating mountain lion in Montana. Apparently it ate a few dumbass hikers and developed a taste for human meat, so it got really ballsy, so ballsy in fact that it started snagging people close to the city!"
"We don't have any mountain lions in Noorwood, dumbass."
Carl protested, to which Finn gave a snarky response.
"So what? We still have black bears! This could be history repeating itself, just think about it!"
"Yeah? Well if that were the case, then Gonzalez or Price would be like, half-eaten and shit!"
As the two continued to argue, Daniel's gaze shifted from the ceiling, he looked over in Amanda's direction and noticed that Lauren wasn't there with her. Confused, he stood up from the chair, before turning to Lyla and excusing himself.
"Give me a minute, will you? I gotta talk to Amanda..."
As Daniel walked over towards her, he kept looking around the hall, maybe Lauren was already back and talking with someone in the corner. When Amanda noticed him, she quickly wiped a tear from the corner of her eye.
"Hey... What's up?"
Daniel dropped into the empty seat beside her. For a moment, neither of them spoke. He glanced at the front doors, still shut, then leaned closer, lowering his voice.
"Where'd she go?"
Amanda blinked, not quite following.
"Mom... Where did she go? She whispered something to you before she left. What was it?"
Daniel clarified, his tone sharp but quiet. Amanda hesitated to answer.
"She... She got a call from work... Said it was urgent."
"...Work?"
Amanda avoided his eyes, staring at the flowers up front instead. Thomas sighed, a moment later he noticed Lyla walking up to them. He scooted over to the chair next to him, before nudging Amanda's shoulder, urging her to do the same. Amanda looked over at him a bit confused, before turning her head and also noticing Lyla.
"Oh... Sorry, Lyla."
Amanda apologized before also moving over to the next chair, making room for Lyla to sit between her and Daniel.
"Thanks... Sorry if I'm intruding or something... I just can't stand listening to Carl and Finn going off about that gross man-eating animals stuff..."
"No, no, it's okay. I think we're gonna be heading out soon anyway... No point dwelling around after the speech already ended... It's good to see you again, Lyla... How are you holding up?"
"Oh, you know... Pretty much like always, my condition has been bothering me a lot lately so... I'm kind of behind with school, but I think that I'll..."
The sound of the conversation between Lyla and Amanda was drowned out by that same ringing in the ears Daniel experienced that morning, hearing that Lauren has left the wake because she got a call from work made his mind wander back to something that happened in the past... It was a month after the death of James Anderson, the clock nearing 9 PM. Daniel was sitting in bed, when he heard his mother screaming into the phone downstairs. Concerned, he left his room and quietly walked down the stairs.
"I don't care what the paperwork says, he was a police officer for fifteen years! He gave this town everything, and you're telling me my kids don't qualify because he wasn't on duty?"
Daniel slowed near the bottom step, the words hitting him before he could brace for them.
"No! Don't you dare tell me you're sorry! Sorry doesn't pay the mortgage! Sorry doesn't put food on the table! He died in a car crash on his way to work, and you're calling it personal time?"
Her free hand slammed against the counter, making Daniel flinch. She didn't notice him standing there, half-hidden in the shadow of the doorway, staring.
"...So that's it?! Nothing? Because of some clause in the fine print, my children get nothing?! Do you even understand what you're saying to me? I have two kids who just lost their father, and now you're telling me they'll lose their home too!?"
A pause. Her breathing ragged. She dragged her fingers through her hair, eyes wide with disbelief at whatever calm voice that spoke back on the line.
"I don't want your condolences! I want help! I want what my husband earned! If this is how you treat the family of a man who wore the badge, then you might as well come and kick us out on the street yourself!"
The receiver slammed into the cradle. For a long moment, Lauren just stood there, both hands braced against the counter, shoulders shaking, before finally breaking down into tears. Daniel stayed frozen in the doorway, a hollow pit opening in his stomach. He went back up the stairs as quietly as possible, before walking into his room and collapsing on his bed. Daniel might have been just 14 at the time, but that was old enough to understand the gravity of the situation. James was the one providing for the family, while Lauren took the role of a stay-at-home mom. With James gone and, the insurance company not wanting to pay out and no other relatives who could help, Lauren tried borrowing as much money as she could so they can at least make it through the month. However all she could do was delay the inevitable. They were going to lose the house in the middle of winter, it was just a matter of when.
"Yeah... No... I'm not going on the school trip after all..."
That was when Daniel overheard Amanda talking on the phone with someone in her room. Her voice sounding like a poor attempt to come off as nonchalant.
"...Yeah, money's kind of tight right now with, you know... My dad and all..."
Amanda was no fool either, she knew how grim their situation was, but still tried to cover it up with her friends at school. Daniel was well aware of how much Amanda was looking forward to this trip. Since it was announced 3 months in advance, she couldn't shut up about it. Daniel gritted his teeth, sick of all this bullshit. He left his room and walked downstairs, before picking up his coat and storming out of the house without a word. Lauren must have been too distracted to notice, because normally she wouldn't let him go out at this hour. He walked in the cold for what felt like hours, before eventually getting tired and sitting down at a bus stop. He wondered why things had to turn out this way, why were they going to get kicked out from their own house? Why did his dad say that to him just before they crashed? Daniel shivered, as the wind started to pick up. But then again, his life has already fallen apart as it has, so what difference was a little cold anyway? Suddenly, Daniel saw a car driving on the road, quickly noticing it was a cop car. Just as he was about to stand up and hide behind the bus stop, the car honked at him, making it known that whoever was inside already saw him. As the car pulled up the the bus stop, the driver rolled down his passenger-side window.
"What the hell are you doing out here, Daniel?"
Inside sat none other than Dave, James' partner. Trying to play it off, Daniel gave a half-assed answer.
"S-Sorry, Officer Dave, I was already on my way back home, but then I got tired and-"
"Oh yeah? Well that's great, since you were already on your way back, I'll give you a ride."
Sensing the irony in his voice, Daniel rolled his eyes and stood up, as he walked over towards the car and got into the passenger-side seat, closing the door behind him.
"...Hope you like your coffee black, because that's all I've got."
Dave said, as he handed Daniel a thermos. Without a word, Daniel took a sip of the bitter, but warm coffee. Dave took out his cell phone and called someone, presumably Lauren.
"Hey, I found Daniel... No, he's not hurt, just cold... Yeah... I'll drive him back home, might take us a while though... Yeah, the road is slippery as hell... Alright, bye."
He sighed, as he placed his phone back into his pocket. After a moment of silence, Daniel glanced over at Dave, seeing his disapproving look, Daniel's eyes darted away.
"...Look... I know you're angry, and confused, and that none of what happened is fair... And I understand that right now you probably want nothing more than to just... Disappear... But think about your mom for a second. Don't you think she's already going through enough without you pulling stunts like this? So tell me... What's going on? Why'd you run off, kiddo?"
"........Nothing, I'm fine..."
"Yeah? Well, I can clearly tell that you're not. So don't try to hide your problems from people, you're not very good at it... This isn't just about your dad... Is it? So what's really going on? You know you can talk to me, right?"
He didn't answer, believing he could wait Dave out, and that eventually he'd give up and just take him back home. But after sitting there in silence for a few minutes and Dave not budging, Daniel finally spoke up.
"...I just couldn't spend another second in that house... Between mom screaming at people from the insurance company saying we're gonna lose the house... And Amanda pretending everything is fine, I was about to go crazy..."
"...Lose the house? Insurance company? What are you talking about?"
"I mean, I only heard some of it... But apparently they don't want to pay out... Because dad wasn't on duty when he died, or something..."
Another moment of silence, Dave mumbled something about "soul-sucking fuckers" under his breath, before turning his attention back to Daniel.
"...Alright, I'm gonna drive you home now..."
After a twenty-or-so-minute ride, they got to their destination. Daniel and Dave left the car and walked towards the front door. When they went inside, Lauren was sitting in the living room. When she noticed them getting inside, she quickly confronted Daniel.
"Do you have any idea how much you scared me, Daniel?! Never, and I repeat NEVER do anything like that again! Is this how-"
"Lauren, I uhhh... I think he gets it. Could we talk, you know... In private?"
Dave tried to de-escalate the situation, as much as she had to say to Daniel right now, Dave's serious tone made her let go of it for now.
"...Take a bath and go straight to bed... The last thing we need right now is you getting sick..."
Daniel nodded his head and walked up the stairs, hearing Dave and Lauren whisper about something on the way. Over the next few days, the chaos that had consumed their lives slowly began to ease. Bills were still scattered across the kitchen counter, but now they were paired with hope instead of dread. Daniel learned that Dave had quietly stepped in to help, borrowing $8,000 from his own emergency fund to cover the expenses that had been piling up. He also reached out to an old friend in Fargo, someone who had the connections to offer Lauren a steady, well-paying job. Within days, Lauren had an interview lined up, and soon she began working again, earning enough to keep the house and rebuild their stability. Dave had saved the Andersons from the brink of ruin, and he had done it without fanfare, without expecting anything in return... And what he got as a thank you nearly two years later was Lauren leaving his wake under the pretense of an "emergency at work", the very job he had pulled her into back then.
"Well... A lot of people have already left, I think it's time we should also get going."
Thomas said after looking around the hall, most of the attendees, including Carl and Finn were already gone. Amanda nodded in response.
"Yeah... Well, it's been nice catching up, Lyla. See you around."
"For sure... See you guys."
Amanda and Thomas stood up from their chairs before quietly heading towards the front door. That's when they were approached by Amanda's friend, Julia.
"Hey, you two..."
"Oh... Hey Julia."
For a moment, they just stood there in silence until Julia spoke up.
"I'm sorry about Dave, Amanda... And I'm sorry for not calling or checking up on you, but I thought you wanted to be alone, a-and I didn't want to bother you, so..."
"No, no, it's okay, Julia... How are you doing?"
As they continued chatting, Lyla sighed, she was hoping that Daniel would stop being so distant with her, yet it seemed like that wouldn't change anytime soon. But that was not a conversation she was at all ready for.
"Well... I think we should get going too..."
Lyla said with a sigh. She got up from the chair and started walking, but after a few steps she noticed that Daniel wasn't following her. She turned to look at him, only to see him still sitting in the chair. Just as she thought this was a repeat of this morning, and that Daniel would snap out of it and apologize, she noticed his left hand tightly clenched into a fist, twitching.
"...Daniel?"
She spoke out, her voice soft. She slowly sat back down next to Daniel, concerned.
"...Are you okay?"
She asked but got no response. That was when she noticed his face; his usual uninterested, deadpan expression wasn't there. Instead, his face was plastered with what could only be described as anger. His eyes were narrowed, staring at the ground, jaw clenched. For the first time in a long while, she saw something that didn't at all feel forced, and it made her chest tighten. Lyla slowly reached out her hand, placing it on Daniel's clenched fist. His whole body twitched as he snapped out of whatever it was that made him act this way. The anger on his face quickly disappeared as he looked over at Lyla.
"Are you..."
"S-Sorry! Sorry! I uhh, got lost in thoughts, yeah! What were you saying?"
He quickly got up from the chair, with a clear panic in his voice. Almost like Lyla saw something she wasn't supposed to see. The two stared at each other for a moment before Lyla finally said:
"I was saying, that we should... You know, get going..."
"Yeah, right, let's do that! Come on then!"
Lyla thought that nothing had changed; now she realized that something did. But not in the way she hoped for. Daniel was still dishonest, but now it seemed like he was slipping up. It was almost like... An actor had forgotten his line in the middle of a performance... Meanwhile, Carl was walking back home, pulling his hoodie tighter as he cut through the quiet streets of Noorwood. The wake had left a strange weight in the air, heavier than the damp, cold wind. His sketchbook was tucked under his arm; he hadn't even realized he'd brought it along until he reached into his pouch bag when buying water at a store. He couldn't help but notice Daniel was a bit out of it today, but what would he know? First Daniel lost his dad, and now Dave? Still, Daniel's reaction when Carld told him about Dave was strange, to say the least... Suddenly, the hairs on his neck prickled. Carl slowed, looking over his shoulder. The street was empty, but still, his stomach clenched tight.
"...Hello?"
His voice came out quieter than he intended, swallowed almost instantly by the empty street. A rustle answered him, too deliberate to be just the wind. It came from the treeline at the edge of the road. But when he looked, there was nothing there. He forced a laugh under his breath.
"...Jesus, Carl. You're really losing it."
Despite seeing nothing in the treeline, he found himself walking a little bit faster this time. Something just felt... Off. By the time his house came into view, his palms were a bit sweaty. He fumbled with the keys at the door, and once he was inside, he checked that the door was locked two times. But the feeling didn't fade... Back at the town hall, Daniel and Lyla were just leaving. A strange sense of unease filled Lyla after seeing Daniel "break character", all that to say, she's had enough for one day and decided it would be best to go home and process what she saw.
"Well... I think I'm gonna go home now... It is gonna start getting dark soon, after all... And my dad insists I get home before he goes out for the night..."
"...Yeah, do you want me to walk you back?"
"You don't have to..."
The two of them stood there in silence for a moment, both already knowing this was where they part ways for today. Lyla was making it pretty clear that today didn't go all that well, and that their break from each other was not over yet.
"...Bye then."
"Yeah, see you..."
Lyla turned, walking down the sidewalk. Daniel sighed, doing the same. As he walked, he couldn't help but think about his screw-ups today.
"...I pretty much ruined it as soon as I left the house, huh... I mean, what the hell was I thinking when I blurted out that she looked fine? She's definitely gonna think I'm a fucking weirdo now... Best case scenario, our "break" from each other has gone from temporary to indefinite... Worst case scenario, it just became permanent... But... Maybe it's not all bad... Maybe she really did need to get home early today, with her dad going out and all....... Wait... Didn't she mention something about her dad helping out the cops search the woods?"
As Lyla walked back home, she thought about what happened today, Daniel's behavior was strange to say the last, then again could she really judge him for that? Dave was a close family friend, after all. Could she really judge someone in grief? But it wasn't just today that troubled Lyla, it was a lot more, it's not like all the things that made her question Daniel in the first place didn't happen.
"Hey, Lyla!"
Suddenly, Daniel's voice yelled out behind her. Surprised, Lyla turned around, and saw Daniel running up to her with a clear sense of urgency in his stature.
"W-What is it?"
Lyla asked, a little confused. As Daniel caught up to her, he took a moment to catch his breath, whatever it was that made him run back after her seemed important.
"You said your dad is going out tonight, right?"
"Yeah? He's helping with the search in the woods, why?"
"Then you're not staying home alone tonight."
Lyla blinked, a little taken aback.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm serious... Whoever killed Dave and Ellie is still out there. If your dad's gone, that leaves you, what? Sitting at home all by yourself? No way."
"Daniel..."
Lyla started, but he quickly cut her off.
"Lyla, I'm not asking. You'll stay at my place. My mom's pulling another late shift, Amanda's there, it'll be much safer that way."
To Daniel, it felt obvious. Necessary, even. But Lyla just stood there, arms folding, studying him with that sharp gaze.
"Huh? Do you even hear yourself? You're 'not asking'? What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Do I not get any say in the matter? What makes you think you can talk to me this way?"
"Fucking listen to me!"
The words tore out of him before he could stop them. His voice cracked with a force that made Lyla freeze. He'd never yelled at her before. Not in over a decade of friendship, not in the year they'd been together.
"Ellie Price was killed in her own fucking backyard! What makes you think that sick fuck would have any problem breaking down your windows and getting inside? Hell, the front door of your house is one solid kick away from breaking off the hinges!"
His breath came hard, chest rising and falling. A dog barked from somewhere down the street, as if to punctuate his outburst. Silence crashed between them.
"...If something happened to you, then I'd....."
The words caught in his throat. He couldn't finish them. The concern in his voice felt real. And as awkward as this was going to be, Lyla knew that Daniel had a point, and being completely honest, the prospect of being home alone at night scared her more than she cared to admit. She sighed, shaking her head.
"Fine... Just for tonight..."
She started walking again, leaving him to follow a step behind. Daniel's hands curled into fists in his pockets. He asked this for her safety. But the look on her face made him wonder if all she saw was someone trying to cage her. A few hours later, the bar was almost empty by the time Rick slammed down his glass for the third time. A couple of regulars sat hunched over in silence, the low hum of the TV doing little to cover the scrape of his chair against the floor as he stood.
"This one's for you, Davey... You deserved better than this... Better than me."
Rick muttered, voice rough, raising his glass to no one in particular. His hand trembled, the liquor sloshing over the rim. Markus gave him a wary look but didn't say anything. Rick downed the rest and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He couldn't help but feel conflicted. He was pissed at Bennet for taking him off the case and forcing him to go on mandatory leave, but during that speech he gave? It seemed like he knew Dave better than Rick himself... But that's probably because it was true. The Gonzalez brothers weren't on the best of terms during their childhoods. Their father died during a factory accident, leaving the 3-year-old Dave, the newborn Rick, and their mom on their own. Their mother worked as a housekeeper at a hotel. Being the younger brother, Rick had everything he asked for. Bikes, Walkmans, you name it. Dave didn't have anything except books from the library. By the time they reached adulthood, Dave devoted himself to studying, while Rick spent his nights partying. At 22, Dave became the youngest police officer in Noorwood's history. Meanwhile, Rick was "living his youth to the fullest". While Dave spent years building a reputation in the police force, Rick squandered his, still living like a teenager. All the long, demanding hours finally took their toll on their mother, and she passed away at the age of 57. By the time she died, Dave had already established himself as one of the most respected cops in Noorwood, while Rick faced the harshest reality check of his life. If not for his brother's support, Rick would have ended up on the streets. After that, he finally decided to get his life in order. Not even for himself, but to make Dave proud. With Dave's help, he landed a janitor job, and eventually, Rick became a cop too. But all of it only seemed to disappoint Dave even more. Years of drinking had left their mark, and no matter how many times Dave berated him, Rick was never able to quit for good... With his vision already wobbly, Rick stared at the empty glass in front of him. Then, his eyes gazed at the bottle of whiskey that Markus gave him yesterday; nearly a fourth of it was already gone.
"We always end up having the same conversation, don't we?"
Dave's words echoed through Rick's head. As Markus poured a drink for another regular, he heard a familiar bell ring out. He glanced over towards the front door and watched as Rick stumbled out of the bar with the bottle of whiskey in hand. The night air was sharp, burning his lungs. He pulled his jacket tighter as he made his way down the cracked sidewalk. Noorwood felt hollow without Dave. Like the town had lost the one man keeping its spine straight. And what was left? Him. A washed-up cop on leave, drinking himself stupid while a killer prowled the woods. A man who wasted away nearly 30 years of his life doing nothing. Who promised to make his older brother proud, but dragged his feet about it for so long that his brother was now dead. Rick started glancing around his surroundings, and that was when he saw it. There, at the far end of the street, between two flickering lamps, was a shape. Tall, too tall to be a man. Still. Watching. Rick blinked, rubbed his eyes. Convinced his intoxicated mind was playing tricks on him. But when he looked again, it was still there. This time, however, two glowing points pierced the darkness. One red, the other purple. Rick's eyes locked on them, and slowly, the shape began to take form. Human-shaped, but... Wrong... Like a child's drawing twisted into reality, crooked, misshapen, and unbearably off.
"What the fuck..."
Rick kept staring at it, still sure that he was just imagining things, he closed his eyes. Convinced the thing would disappear when he reopened them.
"...One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven... Eight... Nine..... Ten..."
When Rick opened his eyes, the shape vanished in a single, lightning-fast dash, melting into the inky darkness of the woods. His heart slammed against his ribs, and in his shock, the bottle of whiskey slipped from his fingers, shattering across the sidewalk with a sharp crash that echoed through the still night.
"FUCK!"
He cursed, stumbling backward, and then tumbling onto the sidewalk, the cold concrete jarring through him as his pulse raced.
"Ugh! FUCK!!"
He yelled into the night, his voice trembling, before stumbling back on his feet. By the time he reached his porch, he was sweating. He unlocked the door fast, slammed it shut behind him, then leaned against it, chest heaving.
"No more..."
He mumbled to himself as he tried to calm down. He took a deep breath.
"No fucking more..."
Dinner at the Anderson house that night was, without a doubt, the most awkward in its history. Daniel, Amanda, and Lyla all sat in the dining room eating overcooked spaghetti with a microwaved store-bought sauce smeared all over it, its strange smell, overly sweet taste and greasy texture made it that much more unappetizing. Between Daniel snapping at both Amanda and Lyla in the span of one day, Amanda not being able to have the talk with Daniel about his recent strange behavior, and Lyla feeling forced to be here, all three of them somehow felt more uncomfortable than at the wake earlier today.
"...Excuse me..."
Lyla broke the deafening silence, getting up from the table and walking off towards the toilet. Daniel and Amanda kept eating in silence. After a moment, Amanda decided to use the chance she got to be alone with Daniel and asked:
"You've been kinda out of it today... Are you... Feeling alright?
"I'm alright... A little tired, maybe."
She figured as much, but this wasn't the best of moments to have a serious talk anyway. Seeing it was suddenly decided that Lyla was staying over tonight. Maybe that was for the best? Maybe Amanda could use the extra time to actually figure out what she'd say to this brother of hers, who seemed more and more like a stranger with each passing day. The two kept on eating in silence, when Amanda finished her food, she stared at Daniel for a moment. Before standing up and picking up her plate. Without a word, she walked over to the kitchen and washed her plate. When she was done, she placed it on the dish dryer. When she passed Daniel on her way through the dining room towards the stairs, she stopped in the doorway. After a long moment of hesitation, she asked:
"Tell me... Was there ever a single time you didn't lie to me?"
".....What?"
Daniel looked over at Amanda. She stood in the doorway, her back turned. She sighed.
"...Nevermind, I'm going upstairs."
And so she did. Without another word, she walked up the stairs, presumably to her room. Though her words confused him, for some reason, Daniel still felt a weird sting in his chest. As minutes passed, Daniel realized Lyla has been in the toilet for quite some time now. He stood up from the table and walked into the kitchen, reaching into a cabinet and taking out a cup. Meanwhile, Lyla sat slumped on the toilet, one hand braced against the wall, waiting for the last cramp to pass. Her stomach gave a weak protest, then finally settled. She let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding
"Almost done... Thank God..."
She reached for the toilet paper, moving carefully, as though any sudden motion might start it all up again. The cheap bathroom fan whirred uselessly overhead, not quite loud enough to drown out the sounds she was convinced had carried straight through the thin walls.
"Fuck... This is so embarrassing... They heard everything, didn't they?"
Her reflection in the mirror caught her eye when she stood. Pale, damp hair clinging to her temple, a pinched look around her mouth. She splashed some water on her face, forcing herself to breathe. After standing in the bathroom for a minute to compose herself, she slowly unlocked the bathroom door. She walked back to the dining room, but to her surprise, Amanda and Daniel weren't there anymore.
"Over here."
Daniel's voice spoke out from the kitchen. Lyla turned her head toward him, he was pouring hot water into a cup. The moment it made contact with the tea bag, hot steam curled upward, carrying the sharp, minty smell of peppermint.
"Is that..."
"...Yeah, I noticed you were taking a bit long in the bathroom, so I made you some, you know... Just in case... There's also some plain crackers in the cabinet if you're still hungry."
Beside her dad an a couple of teachers, Daniel was the only person who knew about her IBS. But he never judged or looked down at her for it. That was one of the reasons why she liked him so much in the first place. In the quiet moment, the two looked at each other, keeping eye contact for a bit, before Lyla looked away, feeling a little bashful.
"...Thanks, Daniel."
"Yeah... No problem."
Out of all the clumsy gestures of concern Daniel had thrown at her today, the forced smiles, the awkward small talk and the empty reassurances? This one was different. For the first time, in Lyla's eyes, his care didn't feel like an act. It felt real.
"...Well, I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired... I think I'm gonna call it a day... Fell free to you know... Watch TV or something if you're not sleepy yet."
"Heh... You know that unlike someone, most people actually go to sleep at a normal time, right?"
Hearing that, Daniel couldn't help but crack a weak smile. He walked past her, heading toward the stairs. He stopped for a moment, turning to her.
"Yeah, sure... Well, goodnight, Lyla."
"...Goodnight, Daniel."
It was maybe 20 minutes later when Daniel laid in bed. He was totally exhausted, but not in a good way, like when you lie down after a day full of productivity. No, between watching Ellie Price die in his dream, seeing his eyes change color, vomiting, the nausea that accompanied him throughout the day, and the wake for Dave and Ellie? He was physically and mentally exhausted, like all life had been drained out of him. No wonder he was constantly out of it and snapped at Lyla and Amanda. But the worst part of the day was still ahead of him. And that was going to sleep. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to just rest and fall asleep, but on the other, what if he gets another one of those horrible dreams? What if he dreams of somebody dying again, and then that person ends up dead again? What if this keeps happening every night?
"....Looks like I'm not the only one tired after today, at least....."
The house was dead quiet. Daniel kept his eyes locked on the window; whenever his eyelids started closing, he forced them open again and again until he finally fell asleep... Daniel's dream began the way they always did: in pieces. A sound first, boots crunching on leaves, heavy and hurried. Then the smell of damp earth. Then the cold seeped into his bones like he was standing out there himself.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
A voice rang out, it echoed from all directions. It seemed familiar, but Daniel couldn't quite put his finger on who it belonged to. Branches snapped around in the dark. For a split second, nothing. Then, loud and sharp static broke the silence, the voice spoke out once more.
"Rick, can you still hear me?"
Suddenly, the dark woods illuminated themselves, taking on a blood red color, it was strange, there was no light source, it almost seemed like the moon had suddenly turned red, lighting up the entire forest with its glow. A footstep on the damp, wet grass rang out throughout the forest, and almost as if on command, the hue of Daniel's surroundings turned into that of dark purple.
"Humans are such frail creatures... A sprained ankle is all it takes to completely immobilize them... No fangs, no claws... And to think such a weak species took over the world."
Suddenly, a different voice rang out, a calm and raspy one. It felt like it was ringing around in Daniel's head, he felt like someone was drilling into his ears. But he couldn't move, he couldn't even close his eyes.
"WHO ARE YOU?! WHAT DO YOU WANT?!"
The first voice yelled out, clearer than before, Daniel finally regonised it was Dave's voice. That was when Daniel noticed a twisting figure emerge from the trees, with each step it took, the woods shifted in color from red to purple, over and over again, and a faint hiss of static rippled through the air, like a broken radio trying to find a station. The figure was getting closer and closer to him with each step.
"A powerful weapon, isn't it? All you have to do is aim it, pull it's trigger in order to deal a fatal blow..."
Daniel began to shake, the figure was getting faster and faster, rushing straight at him. Finally, a loud gunshot rang out, and suddenly, Daniel was now looking at something different. Dave sat down, leaned against a tree. A faint smoke coming out from the barrel of his gun. Daniel's eyes slowly wandered at whatever it was that Dave just shot. That same twisting shape stood there.
"...Is that all?"
The thing spoke, looking down at Dave, like it was mocking him. Suddenly, Dave got up and started running. Daniel also moved, but he didn't walk. It felt like his vision was somehow following Dave as he ran through the dark woods. Then, suddenly, they both stopped in place as Dave's body convulsed. The air split with a sickening, wet squelch, like someone plunging a hand into raw meat. Blood sprayed across the leaves. Daniel looked down, seeing that something pierced right through Dave's abdomen. A sharp, tentacle like thing, still slightly moving. Daniel's eyes slowly truned to see what stood behind Dave. There it was, the body shaped like an adult man. Skin somehow darker than the night itself. Long, white, almost silver hair waving in the wind. Its heterochromic eyes glowed in the dark. One red, one purple. Dave's body hit the ground, but the forest didn't move. Leaves didn't stir, the only thing alive was the shifting of those silver hairs in the wind. The creature just stood there, then, ever so slowly, it looked straight at Daniel. Suddenly, he woke up gasping, heart slamming against his ribs, his sheets clinging to his skin with cold sweat.
"Hah.... Haaahh..... Fuck....."
Daniel muttered under his breath before looking around his room. It was already morning, the sun lighting up his room. Everything seemed to be in the right place. Daniel slapped himself on the face a few times just to be sure, but it looked like he really did wake up. For a moment, he just sat there in bed, silent. Then, he started to quietly laugh.
"Hahahahahaha..... I must be going fucking crazy..."
Daniel sat up in bed, his chest still heaving from the dream. The pounding in his head hadn't gone away. If anything, it had only gotten worse, like something was burning behind his eyes. He pressed the heels of his palms against them, willing the images away. He dragged himself out of bed, his shirt clinging with sweat, and shuffled down the stairs. Amanda was at the dining table, a textbook spread in front of her, pencil tapping against the page. She looked up when she heard the creak of the stairs.
"...You're up awfully early today."
"Yeah, sure, whatever..."
Daniel rasped, filling a glass of water with shaky hands and drinking half it in one go. When he turned back toward the living room, Amanda was staring at him. Her eyes had narrowed, like she was trying to line up a puzzle piece that didn't fit.
"...What?"
He asked, setting the glass down a little too hard. Amanda tilted her head slightly before answering.
"What's up with your eyes?"
Daniel froze.
"W-What about them?"
"Are you still asleep or something? Why are your eyes yellow? Are these colored lenses or something?
For a second, neither of them moved. Her gaze locked with his before Daniel finally found the right words to say.
"Uhh, yeah! L-Lyla gave me these to try on..."
"Ohh... Well, FYI? It looks stupid."
"Yeah, right, I'll go take these right off!"
Daniel turned away, heading for the stairs without another word, but his hand lingered on the banister a second too long. In his chest, his heartbeat hadn't slowed. When he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed Lyla walking out of Lauren's bedroom.
"Good... Good morning...."
She turned to him with a yawn, still half-asleep. Daniel rushed past her, heading straight for the bathroom. Locking the door behind him, he turned on the tap and after bracing himself for a moment, he looked into the mirror... And there is was. Just like yesterday morning, the same golden tint painted his eyes. But this time he couldn't say he was just seeing things. Amanda saw it too. Meanwhile, Lyla slowly made her way downstairs, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Morning, Lyla."
Amanda noticed her, to which Lyla gave a small nod as hello. She sat down across from her by the table, and after a brief silence, spoke up.
"...Is there any toast?"
Just as Amanda was about to answer, they both heard a loud slap coming from upstairs. Confused, they both looked up at the ceiling. In the bathroom, Daniel stood by the mirror, the palm of his hand and his face both burning from the intense slap he just gave himself. But somehow, it still was there. That golden glow in his eyes. And then? A moment later, his eyes once more reverted back to their natural color. For the past two days, Daniel thought he was losing his mind, the unexplainable dreams, his eyes changing color. But now, in the light of this morning's events, another thought came to mind. One that scared him much more than the prospect of going crazy... What if somehow... All of this was real?
"...What if I'm not going crazy?"