The storm hasn't stopped; it's ongoing. It's the worst storm I've ever laid my eyes on. So dark, grim, and full of mystery. I've never seen a storm last this long. The threads in the air were twisted, distorted by the chaos around us, but I could still sense them,pulling, tugging at me in ways I couldn't explain. I kept glancing over my shoulder, but the street was empty, just shadows and rain.
As I walked beside Audrey, I tried to push the feeling down, tried to focus on the task ahead. But each step felt heavier, like the storm wasn't just outside, it was inside me, feeding off the tension in the air, growing with every uncertain breath I took.
I looked over at Audrey and asked the same question as before. "Do you feel it too?" I asked, my voice low, almost drowned out by the loud rain splashing against the cobblestone.
She nodded; her eyes wide but determined. "Something is always wrong, Clara. I think this is just the first of many feelings to come."
I looked away, upset by the potential trauma I might have caused by entering this town. But I wanted a fresh start, after so many years of trauma, just a crumb of a new beginning was all I wanted. This felt like a one-way ticket to my grave. I wasn't sure if I was up for that risk.
"You're right, Audrey. I just wish I didn't do this to your town," I said, the shame weighing heavily in my words.
"You? You put this town in danger? Clara, it's been in danger for years," she reassured, her eyes glimmering in the light fog.
A tear swiped down my cheek, despite my best efforts to hold it back. "Let's just get to the house so we can analyze this photo," I said, with whatever bit of determination I had left.
She nodded as we turned corner after corner, eventually arriving at my place. When I stepped up to the door, the lights flickered inside, and then I heard something break. I was startled, and Audrey stepped back, almost trembling.
"What could go wrong, right?" I muttered, trying to eat my own words as I slowly opened the door.
"Let's go upstairs, just in case," I said, feeling all of the threads fill the air. This was not what I planned to see. I muttered under my breath, trying to push the unease aside.
"So, you're going to use your power and somehow make this work?" Audrey asked quietly but sternly. "I'll watch your back."
I concentrated, even though it was the hardest thing to do at this point. I breathed deeply, focusing on the photo, a Polaroid, from what it looked like, near the festival sign. This might have been when the festival sign was first put up.
I placed the picture between my hands, and after one deep breath, I felt the wind breeze through my hair, the electric static buzzing through the air. Suddenly, I heard the chattering of townspeople. I was placed near the record store, where Audrey seemed to be polishing some new records. But I wasn't here to gaze in windows, I was here for answers.
I paced up to Ryan, but as I did, I felt the clouds slowly darken. I knew I had to make it quick.
"Ryan, this might sound crazy. You don't know me yet, and I don't know you," I exclaimed in a panic.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" he asked, nervous, but I cut him off quickly.
"We have no time for questions, Ryan. Why does it seem like everyone in this town is under Amelia's control?" I asked, as the clouds turned into a deeper grey.
"Amelia is the best person I know. Do you even know her?" he hesitated before answering.
"She has you under her thumb, Ryan. You're scared, I know you are. I can feel it," I assured him.
He stopped, looking around the town as if seeing it for the first time. "People have died because of her," he said, tilting his head toward me. "She seems so charming, but it's evil... just no good will."
"Why does she do this? Why can't anybody new visit here?" I asked the hard-hitting questions. The wind picked up pace like a wild hurricane. I put my hand on each arm, slowly freezing up.
"The reason why she does this... is simply, " He stopped, as the storm worsened.
"Ryan, answer me. Answer it right now," I demanded, my breath turning to fog in the cold air.
"She wants control," he said, for the first time making sense.
"Of the town?" I asked, and with a quick nod from Ryan, I felt a wave of dread.
"Don't step up to her. Don't go near her. The people that do... die. They always do," he said in panic. "I have to go. I'm sorry. This is overwhelming." And with that, he rushed away.
I stopped, paused, feeling the wind getting colder, my breathing heavier. I needed to get out of this memory before I was dead. I wasn't welcome in this memory any longer.
I held out my hand, feeling it radiate with electricity, with all of these threads intertwining. Then, across the street, I saw Amelia.
She just smiled, very sadistically, and started walking toward me slowly.
I focused on getting out. I took a deep breath and felt everything around me fizzling to nothing. The breeze, the wind, everything. Then, I was back, sitting on the couch.
Audrey paced around nervously, trying to keep calm. But it was clear she was terrified, the threads of her anguish and terror filling the room.
"Audrey, calm down, please," I asked in a light voice.
"I can't, Clara," she whispered, her voice cracking. "The more I think about it, the more she will be out there, watching, waiting to make us disappear, just like Maeve, just like many others lost to her. She doesn't want you here."
"I got a lot of information from Ryan. She wants total control of this town. She wants everyone under her control. None of the new people that visit here have that sort of sensitivity to her." I said, feeling like I was solving a puzzle.
I shifted my focus to Audrey. "If she can't control you, she wants you gone, one way or another."
"So, she wants nothing more than total control. Who knows what else she wants?" Audrey muttered, tapping her foot, pacing around.
"She won't stop. This storm won't stop. Her total control of this place is what Everbrook's downfall will eventually be," I assured her, feeling absolutely terrified.
"So the solution is killing her?" Audrey said, as time felt like it froze.
I stopped with a gasp, staring into the distance. "That's unethical, Audrey," I said, my tone stern. "We can't solve violence with death." I reaffirmed my stance.
"Maybe I can try and find a photo of Amelia, that way you can ask her indirectly." Audrey suggested, trying to make sense of the situation. "I'll head back there, grab the photo, and be right back here."
"That risk is too high now that Ryan isn't too keen on distractions," I said. "It's way too risky." I assured her, getting up from the couch.
I had been running from the truth, trying to avoid the inevitable. But I couldn't anymore. I needed to confront her; this wasn't just about survival anymore. It was about stopping the storm.
"So what? You want to die?" Audrey's voice trembled as she stepped closer, her hands trembling. "Clara, please think about this.
"I'd look in the corner of the room, completely unfocused. Losing track of my thoughts. "This is the only way." I'd say, trying not to think too much of my words. I don't want to be another casualty, another name on a grave in this cursed town. But I couldn't stand by while Amelia tightened her grip on Everbrook. I had to end this. No matter the cost."
"I'd try to sink in the words she said, it felt overwhelming at first. 'This funeral won't be mine, Audrey. It'll be for the end of this trauma. The end of a town chained to her darkness.' I said, walking toward the staircase.
'You can't do this alone,' Audrey's voice broke through, trying to stop me from taking another step down.
'I need to do this,' I replied, my voice steadier than I felt. 'You need peace, just like I need peace. I need to end this. I can't sit idle any longer.
'My eyes locked on the door at the bottom of the stairs, staring at it as though it was watching me with contempt. I didn't know where this courage came from, but if there was one thing I'd learned through all this, it was that sometimes, you have to sit with your fear and face it head-on. If it ends like this... at least I'll know I tried to shed a light on this broken town's darkness.14Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9u2oF4dEHw
