I rushed into the mansion with Masha close behind, my heart pounding as I searched for the source of the scream. It had been Sasha's voice, sharp and panicked, cutting through the silence like a knife. I called out her name as soon as we crossed the threshold, my voice echoing off the high ceilings.12Please respect copyright.PENANAUjwMC7wsWz
12Please respect copyright.PENANA84iyXZnTmH
"Sasha! SASHA!"12Please respect copyright.PENANA7geevxjmYw
12Please respect copyright.PENANARMiEI4Ukxj
No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."12Please respect copyright.PENANAIZVkj545ln
12Please respect copyright.PENANAhP4OcnueLg
I followed the sound to the study, a room lined with towering bookshelves and heavy wooden furniture. The air felt heavier here, as if the walls themselves were pressing in. At first glance, the room seemed empty, but then Sasha's voice echoed from an unexpected direction. "Behind the bookshelf."12Please respect copyright.PENANAwhmMzHXLBV
12Please respect copyright.PENANAvFbbSgWFDv
I stepped closer, my pulse quickening as I peered behind the massive structure. Sasha stood on a narrow staircase that descended into darkness, her face pale in the dim light. A faint, cold draft wafted up from below, carrying with it a smell that made my stomach churn—mildew, yes, but something else too, something metallic and sharp.12Please respect copyright.PENANAkolMeKv9oC
12Please respect copyright.PENANAUO3t4PTIO7
"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."12Please respect copyright.PENANAFyU84jKCvN
12Please respect copyright.PENANADBoX4adIeJ
I stared into the abyss, my heart pounding. The darkness seemed to pulse, as if alive, and for a moment, I thought I heard something—a faint, rhythmic sound, like footsteps echoing from deep below.12Please respect copyright.PENANA96zQrjVkje
12Please respect copyright.PENANAsRozgRPtxz
Before I could respond, the others filed into the study. Maya, Hendrick, and Martin must have noticed Masha standing by the bookshelf, or perhaps she had pointed them in our direction. Either way, they were suddenly crowding around me, their presence making the room feel even smaller.12Please respect copyright.PENANAVLaX1CdUPz
12Please respect copyright.PENANA0E9uDBmksP
"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.12Please respect copyright.PENANA8NHwUldali
12Please respect copyright.PENANAKEmMHCkkz2
"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.12Please respect copyright.PENANAPCnJsZLfdU
12Please respect copyright.PENANA0xkHf8YFVQ
"I know, right?" Sasha replied, ignoring my glare. "I was checking out some of the books, and one of them triggered this mechanism. The shelf just slid open, and I freaked out."12Please respect copyright.PENANAOqwuKasDRZ
12Please respect copyright.PENANA09qcO23iyN
"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.12Please respect copyright.PENANAQ0y7mBomB1
12Please respect copyright.PENANAQnI8aU8Xjr
"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.12Please respect copyright.PENANABGUyTsA6pe
12Please respect copyright.PENANAtdjeTGpH8W
"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.12Please respect copyright.PENANAkJoZ7yThZg
12Please respect copyright.PENANALycqtRVA06
"I haven't looked yet."12Please respect copyright.PENANA41WzZ3sE0w
12Please respect copyright.PENANAHz3mKTcDIw
"Can we explore?" Sasha asked, her eyes darting to Maya, who in turn looked to Hendrick. He exchanged a quick, almost imperceptible smile with Martin before nodding.12Please respect copyright.PENANAdbhNT5KzEL
12Please respect copyright.PENANAqyeSJz9G7Q
Before Maya could respond, I stepped in. "No! Absolutely not!" I said, my voice firm. "Are you guys insane? This isn't our house. We can't just go snooping around. How am I the voice of reason right now?"12Please respect copyright.PENANA0Xbhja3GZ5
12Please respect copyright.PENANA7sp8LpH7PT
"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.12Please respect copyright.PENANAwzG05vw2ck
12Please respect copyright.PENANACMK6rzwfiJ
I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.12Please respect copyright.PENANAsVc1MUfAa1
12Please respect copyright.PENANAXL2BoPXrLy
"Not even a little," I lied. "And even if I were, it doesn't matter. We're here to clean, not play detective."12Please respect copyright.PENANAODJXL7mTvO
12Please respect copyright.PENANARN0ddgYvBK
"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.12Please respect copyright.PENANAXE38U0IDyr
12Please respect copyright.PENANAwo7dW3Suzi
"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"12Please respect copyright.PENANA4eS7TZ9xLw
12Please respect copyright.PENANAYod9e2bIZ2
I reached out to Sasha, helping her up from the staircase. Masha, ever the quiet observer, carefully replaced Catch-22 on the shelf. The mechanism whirred softly, the sound unnaturally smooth, as if the gears hadn't been used in years. The bookshelf slid back into place with a satisfying click that echoed through the room.12Please respect copyright.PENANAetMtBXCuxQ
12Please respect copyright.PENANA1cYmXdhuA3
Cool. But also terrifying.12Please respect copyright.PENANAYrLR5EEDwt
12Please respect copyright.PENANAKSEd2B0u4A
The group drifted back to the living room, but I stayed behind for a moment, my nerves still on edge. I stepped outside, pulling a cigarette from my pocket and lighting it with trembling hands. The cool evening air helped steady me, but my thoughts were still racing.12Please respect copyright.PENANAtQpEJcRkur
12Please respect copyright.PENANACt64fGKMaS
Sasha joined me a moment later, her presence quiet but unmistakable. She held out her hand, and I passed her the cigarette without a word. She took a drag, exhaling slowly before handing it back.12Please respect copyright.PENANAlYz6ehZlmq
12Please respect copyright.PENANAZMh5HODUlG
"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.12Please respect copyright.PENANAFrdDv5CreK
12Please respect copyright.PENANAv04JwpvYUD
"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.12Please respect copyright.PENANAFVf9qM1q5R
12Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6RlxVT34o
She laughed softly, the sound almost lost in the evening breeze. "You know, this is the longest conversation we've had since you got back from rehab."12Please respect copyright.PENANA8pwSGJ5Lgm
12Please respect copyright.PENANAhiA3P0R0aG
"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.12Please respect copyright.PENANADj1qIqM7Gc
12Please respect copyright.PENANASALeunrJ1i
"You've been distant," she said, her voice softening. "I miss having my best friend. And I know Maya misses her sister."12Please respect copyright.PENANAwKkpidgHy6
12Please respect copyright.PENANANqdnlYfjz6
I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.12Please respect copyright.PENANATxd9Da1WRe
12Please respect copyright.PENANAi5vmOLtZ25
"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.12Please respect copyright.PENANAaHyK7h5fFu
12Please respect copyright.PENANAf5ONFIkFT8
I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"12Please respect copyright.PENANAw2d2ThU0nR
12Please respect copyright.PENANARTojxlX77I
"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."12Please respect copyright.PENANAxjndHKHeJ5
12Please respect copyright.PENANAHVZgM5CqPt
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."12Please respect copyright.PENANAFBd6P9XNzL
12Please respect copyright.PENANACaRoOsji2V
"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.12Please respect copyright.PENANAx52xMMI7g1
12Please respect copyright.PENANAh032F9IVjC
"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."12Please respect copyright.PENANAdTltTUiRG2
12Please respect copyright.PENANASUzyiKRhPW
"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.12Please respect copyright.PENANAaKO6lajHXw
12Please respect copyright.PENANAL2jSFauZHe
"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."12Please respect copyright.PENANA3432NTgaY5
12Please respect copyright.PENANAgmC0DUHhlt
Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"12Please respect copyright.PENANALfaSp3N45G
12Please respect copyright.PENANAz6xX8UuHql
"I am serious," I said, though my tone was lighter than I intended. "But fine. The school counselor thinks I blame him."12Please respect copyright.PENANAzRpWwcZKjx
12Please respect copyright.PENANARxyeVK7VeU
"Blame him for what?" Sasha asked, her brow furrowing. Then her eyes widened in realization. "He's the one who introduced you to drugs, isn't he?"12Please respect copyright.PENANAHStYKFQV7O
12Please respect copyright.PENANAGbfUHDJPKh
I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.12Please respect copyright.PENANAlpOsm351uM
12Please respect copyright.PENANAnyNclxjB0v
"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.12Please respect copyright.PENANArX9m4wXpCA
12Please respect copyright.PENANAaPHJRIVkHc
Sasha's face darkened, and she turned on her heel, storming back toward the mansion. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.12Please respect copyright.PENANARzfKoo9bCY
12Please respect copyright.PENANAm1HiTTcmK8
"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.12Please respect copyright.PENANAqyuTxcHKkP
12Please respect copyright.PENANAMjyR3UvZ3B
"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"12Please respect copyright.PENANAvqOOuhasZr
12Please respect copyright.PENANAABBJuKeDZ7
"You have no idea the things he's said about you," Sasha said, her voice trembling with anger. "He acts like it was all your fault, like he had nothing to do with it. If only I'd known the truth."12Please respect copyright.PENANAwugU5868fO
12Please respect copyright.PENANALHYY77L4dQ
I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."12Please respect copyright.PENANA2zZEworGZx
12Please respect copyright.PENANA8JTiukRj3e
"But he made them easier," she shot back, her voice breaking. "He knew what he was doing. And now he acts like he's better than you, like he's some kind of saint."12Please respect copyright.PENANAZeD1oJP2b8
12Please respect copyright.PENANAJxdpljtsE0
I didn't respond, my gaze fixed on the horizon. The sun was sinking lower, casting long shadows across the lawn. "Maybe he is better than me," I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper. "But that doesn't change anything. I'm still here. And I'm still trying."12Please respect copyright.PENANAMOSQAVQs9Y
12Please respect copyright.PENANAb6yZ4Xuxh8
Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."12Please respect copyright.PENANA3MOVHK1O6K
12Please respect copyright.PENANArRm07sFmM6
"Thank you," I said, offering her a small smile. "Evelyn sure is taking her time with those groceries, huh?" I added, trying to lighten the mood.12Please respect copyright.PENANAudvkIU4Jax
12Please respect copyright.PENANANQL9fpQqT0
"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.12Please respect copyright.PENANAUBH1sr8GLC
12Please respect copyright.PENANAeQF6EfcrC9
I sighed and sat down on the ground, the grass surprisingly soft beneath me. "Sit with me," I said, patting the spot beside me. Sasha hesitated before joining me, her shoulders still tense.12Please respect copyright.PENANAASmSxlzJwI
12Please respect copyright.PENANAJLyzcj6jmT
The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was cool, and for a moment, everything felt almost peaceful.12Please respect copyright.PENANAEb6qO6Ecjx
12Please respect copyright.PENANASeLpT0cfcf
------