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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKj8MbhPJVD
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"Sasha! SASHA!"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZbWuUQT3Y8
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No response. Just as my anxiety began to spike, her voice came again, faint but steady. "I'm over here."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOCDX1PIubk
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1k1xQOszoA
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyx2hAHdb6N
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"Can you believe it?" Sasha whispered, her voice trembling despite her attempt at excitement. "This place has an underground room."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡot8QZMz5NJ
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbdKTRLVu8
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwoEEM9uIC
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"Are you okay?" Maya asked, her voice tight with concern.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9mI8dnjOU3
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"Is that an underground room? Sick!" Martin said, his eyes lighting up.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdNagCCnroX
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwCPTfdoxT9
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"Which book?" Hendrick asked, his tone curious.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdV3s7aUP8m
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"I think it was Catch-22," Sasha said.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6uIUBolvk
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"Where does it lead?" Martin pressed.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxkIkvuRkf
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"I haven't looked yet."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELtN5FeTQx
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkniJtRSeY
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxa1kLqXAcq
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"Are you saying you're not curious about what the Whites are hiding down there?" Martin challenged.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSgHdvD38w
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I was. Of course I was. But I had the decency to keep that to myself.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT0rJMkl3rQ
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWS76UBBjI
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"Okay, spoilsport," Martin muttered.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1uqbvrvvB
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"Very mature," I shot back. "Did you forget why we're here in the first place?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsWJ7VhaSds
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgPDo649T8
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Cool. But also terrifying.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3fbQz2lq7
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWTZU1uXBE6
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vaoqDnFqP
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"Since when do you smoke?" she asked, her tone casual but probing.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhR8R3OveOI
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"Since when do you smoke?" I countered, raising an eyebrow.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxHVuuRr1x0
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb7GsRkqFmA
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"Is it?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DnHpvKmck
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoC9T7eMF24
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I didn't respond immediately, my gaze fixed on the horizon as the sun dipped lower in the sky.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDhaeNZb25
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"Do you hate me?" Sasha asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRGN8Ctf0f
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I turned to look at her, surprised. "Why would I hate you?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUy2P800BTR
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"Because I was the one who told Maya and the principal about your addiction."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciAFnsIPdF
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I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I don't hate you for that."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡACukGon66p
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"So you do hate me," she said, her tone half-joking but with an undercurrent of seriousness.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNj1Ip6rgZK
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"I don't hate you," I said firmly. "But I've been avoiding the clubhouse for a reason."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysorx0ygoi
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"Is it because of me and Martin?" she asked, her voice tentative.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56OwqI0N3a
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"It's Hendrick," I said bluntly. "I can't stand his face."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJkCfOtVKE
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Sasha gave me a look, her eyes narrowing. "Why can't you be serious for once?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrE437c5HoE
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHr4tXR51rP
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ641dBLsepG
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I hesitated, the words caught in my throat. "Isn't he?" she pressed, louder this time.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2j1TJFikvq
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"Yes," I admitted, the word heavy with unspoken resentment.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MdZUk31CF
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ893uK83ocS
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"Let me go!" she snapped, her voice sharp.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGfE4erlEn
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"Why? So you can punch Hendrick? What good would that do?"12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKyHZR2ODA0
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFiJRlZSpu
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I looked away, my chest tightening. "It doesn't matter what he says. I made my choices."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAViH18anIK
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgx7asDic7q
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWtLEf43yh
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Sasha stared at me for a long moment before nodding reluctantly. "Fine."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8p6bgk9sY
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"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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMsEwbirgf
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"Yeah," Sasha said, though her tone was still distant.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ543KekF6a0
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwuYYm3VCO8
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4GdgUGlXh
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------
Penana
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