Just like yesterday morning, that same notion of what could only be described as dread washed over Daniel. A ringing in his ears drowned out all the noise around him as he stared into the mirror, with that haunting question repeating itself in his head.
"What if this is happening for real? What if you're not going crazy?"
Daniel turned his gaze from the mirror, leaning heavily against the sink cabinet before slowly sliding down to the floor. For a moment, he just sat there in silence.
"Hahhhh... What the fuck..."
He mumbled under his breath, perplexed as to what the hell was happening. Amanda saw his eyes change color, that could not be disputed. How was he even supposed to make sense of all of this? Until this morning, he could almost pass everything off as stress finally breaking him down. Ellie Price dying the way he dreamed it? A once-in-a-lifetime coincidence. His eyes shifting color? Maybe he was just seeing things. A trick of the light, even. Sounds extremely weird, but it was all in the realm of possibility. But not this. How in the world was he supposed to explain to himself what had just happened? The possibility that all of this could be actually happening for real freaked him out a hundred times more than the idea that he's starting to lose it.
"...Daniel?"
Lyla's soft voice from outside the bathroom followed by a gentle knock on the door captured Daniel's attention.
"Are you, uhh... Okay in there?"
"...Yeah, what's up?"
She hesitated for a bit. Not sure if she should even ask.
"You've been in there a while... Are you alright?"
"Yeah... I'm just... Thinking"
A pause; Lyla was considering leaving it at that, convinced she wouldn't get a straight answer out of him anyway. Yet something in Daniel's voice made her concerned.
"...Thinking?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Another pause, she must have been leaning against the door; he could hear a faint creak.
"You sound... Off... Did something happen?"
Daniel's throat felt tight. The words came out before he could stop them.
"I... I don't know what's happening to me..."
"...What do you mean?"
He swallowed hard, eyes drifting toward the floor tiles.
".....It's just that... Lately I feel like I'm... Losing track of everything... Like I'm... Watching everything through glass or something, without any control over anything at all..."
Silence fell on the other side of the door. Lyla clearly had a difficult time figuring out what to make of what he said. The moment of quiet made Daniel realise what he had just said.
"Ah... S-Sorry! Forget what I said just now, I guess I'm still half-asleep, I'm just blabbering some stupid nonsense!"
"...Daniel-"
"Seriously, I'm fine!"
He said, sharper than intended. Lyla hesitated for a bit before letting out a long, measured sigh.
"Okay, Daniel... I'm gonna head home, now... So, yeah... Bye for now..."
To that, Daniel had nothing to say. Lyla's footsteps faded down the hall. Daniel himself? He stayed where he was. With his back against the sink cabinet, staring at nothing. It would have been better to go after her and try to have something resembling a normal conversation. Or at the very least, not end things behind a closed door, acting like a lunatic... But what was the point? He didn't think for a second that Lyla believed him. At this point he just hoped that she thought he was sick or going crazy, rather than full of shit... Elsewhere, Rick woke up with the taste of whiskey in his mouth and fire in his chest, heavy heartburn along with a painful headache giving him not-so-subtle hints that he drank way too much last night. He gagged and rolled onto his side, coughing into the pillow until his eyes watered. When it passed, his head took a turn. Morning light leaked through the blinds and went straight for his eyes.
"Fucking hell..."
He mumbled whilst slowly dragging himself out of bed. He fumbled his way towards the bathroom, opening the cabinet and gulping down a couple of ibuprofen tablets, which lately he was scarfing down like candy. Rick took a glance into the mirror; even by hangover standards, he looked like shit. Walking into the kitchen, he dumped two generous spoonfuls of instant coffee into a mug, filled it with hot water, and stirred until it looked barely drinkable. Stepping out on his porch, he sat down on a plastic chair and started drinking. He glanced towards his driveway and immediately took notice that his car was missing.
"Markus must have made me give him the keys again..."
Rick walked back inside and made his way towards the couch; picking up the remote, he sat down and turned on the news. No new statements were given by the police department as of yet. But hey, on the bright side, at least nobody was killed tonight. However, that could very well change after today, couldn't it? Rick glanced around his living room; dirty laundry in the corner, beer bottles and takeout boxes forming a small leaning tower on the table decorated his small, gloomy abode. After finishing the coffee, Rick changed his clothes and walked outside, heading towards the bar to get his car keys back. Twenty minutes later he arrived at the bar's parking lot. The bar was, of course, closed at this time of day, but Rick knew exactly what to look for. He kneeled down by the bench next to the door and lifted the flowerpot, revealing the hiding spot for his car keys. Rick smirked, thinking of how pathetic it was that him getting drunk at the bar was such a common occurrence that there was a designated spot where Markus placed his car keys for Rick to pick up the morning after.
"One of these days I really ought to thank Markus, huh?"
Rick got into his car and started the engine, driving out the parking lot towards home. On his way back, his mind wandered to yesterday night. He got drunk and came home on foot, that much was obvious, however there was still something that bothered him. It was this nagging feeling, telling him that something of importance happened last night, but he just couldn't put his finger on what. That was when something caught his eye whilst he drove. It was a shattered bottle on the sidewalk, could it be that he dropped it yesterday on his way home, but why would he do that? Then again, along with the hangover, another thing he woke up with was a slight pain in his back. He kept on driving home. When he got back, Rick still tried to puzzle together what it was that he seemingly forgot. He threw his coat on the couch, before walking in his bedroom and collapsing on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.
"Ehhhhhh... Davey, what would someone like you do in my position? But what the hell could anyone do in your position? Attacked in the woods by some lunatic..... Wait... The woods..."
That was when a sudden realisation struck him, and everything became more clear. Without wasting a beat, Rick made his way towards the bulletin board hanging on the wall. Meanwhile on Noorwood Main Street, in the Garcia Family Diner, Carl manned the register while his mom cooked in the back. Seeing as school was still canceled for what would probably be the rest of the week, Carl's parents quickly put him to work. Since it was already a little past 9 AM, the diner was almost empty for now, safe for a few regulars, and it would remain that way until lunch time at the very least. Having nothing else to do, Carl drew the street outside in his sketchbook as he leaned on the counter. When he was adding shading to the street pole, he heard a sudden finger snap next to his ear.
"Hey!"
Carl looked up to see his mom, Clare, standing next to him. With an annoyed expression, she held a plate of bacon, eggs, and sausage along with a cup of hot coffee.
"Are you going deaf? Bring this to table 7, on the double!"
"Yeah, right... Sorry."
A little embarrassed over the fact he'd already forgotten that a client placed an order not 15 minutes ago, Carl walked over to the table and gave the elderly man his order, getting a warm 'thank you, sonny' in return. When he got back to the register, he heard his mom calling him over from the kitchen.
"What is it?"
He asked, looking over at his mom as she was in the middle of changing out the coffee machine filter. She gave him a flat look and commented on what had just happened.
"You're slacking again."
"What? No, I'm not slacking, I'm just killing time. And I was by the counter the entire time."
Clare sighed. This was clearly something that they've talked about a good number of times already, Carl seemingly still not getting her point.
"What have I been telling you, Carl? You're not here to goof around and have fun, you're here to work. And at work, you don't go playing around and distracting yourself with nonsense. Do you remember that girl Jessica, who worked here part time one summer, the one that was always on her phone?"
"Yeah, I remember. You fired her."
Clare always had a bug up her ass about 'work etiquette'. As far as Carl could remember, it wasn't like that Jessica girl was mouthing off to customers, rolling her eyes at commands, taking bathroom breaks twenty times a day or spitting in people's drinks. Clare simply caught her texting someone one too many times and fired her not two weeks after she started working.
"Exactly, now what do you think your employer would do if he had to constantly go out of his way to get your attention because you're too busy in dreamland?"
"Yeah, yeah. I get your point already, mom. Do I still get to leave after lunch time? I was supposed to be hanging out with Finn at his place."
"Alright, alright... You can go. Just be sure to come back home before dark, heaven only knows when that maniac is going to attack somebody again."
Carl gave her a nod and walked back to the counter. He glanced over at the sketch, before crumpling it in his hands and throwing it into the garbage can. That same morning, a few members of the Noorwood police force were scouring the woods in search of anything that would give them answers, or even some sort of clue. Since Dave Gonzalez was killed deep in the woods, and Ellie Price was killed in her backyard which was only a few steps from the treeline, their only clue at that point was that whatever, or whoever killed them had come from the woods and might still be there. Harry Bailey was surprised when the cops asked for his guidance searching the woods, but seeing as the department in Noorwood was small, they needed all the help they could get. Moral obligations aside, the thought that his daughter Lyla could share the same fate as Dave and Ellie made Harry's skin crawl. With that in mind, doing his best to help was the obvious choice.
"Hey, Harry! Wait up!"
Turning his head, Harry saw the Chief of Police, Michael Bennet, running up to him. He stopped in place and extended his hand towards Michael when he caught up.
"Hey there, Chief, I didn't expect you'd be joining us."
"Oh, no, no. I'm not. I still have a shit-ton of paperwork to finish up. I just took a short break and drove over, since I never got the chance to thank you in person for helping us out with this mess."
The two men shook hands. Harry nodded toward the treeline, motioning for them to keep walking. After all, every second mattered. As the two walked, Harry gave some reassurance.
"Don't worry, Chief. It's really no big deal. I'm happy to do anything I can to help catch this twisted son of a bitch."
"The twisted son of a bitch, huh? Can't be so sure about that one, Harry. We still haven't officially ruled out the possibility of all this being animal attacks."
Harry smacked his lips. Clearly not convinced.
"I don't know, Chief. Never heard of an animal that goes straight for the heart and nothing else. And besides, what sort of animal could take down an armed, experienced cop like Dave? A defenseless teenage girl like Price? Maybe. But I seriously doubt Dave would go out without at least putting up a fight."
Michael let out a half-laugh, letting Harry know just how obvious of a statement that was.
"Well, we can't know anything for certain yet, so we chase what leads we have. But honestly? We cops are not as stupid as some people think. We're well aware that the chances of this all being the work of some rabid animal are low... But we don't want the town to go into panic, so until we've got all the facts straight? We won't deny or confirm anything... Anyway, it's been a while since we last caught up, how's your daughter doing?"
"She's seen better days, to be honest. But can you really blame her? We're acting strong, but the reality is that this mess is getting to us all... On top of that, she's having some issues with her boyfriend, won't tell me what's it's about though."
"James' boy, right? Ughh... Can't imagine what he's going through right now, first he loses his old man the way that he did, and now Dave? He and his sister must be very broken up about this... And from the looks of it, Lauren seems to have it rough too. Did you know she walked out in the middle of the wake yesterday?"
They kept making their way through the woods while making some small talk. When they reached a path, Harry stopped and started looking around, visibly confused by something.
"The woods have been pretty strange today... Almost feels too quiet, you know? Like everything's keeping its head down. You can't even hear the birds."
Harry spoke in a lowered tone, clearly listening in to the noise around. Taking notice, Michael stayed silent for a moment, before answering in a half whisper.
"I'm no expert at this, but... Couldn't it just be because so many people have been walking around the woods these past two days? Wouldn't all that commotion make the animals stressed and more on guard?"
They both stood in silence for a moment, taking in every surrounding noise. The woods around them lay unnaturally quiet. No birdsong, no rustle of leaves, not even the whisper of wind through the branches. As if the forest itself were holding its breath. After this long pause, Harry finally spoke up.
"Yeah... Maybe."
Back in the Anderson house, Daniel sat on his bed, listening to music, trying keep his mind off this morning. Up until recently, listening to his favorite bands helped him destress, but today? It utterly failed to drown out the intrusive thoughts in his head. Daniel glanced over at the radio, picked up the remote and increased the volume. He got up from the bed, sat over by his desk and stared out the window, watching his empty driveway.
"...Fuck this."
Daniel muttered under his breath. Standing up from the desk, he turned off the music and left his room. Walking down the stairs, he noticed Amanda sitting on the couch, watching the news channel, probably waiting for any sort of updates on the recent killings. Amanda looked over at him as he headed toward the front door.
"Where are you going?"
She asked, to which Daniel shot back an unenthusiastic 'out for a walk' before walking out and closing the door behind him. He figured maybe some fresh air would do him good. As he walked down the sidewalk, Daniel observed his neighborhood. Everything looked just as it always has; the Peterson's dog sat by the fence, barking at everyone who dared walk past their house. A few houses down, the retired Mr. Ross was sitting on his porch, smoking and reading the newspaper, as per his late morning routine. Everything seemed in place, eerily so. It felt almost as if the recent deaths weren't tragedies but things people say, 'Oh wow, that's too bad,' over and move on with their day. And for some reason, it pissed Daniel off. After about 15 minutes of walking, Daniel reached a bridge that spanned over a small river. He decided to take a stop by it, leaning on the railing while watching the water. He rested his forearms against the cold metal railing. The water below moved steadily, carrying leaves and small bits of trash downstream. It made him wonder, was Noorwood the same way as the river? It keeps flowing and doesn't stop, despite all the shit thrown into it.
"...Daniel Anderson, right?"
Daniel glanced over his shoulder. A girl stood a few feet over on the bridge. She looked to be around his age, maybe a little older, wearing jeans and a white hoodie. Wavy blonde hair falling just past her shoulders, a cigarette resting between her fingers. He vaguely recalled seeing her a few times around school, but that was that.
"Yeah, right... Sorry, but... Do I know you?"
She took a drag from her cigarette, then exhaled slowly before answering.
"Don't think so, but I know you."
"...Okay?"
The girl caught the awkward shift immediately. Lifting her hand in a small, placating gesture.
"That came off wrong, sorry. I meant that, after that crash with your dad and the coma? Pretty much everyone knows who you are... My name's Mia, by the way."
Daniel looked back at the water. He nodded once, not trusting himself to say anything. This should come as no surprise to him, really. The car crash that resulted in Daniel falling into a two-month coma and his father dying was the 'big news' of Noorwood for months. Mia stepped closer to the railing, close enough that he could smell the smoke coming off of her cigarette. After a moment, she took the pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and held it out toward him.
"Want one?"
Daniel glanced at the pack, then shook his head.
"No thanks."
"Huh, didn't consider you a health freak."
"Because I'm not. My mom would kill me if she smelled cigarettes on me."
Mia huffed out a short laugh. Daniel's words reminded her of someone.
"Yeah... Some parents are like that."
They stood in awkward silence for a moment. Mia was thinking if it's appropriate for her to say what she wanted to say, while Daniel tried to figure out why she would even approach him. Mia flicked some ash off the cigarette, then finally broke the silence.
"So, uhh... I'm sorry... You know, about Officer Dave. From what I heard him and your family were pretty close."
"...Yeah."
Mia nodded, like she expected that answer. She took another drag, then stared straight ahead.
"This might sound weird, but... I can make a pretty good guess on how you feel... Cuz' I kinda had the same thing happen to me... I was close friends with Ellie Price, you know?"
Daniel's stomach tightened. Why was it that whenever someone mentioned Ellie's name, he felt this... Shame? Or was it guilt? Whatever it was, he had no idea.
"We got into this nasty argument the night she died. Long story short, I stormed off and we both went back home... I think you know what happened to her next."
He did, in more detail than she could imagine, in fact.
"I keep thinking that if we didn't get into that fight and she got home later, then maybe... Just maybe, she'd still be here... I read somewhere that's part of grief. Bargaining, I think."
"I... I'm sorry."
Mia shrugged, not in a dismissive way, but still did.
"Yeah... Well, sorry for unloading that shit on you, I'm gonna leave you alone now."
Mia stubbed out the cigarette against the railing and flicked it toward the water without really looking. When she started to walk away, Daniel held in his breath, as if he was trying his best to keep his mouth shut. But that same feeling he felt when Mia mentioned Ellie made it impossible in the end.
"H-Hey!"
Mia stopped and turned to look at him. Holding onto the railing with one hand, Daniel stared at the sidewalk as he spoke.
"I can't claim to know how you feel, but... D-Don't... Don't blame yourself for this shit. You didn't do anything wrong..."
Mia's expression shifted. Not softened, but something close.
"Thanks... Well, I guess I'll see you around, kid."
"Y-Yeah... See you."
Mia walked off, hands shoved in her pockets. Daniel watched her go for a few seconds before turning back to the river. The water kept moving, just like before. Meanwhile, on the other side of town, Thomas sat by his desk in front of the open chemistry book. Glancing over at his phone every now and again. He called Amanda around ten minutes earlier, but she didn't answer. Assuming she was busy with everything going on, he decided to study a bit more for a test that was supposed to happen this monday, before school was canceled. In the spirit of perfect timing, just as he was about to move on to the next point, his phone rang. It was Amanda.
"Hey."
She sounded a bit off; Thomas took notice nearly immediately.
"Hey... I hope this isn't a bad time. I figured that since you didn't answer, you must be busy or something."
"No, it's fine. I was too focused on the news and didn't hear you calling."
Thomas winced at that. He leaned back in his chair, staring up at the ceiling.
"Yeah... Figures. I wanted to check in, you know. See how you're holding up."
"I'm okay. As okay as can be, I guess."
Thomas exhaled slowly. Of course she'd say that.
"Right... And, uhh... How's Daniel doing?"
"Oh, don't get me started, somehow he's acting even weirder than yesterday. Like half an hour ago, he left the house to go for a walk. And Daniel NEVER goes on walks. He just sits in his bedroom all day until someone manages to drag him out of the house... I'm worried about him. I mean, grief looks different for everyone, but still..."
Thomas didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was quieter.
"Maybe you should talk to him or something? But if he ignores you, then maybe the next time I come over, I could try talking to him?"
"...I don't really want to get you involved in our drama."
Thomas closed his eyes.
"You don't have to deal with everything alone."
"I'll be fine, seriously."
Amanda said after a moment. Thomas didn't push, he knew better.
"...Alright. But if you need anything, anything at all, let me know."
"I will... I promise."
They sat in silence for a few seconds longer, neither quite ready to hang up.
"Well... Thanks for calling. Love you, Thomas."
"Love you too. Talk soon, okay?"
"Sure..."
The call ended. Thomas set his phone down and stared at it for a long moment. It was clear that Amanda needed time. Not only was she grieving Dave's death, but Daniel's strange behavior was yet another thing for her to worry about. Despite Thomas knowing that there was little he could do to help, it still made him feel useless. A few hours later, Carl was done helping out for today; he preferred the term 'unpaid labor,' though that was neither here nor there. He rode his bike over to Finn's house. They were supposed to hang out for a bit and then go do something with Alex, assuming there would be no delays in his travel back home. After no more than ten minutes, Carl made it back to his neighborhood. Finn lived just a few houses over, so Carl left his bike in the garage and walked over to Finn's house on foot. After knocking on the door, he heard Finn shouting from inside.
"IT'S OPEN!"
Since Finn didn't even bother opening the door for him, Carl thought he must be preoccupied with something really important inside... Only to find Finn tinkering with the camera system once again.
"Dude, don't tell me your plan to hang out was for me to do nothing while you worked on that trash again."
"No? Turns out my dad got express shipping on the hard drive I told him to order. He wants to get this camera system up and running as fast as possible. It got delivered like half an hour ago.
Carl sat down on a chair. It seemed like what was once called 'the home office' was now going to be transformed into a half-assed security room. Sure, the death of Ellie Price proved that whoever killed both her and Dave Gonzalez has little concern for getting up close and personal, seeing as Ellie was murdered in her own backyard. But hey, if someone ends up getting killed in Finn's backyard, at least they will get it on video! Assuming, of course, the quality of the over-decade-old cameras will be enough to capture a clear image of the assailant's face. Carl watched Finn tinker with the DVR while muttering something under his breath. After the most boring ten minutes of Carl's life, Finn was finally satisfied and decided to try and boot up the system. And somehow, some way, the piece of junk actually worked.
"Wow... Now what?"
Said Carl, with the enthusiasm of a drowning fish. They waited for the cameras to load up for what felt like an eternity. When they finally did, Carl's suspicions turned out to be halfway true.
"I mean... The quality isn't that bad. But why is it so laggy? I swear the camera on my dad's flip phone records in more frames than this."
"Well, it shouldn't really matter all that much, right? So long as you can actually see something. And besides, what did you expect? These cameras are old as fuck. From what my parents told me, the previous owner installed them after someone's dog started shitting on his lawn."
Carl scratched the back of his head.
"What an amazing reason to buy and install a whole ass camera system. This crap recording? If so, let's go do something already."
"Yeah, yeah. It's recording and should have storage for at least a week's worth of footage before overwriting itself... I hope."
When they finally went outside, Carl stood in the backyard, looking at the crappy camera while Finn was taking his bike out of the rusty metal garage.
"What's taking so long?!"
Carl shouted, to which Finn answered in a 'slightly' annoyed tone.
"The front's tire low on air! Give me a minute!"
Figures. Seems like everything at Finn's house was either decades old, or a good kick away from breaking. Carl rolled his eyes, before leaning on the wall and crossing his arms, waiting. After a moment, Finn yelled out from the garage again.
"Dude, come help me find the air pump! I don't know where the hell my dad put it!"
Carl let out an audible sigh. Since when did taking a minute to prepare before going out with somebody coming over become such an impossible task around here? Just as Carl took a few steps toward the garage, he suddenly felt... Uneasy. Just like yesterday after leaving the wake, he felt something was off. Like some unexplainable part of him had just shifted into gear, trying to warn him about something. But what? Carl started looking around the yard, but of course, nothing was there. That's when he looked over towards the treeline. Both Finn's and his house were on the side of the road neighboring it. He stared at it for a long moment, barely blinking. When suddenly, Finn's voice snapped him out of it.
"You coming or what?!"
For some reason, that made Carl twitch. He looked over towards the garage, then eyed the treeline once more. But just like that, as if by the snap of a finger, the feeling went away. Carl swallowed his spit and, without a word, headed over to Finn. He took a moment to glance over his shoulder and look at the woods one last time. He half-expected to see something watching him. There wasn't. Some time later, the sun was setting across the horizon at a slow, steady pace. Today was one of those rare days when Lauren got home relatively early. Bright, orange sunlight tore through the windows of the Anderson house. Amanda was still watching the news as if it was a nine-to-five, meanwhile, Lauren stood in the kitchen, washing the dishes. The entirety of downstairs was silent, save for the sounds coming from the TV and the scrubbing of plates. A minute or so later, another sound joined in, that being the footsteps of someone descending the stairs. When Daniel reached the end of the stairs, he turned to the kitchen and walked up to the fridge. Noticing Daniel, Lauren glanced at him over her shoulder before returning to her chores.
"...Not sitting with us during the wake was really inappropriate, Daniel. People noticed that."
Hearing that made Daniel freeze in place for a moment. His hand, which was halfway reaching over for a water bottle inside the fridge, retreated. He closed the fridge door and, after a few seconds of silence, spoke up without even looking over at Lauren.
"....What the hell did you just say?"
It took Lauren a moment to register what she just heard; feeling a mix of confusion and bafflement, she stopped what she was doing and turned to face Daniel.
"Excuse me?"
That exchange made Amanda, who up to this point was solely focused on the TV, turn her attention to the kitchen. Almost as if she could feel the tension rising in there.
"Let me get this straight. You walking out in the middle of the wake was okay... But me not sitting with the two of you is somehow inappropriate? What kind of logic is that?"
"That wasn't the same thing. And I really don't appreciate your tone, Daniel."
Daniel's comment obviously didn't sit right with Lauren. He could tell as much from her face, which was plastered with a glare that he knew all too well. Whenever he mouthed off, this expression on Lauren's face was his clear cue to stop, to decide it wasn't worth it. And yet...
"No. You don't get to lecture me. Not after the shit you pulled yesterday."
The air in the kitchen tightened, like something had shifted without anyone touching it.
"I am telling you, Daniel. That was different. What do you not understand?"
"Oh really now? Well, go on and tell me how it's so different! Seriously, I'd love to hear it!"
Daniel could feel his pulse in his ears. Every word Lauren spoke sounded wrong, almost as if it were aimed at someone else, but still hit him square in the chest. Amanda lowered the volume on the TV, though it didn't seem to help much. After all, this argument should have stopped by now. They always do sooner rather than later.
"Because it was work! They needed help at the office, and I had no choice but to go!"
Daniel laughed under his breath, a sharp, humorless laugh that sounded nothing like him.
"Yeah, right! You had no choice, did you? I mean, it's not like you could have, I don't know? Tell them that you were literally in the middle of a wake for someone important that died? And that they'd have to wait no more than half an hour longer?"
He didn't recognize his own voice anymore. It sounded harsher and louder. Like it was coming from somewhere just behind him. Lauren's jaw tightened.
"Watch your goddamn mouth, Daniel! You have no idea, how hard I work to keep a roof over our heads!"
"Fucking work, work! Work! That's all you care about anymore! Tell me something, how come everyone in this house has to meet your ridiculous standards? Everyone, everyone except you?!"
Amanda stood up so suddenly, her chair let out a sharp noise as it scraped against the floor.
"That's enough!"
She said, stepping toward them. But when she realized neither of them even looked at her? She stopped in place. Daniel barely recognized her voice; aside from his and Lauren's voices, the ringing in his ears seemed to drown out everything else in the world.
"How is the fact that work is important so hard for you to comprehend, Daniel? Do you not realize that if I didn't work as hard and as long as I do, we would be homeless by now?!"
"Oh yeah! And while you're busy sucking up to your manager and working unpaid overtime, just for the slim chance to impress your bosses, everything else can go to shit, right?!"
Lauren tried to get a word in, but Daniel wasn't stopping. His words were getting more personal now. And his tone wasn't getting any lower. If anything, it was getting louder by the second.
"Every single fucking day, I do everything in my power to keep this stupid, dogshit farce going! And every fucking day, I keep asking myself, why do I even bother?! So you can spit in the face of all my efforts? So why don't you go ahead and tell me? What's the fucking point?!"
Daniel's hands curled into fists at his sides, nails digging into his palms, grounding himself just enough to stay standing. He could hear his own breathing between phrases. Shallow and uneven, but he didn't stop. Lauren stared at him for a short moment, like she was seeing a stranger standing in her kitchen. Amanda spoke, asking them to stop. But it was more of a powerless whimper than words. In the heat of the argument, Daniel and Lauren probably didn't even register it. Lauren inhaled slowly, her shoulders rising and falling, like she was bracing herself for what she was about to say next.
"How do you think I feel? Try to imagine what's it like seeing you throw away every chance for a future worth having, all while I bust my ass day and night!"
Each sentence felt familiar in the worst way, like he'd memorized them long before she ever said them. That same 'I gave you the chance for this and this and that' bullshit that he kept hearing so often.
"Yeah, right! Some chances you gave me! That would be just perfect, if not for the fact that no matter what I do, it's never good enough for you! It's always 'Did you actually try' this and 'You should do better' that, like clockwork! Nothing, NOTHING is ever fucking good enough for you!"
The room felt smaller now, like the walls had leaned in closer. As if everything around them went dark. Daniel carried on, but this time? It felt less like he was speaking himself and more like the words were tearing themselves out of him on their own.
"And besides, if you're really struggling so much, why don't you just go ask someone for a quick handout, mom? Maybe someone like Dave? Oh, that's right! You can't! Because Dave is fucking dead!"
Amanda just stood there; her whole body and mind were screaming at her to stop them. Break this off before something really nasty happens. But her muscles wouldn't move. It was like she was frozen in place. Lauren's hands started to shake ever so slightly.
"Daniel... Shut up about things you have no idea about."
Lauren didn't yell. She didn't have to. In any normal circumstance, those words spoken in that tone would be a clear warning, but today? It was like Daniel didn't even hear her.
"You know what? You might as well go and spit on Dave's grave while you're at it! You know, really make it clear that helping you might have not been the best of ideas."
"Daniel, stop... Right. Fucking. Now."
Lauren's furious words hung in the air, heavy and unmistakable. She went very still. Even the TV in the living room seemed too loud now. He should've stopped. Some distant part of him knew.
"Dave really should have left us to lose the house and get kicked out on the street instead! Because someone like you never deserved his help!"
Daniel's head turned slightly with the impact. It took him a second to realize why. His cheek burned, but the sensation felt far away, dulled by everything else. He tasted blood and wasn't sure when he'd bitten his tongue. The only one who seemed to really register Lauren slapping Daniel in the face was Amanda, as she stood there, covering her mouth with one of her hands, her eyes red, seemingly on the verge of tears. The three of them stood there in the kitchen for what must have been the longest ten seconds of their lives. Daniel didn't say anything; it took him a moment to realize what just happened. They were all waiting for someone to say something, anything. But nobody did. Finally, Daniel turned away and walked toward the front door without looking at either of them. He opened the door and slammed it shut, the loud sound making Amanda twitch. He slowly walked off towards the sidewalk. Honestly? A part of him half-expected Lauren or Amanda to come out after him and try to stop him, but alas, neither did. He stopped for a moment and turned back towards the house. Glancing into the living room window, he saw Lauren sitting on the couch with Amanda beside her. Seeing that? He couldn't help but let out a bitter half-laugh.
"...It's almost like I'm the bad guy here..."
But hey, what's there to be surprised about? It's always been like this. Day or night, Amanda was always the example to follow. And Lauren was always "right." Even when she wasn't, Amanda was there to back her up. And besides, what the hell was he thinking talking back to her? The last time he did it didn't end so well. He was sitting at the kitchen table, the notice of retention from school placed in front of him. Lauren stood over him, her eyes glaring with anger, while all he could do was stare at the table in shame.
"Unbelievable... Un-fucking-believable... Do you have any goddamn idea what this means for you? Well, do you?! Or do you not even care!?"
"....Of course I care."
To that, Lauren laughed in disbelief.
"Oh, really now? Then explain how you care! Because I just don't see it! If you did, then this shit would not have happened!"
"S-Seriously! I pulled a bunch of all nighters, the teacher even said I was improving, but-"
Lauren's hands slamming down on the table cut Daniel off mid-sentence. She shouted, her voice sharp enough to rattle the windows.
"Don't you feed me that bullshit, Daniel! 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?!"
Like clockwork. Amanda. It always has to be about Amanda. Be more like Amanda! Amanda managed to get a perfect score on her exam, so why can't you as well? Take a page out of Amanda's book! Try to think like Amanda for once! Amanda never complains like you do! Stop being lazy and be more like Amanda! After all, Amanda's amazing! Amanda is the kind of child any parent would be proud of! She's an academic prodigy! Just you watch, she's gonna get into Harvard and become a lawyer or a doctor! And if not, we'll support her anyway! Hell, she can become a fast food cashier if she so chooses! Because she's just that perfect! But Daniel? Oh, don't get me started. Daniel is the child parents avoid talking about at get-togethers. Daniel is the kid parents warn their children not to be like. Daniel isn't just a disappointment; he's an embarrassment... Is what everyone probably thinks. And honestly? They'd probably be right. After all, Daniel himself thought the same. And so, as the setting sun illuminated the world around him in red, Daniel walked. Walked, to nowhere in particular. As long as it wasn't anywhere near home. He pulled his hand out of his hoodie pocket, resting it on his cheek.
"Haaaahh..."
He sighed, looking up at the sky, watching the clouds drift freely across the horizon.
"...I wish I could... Just disappear somewhere."
Meanwhile, the sound of wheels crunching over gravel echoed through the quiet street as Carl leaned his bike against the curb and glanced up the road for what felt like the tenth time.
"You sure he said today?"
Carl asked, squinting at his phone. He then added on, questioning if Alex is going to show up before they have to go back home.
"Because knowing Alex, 'today' could very well mean tomorrow. I mean, what if he's got it mixed up with Korean time or something?"
"Dude, I literally got a text an hour ago saying he just landed. And unless he's going back home on foot, he should be here any moment."
Almost as if on cue, a familiar car turned the corner and slowed to a stop in front of them. That being the beat-up sedan that Alex's parents owned. Alex stepped out, stretching his arms above his head like he was just waking up from a long nap, rather than returning from the other side of the planet. He was wearing a hoodie with lettering that Carl and Finn couldn't read, probably Korean. Slung over one shoulder was a scuffed duffel bag.
"Well, well! I was convinced I'd come back and y'all would be dead or something."
Alex said with a laugh, to which Finn smirked.
"Great opening line, douchebag."
Carl pushed off the curb and walked toward him.
"You're one to talk, two weeks off-grid, and that's what you say?"
"Yeah, yeah. It's good to see you assholes."
"Hey, language!"
Alex's mom, who had just left the car as well, reprimanded them. His dad also followed suit.
"We were gonna go hit up the skatepark for a while and catch up, if that's still alright?"
His parents exchanged glances before turning back to Alex.
"Alright, but only for a little while."
While his mom and dad got their luggage inside with the help of Carl and Finn, Alex himself took out his skateboard from the garage. A few minutes later, the three of them were heading to the skatepark on foot, catching up. Alex reached into his backpack and took out two plastic bags.
"Brought some snacks for you guys. No idea if they'll survive your Noorwood taste buds, but hey, my mom insisted."
Alex threw them the bags. Without a bit of hesitation, Carl examined it.
"What is that?"
"I dunno. But I saw a guy eat it at a train station at three in the morning. Made it feel culturally significant, you know?"
They all laughed. And for a moment, it felt like nothing had changed. Like yesterday's wake didn't happen. Like there wasn't a killer lurking in the woods. In that moment, Noorwood felt just like... Noorwood again.
"So..."
Alex said, looking straight ahead.
"What did I miss?"
Carl and Finn exchanged glances.
"...A lot."
Finn said carefully. Alex's smile didn't fade, but it softened.
"Well, let's unpack that later. How's Daniel doing, by the way? I gave him a call not long ago... Have you two seen him recently?"
"Yeah. At the wake yesterday, he looked... Not so great."
The mood shifted for a moment. Alex could make a good guess that Daniel wasn't doing all that well, but still, he had to ask. After a quiet moment, Finn spoke up.
"...Alright, here's the plan. Tomorrow, all four of us go and have some fun. We drag Daniel out of his house by the legs if need be, and we do what you mentioned a few days back, Carl. We drive up to Fargo and hit the fucking arcades. That ought to cheer Dan right up."
Now that was an idea Alex and Carl could get behind. With that sudden burst of optimism, the mood lightened up again. Carl and Finn hopped on their bikes and headed off. Alex behind them, riding on his skateboard, talking nonstop. About Seoul, about jet lag, about how he still couldn't tell if he loved flying or hated it. Finn was in awe, while Carl listened, half-smiling, half-lost in thought. Alex slowed, looking around like he was committing the place to memory all over again.
"Man, being gone this long makes you realize how small this place is."
"Yeah."
Carl nodded. Alex glanced at him.
"You okay?"
Carl hesitated. Just for a second, then shrugged.
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Good, because I'm starving, jet-lagged, and absolutely about to eat shit trying to skate again."
That right there made Carl laugh. As they neared the skate park, Finn asked a question.
"What does that writing on your hoodie mean, by the way?"
Alex smirked, like he had an answer in mind the moment he bought it.
"Uhh, coolest dude around, duh!"
"Yeah, right! More like glue sniffing shitface!"
The trio laughed away as the sun sank lower and lower with each passing minute, a cold wind cutting through them as the air thickened with rising humidity. Elsewhere, a damp hanging lightbulb illuminated a dirty living room. Rick ruffled through a box he just pulled out from his house, containing old family photos and keepsakes. He finally found what he was looking for, that being a picture of Dave. He looked at it for a while before sitting on the couch. Despite the photo being taken less than a year ago, Rick completely forgot it existed. It was taken shortly after he joined the Noorwood police force, with him and Dave standing in front of it. Dave's face was plastered with a wide grin, his arm resting over Rick's shoulder. But when Rick's eyes glanced at his face, it was clear he wasn't all that comfortable... Because he wasn't. Rick was never a fan of taking pictures, but Dave insisted on it and had the chief snap them a quick photo to remember the moment. Rick stared at the photo for a moment, before letting out a deep sigh.
"Ahhh, man...."
He grabbed the photo at the center, pinning it beneath his fingers. He then tore himself out of it and tossed the unwanted half behind the couch. Only the smiling Dave remained. He got up from the couch and walked towards the bulletin board hanging on the wall. In the middle of the board, hung the map of Noorwood. There were two pins on it, a blue one by the house of Ellie Price, and a red one in the woods, at the location of Dave's death. He picked up a red pin, and attached the photo of Dave next to the map, underneath a sticky note saying "Ellie Price," kept in place with a blue pin. By the time it got dark, it had started to rain. The sound of outside rain was audible in any house, but in Lyla's house, it was making itself known even more, since the sound of rain hitting the metal roofing of her house was much, much louder. This made Lyla and Harry watch TV at a higher volume so the rainfall outside wouldn't drown out the show.
"Sheesh. Good thing we didn't do a night search today; otherwise I would have been soaked..."
Harry mumbled under his breath while looking out the window. Lyla glanced at him before turning her attention back to the screen. The old, heavy TV standing on a hard wooden drawer was playing "Second Chance Kitchen." It was some obviously scripted cooking show that featured struggling chefs reopening shuttered restaurants for one last shot. It wasn't the best television, but hey, the old shitbox TV only offered a few channels. So Second Chance Kitchen was as good as it was gonna get.
"So... Did you guys find anything?"
Lyla asked, turning her head and looking at her dad. Harry glanced at her before turning his attention back to the window.
"Nope. We walked for four hours and found absolutely nothing."
No real surprise there. The town was literally called Noorwood, one doesn't need to think too long before guessing that the forest neighboring it was pretty huge. So whoever killed Dave and Ellie couldn't have picked a better spot for their little game of hide-and-seek with the town's police force. The harsh reality was that everyone was well aware that the chances of the police actually catching the woodland freak on his own turf were as high as teaching a fish to climb a tree. So the unfortunate truth was that the only thing the cops could hope for was a slip-up.
"So... Who will rise from the ashes of their culinary failures?! And who will crumble?! Oh boy, we are gonna find out... So buckle up, folks, because things are about to get hot! Pizza-in-an-oven levels of hot!"
The narrator shrieked as if he'd discovered the cure for the common cold. And then, boom! A commercial about an anti-wrinkle cream for middle-aged women popped up on the screen. Lyla groaned, stretching out on the couch. After a minute or so, she sat back up and glanced over at Harry. He was still staring out the window, like he was expecting the killer to show up at any moment. His hunting rifle, usually locked away in the shed, leaned against the wall next to him. Lyla was never all that comfortable around guns, but in these uncertain times, knowing that it was always close to her dad's reach made her feel a bit safer. Then, a sudden sound made both of them flinch. Unexpected knocking on the door during a rainy night while there was a killer on the loose was the last thing anyone wanted to hear. Lyla looked over at her dad. He stared at the front door for a moment, then grabbed his rifle and slowly walked toward it. Lyla watched as Harry looked through the peephole.
"What the..."
Harry whispered before placing the rifle by the wall and opening the lock. He opened the door wide open, which enabled Lyla to see who it was.
"What in the world are you doing out here, Daniel?"
Daniel stood by the entrance, completely soaked. He looked at Harry with tired eyes, then glanced over his shoulder to see Lyla getting up from the couch at his sight.
"Can I... Come in?"
Harry needed no convincing. He stepped aside, making room for Daniel to walk in. He took a few slow steps inside, leaving droplets of cold rainwater in his path. Lyla walked up to him, concern plastered over her face.
"What the hell happened?"
Before Daniel had the chance to answer, assuming he was even about to, Harry spoke up.
"First things first, take off your shoes and go in the shower. Lyla's gonna fetch you some spare clothes in the meantime."
Without a word, Daniel dropped his shoes on the floor and made his way toward the bathroom. He looked awful and seemed to be absolutely out of it, like his mind was somewhere completely different and his body was driving on autopilot. Fifteen or so minutes later, Lyla put Daniel's wet clothes into the dryer before walking back into the living room. As instructed, Daniel wore one of her hoodies and the sweatpants that were a tad big for her. That only confirmed what Lyla thought the day before: he was definitely skinnier than a few weeks ago.
"...So, what happened?"
Harry asked as he stood next to him. Yet the only thing he got as a response was the sound of the downpour outside. Lyla stood there for a moment; she then rolled her eyes.
"Figured as much..."
Lyla thought to herself. Just as she turned around and was just about to leave and go to her room. Daniel finally spoke up.
"I got into a fight with mom."
She stopped and turned around to look at him. And honestly? She wasn't all that surprised. This wasn't the first time Daniel came to her place after something happened at his house; in fact, it happened so many times already that she lost count.
"...Don't you guys fight all the time?"
Lyla asked. Another moment of silence occurred; it seemed Daniel was considering if he should continue talking or not.
"No... Not like this... Today was worse, like, much fucking worse..."
Harry and Lyla exchanged glances. They both already suspected that something bad happened back at his house, and Daniel's words just confirmed that assumption.
"Then what was it about?"
Daniel kept staring at the floor and answered after a long pause.
"About Dave..."
The room fell silent again. This time, it was Lyla and Harry who didn't know what to say. Lyla felt a sudden sting in her chest and sank onto the couch next to Daniel. Harry exhaled slowly and began pacing the room, arms hanging loosely at his sides.
"...What about Dave?"
Lyla questioned as gently as she could. Harry glanced over at them, awaiting the answer. A few seconds later, Daniel spoke.
"...Sorry, but I... I just... Really don't want to talk about it..."
Lyla exhaled, leaning back on the couch and turning her head towards the ceiling. Harry rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, before turning to look at the clock hanging on the wall.
"It's getting pretty late... And I'm tired as hell after all that walking in the woods. You can sleep on the couch if you want, Daniel. Anyway, I'm going to leave you two to it."
Harry excused himself before walking off to his bedroom. He glanced at the couch one more time before closing the door. He laid down on the bed and let out a long sigh. Truth be told? He wasn't all that tired; if anything, he was restless. But he figured that it would be best to give Lyla and Daniel some space. Moments later, that same crappy TV show came back on. With the narrator back, repeating what he had said before the commercial break. Daniel looked over at Lyla; her expression seemed strange to him. While she was looking at the screen, it felt like she wasn't really watching but instead, waiting for something. Daniel looked at the floor, then swallowed hard.
".....Hey, Lyla?"
She didn't answer. It was pretty obvious she wasn't all that pleased with him right now. But he still could not understand why. And maybe that was the problem? Because it seemed like Harry understood what was happening almost instantly.
"What did I screw up? I mean... What have I done that's making you not want to spend time with me anymore?"
"...You really still don't get it, do you?"
Finally, she looked at him. When her eyes met his, Daniel couldn't help but look away.
"You don't talk to me anymore, Daniel. Even right now, I want to know what happened with your mom that made you this upset, but you're shutting me out."
Lyla crossed her arms before turning her eyes back toward the TV. To that, Daniel had nothing to say. She continued on.
"I'm tired of you doing nothing but giving me those half-assed parts of yourself. It's like the only times you actually tell me something these days is when you slip up. Like this morning, you said that you feel like you have no control, that it's like you're seeing things through glass. And moments later? You literally backtrack on everything you say. So tell me, how do you think all of this makes me feel?"
"I just... Don't want you thinking less of me."
Despite his words being somewhat true, they didn't begin to even scratch the surface. Had he told her what was actually going on recently, he would've looked crazy. Insane, even. After all, how in the world was he supposed to tell her that he's seeing dead people in his dreams? That Ellie Price had died the exact way she did in the dream he had the night prior? That he had the front-row seats to watch Dave be slaughtered by a monster another night? Or that his eyes were literally changing color on their own, with Amanda actually seeing it firsthand? Lyla looked over at the TV one more time, then stood up from the couch.
"I'm going to my room. If you change your mind and want to talk, and I mean really talk, we can do that in the morning... Goodnight, I guess."
Without another word, Lyla walked off toward her room and closed the door behind her, leaving Daniel alone in the living room. She collapsed on the bed and started to think. Think about a memory that always seemed to come back to her way more often recently. It was a late afternoon; the two of them had left school an hour ago and were hanging out in Lyla's backyard. It was pretty warm, but the light wind cooled things down, creating pretty pleasant weather. Daniel was leaning back on his elbows, staring up at the sky like he was trying to find something in it. Lyla sat cross-legged beside him, picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. Today, she has been pretty quiet. But finally, as if finally gathering up the courage, she spoke up.
"...Hey?"
Daniel glanced over at her.
"Yeah?"
"There's, uhhh... There's something I've been wanting to tell you."
That got his attention. He shifted, sitting up a little straighter.
"Okay?"
Lyla swallowed. She'd rehearsed this in her head more times than she cared to admit. Yet when it actually came time to say it, it felt a whole lot more difficult.
"I've been thinking about something for a while... Like, a long while."
Daniel frowned slightly, confused but listening. She continued.
"I wasn't really sure if I should say anything... I kept telling myself that I was stupid, that I was a bit confused, because I don't want things to become awkward, but... I don't think I can keep this for myself any longer, so..."
He nodded slowly, letting her continue.
"I think I've started to see you as more than just a friend, Daniel."
Daniel blinked. Once. Twice. His mouth opened like he was about to say something, then closed again. That made Lyla wonder if she'd completely misread everything. So to salvage the situation, she quickly added,
"Y-You don't have to say anything back! I just... Needed you to know."
Daniel stared at the ground, his fingers digging into the grass. His face was totally unreadable. After a moment of awkward silence, he finally spoke.
"...Okay."
And that was that. They stayed outside for a while longer, talking about nothing in particular. Music, school, whatever came to mind. It almost felt normal, which somehow made it worse. That night, Lyla lay in her bed, replaying everything over and over. Maybe she came off a bit weird; maybe she was too straightforward about this? Suddenly, her phone buzzed on the nightstand, and Daniel's name lit up the screen. Lyla sat up immediately.
"H-Hey."
She quickly answered.
"Yeah... Hey."
Daniel's voice spoke on the other end. There was a pause until Daniel spoke up again, his tone a bit softer now.
"I've been thinking... About what you said, I mean."
Her heart rate picked up.
"And?"
Lyla asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
"I think... That I feel the same way about you."
Relief washed over her so fast it almost made her laugh. They talked for a bit after that, nothing huge or dramatic. Just careful words and long pauses. By the end of the call, they decided to start dating. See how things go. Lyla didn't know what she expected to change after that, but somehow? Nothing really did. Their hangouts were pretty much the same as they always were. They sat next to each other and talked about the things they usually did. It wasn't like Daniel seemed to feel awkward or was pulling away. But he didn't move closer either. Lyla brushed it off as Daniel just being shy. But weeks passed like that, and the relationship existed more in name than in practice. One day, a few girls from class told her that maybe they just needed to do something romantic. Something that would push things forward. So Lyla asked Daniel to go see a movie with her. He said yes. When Saturday rolled around, the day of their date finally came. They went to see a rom-com that was playing in the theater at the time. They sat next to each other in the dark theater, the screen flickering in front of them. Lyla waited. A minute passed. Then another. Daniel didn't look at her once. His eyes stayed fixed on the movie. Eventually, she reached for his hand herself. Some time later, she kissed him. Daniel didn't pull away. He never did, but he never initiated anything either. By the time the memory faded, Lyla was left with the same thought she always had afterward. That she wanted things to work out, she really did. But for that to be possible? Daniel had to put in some effort himself. Back in the living room, Daniel laid down on the couch. That's when he felt a vibration coming from his phone. He took it out and looked at the screen.
"7 unanswered calls and 3 unread messages from Amanda."
Was displayed on it. Strange, his phone was in the pocket of his pants the entire time after he left the house. And despite it being set to vibration mode, he didn't notice her calls or texts once. He stared at the screen for a moment before opening the messages that Amanda had sent him.
"When u come back, we seriously need to sit down and talk about what happened earlier."
"The forecast said it's gonna rain soon, come back home asap, okay?"
After those came 7 calls, then the message that she had just sent.
"DUDE WHERE THE FUCK R U IT'S BEEN HOURS!"
It's a good thing he noticed before falling asleep. Putting what happened earlier aside, leaving Amanda and Lauren without a word about his nightly whereabouts when there's a killer on the loose would have been messed up on too many levels. Not wanting to leave his family to wonder if he's dead or not longer than they already have, Daniel typed out a response.
"Staying over at Lyla's tonight. Coming back tomorrow."
He stood up from the couch and placed his phone down on the drawer that held up the TV. Picking up the remote and lowering the volume while he was at it. It seemed though his awful mood really was making him tired. Despite sitting around and doing nothing most of the day, his eyelids already felt a bit heavy. Though, the sound of the rain outside hitting the metal roof was probably doing a lot to contribute to that. Daniel remembered Lyla often complained about how loud it got whenever it rained. But Daniel always found that sound of rainfall, unique to Lyla's house, especially calming. It almost felt more... intimate than in his own house. Or maybe it was just that the louder rain worked better at quieting down the ringing in his head. Eventually, he dozed off on the couch. The concrete was wet. Not from rain, but something that refused to reflect in the sky. The skatepark looked bigger than it should have. Not like it was expanded, but as if it was a horizontally stretched-out picture. Daniel could hear wheels rolling somewhere, but every time Daniel turned his head, the sound dragged behind him. A bike lay on its side near the half-pipe. One of its wheels spun slowly, clicking once every rotation.
Click, click, click...
Daniel tried to step forward, but he was moving in place, as if he stood on a treadmill. The smell hit him next. Rust, old pennies, and something sweet that didn't belong outside. His throat tightened before he realized he was breathing. A sneaker stuck out from behind the rail. Blue laces, untied. He knew those laces. Daniel opened his mouth to say Carl's name, but it was futile. He tried screaming out instead, but despite feeling his throat getting sore and rough, not a single sound came out. The rail was warm, covered in a crimson. When he looked down, his hands weren't shaking; the world itself was. The edges of everything blurred and doubled. Carl's face was turned away, or maybe it wasn't. Daniel couldn't tell. Every time he tried to focus, the image slipped, replaced by something else. The wheel on Carl's bike spun one more time... And suddenly, everything moved into place. The blowing wind, the blood on the rail, the bike on the ground. And next to it, Carl. His expression frozen in place, that similar hole in the chest where Carl's heart used to be staring right through Daniel. And then... Nothing. Just the heaviness in his chest and the sight of the ceiling of Lyla's living room. For a long moment, Daniel didn't move and stared forward. Just to be sure, he pinched himself on the arm, and then he looked around the room. Everything seemed real, the only change being that the TV screen was now black. Someone must have turned off the TV while he slept. Daniel got up from the couch and took a few slow steps toward the drawer where he left his phone last night. Picking it up, he saw no new texts or calls. Daniel opened the photo app, and after a few seconds, he turned the camera on himself. That same golden glow in his eyes told him everything he needed to know. He looked at himself on the screen for a long moment, so long, in fact, that it turned off due to inactivity. Daniel threw the phone on the couch and sat on it himself. He just sat there for a while before breaking into a quiet, nervous chuckle. Or was it sobbing? If anyone heard him, they probably couldn't tell the difference. That was when he heard his phone buzzing next to him. He exhaled, ready for Amanda or Lauren to rant on and on about him not coming home last night; he picked up the phone and looked at the caller's name. Suddenly, he felt his stomach drop.
"Carl Garcia"
It said. Daniel answered before he could think better of it.
"Hey dude, didn't expect to get a hang of you this early in the morning."
Carl's voice spoke on the other end. And he sounded completely fine.
"Y-Yeah....."
"Damn, you sound like absolute shit. Rough night, or did you not sleep at all?"
Daniel sat up straight. He glanced around his surroundings again. Just like before, everything seemed real. Thinking on his feet, Daniel raised his pinky finger to his mouth and bit down hard. The pain was so intense that even with all his effort he still let out a painful hiss.
"Daniel? You still there?"
"Where are you?"
Daniel got up from the couch, and after a moment of contemplation, he practically ran into the bathroom, looking for his clothes. And there they were, placed on top of the dryer. Seems like whoever turned off the TV also took out his dried clothes.
"I'm home, just about to head to the diner to help out my folks... Why? You good?"
In a quick motion, Daniel took off Lyla's hoodie and threw it into the laundry basket. He then pressed the phone to his ear with his shoulder as he began taking off the sweatpants.
"T-That's great timing actually! Amanda and Mom fucked off somewhere, and there's nothing good to eat in the house! So, I'll stop by the diner for some breakfast, alright?"
Carl was very taken aback by Daniel's sudden change in tone. First he sounds like he just woke up from a ten-year slumber, and now he's brimming with energy?
"...Yeah, that's cool."
"A-Alright, I'll meet you over there!"
"Sure... Well, see you in a bit, man."
Carl hung up the phone. After that, Daniel quickly tossed his phone on the dryer and started putting on his clothes. When he was fully dressed, he walked out into the living room. Just as he was about to leave the house, he stopped. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the door to Lyla's room; she was probably still asleep. Daniel stared at her door for a long moment before turning his head and leaving Lyla's house.