LUCIUS'S POV:-
I couldn't stand the thought of seeing the sheriff's body in such a gruesome way. I couldn't bear his funeral. He had always been like a father to me. After Dad died, he was the one who took me in.
Grief twisted into noise, and that noise into jagged knives. I had no strength left to stay.
So, I quietly turned to leave.
I was almost gone,but then, through the blur of the crowd... I saw it. That crimson hair, vivid as ever. Like a siren's call, it stood out against the black sea of mourners. She stood alone in the corner, staring into thin air. Her eyes... dead, distant. Like a ghost haunting her own skin.
She'd changed. A lot.
She used to smile once in a while. Now? Whatever spark she had was long gone. And yet, those eyes...still mesmerizing. Like the ocean pulling you in, daring you to drown.
I just wanted to see her smile again. Even if it barely reached her lips.
Aki had always been the type to zone out, even during the most important moments. But this time… her gaze held something else. Something hollow. Something off. I couldn't quite put my finger on it.
So I followed her stare, just to see what had stolen her attention.
But there was nothing.
Just emptiness.
What was she looking at?
And why did she look so... horrified?
No, that's not even the right word. Aki was never easy to read. Never an open book. I told myself it was just one of her strange moods and brushed it off.
Then, I headed to Grandpa Trevor's house.
But my mind stayed on Aki. When was the last time I saw her smile or speak?
Right. My sixth birthday.
That thought reminded me… her sweet sixteen was just around the corner. Should I get her something? Would she even care? She's not the type to show much.
I shook the thought away. Later, I told myself.
Aki and Nadia returned not long after I'd left the funeral. Why? Because of the roses.
Aki had reached for one. Nadia practically dragged her away. Was she serious? Everyone knew,you don't touch the roses.
I looked out the window. The roses had been spreading like a plague since last year. Crawling across the ground. Endless. Quiet.
The twins had already gone to bed.
"Cowards," Nadia muttered, but Aki gave her a look that shut her up instantly. She mumbled something about joking.
Before we knew it, we were all in our separate rooms, trying to catch some sleep. At least I thought I could...until I heard shuffling from Grandpa Trevor's room.
Wasn't Aki sleeping there?
I groaned, still half-asleep, pushed on my glasses, and tiptoed down the hall. Peeking in, I froze.
What the hell...?
There she was. Aki. Popping two pills from Grandpa Trevor's drawer.
Is she...?
No. No, stop. She wouldn't. She wouldn't do drugs. Snap out of it.
I mentally slapped myself, watching her climb back into bed like nothing happened.
"I'll ask her in the morning," I whispered, rubbing my eyes.
Yawning, I dragged myself back to the sofa, pulled the blanket over me, and shut my eyes,trying to shake off every sinking feeling that had clung to me all day.