Chapter 3.....
The house felt heavier than usual that afternoon. Amara moved quietly from room to room, avoiding Ugo as best she could, but it was impossible to escape him entirely. Every time she passed the living room, he was there, lounging casually on the sofa, smiling as if he owned the space.
Her mother busied herself in the kitchen, unaware of the storm brewing in her daughter's mind. Amara forced herself to greet Ugo politely, but her words felt hollow. "Why does Mama like him so much?" she thought, her chest tightening.
She retreated to her room, hoping for a moment of peace. But the whispers returned, faint at first, then louder, weaving through her thoughts. "Notice him… watch him… trust your instincts…"
Amara shivered. She didn't know whether the voice was real or just a fragment of her imagination. All she knew was that her heart raced, and a sense of unease crept up her spine.
Hours passed slowly. Ugo's laughter echoed from the living room, mixing with the clatter of dishes and her mother's occasional voice. Amara felt trapped in a cage of politeness and fear, powerless to act, powerless to escape.
When evening finally came, her mother excused herself to run an errand, leaving Amara alone with Ugo. He sauntered into the hallway and smiled down at her. "You don't talk much, do you?" he teased.
Amara swallowed hard, forcing herself to answer. "I… I just like quiet," she said softly.
He raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, turning his attention elsewhere. Alone again, Amara sank onto her bed, the whispers returning more clearly than before. "You don't have to face him yet… but you will. You are braver than you think."
She hugged her knees, feeling a strange mixture of fear and anticipation. She didn't understand the voice completely, but it comforted her in a way nothing else could. For the first time, she wondered whether she might survive this visit—and whether her own courage could grow quietly, in shadows, before anyone else noticed.