Page 92 of Into the Dark, We Go

Later, I woke to a strange, lingering anxiety and lay still, straining to pinpoint its source. Gradually, it dawned on me: the absence of sound. The night was eerily quiet. I couldn’t recall if previous nights had been so still.

The small porch light cast a faint glow through my window, but it barely pierced the darkness that enveloped the world. I got up and headed out. Sitting on the stairs, I peered into the void, daring the night to show its true face.

The cabin door creaked behind me. It wasn’t Nick.

"I saw you from my window," June said, settling beside me on the stairs. She was wrapped in a Halloween-themed hoodie, cheeks puffy with sleep.

"Yeah, couldn’t sleep," I replied softly.

We sat in silence until she spoke up.

"I just can’t believe Amanda came here of her own free will. Do you think she was tricked or something?"

I shrugged.

"And Lucas? Did he ever mention anything special about this town?"

"Nope."

Lucas had told me many scary stories about Appalachia, but they were just folklore, local legends, and spooky tales meant to thrill children. Yet, he kept secrets—his lies about his whereabouts, his sudden visit to Black Water right before his disappearance.

"It’s so quiet here," June murmured, almost to herself. "Spooky. Reminds me of home."

I listened, hesitant to interrupt her.

"It always seemed quieter before he lashed out at us," she continued, "Like, it was in the air. Quiet and dangerous."

"Your father?" I ventured.

June nodded. "He did something bad to Amanda. We all knew. Mom knew. And no one did anything about it."

I waited for her to elaborate, but she remained silent. And then, the pieces fell into place. The abuse, the support group, the isolation, and Amanda’s estrangement.

June’s voice dropped to a whisper. "And then he killed Mom, too."

I didn’t know what to say, so I acted on instinct, reaching out to hold her tight. For once, she didn’t resist.

It seemed like Amanda had quite a few secrets of her own, something she never talked to her siblings about.

But then again, secrets were a burden we all carried.

In the morning,June was back to her usual self, grumbling through her routine, the vulnerability she’d shown the night before nowhere to be seen. Nick still hadn’t emerged from his room when the siblings headed out for groceries.

I brewed a fresh pot of coffee and began scrolling through my phone. My mom had texted, asking where I was. I replied vaguely, saying I was still on a trip with friends. We hadn’t spoken since our last call, right after Nick and I went into the woods, and now her texts felt suspiciously neutral. But I knew she was holding onto her irritation, saving it for when I walked through the door.

Nick shuffled into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, distracting me from my phone.

"Morning. Coffee?" I asked, holding up a mug.

"Yes, please," he replied, taking stock of the space. "Where’s the dynamic duo?"

"Grocery shopping."

I handed him the mug, but instead of taking it, he set it aside and pulled me into a kiss. The suddenness of it stole my breath, though I didn’t hesitate. My hands slid up his chest as he stepped closer, his mouth warm, insistent. In one fluid motion, he lifted me onto the counter, fitting himself between my knees, his grip firm at the backs of my thighs, holding me in place.

We pressed into each other, and I kissed him like I meant it. But even then, with his hands on my skin and his lips against mine, something felt off. There was a quiet ache threaded through it, like chasing the shape of a memory that’s already slipping away.

"I fucking knew it," June said from the doorway.