Chapter 39: Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Carol’s so

At last, Aiden and I arrive in my neighborhood. Humble yet homey houses dot every street. The entire neighborhood carries an air of community, Even people I’ve never seen before. We’ve had our car as we drive by,

We pull into the driveway of my childhood home. It isn’t the biggest or the most expensive, but I’ve never been ashamed of it. My family worked hard to get what they have. We never needed anything more than our simple brown house with our cute little garden.

As soon as we pull into the driveway, our front door swings open. My parent’s faces are both lined with age. The deep, small lines etched on their cheeks show the life of happiness that they’ve lived.

1 jump out of the car as soon as it comes to a stop. “Mom, dad!” I call out excitedly. I rush into their open arms with a wide smile on my face. We all spend a moment embracing each other happily.

my.mo

“We’re so glad you’re home safe, sweetie.” my mom says. My dad nods in agreement. The three of us hug it out as Aiden gets out of the car and politely stands to the side.

“Oh, come on, get in here,” my dad teases, reaching g out an arm and pulling Aiden into the hug. He stiffens with surprise at first but soon laughs and smiles.

My parents finally release Aiden and go about their introductions. “We’ve been so excited to meet you. I’m Helen,” my mother says with a smile.

“And I’m Bernard,” my father says, clapping Ailen on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family.”

Their quick acceptance clearly catches Aiden off guard. Still, he’s charming enough to fend for himself in any situation. A smile breaks across his face.

“It’s an honor to meet you both,” he says genuinely, shaking both of their hands. “I’m a huge fan of your daughter, obviously

My dad chuckles. “So are we!” He says.

“I will say, I expected red hair to run in the family,” Aiden says. I glance between my parents. Indeed, we don’t look very

similar.

Both of them have very soft features, while mine are more sharp. My parents’ hair is greying, but even before it was, both of them had dark brown hair. My hazel eyes also stand in contrast to their brown ones. This isn’t the first time someone has remarked on how different we look.

“Recessive traits,” I say with a wave of my hand and a smile. “Come on, it’s cold outside.

let’s head in!”

My parents hustle us inside and give Aiden a short tour. Our conversation flows easily, the banter and laughter filling the air as we catch up on one another’s lives. All of it is so happy and ordinary just how I remember it. Aiden seems to be completely charmed by it, too.

Eventually, we all decide to settle into the comfortable chairs in my parents living room. The jovial energy dies down as our conversation inevitably turns to the strange people my parents have been seeing around the house.

“So, how have things been going since we last talked?” I ask. My mother’s expression is conflicted.

“Things have… escalated, she admitted “Over the past few days things have become more strange. The strangers always used to speak around just out of sight. But now…”

“They talk to us,” my father Chamed in. “It feels like almost every time we enter or exit the house, a new person has been

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Chapter 40

waiting for us outside.”

“What do they say to you?” Aiden asks seriously. My father shrugs.

“They ask questions, mostly. The majority of them are fairly innocuous – they’re just asking how we’re doing, how long we’ve lived in the neighborhood, normal things like that. It wouldn’t have struck us as strange if it weren’t for the fact someone is almost always there.”

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Aiden’s brow furrows with concern as he listens. I can practically see the gears in his head turning as he thinks through the

situation.

My heart is heavy with concern, too. I was already nervous about facing weird occurrences like this myself, but knowing that my parents are going through something even stranger makes my stomach twist.

Could this all be connected? I wonder.

“We would love to stay the night if you don’t mind,” Aiden says. “Carol and I can think over things and make a plan while

we’re here.

“Absolutely. Stay as long as you need,” my mother says. “Here, I show you to your

room.

My motherleads us to the guest room, a room that was once my childhood bedroom. Even without all of the features of my previous room, the space brings back warm memories. The decorations are inviting and eclectic in a way that reminds me of home. I imagine all of my childhood belongings are likely in storage somewhere.

Aiden and I put down our bags, and my parents give us some time to settle in. I turn to Aiden with a concerned expression.

“Any thoughts on what this all might mean?” I ask. Aiden runs a hand through his hair and lets out a heavy sigh

“I’m not sure,” he admits. “My best guess is that it’s the paparazzi

ing like normal paparazzi,” I point out. Aider nods.

“But they’re not acting

“I know. It’s like nothing I’ve heard of before. It makes me wonder. Aiden trails off. I nudge him gently.

“What is it?” I ask. I can tell by his expression that whatever he’s thinking about is making him upset. Aiden sits down on the bed and leans back.

“I wonder if this might be because of my father.”

1 look at him sharply. “Your dad?” I say, stunned, “Would he seriously do something like this?”

Aiden shrugs helplessly, “I don’t know, I would hope not, but he certainly has the power to do it. Either way, this is my fault.”

I sit down beside Aiden and grab his hand intently. “Aiden. It’s okay. This isn’t your fault.”

Aiden meets my gaze with a guilty expression. “If it wasn’t for me you wouldn’t be going through this,” he insists. I shake my

head.

“You don’t know that! Besides, it’s not like you’re the one doing all of this.” I squeeze his hand. “C’mon. There’s no reason to feel guilty. Let’s just work through this together, okay?”

Some of the tension leaves Aiden’s shoulders as I speak. A weak smile tugs at his lips. “Thanks” he says softly. “Yeah. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

Aiden and I spend the next few hours making a plan. We explain what we’re thinking of doing to my parents over dinner. They re both concerned by our idea, but after some convincing they reluctantly relent

At last, the sun sets. Aiden and I put our plan into action under the cover of night. A few hours past dusk, we slip into the

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shadows in the narrow alley beside my parents’ house. We plan to wait there until the mysterious car stops by once again.

“Are you really sure you want to be here for this?” Aiden asks quietly for the umpteenth time. I nod with determination.

“Of course I am. They’re my parents. I need to be here,” I insist.

As the hours pass, tension hangs thick in the air. Aiden and I remain crouched in the darkness. Our senses remain on high alert for any sign of movement.

Finally, we see what we’ve been waiting for. The crunch of tires on old pavement is the only warning we have. A dark car drives through the night without its headlights on. I wouldn’t have been able to make it out in the darkness if my eyes hadn’t adjusted so well.

Only the porch lights provide us any real view of the car. I can faintly see the light glinting off of the license plate. Aiden and I nod at one another, putting our plan into motion.

I pull out my phone and begin to record. I get a good view of the car, specifically focusing on the license plate. My fingers tremble slightly with anticipation.

These are the people who have been upsetting my parents. They might even be affiliated with the people bothering Aiden and 1.1 think. I try my best not to be frightened by the idea.

Meanwhile, Aiden moves stealthily through the shadows. I can just barely see his smooth and calculated movements as he closes in on our target. I follow from a few meters behind. I clutch the phone like a lifeline.

I can’t fully silence the concerns that echo in my mind. What happens if they catch us before we catch them?

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