I pace the basement, my steps uneven, the hammer swinging loosely in my grip. The whispers won't stop. They buzz and hiss, louder and sharper with every second. My hands tremble, my chest tight, and the words spilling from my lips barely make sense, even to me. Behind me, Joel groans, shifting against the ropes. His voice is hoarse but steady when he speaks. "Adam," he says, soft but firm. "You've been here before. Don't you remember?" I stop in my tracks, the words cutting through the noise in my head. My back is still to him, but I can feel his eyes on me, heavy and searching. "What are you talking about?" I mutter, gripping the hammer tighter. Joel leans forward, the ropes creaking as they strain against his weight. "This," he says, his voice steadier now. "The whispers. The confusion. The way nothing feels real. You went through this after… after Lily died." My head snaps up, my chest tightening like a vice. "She's not dead," I say, the words coming out sharper than I expect. I stand straighter, gripping the hammer like a lifeline. "What the hell are you talking about?" Joel's eyes widen slightly, his expression shifting from determination to concern. "Adam, come on," he says carefully. "I know this is hard—" "You don't know shit!" I cut him off, my voice rising, raw and uneven. The hammer feels heavy in my hand, grounding me as my thoughts swirl in a chaotic storm. "Lily's not dead. She's missing. I told you that." Joel shakes his head slowly, his face pale but resolute. "Adam, we buried her. You and me. Together. Right there by the shed, next to her rose bushes, just like she wanted." "Stop." I take a step back, the hammer trembling in my grip. My heart pounds against my ribs, so loud it drowns out the whispers for a moment. "You're wrong. You're lying. She's not dead. I saw her." Joel's brow furrows, his voice soft but insistent. "You think you saw her because—" "I did see her!" I shout, my voice cracking under the weight of my desperation. "She was here, Joel. In the cabin. She helped me. She made tea for me when I had a fever. I smelled it, tasted it." My breathing is ragged now, each word spilling out faster, more frantic. "She was there. And the rabbit—the rabbit showed me her eyes. She's trying to talk to me through the journals. She's trying to come back." Joel stares at me, his mouth slightly open, his expression a mix of disbelief and heartbreak. "Adam…" he starts, but I cut him off again. "No!" I pace the room, the hammer swinging by my side. My free hand presses against my temple, as if I can physically push the memories into place. "You don't understand. She didn't die. She wouldn't just leave me like that. She's out there—she's somewhere—and I need to find her." Joel's voice rises, firm but trembling at the edges. "Adam, listen to yourself. You're not well. None of this is real. You're chasing ghosts, man. And it's killing you." I whirl at him, my eyes blazing. "You're wrong!" I scream, the words tearing from my throat. "You weren't there. You didn't see what I saw. You don't know what's happening." Joel meets my gaze, his own eyes glistening. "I was there, Adam. I held you when you collapsed at the funeral. I've been there every step of the way, trying to pull you back from this… this hole you're digging for yourself." I shake my head violently, my vision blurring with tears. "You're lying," I whisper, my voice shaking. "You're trying to confuse me. Just like everything else." Joel pulls against the ropes, his desperation spilling into his voice. "Adam, think! She's gone. She's gone, and it's not your fault. But if you don't face that—if you don't let her go—she's going to take you with her." The words hit like a punch to the gut, but I refuse to let them sink in. "No," I mutter, turning away from him, pacing again. My breaths come faster, my heart racing. "She's not gone. I just… I need to find her. I need to understand what's happening." My mind flashes back to the journals, the symbols twisting on the pages, and the rabbit's crystalline eyes morphing into Lily's. I can almost feel her hand in mine again, steadying me like she did on the rink floor. The scent of her tea lingers in the air, faint but real. "She's still here," I whisper to myself, my voice soft but resolute. "She's trying to tell me something. I just need to figure out what." Joel groans in frustration, pulling against the ropes again. "Adam, listen to me—" "Be quiet!" I shout, spinning to face him. "I need to think!" The basement falls silent except for the sound of my ragged breathing. Joel stares at me, his chest rising and falling quickly, his lips pressed into a thin line. He doesn't speak, but his eyes say everything—pleading, desperate, afraid. I turned away again, my mind racing. The journals. The rabbit. The whispers. Lily. All of it swirls together, a mess of fragments that refuse to align. But one thing feels certain, solid: she's not gone. She can't be. The whispers return, soft and insidious, wrapping around my thoughts like a shroud. I nod to myself, clutching the hammer tighter. "I'll figure it out," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "I'll bring her back. No matter what it takes." Joel exhales shakily behind me, his voice breaking the silence. "Adam… please." But I don't answer. I close my eyes, blocking him out, and let the whispers guide me. She's waiting, they promise. Find her.