Ava's eyes snapped open, her heart racing like a jackrabbit's. She was drenched in sweat, her sheets tangled around her legs like a prisoner's chains. The darkness of her room was oppressive, suffocating her. She couldn't breathe.
It was just a dream, she told herself. But the memories lingered, refusing to be shaken off. The images of Jaxon Knight's face, his eyes cold and hard, his smile a thin-lipped sneer. The feeling of the gun in her hand, the weight of it, the recoil as she pulled the trigger.
Ava threw off the covers and got out of bed, padding barefoot to the window. She pushed aside the curtains, letting the moonlight flood the room. The night air was cool and calm, a soothing balm for her frazzled nerves.
As she stood there, the memories began to recede, replaced by the familiar ache of guilt and regret. She had done what she had to do, she told herself. But the words rang hollow, even to her own ears.
As Ava stood at the window, the moonlight casting an eerie glow on her face, she couldn't shake off the memories of that night. They came flooding back, like a tidal wave crashing against the shore.
She remembered the feeling of the gun in her hand, the weight of it, the cool metal against her skin. She remembered the sound of her own breathing, the way her heart pounded in her chest like a drum. She remembered the smell of the night air, the scent of blooming flowers and fresh cut grass.
But most of all, she remembered Jaxon Knight's face. His eyes, cold and hard, his smile a thin-lipped sneer. She remembered the way he looked at her, the way he seemed to see right through her. She remembered the feeling of his gaze, like a cold wind blowing through her soul.
Ava's mind replayed the events of that night, like a video on repeat. She saw herself standing in the shadows, the gun trembling in her hand. She saw Jaxon Knight walking towards her, his eyes fixed on hers. She saw the flash of the gun, the sound of the shot, the way Jaxon Knight's body crumpled to the ground.
The memories were vivid, like a nightmare that refused to end. Ava felt like she was reliving the event, like she was trapped in a never-ending loop of guilt and regret. She couldn't escape the feeling of responsibility, the weight of her actions.
She didn't know how to escape, how to break free from the cycle of memories and emotions that haunted her. She didn't know how to forgive herself, how to let go of the guilt and regret that consumed her.
All she knew was that she had to keep moving forward, one step at a time. She had to keep pushing through the pain, through the guilt and regret. She had to keep telling herself that she was strong, that she could survive this, that she could overcome.
Suddenly, she heard a faint whisper in her ear. "You'll never be free."
Ava spun around, but there was no one there. The whisper seemed to come from all around her, echoing off the walls.
She felt a chill run down her spine as she realized that Jaxon Knight's ghost was trying to communicate with her. She didn't know what he wanted, but she knew she had to be careful.
Ava tried to shake off the feeling of unease, telling herself it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. But the whisper seemed to linger in her mind, echoing over and over again.
"You'll never be free."
She knew she had to do something to break the cycle of guilt and regret that was haunting her. She couldn't keep living in the past, reliving the same memories over and over again.
Ava took a deep breath and made a decision. She would face her demons head-on, no matter how scary it seemed. She would find a way to make amends for her past mistakes, to find forgiveness and move on.
But as she turned to walk away from the window, she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye. A figure, tall and imposing, standing just beyond the edge of the shadows.
Ava's heart skipped a beat as she realized that Jaxon Knight's ghost was closer than she thought. She could feel his presence, his eyes fixed on hers, his anger and resentment palpable.
She knew she had to be brave, to face whatever was coming her way. But as she turned to confront the ghost, she felt a sense
of trepidation wash over her.
As Ava made her way downstairs, the smell of freshly brewed coffee and bacon filled her senses. She felt a sense of comfort and familiarity, and her stomach growled with hunger.
She walked into the kitchen, where her Dad and elder brother, Max, were already seated at the table. Her Dad, a tall and imposing figure with a kind face, looked up and smiled.
"Good morning, kiddo," he said, his voice warm and gentle. "How are you feeling today?"
Ava smiled back, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She had been dreading this conversation, but her Dad's kind eyes and warm smile put her at ease.
"I'm feeling okay, Dad," she said, taking a seat at the table. "Just a little tired, I guess."
Her brother, Max, looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. "Tired? You've been sleeping for weeks, Ava. You need to get out more."
Ava rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "I know, Max. But I'm just not feeling up to it right now, okay?"
Her Dad intervened, placing a hand on her arm. "It's okay, Ava. We're just worried about you, that's all. You've been through a lot, and we want to make sure you're taking care of yourself."
Ava felt a pang of guilt and gratitude towards her family. They had been so supportive and understanding, even when she didn't deserve it.
"I know, Dad," she said, looking down at her plate. "And I appreciate it. I just need some time to figure some things out, okay?"
Her Dad nodded, his expression understanding. "Take all the time you need, kiddo. We're here for you, no matter what."
Ava tried to focus on the conversation at the table, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. She glanced out the window again, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Just the usual suburban street scene, with people walking their dogs and kids playing in their front yards.
She turned back to her family, trying to push the feeling aside. Her Dad was talking about his day, and Max was teasing him about his golf game. Ava smiled and laughed along with them, trying to appear normal.
But the feeling of being watched persisted. She could feel eyes on her, boring into her skin. She tried to brush it off as paranoia, but she couldn't shake off the sense of unease.
As they finished breakfast, Ava's Dad pushed back his chair and stood up. "I've got to get going," he said. "I've got a meeting at work."
Ava nodded, feeling a sense of relief. She was glad to have some time to herself, to try and process the strange feelings that were swirling inside her.
As her Dad left the room, Max turned to her and said, "Hey, sis, can I talk to you for a minute?"
Ava nodded, feeling a sense of trepidation. What did Max want to talk to her about?
"What's up?" she asked, trying to sound casual.
Max leaned in, his voice low. "I've been noticing some weird stuff going on around here," he said. "Doors opening and closing on their own, strange noises at night. I think someone might be watching us."
Ava's heart skipped a beat. She had been feeling like someone was watching her, but she had tried to brush it off as paranoia. Could it be true?
"Do you think it's related to...what happened?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Max nodded. "I don't know, but I think we should be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."
Ava felt a chill run down her spine. She had been trying to put the past behind her, but it seemed like it was coming back to haunt her.
Ava rolled her eyes, trying to appear nonchalant. "Max, you're being paranoid," she said. "There's no one watching us. You're just spooked because of what happened to Mom."
Max frowned, his expression skeptical. "I'm telling you, Ava, I've seen some weird stuff. And I've been feeling like someone's been watching me too."
Ava sighed, trying to reassure him. "Max, we've been over this. There's no one watching us. It's just your imagination playing tricks on you."
But as she spoke, Ava couldn't shake off the feeling that Max was right. She had been feeling like someone was watching her too, and she had been trying to brush it off as paranoia. But what if it was true? What if someone was watching them?
Max looked at her, his eyes searching. "Ava, I'm serious. I think we should be careful. We don't know what we're dealing with."
Ava felt a pang of guilt, realizing that she had been dismissing Max's concerns too easily. Maybe she should listen to him, take his concerns seriously.
But before she could respond, her Dad walked back into the room, a look of concern on his face. "Ava, Max, I need to talk to you both about something," he said.
Ava and Max exchanged a look, wondering what their Dad wanted to talk to them about. Was it something to do with the strange occurrences they had been experiencing?
"What is it, Dad?" Ava asked, feeling a sense of trepidation.
Her Dad hesitated, looking uncertain. "I've been getting some strange phone calls," he said. "Someone's been calling the house, but when I answer, no one's there."
Ava and Max exchanged a look, their hearts racing. This was getting we
irder by the minute.
Ava waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, Dad, it's probably just a prank caller," she said. "Don't worry about it."
Her Dad looked uncertain, but Max nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Dad, it's probably just some kid messing around," he said.
Their Dad sighed, looking relieved. "Okay, okay. I just don't want anything to happen to you two," he said.
Ava smiled, feeling a sense of reassurance. "Don't worry, Dad. We'll be fine," she said.
But as they continued to talk, Ava couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. The phone calls, the strange feelings she and Max had been experiencing... it all seemed too coincidental.
As they finished their conversation, Ava's Dad stood up to leave. "I've got to get going," he said. "I've got a meeting at work."
Ava and Max nodded, watching as their Dad left the room. As soon as he was gone, Max turned to Ava with a serious expression.
"Ava, I don't think it's just a prank caller," he said. "I think something's going on, and we need to figure out what it is."
Ava felt a shiver run down her spine. She had been trying to brush off the strange feelings, but Max's words made her realize that she couldn't ignore them anymore.
"What do you think it is?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Max hesitated, looking around the room nervously. "I don't know, but I think it has something to do with Mom's death," he said.
Ava's heart skipped a beat. She had been trying not to think about her Mom's death, but Max's words brought it all back.
"Do you think it's related to... what happened?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Max nodded, his eyes locked on hers. "I do," he said. "And I think we need to find out what's going on before it's too late."
As they spoke, Ava felt a sense of determination rising up inside her. She was going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what it took.