ranging. Her thoughts drifted to Brandon. The way he had shown her the community center had softened her guar

er, jolting her back to reali

? I have something I

ent before typing back,

ckly. "The café ne

t deny that she was drawn to him, but something about their growing

*

yes scanning the room. Brandon sat at a corner table, his us

standing to pu

wn. She noticed a faint tension in

table. "I wanted to thank you for coming to the c

amazing to see. You real

softer now. "But there's so

pped a beat.

ack of the café. Catherine turned to see a tray of dishes s

ttention back to him. His tone was calm, but Cather

the strange feeling in the air. It was as if the roo

*

aying the conversation in her mind. Brandon had seemed

ceiling. Just as she was about to close her eyes, a

er heart racing. "M

espo

g seemed out of place, but a chill ran down her spine. Shaking her h

*

ectedly. Catherine looked up from the counter, surpris

down the vase she was working

," he said, his voic

sturing for hi

Brandon began, his gaze fixed on the floor.

owned. "What

y shelf toppled over, shattering into pie

ed?" she asked, h

ered vase, his jaw tight. "I don't know,"

she had noticed. At the café, the crash of dishes had seemed oddly timed. An

you're not telling me?" she a

ed. "There are things about my family...

up inside her. "You're being cryptic again. If

s hair. "It's not that simple, Catherine.

*

e flower shop, cleaning up after closing. Her

ghts flickered. She froze, the

called out, h

ans

y to see a shadow move across the w

there?" sh

the room. Catherine grabbed her phone, her fing

the lights went out completely,

ashlight on her phone. The beam of light cut thro

heri

w and chilling. She spun around, t

was no o

nd, making her jump. It wa

trembling. "Something's wrong h

Dorine said. "I'm on my

ing around the room. The shadows seemed to move on their

come back on, and the shop looked normal

*

erine confronted B

" she said, her voice firm. "And

, he looked as though he might deny it. B

"There's more to my family than

er mind racing. "What do y

ated. But yes, there are things... forces...

run through her. "Force

you don't want to believe in. But they're real, Catherine. An

idn't know what to say, but one thing was clea