The next morning dawned with a heaviness that mirrored the weight on my shoulders, the events of the previous day weighing heavily on my mind as I trudged downstairs for breakfast.
My mother, Anna was already in the kitchen, her back turned to me as she bustled about, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the scent of sizzling bacon.
"Ethan, darling," she greeted me with a forced cheerfulness that did little to mask the concern etched into her features.
"You're up early. Everything alright?"
I forced a smile, though it felt more like a grimace than anything resembling genuine happiness.
"Yeah, just couldn't sleep," I mumbled, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
Anna frowned, her brow furrowing in concern as she studied me intently.
"You've been quiet lately," she observed, her voice gentle but tinged with a note of reproach.
"Is something bothering you?"
I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal, before settling on a vague half-truth.
"I've just got a lot on my mind, Mom," I replied, my words tinged with resignation.
"Trying to adjust to everything here in Whisbrook, you know?"
Anna's expression softened, her features clouded with concern as she reached out to grasp my hand in hers.
"It's okay to feel overwhelmed, Ethan," she reassured me, her voice gentle yet firm.
"But you don't have to go through it alone. We're here for you."
I forced a weak smile in response, though the weight of my own doubts and fears still bore down on me like a heavy burden. "Thanks, Mom," I murmured, my voice barely above a whisper.
But before I could dwell any further on the weight of my own insecurities, Anna's expression hardened, her gaze fixed on me with newfound intensity.
"Speaking of which, Ethan," she began, her tone tinged with a hint of reproach,
"I couldn't help but notice that you've been spending less and less time with everyone lately..."
"I'm fine, Mom," I replied, my tone sharper than intended.
"I'm just... busy with my own things, that's all."
But Anna was not so easily appeased, her gaze piercing through my facade with unnerving precision. "It's more than that, Ethan," she insisted, her tone firm.
"You've barely been talking to anyone, not even Aurora. What's going on?"
I bristled at the mention of Aurora, the memory of our strained conversation still fresh in my mind. "I've just been busy, okay?" I snapped, my frustration bubbling to the surface.
"And besides, why do you care so much? Have you been talking to Mr. Jones again?"
Anna's expression faltered at my accusation, her features clouding over with guilt. "Ethan, I—"
YOU ARE READING
Eternity
VampireIn the enigmatic town of Whisbrook, where mysteries and secrets abound, a young newcomer named Ethan is on a relentless quest to uncover the truth. With his father's tragic death fresh in his memory, Ethan and his mother, Anna, move to Whisbrook to...
