Shattering Constellations | Countryhumans |

✩* ⋆ 35 ⋆ *✩

·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙ ✩ Traitors ✩ *̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙

America POV

I jump out my room's window and land on the soft grass. I quickly get into the black cab and tell my driver to go. I lean back in my seat fixing my black cap as I watch through the window.

It's around 4 am. The streets are shrouded in darkness. The houses we pass appear as silent sentinels in the quiet of the early morning. There's a sense of stillness, interrupted only by the flicker of a street lamp or the soft flow from a bedroom window. I sigh, looking at the red envelope in my hands. My chest tightens as scenarios race in my head. I shouldn't be scared of the future. I shouldn't care about the future. I must not feel.

The cab reaches the designated human community. I used to live here. I used to go to high school here. I used to go to middle school here. I used to go to elementary school here. I was born here. I watch the familiar neighborhood pass by through the quiet streets. I find myself returning back to my memories of playing in the snow and—f*ck. I wince in pain, holding my head.

My hands shake as I reach for my sunglasses. I quickly put them on, then close my eyes trying to think about something different. My head hadn't had this magnitude of a headache since I left. Thankfully I brought my painkillers with me. I plop them in my mouth and swallow, feeling relief as I relax in my seat.

I'm happy he reminded me to bring these—but why would he know?

The cab stops at an abandoned ancient Chinese home. Vines draped over the crumbling walls as if nature itself was reclaiming this forgotten place. The moon cast ethereal light on the weathered wooden beams and tied roofs, highlighting the carving and faded paint. The ancient home seemed suspended in time, a haunting relic of a forgotten era. I swallow, unwilling to get out of the safety of the cab. Why do they want me to come here?

"That will be 30 bucks," the driver says in his deep voice.

I nod my head, handing him the two 20s. "Keep the tip," I say.

He smiles gently, "thank you young lady. God bless you."

I smile warmly, masking my fear, and step out of the car. The cab drives away, leaving me alone with the home. How come I never knew about this part of the neighborhood? How do they know about this home? My hands shake as I take the red envelope out again to read the first instructions.

Jump over the rusty gates on the left side

I walk to my left and find the tall golden gates. I swallow, unwilling to climb over it. Thankfully, being slim and fit has its perks. I forcefully squeeze myself through the gap between the metal bars. F*ck, it's tighter than I thought it would be. Eventually, after some struggling, I made it to the other side. I check the envelope again.

Go to the middle of the garden. There you'll see a tall tree.

I frown, looking at the maze-like garden overgrown with weeds and tangled roots. I can see the tree perfectly from here, but the amount of walls surrounding it makes it hard to find a clear path. Wait, is that dried blood? I check the walls closely. F*ck. I might die today. I take a deep breath to calm myself down before finding my way to the tall tree by following the blood on the walls.

Once I do, I look around my surroundings, planning an escape if I have to. There are identical walls on all sides with the same type of door frame with lamps on each side. The door in which I entered had no more blood stains for me to know where to go. So, picking up a rock I found on the ground, I placed it at the entry way I came through. I get up and accidentally bump my head on a lantern.