❛𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐈 𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒!❜
⸻ in which Rory Hargrove is obsessed to uncover the truth behind Barbara Holland's disappearance, while facing her brother's enemy and buried secr...
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HAWKINS, INDIANA - OCTOBER, 1984
THE DRY LEAVES, painted red and brown, drifted aimlessly along the road, pushed by the wind that stirred between them. The tires of the car, along with the trailer it towed, left a mark on the ground — a trail of crushed leaves dampened by the gentle, shy rain that soaked the air and awakened the quiet arrival of autumn.
With her head resting on the window, Aurora stared out at the landscape, its hues of red and brown blending seamlessly into one another.
The sun's rays fought their way through a thick blanket of dark clouds that hung heavy in the sky, resembling dirty cotton, and cast a single beam of golden light onto the horizon — a brief flicker of warmth before the moon would take its place.
The smell of wet earth filled her senses, bringing forth memories of childhood: the start of school, the joy of slipping on rubber boots to jump into puddles, the freedom of throwing herself into heaps of dry leaves under bare trees.
But autumn had never been her favorite. To her, it was the death of summer. The quiet return of silence, as if the world held its breath, waiting for the birds to leave and the cold to creep in. The sea, her summer companion, turned hostile in the winter, its waves too fierce to confront.
But life was a cycle and she would have to get used to it, as she had done for seventeen years, until spring came to revive nature.
Her breath was steady, calm, syncing with the deep, rhythmic inhalation of Max, her step-sister, who was sleeping with her head resting on Aurora's shoulder. Her fiery red hair rebelliously brushed against her arm, its wildness softening in her sleep. She looked so peaceful, so vulnerable, a stark contrast to her usual fierce self. Aurora smiled at her in silence.
Billy, her twin, exhaled a plume of tobacco smoke from his nose, his arm resting lazily on the open window as the cigarette dangled between his fingers.
Their father, Neil Hargrove, was driving. He was an imposing man — a reliable security guard, a man of few words with an overpowering need to control everything around him to feel superior. He believed that the key to happiness was obedience. As a result, he dictated his life and the lives of others with the excuse of always wanting to do what's "best for everyone."
Which was why, despite their tragic year, he decided to leave everything behind — the town, the memories, and the people. In search of a new beginning.
Aurora wasn't so sure that leaving would heal any of the wounds still fresh in their hearts.
The radio was playing softly, the music gradually fading into a stream of static, the signal weakened by the remoteness of the area.
