Pretty Waterhouse I: Ashes of Yesterday

Chapter 2: The Gilbert Brothers

Chapter 2: "The Gilbert Brothers"

In the cool dawn of Pretty Waterhouse, a faint mist hovered over the ground as Emily Waterhouse walked alone through the still sleepy streets of the town. Medium in height and with hair so light it verged on silver, Emily exuded an aura of determination that starkly contrasted with her pale skin and the vibrant blue of her eyes, which now reflected a mix of desperation and hope.

She carried a bundle of posters with the image of her best friend Valery, whose disappearance had plunged the community into deep anguish. "Have you seen her?" was written in large letters above Valery's smiling photo, a question that echoed in the hearts of all who knew her. This was the fifth batch of posters Emily had distributed that day, her body ached from the effort, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment in her heart.

Pretty Waterhouse, a community that normally thrummed with the tranquility of small-town life, now found itself on the verge of a curfew. Valery's black Volvo had been found abandoned in the airport parking lot, a discovery that only added more questions to the mystery of her disappearance. Emily knew, with a certainty that only true friendship provides, that Valery would never have run away on her own.

Walking towards the shadows of the forest surrounding the town, Emily moved almost mechanically. The cold morning air chilled her bones, but her spirit was ignited by a flame of resolve. Knowing that many people went out for runs or walks at this hour, she cleverly hung posters on trees, spreading Valery's image along every path and route possible.

As she hung the last poster of the morning, a subtle crack broke the serenity of the forest. Her heart raced instantly; she turned on her heels, her blue eyes scanning the shadow moving between the trees. "Valery," she whispered to herself, allowing hope to blossom in her chest as she began a desperate chase after the figure.

The pursuit took her beyond the limits she had ever explored in the forest. Fear began to nest in her stomach as the footsteps in front of her became less frequent, until silence took over the place. "Valery?" she called with a trembling voice, stopping when she received no response.

Ahead of her, the silhouette crouched over something on the ground. Cautiously, Emily approached, but a misstep caused her foot to break a dry branch under her weight. The man turned abruptly, his eyes shining with an intense and wild red that froze Emily's blood in her veins. In that moment, the reality of her situation became palpable: those eyes were not those of a human, and they definitely did not belong to Valery.

* * *

"Emily, wake up," he said with a voice that mixed affection and authority. "We're almost there. You don't want to show up on your first day looking sleepy."

The young woman gently rubbed her eyes, making sure not to disrupt her meticulously maintained appearance. "Don't tease me like that," she replied in a playful tone, trying to hide the nervousness she felt about facing a new beginning.

Her parents shared an understanding laugh. Charlotte looked at her through the rearview mirror, her eyes full of unconditional love. "Relax, Emily, everyone will adore you," she assured, before adding more seriously, "You're perfect."

"This is just another excuse for the problem I have," Emily muttered, crossing her arms and looking out at the landscape of Pretty Waterhouse passing by with deceptive calm.

Henry, her father, intervened firmly from behind the wheel. "We agreed we wouldn't talk about that anymore. You're not a problem, Emily. You're our daughter, and that's what matters most."But Emily couldn't help feeling like a phenomenon. Since she was young, she had struggled with the peculiarity of her skin, which glowed with its own light when she was in relaxed or happy moods. "No, I'm just a phenomenon," she said, her voice tinged with resignation and a hint of bitterness.