after they met her

thirtytwo

i v a n a

We arrived back home. It was weirdly quiet.

Logan and Asher exchanged a glance, and I felt a chill run down my spine. Our home was never this silent, not with all the bustling activity that usually filled its halls. The absence of noise felt almost eerie.

"Where is everyone?" I whispered, my voice barely audible in the stillness.

Logan shrugged, his face showing concern. "I don't know. Maybe they're all out."

Asher frowned, shaking his head. "No way. Matthew never leaves home without notifying us."

We made our way further inside, the silence pressing in around us. I felt a gnawing unease in the pit of my stomach. It was rare for this house to feel so lifeless.

We reached the living room, and it was empty, too. Logan looked around, his brow furrowed in frustration. "This is ridiculous. Where is everyone?"

"I'll check the backyard," Asher said, already moving towards the sliding glass doors.

Logan sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll check upstairs."

I stood there, feeling the weight of the silence around me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Asher and Logan's footsteps echoed in the distance as they moved through the house, searching for any sign of life.

I decided to head to the kitchen. Maybe there would be some clues there. As I walked, I couldn't help but think about the boy again. Was it possible he thought I was pretty in some way? I felt a pang of self-doubt for even thinking that. I wasn't even pretty, I should know better than to think such stupid things.

But even Lily said the blonde boy from the football club was interested in me.

And even Ray made out of me.

Pushing the thoughts aside, I stepped into the kitchen. It was just as empty and quiet as the rest of the house. I sighed, feeling more unsettled than ever. What was going on? Where was everyone?

Just as I was about to turn and leave, I heard the faint sound of a door opening. I tensed, listening carefully. Footsteps approached, and I felt a rush of relief when I saw Asher and Logan reenter the kitchen.

"No one's outside," Asher reported, his face serious. "It's like they all just vanished."

"Same upstairs," Logan added, frustration evident in his voice. "This doesn't make any sense."

We stood there, unsure of what to do next. The silence hung heavily around us, and the sense of unease only grew stronger. Something was definitely wrong, but we had no idea what it could be.

Then, suddenly, we heard a loud crash from the pantry. All three of us jumped, turning to face the source of the noise.

"Did you hear that?" Logan asked, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, I heard it," Asher replied, already moving towards the pantry. "Let's check it out."

With their guns in their hand, we approached the pantry cautiously, our hearts pounding in our chests. Asher reached for the door handle, and with a quick nod to Logan and me, he yanked the door open.

To our surprise, the pantry was filled with our missing family members. Matthew, Gray, and a couple of their men were all crammed inside, looking sheepish and holding various snacks.

"What the...?" Logan started, clearly baffled. "What are you all doing in there?"

Matthew stepped forward, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, Dad kind of locked us in the closet...after we tried to make him apologise to Ivana."