Nora has been tormented by haunting nightmares for months, yet amidst the darkness, she begins to encounter a captivating girl whose presence mesmerises her. The girl's beauty is so striking that Nora finds herself longing to see her again in her dr...
❛ The Magician Reversed Trickery / Illusions / Out of Touch ❜ Third
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The hauntingly beautiful instrumental of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill drifted through the car's speakers, filling the space with an ethereal melody. Camden, momentarily lost in the music, asked her mother to turn up the volume.
"God, I love this song," Camden said with a wistful smile, her eyes closing slightly as she let the music envelop her. "It's so beautiful, and there's this essence to it that really sticks with you. It's like it has a timeless quality imbedded inside it."
Camden's mother laughed, her voice warm and teasing from the front seat. "You weren't even born when this came out, darling. In fact, you three were yet to be conceived."
"Yuck. Mum, that's gross!" Blake complained from the passenger seat, scrunching her nose in mock disgust.
Camden, in the middle seat, nodded in agreement. "I second that."
"And I third that. Very heavily," Keira added with a grin. "But here, you can just drop me off here." She pointed to the side of the road across a park where the local football club was hosting their next football game.
"Here?" their mother questioned, her brow furrowing as she looked at the empty street. "I can't just stop here, Keira."
Keira, rummaging through her belongings, started gathering her things. "I know, but maybe you can drop me off at the stoplight? I'll miss the game if we wait for you to park, and I really don't want to get on Miss Callahan's bad side. I heard she's pregnant, and I'm pretty sure pregnant people get like weirdly fussy about—"
"Stop yapping and get ready!" Blake interjected, her impatience evident. "We're gonna be at the stoplight any second, and you're still fussing!"
"I know, I know, I'm ready!"
Their mother signaled for Keira to hop out of the car as they stopped at the red light. Keira, her movements quick and purposeful, slung her bag over her shoulder and climbed out of the backseat.
"Camden, sweetie, can you take your sister to the field, please?" their mother asked, her tone gentle but firm.
"Mum, I'm 15, not 5!" Keira protested, her irritation rising.
"I don't care, Keira. Camden, love?" their mother said, turning to Camden with a pleading look.
"Sure thing." Camden unfastened her seatbelt and jumped out of the car, closing the door behind her with a sense of urgency.
"I'm not a kid," Keira huffed as the car moved forward when the light turned green, her frustration clear.
"We know you aren't," Camden reassured her, trying to sound supportive. "But you're still our baby, and we're protective of you. It's all in good faith, okay?"
Keira nodded, though her impatience was palpable as they began to walk toward the pedestrian crossing. "Listen, I'm really gonna be late. Can we just quickly cross over?"
Camden tilted her head, studying the traffic signal. "Not sure."
"You're not sure or you don't want to?" Keira pressed, her voice tinged with annoyance.
Camden shook her head. "I don't want to."
"I'm gonna be late for my game, Camden," Keira said, frustration evident in her tone.
"That's not my problem. You made yourself late, so this is on you."
"Don't be such a bitch, Cam."
Camden rolled her eyes and exhaled heavily. "Shut up. Come on then!"
They stepped off the pavement, maneuvering between two parked cars. "See, it's a red light!" Keira exclaimed, a hint of triumph in her voice.
Camden sighed, her gaze shifting to the flashing orange light of the pedestrian signal. "It's orange. Listen, maybe we should just wait or—"
"God, Camden, I don't have the time!" Keira snapped, her impatience boiling over as she stomped toward the two faint white lines in the middle of the road. Camden's eyes remained fixed on the shifting lights, sensing something unsettling.
"Keira, just slow down!" Camden shouted, her voice tinged with concern.
In an instant, a piercing screech shattered the calm, the sound of blaring horns and screeching tires cutting through the noise of the nearby football game. The background chatter faded into a haunting silence.
"Hurry up!" Keira called out, her body turned toward Camden, motioning for her to catch up.
"No. Stay there," Camden pleaded, her voice a strained whisper.
Her sister, with a mix of defiance and urgency, rolled her eyes and took a step closer to the edge of the other side of the road. Her movements were almost casual, as if the danger were a distant thought.
"Keira..."
A blinding flash of headlights and a cacophony of noise engulfed Camden. The world went dark, the streetlights casting eerie shadows as the screeching tires seemed to draw closer. The last sound Camden heard was her sister's terrified scream, echoing through the night.
