Moonlit Secrets

Chapter 7: The Larkins' Home

The air grew heavy as Emily and Sophie approached the Larkin residence, a house that seemed to sag under the weight of its sorrow. It stood at the edge of Willow Creek, mere footsteps from the dense, shadowy forest that loomed like a dark guardian. The path to the front door was overgrown with weeds, the remnants of what might have once been a vibrant garden. The house itself was a dilapidated two-story structure, its paint peeling and windows clouded with dust, offering a stark contrast to the lively homes they had passed earlier. Here, there was no sign of life—no laughter, no cheerful greetings.

As they stepped onto the creaking porch, the wood groaned like the spirits that might inhabit this place. A chill settled around them, prickling Emily's skin as she glanced at Sophie. The dread in the air was palpable, thickening their resolve. They exchanged a glance, a silent agreement to push forward. They had to know the truth.

Sophie knocked a hesitant sound that seemed to echo into the depths of the forest. Moments passed, each tick of the clock in Emily’s mind-stretching into eternity. Then, with a sharp creak, the door swung open.

Mrs. Larkin stood before them, her face a mask of raw grief and fierce defiance. Her hair, once a rich chestnut, hung limp and unkempt around her face, framing eyes that were red-rimmed and filled with anger.

“What do you want?” she demanded, her voice harsh like gravel. The air was thick with tension, and Emily felt a rush of apprehension.

“We’re sorry to intrude, Mrs. Larkin,” Emily began, trying to keep her voice steady. “We’re friends of—of your granddaughter. We wanted to ask about her.”

“Friends?” Mrs. Larkin scoffed, her eyes narrowing. “You think you know her? You think you can waltz in here after—after what’s happened? Get out!”

The venom in her voice stung, and Emily felt her heart drop. She took a step back, but Sophie remained rooted beside her, undeterred. “Please, we just want to help. We want to know what happened. We need to understand.”

“Understand?” Mrs. Larkin spat, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. “You know nothing! You’re just kids playing detective while our lives are shattered!”

Emily took a deep breath, forcing back her fear. “We’re not here to hurt you. We just have a few questions.”

Mrs. Larkin hesitated, her expression flickering with a mix of grief and anger. “You think asking questions will change anything? She’s gone! My poor girl is gone, and you want to poke at the wounds?”

From behind her, a figure emerged—Mr. Larkin. His presence was imposing, his face drawn tight with worry and despair. “What’s going on?” he asked, voice low and rumbling like distant thunder. He glanced at the girls, suspicion etched on his features. “Who are you?”

“Emily and Sophie,” Emily said, her voice trembling slightly. “We’re friends of your granddaughter. We just want to talk.”

“Friends?” Mr. Larkin echoed, his tone laced with bitterness. “You don’t even know what she’s been through.”

As the words hung in the air, Emily felt the weight of the moment pressing down on her. “Why didn’t you report her missing?” The question slipped out before she could stop it, raw and desperate.

Silence engulfed the porch, a void filled only by the distant rustle of leaves in the forest. The Larkins exchanged a glance that spoke volumes, a shared pain that cut deeper than the surface.

Mrs. Larkin’s lips trembled, and for a brief moment, Emily thought she saw a flicker of something—regret, perhaps. “Because,” she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper, “we didn’t think it was necessary. We thought she had run away again.”

“Run away?” Sophie interjected, her brow furrowed. “How often did she do that?”

Mr. Larkin’s eyes darkened, a storm brewing within. “What business is it of yours?” he snapped. “You think you can just barge in and pry into our lives? You think you know her?”

“We want to help!” Emily pleaded, feeling the heat of frustration rising in her chest.

Mrs. Larkin took a step closer, her voice trembling with fury. “Do you even understand what you’re asking? She was troubled, a shadow of what she once was. She didn’t want to be found. We tried to help her, but she pushed us away!”

“Maybe she was scared,” Emily countered, feeling the fire of her determination ignite. “Maybe she needed you to reach out, to fight for her.”

“Enough!” Mr. Larkin’s voice boomed, shaking the very foundation of their fragile conversation. “You don’t know anything! You’re just kids! You think you can save the day, but you can’t!”

The intensity of his anger filled the air, wrapping around Emily like a suffocating fog. She could see the raw grief in his eyes, but it was laced with something darker—fear, perhaps, or a sense of failure that clawed at the edges of his soul.

“What happened to her?” Sophie pressed, her voice softening, an attempt to break through the walls of anger surrounding them. “Please. The police aren't going to help you. We're your best shot at finding out what happened to her."

The couple exchanged another look, this one laden with unspoken words, and Emily felt the air thicken with dread.

“She was… different,” she finally admitted, her voice trembling. “She had nightmares and talked about things she couldn’t explain. She was scared of the forest, scared of what was out there.”

“What do you mean?” Emily asked, sensing a thread of truth that could unravel the mystery.

“She said she saw things in the woods,” Mr. Larkin interjected, his voice low and gravelly. “Creatures. Shadows. We thought it was just her imagination, but…” His voice trailed off, and Emily could see the fear etched into his features.

“Shadows?” Sophie echoed, her curiosity piqued. “What kind of shadows?”

The couple exchanged another look, this one laden with unspoken words, and Emily felt the air thicken with dread.

“Monsters,” Mrs. Larkin whispered, her voice breaking. “She said they were coming for her, and we didn’t believe her.”

The revelation hung heavily in the air, settling over them like a dark cloud. Emily felt a chill run down her spine, the weight of the world crashing in on her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this story, something lurking just beyond their grasp.

“I need to know everything,” Emily said her voice barely a whisper. “Please, if there’s anything you can tell us, anything at all, it could help.”

Mrs. Larkin hesitated, tears welling in her eyes. “We thought she was just a troubled girl, but we were wrong. She was scared. She mentioned the moon, said it changed things, made people… different.”

Emily’s heart raced as she pieced together the fragments of the Larkin’s truth. The whispers of the woods, the shadows, the change—could it all be connected? “Did she ever talk about other people? Friends?”

“She had one friend,” Mr. Larkin said, his voice now barely a whisper. “A boy named Jacob. But he… he didn’t help. He was part of the problem.”

As the darkness of the Larkins’ home closed in around them, Emily felt a surge of determination. They needed to find out what had happened, not just for the girl, but for everyone in Willow Creek.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice steadying.

As they stepped back into the cool air outside, the weight of their conversation settled heavily on Emily’s shoulders. The shadows of the forest loomed closer, whispering secrets that begged to be uncovered. They would find the truth, no matter the cost.

And with that, the chilling reality of their task ahead settled in. The Larkins’ sorrow and anger would be a shadow they carried with them, a reminder of the darkness that lurked just beyond the edge of town.