The Whistler In The Night

Chapter 25

We arrived at the house, my new house. It was strange to think of it that way. My real home, the one I grew up in, was gone—reduced to ashes along with my family. The sadness lingered, but the tears had stopped for now. As we stepped inside, I felt a strange sense of numbness, like my emotions had been exhausted by all that had happened.

Scarlet's mother, Mrs. Maeve, led us upstairs. I followed her quietly, the house was warm and smelled faintly of lavender. She stopped at a door, turning to me with a gentle smile. "Sweetie," she said softly, opening the door, "this is your room. I don't want you to be afraid. We're here with you."

Her kindness brought a small sense of comfort, though the grief still pressed down on me like a heavy weight. "Thank you for everything, Mrs. Maeve," I managed to say.

She hugged me, her embrace warm and reassuring. "You're welcome, Evan," she replied with a soft smile. "Now, get some rest. We'll talk more in the morning."

I nodded, stepping into the room. It was neat and cozy, with soft lighting and a bed that looked so inviting I could hardly resist. To my surprise, there were clothes neatly folded for me in the closet, already prepared. I quickly took a shower, trying to wash away the lingering memories of the last few days. The water was hot, almost scalding, but it felt good to be clean, to feel a sense of normalcy again, even if it was only temporary.

When I finished, I collapsed onto the bed and almost instantly fell asleep.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. For the first time in what felt like forever, I hadn't had any nightmares. The bed was warm and the sunlight streamed in through the curtains, painting the room in soft gold.

I got up, stretching, and then made my way downstairs. The scent of breakfast filled the house, and it reminded me of simpler times, before everything had gone wrong. I reached the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast table. A moment later, Scarlet came down the stairs, her hair still slightly tousled from sleep. She smiled when she saw me, came over, and kissed me on the cheek before sitting next to me.

Mrs. Maeve, who was busy at the stove, didn't notice at first. She joined us at the table shortly after, bringing plates of food with her. We all sat together, the house quiet and peaceful for once. But I knew the conversation we needed to have couldn't be avoided.

As we began eating, Mrs. Maeve finally spoke. "So, Evan," she said, her voice steady but concerned, "tell me what happened. From the beginning. I want to understand."

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to even begin. How could I explain the horrors that Scarlet and I had experienced? Would she even believe me? But I had to try. I took a deep breath, and then I began telling her everything.

From the very first nightmare to the terrifying encounters with L, the lies, the hallucinations, the murder we were forced into. I didn't leave anything out. I told her about Kayla's death, about the cabin burning, about how L seemed to follow us no matter where we went. I could see the shock and fear growing in her eyes as I spoke, but she didn't interrupt. She just listened.

When I finished, the room fell into a heavy silence. Mrs. Maeve looked pale, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I... I don't even know what to say," she whispered. "That's... it's horrifying. But I believe you, Evan. Both of you."

I felt a strange sense of relief at her words, even though the weight of everything was still there. At least we weren't alone anymore. At least someone believed us.

"Don't worry," she said after a moment, her voice soft but firm. "You're safe here. Nothing's going to hurt you anymore."

I nodded, though a part of me wasn't convinced. L had a way of appearing when we least expected it, when we thought we were finally free of him. But I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that maybe, just maybe, the nightmare was over.

"Did you have any nightmares last night?" Mrs. Maeve asked, her eyes scanning my face.

I shook my head. "No, I didn't."

"That's a good sign," she said, smiling slightly. "Maybe he really is gone. Maybe whatever happened to him, when Scarlet shot him... maybe that was the end."

Scarlet glanced at me, her expression hopeful, but I could see the same doubt in her eyes that I felt in my own heart. We wanted to believe it was over, but after everything we had been through, it was hard to accept that things could just go back to normal.

We finished breakfast in relative quiet, each of us lost in our thoughts. The house felt safe for now, but deep down, I knew that L wasn't the kind of thing you could escape from so easily.

Still, as I looked around at Scarlet and her mom, I let myself cling to that small shred of hope. Maybe, just maybe, we had finally found a way out. Maybe this was our chance to start over.

At least for today, I wanted to believe that.