𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 - 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

31. the nina project

STRAIGHT FROM LAST CHAPTER

"Aubrey?" Nick pulled Aubrey aside while the rest of them caught up with Max.

Once everyone returned from the cemetery and Pennhurst, they each quickly stopped back at their homes to grab fresh clothes, toothbrushes, etc; They didn't know how long they'd have to be hunkered down together, but they knew they needed to be there for Max. Aubrey grabbed every cassette tape she owned. None of them knew that. After, they had all retreated back to the Wheeler's basement.

"What's up?" she asked him, a little concerned.

"I just..." he lowered his voice, "Look, I've obviously known you've been struggling. But Steve told me uh... that, you know, you've been getting headaches, nightmares, all that fun stuff—"

Aubrey was already scoffing, "Yeah, and did he also mention I've been having them for months?" she stopped him. She didn't need more people worrying about her, "I'm not cursed." she told him quietly.

"No, no, he did." he nodded, "But... Aubrey, when I found you at the cemetery earlier..." he tilted his head at her, giving her this certain knowing look, "Did something happen?"

Suddenly, "Aubrey..." she heard. She couldn't comprehend where it was coming from however, or who it was. She looked around her, then heard another chime. She turned around and across the cemetery, she saw the clock again.

"No..." she shook her head, "No."

"Aubrey." she heard again and another chime.

"Please stop." she cried.

"No." she shook her head, "Nothing happened." she lied.

"Aubrey... I saw you... you were staring across the cemetery behind you." he sighed, "The look on your face... you were scared."

She looked back at the group, then at him, lowering her voice even more, "Nick, I don't need everyone worrying about me." her voice shook, "Max needs to be our main focus."

He scoffed, "Yeah, but if this is also happening to you? You need to be our focus too."

She sighed, he was never going to give this up. She took a deep breath, "Look, if I tell you this... it stays between us."

"Yep." he nodded. He was lying, she didn't know it.

"At the park... I heard chimes... like a clock, and then... then I saw it, the grandfather clock." she told him, "But I shut my eyes and it went away, until at the cemetery." she confessed, "It came back."

Nick took a deep breath, taking this newfound information in, "Okay... I'm sorry." he said.

"What?" Nick turned around to the entire group then, "Nick.." she whispered, "Nick."

"Aubrey saw a grandfather clock!" he announced to the entire room, so loudly. She bets even the rest of the Wheeler house heard him. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face them.

"Nick!" she hit him. "What the hell?!"

"I'm not gonna let what happened to Max today happen to you, okay?" he told her.