I KNOW THE END

18

Act Two: Chapter Three, September 13th, 2023

THE PARKER RESIDENCE

GRACE

The morning sunlight filtered weakly through the curtains of my room, but it brought no comfort. Sleep had been impossible. Every creak of the house, every distant sound, set my nerves on edge. I kept replaying my father's words, the threat behind them echoing in my head like a warning siren I couldn't turn off.

When I finally left my room, the house was eerily quiet. William's door was shut, the faint hum of his music seeping through. He was dealing with this the only way he knew how: by shutting the world out.

I made my way to the kitchen, desperate for some semblance of normalcy, but even the act of pouring cereal felt foreign. My hands were trembling, the cereal box rattling as I poured it into the bowl.

"Grace?"

I nearly dropped the box at the sound of William's voice. I hadn't even heard him come in. He leaned against the doorway, his dark eyes studying me.

"You okay?" he asked, though his tone made it clear he already knew the answer.

I shook my head, not trusting my voice.

He sighed and sat down at the table, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "We can't let him scare us," he said firmly. "That's what he wants. We have to stand our ground."

"And if he doesn't back off?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

William hesitated, the weight of the question hanging between us. "Then we make sure he doesn't have the chance to hurt us."

The edge in his voice made my stomach churn. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying we fight back," he said, his jaw tightening. "We're not kids anymore, Grace. We don't have to let him control us."

"But how?" I asked, feeling a flicker of hope mixed with fear. "He's stronger than us. And he's not exactly... rational."

William leaned forward, his voice low. "We don't have to face him alone. There are people who can help us."

I frowned. "You mean the police?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. We need proof, something they can't ignore. If we go to them now, it's just our word against his. But if we show them what kind of man he really is..."

I didn't like where this was going. "What are you planning, Will?"

"Nothing dangerous," he said quickly, though the look in his eyes told a different story. "I just need to do some digging. He's been gone for years, Grace. People like him don't just disappear without leaving a trail."

The thought of William confronting our dad, even indirectly, made my chest tighten with dread. "I don't want you getting hurt," I said.

He gave me a small, reassuring smile. "I won't. I promise."

But I wasn't convinced.

LATER THAT DAY

William left the house not long after, claiming he was going to "run some errands." I wanted to press him for details, but I knew better than to push. William wasn't the type to share his plans until he was ready.

I spent the afternoon trying to distract myself, but every attempt at normalcy felt hollow. The TV was just background noise. My phone buzzed with messages from friends I didn't feel like responding to. Even the book I tried to read couldn't hold my attention.