When nothing goes right, turn left

Shadows in the silence

The dream lingers in Veronica's mind like a whisper she can't shake. William's voice was clear, his laughter almost real—but when she reaches for her phone in the morning, the screen remains blank. No calls. No messages. The absence is suffocating, pressing against her chest as she forces herself out of bed. 

At lunch, Bella's voice cuts through her thoughts. 

"Did you hear?"she whispers, leaning in close. "Smith... they found his wallet. But guess where?"

Clark answers before Veronica can: "Near the abandoned chapel. The one Hilary warned you not to go near."

The words sink in. Her mother's unexplained fear of that place—it had always seemed irrational. But now, Veronica wonders if it was something else entirely. 

"What if he wasn't just some stranger?" she murmurs, staring at her untouched food. 

Clark sighs, pushing his tray aside. "There are too many gaps. Who was he, really? And why does no one seem to know?"

Before Bella can reply, a new voice joins them. 

"You're asking the wrong questions." 

It's Alex. Standing over the table, his easy confidence fades into something sharper, unreadable. His eyes lock onto Veronica's, scanning her face like he's searching for something beneath the surface. 

"What do you mean?"Veronica asks. 

Alex slides into the seat beside her, lowering his voice. "It's not about who he was. It's about who wanted him gone."

Silence grips the table. 

Veronica's heart pounds—not from his words, but from what they imply. 

That night, as she lies in bed, a single message appears on her phone. 

Unknown Number: "You need to know the truth."

Her breath catches. 

Another message follows. 

"Go to the chapel."

Veronica stood at the threshold of her mother's study, staring at the worn mahogany desk cluttered with papers, the scent of expensive perfume lingering in the air. Hilary was behind the desk, fingers steepled, gaze unreadable.

"You're not sleeping well," Hilary remarked without looking up.

Veronica's jaw tensed."Maybe because you threw me into a town I never wanted to live in."

Her mother sighed—the kind of sigh that held more judgment than concern. "I told you, it's for your own good."

My own good.The phrase echoed in Veronica's mind, hollow and meaningless. Hilary had been using it for years to justify decisions Veronica never agreed with—from the schools she attended, the parties she wasn't allowed to go to, even the breakup she never wanted.

"You act like I don't see what you're doing,"Veronica muttered, arms crossed.

Hilary finally lifted her gaze. There was something sharp in her eyes—something restrained but dangerous. "Do you?"

A silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words.

"What is this town to you? Veronica asked suddenly."You hate talking about it. You won't explain why we're here. Every time I bring it up, you shut me down. What are you hiding?"

Hilary's fingers tightened around the edge of the desk. "Drop it."

Veronica stepped forward. "No. Not this time."

Hilary's expression hardened, her voice calm but unyielding. "You want answers, but you never ask the right questions, Veronica. You look at everything like it's personal—like I make decisions just to hurt you. But this?" She gestured vaguely around them.  "This is bigger than you."

Veronica's breath caught.

"Then tell me what's so damn big about it"

Hilary stood abruptly, towering over her. "I will not let you ruin things just because you think you have a right to know everything."

There it was—that impenetrable wall between them, the one Veronica had slammed against her entire life. She felt like a child again, reaching for something she would never be allowed to grasp.

But this time, she wasn't backing down.

Without another word, she turned and walked out, fists clenched at her sides.

And later that night, when the anonymous text appeared on her phone—"Go to the chapel."—Veronica knew exactly what she needed to do.

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