The Vanishing Girls Of Willow Creek (Willow Creek, #1)

Chapter Thirty

There is a calm before the storm... enjoy it while it lasts. - Unknown

The morning sun filtered through the lace curtains, casting a soft glow across the room as I sat at my desk, pondering the events of last night.

The more we read, the more chillingly clear it became—there was something sinister lurking beneath the surface of our town's history.

The missing women and girls, the tangled branches of the Haggerty family tree—they all seemed to lead back to one central question: were these women willing participants in their marriages?

A faint tapping at my window pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to see Jon's familiar face peering in. With a quick nod, I gestured for him to come inside, watching as he effortlessly swung his leg over the windowsill and landed in my room.

"Morning," he said with a smile as he climbed through the window.

As he jumped inside, I looked behind him at the bridge that connected our two rooms. It was a hassle to get the town to agree, but they finally relented.

Only we would have a bridge built between our rooms, making it easier to go back and forth. Or rather, making it easier for Jon to escape the near-constant fighting between his parents.

I groaned in response, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over me like a heavy blanket. "I'm so tired," I muttered, sinking back onto my bed.

Jon chuckled softly before nudging me playfully. "I know, but we've got to face hell for a few hours. Let's just get it over with."

Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of bed and stood up unsteadily. "Ugh, fine. You know, I can't wait to be done with high school."

Jon nodded in agreement as he watched me struggle to wake up fully. "I know. Neither can I."

As I finally mustered the energy to stand up, Jon's eyes landed on an envelope lying on my desk. Curiosity piqued, he picked it up and examined it before turning back to me with a questioning look.

"What's inside?" he asked.

"I have no idea. I found it in my locker yesterday but haven't had a chance to open it yet," I replied hesitantly. "Especially with everything that happened yesterday."

"Do you want me to look?"

I nodded and handed him the envelope.

As I watched Jon carefully open the mysterious envelope, my heart raced with anticipation. The events of the past few days had left me on edge, with Mr. Killian's sudden death and his chilling confession weighing heavily on my mind.

Jon pulled out a single sheet of paper from the envelope, his brow furrowing as he read the contents silently to himself.

After a moment, he looked up at me with a mixture of confusion and concern etched across his face.

"What is it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "It's a letter," Jon replied, handing it to me. "It's addressed to you."

As he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me, I saw the name "C. Moore" scrawled across the top. My mind raced as I tried to remember where I had heard that name before. Then it hit me: Clay Moore, a user known for his posts about the missing girls in town.

I scanned the letter quickly, my eyes widening in shock as I read its contents.

To Ms. Masterson,

You don't know me, but I know you and your family.

Because that's not creepy at all, I thought before I continued reading.