Eternal Echoes: A Dance with Darkness

I woke up late the following morning, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I sat up in bed. Aiden was nowhere to be seen, but a note caught my attention on the nightstand. I sluggishly reached over to pick it up, finding a message from Aiden that read:

“My Love, I made sure that you would be safe, staying with you until sunrise. But it is important that I hide this locket and find out everything that Easton knows. I must protect you.

I may be gone longer than expected, but please don’t worry. I will be back and promise to explain everything when I return.

Love, Aiden”

His messy scrawl, a testament to his haste, only fueled my frustration. I yearned to be by his side, to unravel the mysteries he hinted at. My heart ached with longing, a longing that threatened to consume me. Perhaps he sensed my vulnerability, my inability to handle the truth, and decided to shield me from the darkness.

A restless energy surged through me, propelling me out of bed. A strange silence hung over the house, an eerie calm that unsettled me. My parents' bedroom door was opened, their snores muffled by the walls. They must have stayed out late, or perhaps they were simply sleeping in. I closed their door and then tiptoed past their room, careful not to disturb their slumber.

The warmth of the shower enveloped me, washing away the tension and anxiety. As I stepped out, I heard a faint noise, a shuffling sound from the hallway. My parents must have woken up.

The clock ticked impatiently as I rushed to finish getting ready. My stomach grumbled, a persistent reminder of my neglected hunger. I hesitated, torn between avoiding my parents' inquisitive glances and succumbing to the gnawing hunger. In the end, my stomach won.

With a deep breath, I braced myself for the inevitable interrogation. As I stepped into the kitchen, I was met with an unexpected sight: an empty house. My parents were gone, their whereabouts a mystery. A sense of relief washed over me, but it was quickly replaced by a growing curiosity. Where had they gone, and why so early?

I filled my plate with leftover breakfast, my mind still racing with questions. The quiet solitude of the house was both comforting and unsettling. I yearned to know what Aiden was up to, to ensure his safety.

The doorbell shattered the silence, interrupting my thoughts. Peering through the peephole, I saw Sara, her face lit up with excitement.

"Oh my gosh, Ember! You'll never guess what happened last night!" Sara burst through the door, her eyes wide with excitement. "I was walking home, and guess who I ran into?"

"Who?" I asked, taking a sip of my drink.

"Easton!"

I choked on my drink, my heart sinking. "Easton?" I repeated, incredulous.

"Yeah, Easton!" Sara exclaimed, oblivious to my discomfort. "He's back in town, and he wants to pick things up where we left off!"

"Oh, come on, Sara," I groaned. "You can't be serious."

"Why not?" she asked, defensively. "He seemed really sincere."

"But Sara, you know what happened last time. He disappeared without a trace. How can you trust him now?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I was skeptical at first, too. But he said he's changed, that he's ready to be honest with me. I told him I wouldn't tolerate any secrets or lies, and that I wouldn't keep anything from you. You're my best friend, after all."

"So, what did he say to all that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I was actually proud of her for standing her ground. But the words Aiden had spoken last night still lingered in my mind.

"He was a bit taken aback at first," Sara admitted. "He looked a little hurt, but I held firm. After a moment of silence, he finally agreed not to keep any more secrets from me, and he promised not to hide our relationship from you. I pressed him for details about where he'd been for the past three years, and he finally opened up."

My eyes widened in surprise. "And?"

"He said his parents got a divorce right after graduation. His dad moved to Florida, and his mom moved to California. He was left in a tough spot, with no money and nowhere to go. He didn't want to keep us hanging, so he broke things off."

That explanation is plausible, but why keep any of it a secret?... I thought to myself as Sara continued talking.

"So, first he lived with his dad in Florida, working odd jobs here and there. Then he had a falling out with his dad and moved to California to live with his mom. He got a decent job and saved up enough money to move back here," Sara said, her face glowing. "He couldn't stand being so far away, not knowing if I was okay.

"We walked around for a while after that, trying to keep the conversation going. It was a little awkward at first. I told him I'd mentioned our relationship to you, and he looked a bit surprised. We walked in silence for a few blocks.

"Then he grabbed my arm, and I swear, my heart almost stopped. It was a mix of excitement and fear. His voice was... different, kind of dark when he asked if I'd told you anything else. I got chills."

I felt a chill run down my spine too. "That's weird," I murmured. Is he really not to be trusted?... I thought to myself as Sara continued.

“I figured he may have been talking about our intimacy or I don’t know, maybe that he was telepathic. But either way, I told him no.”

My face grew hot from embarrassment as I let out a groan and whined. “Ahh… I wish I could forget that I had ever seen that!”

Sara giggled, unfazed by my embarrassment. "After that, he started telling me all about his life, how he was always moving around, never settling down. He said that's why he's so awkward socially, always being the new kid. Poor guy."

"Well, we started talking about lighter stuff, and then he grabbed my hand. I almost pulled away, but I let him. I know, I know, I shouldn't have, but he has a way of breaking down my defenses."

I forced a smile. "I didn't say anything about it, Sara." I was still a bit wary of Easton, remembering Aiden's warnings. I couldn't shake the feeling that he might be up to something, using Sara to get information about me.

"It felt like old times, you know? We were laughing, joking around, just being happy. But then, the guilt set in," Sara confessed, a shadow crossing her face. "That happiness, it was tainted. It felt bittersweet."

She paused, taking a deep breath. "I sat down on a bench, feeling overwhelmed. That's when Easton came and sat beside me, wiping away my tears. He tried to comfort me, but I just wanted to hide. I didn't want him to see how broken I was..."