Innocent me... Episode 15
262 Words
The drive to the abandoned estate felt longer than it should have. The road was rough, swallowed by tall grasses and broken streetlights that no longer worked. Jayden kept one hand on the steering wheel, his eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
Ella sat quietly in the passenger seat, staring at the passing darkness.
Neither of them spoke much.
The weight of everything between them — the memories, the warnings, the unanswered questions — made silence feel heavier than words.
Finally, the car slowed.
In front of them stood a large, old estate covered in vines and cracked walls. It looked forgotten, but not abandoned. Like something had been waiting there… for a long time.
Ella’s breath caught. “This is it.”
Jayden parked the car but didn’t turn off the engine immediately. “Once we go in, we don’t split up,” he said firmly.
Ella nodded slowly, though fear twisted inside her chest.
They stepped out together.
The gates creaked open on their own as they approached, making Ella flinch. Jayden immediately stepped slightly in front of her.
Inside, the air was colder. The mansion doors were already open.
Too open.
As if someone was expecting them.
Ella swallowed hard. “This feels like a trap.”
Jayden didn’t deny it.
Instead, he said quietly, “Stay close.”
They stepped inside.
The doors slammed shut behind them.
And from the darkness ahead, a familiar voice echoed through the empty hall.
“Ella… you finally came back.”
Ella froze instantly.
Because she recognized that voice.
It was her father.
- Writer
