Maria
The soft murmur of their voices lulls me to sleep as the SUV heads to New Jersey. I try to focus on the conversation between Dad and Mikhail but slowly find myself drifting off in the back seat. I'm not quite sure when I finally fall asleep, but when I wake up, the SUV has stopped on a long driveway in an upscale neighborhood. Blinking my eyes, I sit up and stare at a brick colonial mansion with white columns, which looks cozy compared to Sorokin's creepy castle.
"What time is it?" I ask, stretching as I yawn.
"Almost ten o'clock. Have you been here before?" Mikhail asks as he opens the car door for me.
"No, never," I reply, stepping out of the SUV. "I don't know this side of my family."
"But you know Mercy?" Mikhail questions.
"That's different." I stare at the size of the imm
