THE NIGHT EVERYTHING CHANGED
1276 Words
The group chat was unusually quiet that Sunday evening.
“Hey, wanna hang out tonight?” Lyra texted.
“No… I’m not in the mood,” Ellyna replied shortly.
“Oh, alright then,” Lyra responded, ending the chat with a half-hearted emoji.
But while everyone thought Ellyna would stay home, she quietly slipped out into the night. The beach had always been her escape — her only safe place whenever her world felt too heavy to bear.
The moonlight shimmered over the calm waves as Ellyna took off her shoes, feeling the cold sand beneath her feet.
“Ahhh… finally, I can scream as loud as I want,” she said softly, smiling for the first time in days.
But before she could take another breath, a dark figure emerged behind her — dressed completely in black.
“El—” Ellyna’s voice broke as a rough hand covered her mouth.
She struggled, kicking, fighting — but it was useless. A sharp sting pricked her neck, and her body went weak. Everything around her blurred. The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was the sound of footsteps… and laughter.
---
When she opened her eyes again, she was tied to a chair in a cold, dark warehouse. The air smelled of rust and dust. Her wrists ached from the tight ropes.
“Wh… where am I?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Then she heard a laugh — familiar, mocking, cruel.
“Well, well, Ellyna. You really are stupid, huh? Still trusting people who only use you? Even after we exposed your diary? Hahaha…”
Ellyna froze. That voice. She knew that voice.
“Who are you?!” she cried out. “Show your face!”
The figure chuckled and stepped closer.
“Oh, come on. You know me. The one you love the most. The one whose parents even know yours. You still don’t get it?”
Ellyna’s eyes widened in horror. “No… it can’t be…”
Before she could see their face, a handkerchief pressed against her nose — chloroform. Her vision faded again into darkness.
---
When she woke up, she was lying on the same beach as before. The waves gently touched her shoes, and her phone buzzed nonstop — dozens of missed calls and messages from her mom. With shaky hands, Ellyna stood up and walked home.
The moment she opened the door, her mom was waiting in the living room — furious.
“Where have you been?! I was worried sick!” her mom shouted.
Ellyna clenched her fists. “Worried? Since when did you ever worry about me, Mom? You don’t even see me anymore!”
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the room. Ellyna’s cheek stung, her eyes burning with tears.
“How dare you talk to me like that!” her mom screamed. “You think you’re grown up now? You should be more like Lara — she makes her mother proud! But you? You’re nothing but a regret!”
The name Lara hit Ellyna like a dagger.
“Oh, so Lara’s the daughter you actually want? Fine! Why don’t you just replace me with her!” she shouted before running upstairs, tears streaming down her face.
Her mom stood frozen for a moment, then muttered coldly,
“I regret ever giving birth to her.”
---
That night, Ellyna curled up on her bed, hugging her pillow.
“Maybe I should call Dad,” she whispered, tears falling again.
When he answered, she tried to sound calm.
“Dad… can I talk to you? I just—”
“Not now, Ellyna! I’m busy. Can’t you understand that?” he snapped before hanging up.
Ellyna stared at her phone, her chest tightening.
“Everyone’s busy… everyone’s tired of me. Maybe it’s better if I just stay quiet. No one needs to know how I feel,” she murmured weakly.
She lay down, whispering to herself,
“I’m so tired… so tired of this world.”
And with that, she cried herself to sleep.
---
The next morning, she walked to the kitchen hoping for a normal breakfast. Her mom was already there, eating alone.
Ellyna tried to smile and sit beside her, but before she could touch her plate, her mom snapped,
“Who told you to sit here? You don’t belong at this table.”
Ellyna froze, her hands trembling.
“Also, walk to school today. I don’t have time for you.”
“O… okay,” she whispered softly, forcing a faint smile that never reached her eyes.
That afternoon, her mom handed Aunt Alora a small basket of fruits.
“Please deliver this to Lara’s house,” she said. “Don’t stay too long.”
Aunt Alora nodded and went. When she arrived, the front door was slightly open — and she could hear voices inside. Familiar voices. She stopped, hidden in the shadows.
“Mom,” Lara’s voice was soft but tense. “Do you think I can really win Jayden from Ellyna?”
Her mom laughed sharply. “Of course, dear. Ellyna isn’t worthy of him. You’re far better. Don’t worry — I’ll make sure she never gets what she wants.”
“But Jayden keeps chasing her…”
“Then ruin her! Make her suffer until she gives up everything. Ellyna deserves nothing but misery.”
Aunt Alora’s heart pounded. Her hands shook, and accidentally, her foot hit a small vase. Crash!
The conversation stopped.
“Who’s there?!” Ellyna’s mom’s voice turned icy.
Aunt Alora froze, standing by the door with the fruit basket still in her hands.
“Oh… it’s you,” the woman said coldly. “So, you heard everything, didn’t you?”
“I—I was just delivering this basket,” Aunt Alora stammered.
“Don’t play innocent. If you tell Ellyna about what you heard, I swear I’ll destroy everything you have,” her sister threatened with venom in her tone.
Lara smirked beside her. “Yeah, Aunt. Better keep quiet. This is our business.”
Aunt Alora’s heart sank. She nodded slowly, forcing a trembling smile. “I… I understand.”
As she walked home, her steps were heavy. The sky had turned gray, matching her heart.
“Ellyna… you have no idea how much danger you’re in,” she whispered shakily. “Be careful, my dear. Sometimes the people you trust the most… are the ones who’ll break you.”
---
When she finally arrived home, Ellyna was sitting on the couch, hugging a pillow. Her eyes were red and puffy.
“Tante, where’s Mom? She’s been gone so long…”
Aunt Alora hesitated, remembering the threat. “Your mom’s… busy, sweetheart. She has things to take care of.”
Ellyna frowned. “Busy again?” she murmured, her voice barely audible.
Aunt Alora sat beside her and took her hand gently. “Ellyna… just—be careful, okay? Especially with Lara and Lyra.”
Ellyna blinked, confused. “What do you mean? They’re my best friends…”
Aunt Alora looked down, her voice trembling. “Just remember… not everyone who smiles at you wants the best for you.”
Ellyna’s heart twisted. She thought of the dark warehouse, the familiar laughter, and Lara’s strange eyes lately. Her chest grew tight.
“Tante… what’s really going on?” she asked, her voice breaking.
Aunt Alora only shook her head. “You’ll understand soon, dear. Just promise me — don’t trust too easily.”
And at that moment, Ellyna felt it — the chill of betrayal seeping into her heart, one she could no longer ignore.
---
💔 To be continued...
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