Visiting Mona

The Storm Within

The Storm Within

Jessica lay still on Mark’s bed, her mind a chaotic storm mirroring the one raging outside. The rain pounded the roof in deafening bursts, and the wind howled through the trees like a wounded beast. The fear that gripped her heart was unbearable. Her mother was alone, unconscious, in a dark house, and she had left her there. What if something happened to her?

Jessica clenched her fists. No. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood up. The floor creaked beneath her, barely audible over the roaring storm. She had to find a way to get back home. The river was flooded, but there had to be another way.

Just then, the lights flickered, casting strange shadows across the room. Jessica’s breath caught in her throat. A loud bang echoed from outside, followed by another.

She wasn’t the only one who heard it. Daniel and Linet were already on their feet. Mark rushed to the window and pulled the curtain aside just enough to peer through.

"What was that?" Mark whispered, his voice tense.

Daniel moved toward the door, his jaw tight. "It could be the wind," he said, though his tone lacked conviction.

Another loud thud.

Jessica’s heart pounded. It didn’t sound like the wind. It sounded deliberate.

Daniel hesitated for a moment before unlocking the door. The hinges groaned as he pulled it open. The wind rushed in, carrying icy droplets of rain that sent a shiver down Jessica’s spine.

A dark figure stood just beyond the porch, barely visible in the night.

Linet gasped, clutching her chest.

"Who’s there?" Daniel demanded.

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, a raspy voice cut through the storm.

"It’s me," the figure said.

Jessica froze. She knew that voice.

Joseph.

Her father.

A wave of confusion and anger washed over her. He had been so cold, so cruel on the phone. He had abandoned them. So why was he here now?

Daniel stepped forward. "What do you want?"

Joseph took a step closer, his face coming into view. His clothes were soaked, his hair plastered to his forehead. He looked different—less like the man who had left them, more like someone who had been forced to return against his will.

Jessica felt a lump rise in her throat. She hated him, but right now, she needed him.

"It’s Ann," Jessica blurted out. "She’s hurt. I tried to call you—"

Joseph’s eyes flickered to her, cold and unreadable. "I know."

Jessica’s stomach dropped. "You knew, and you still didn’t care?"

He let out a breath and looked away. "I had to come."

Linet frowned. "Why now?"

Joseph hesitated. The storm howled around them, but inside the house, the silence was suffocating.

"Because I know what happens next," he said finally.

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Joseph didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to Daniel. "We need to go. Now."

Daniel crossed his arms. "The river is flooded. We can’t cross."

Joseph cursed under his breath. "We don’t have time."

Jessica stepped forward. "Tell me what you mean! What happens next?"

Joseph ran a hand over his face, looking exhausted. "Your mother—she has a condition. Something she never told you about."

Jessica felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs. "What?"

"Ann has a rare neurological disorder," Joseph admitted. "She doesn’t react to pain like normal people. If she’s injured, her body can shut down without warning. She needs urgent medical attention. If she stays unconscious for too long…"

His voice trailed off.

Jessica’s legs felt weak. She had spent so much time blaming herself, thinking she had killed her mother. But this was bigger than the dart. Bigger than her.

"Then we have to find a way across the river," she said, her voice firm.

Joseph nodded. "We will."

******

They couldn’t use the bridge—it was gone, swallowed by the raging waters. But Joseph had a plan.

A fallen tree stretched across a narrow part of the river. It wasn’t stable, but it was their only chance.

"Jessica, you go first," Joseph said.

Jessica hesitated, staring at the slick, unstable trunk. One wrong step and she’d be swept away.

"I’ll go with her," Mark said.

Joseph shook his head. "No. She needs to go alone. The tree won’t hold two people at once."

Jessica took a deep breath. Then, slowly, she stepped onto the tree trunk. The wind nearly knocked her off balance, but she dug her fingers into the wet bark and moved forward inch by inch.

The river raged below her. The sound was deafening. Her heart pounded in her ears.

Halfway across, the tree shuddered. Jessica gasped. The current was too strong.

She had to move faster.

Her foot slipped. She flailed, barely catching herself in time. Her breath came in short gasps.

"Keep going!" Daniel shouted from behind.

With one final push, Jessica leaped onto the other side of the river, landing in the mud.

She turned back.

Joseph was next. He crossed quickly, moving with the ease of someone who had done this before.

Then Daniel. Then Mark.

When they were all safely across, Joseph grabbed Jessica’s wrist. "Run."

The House

The door was open when they arrived.

Jessica’s blood ran cold. She had locked it.

She rushed inside.

Her mother was gone.

The room was dark except for the flickering candle on the table. A pool of blood stained the floor where Ann had fallen.

Jessica’s vision blurred.

"She was here," she whispered. "She was right here."

Then she saw it.

A single footprint in the blood. Leading to the back door.

Someone had taken her mother.

Joseph’s face darkened. "We’re not alone."

Jessica turned slowly, fear gripping her heart. The wind howled through the broken window, carrying a whisper of something she couldn’t quite hear.

Then, in the distance, barely visible through the rain, a shadow moved.

Watching them.

Waiting.