Ben wasted no time backing out and merging onto the road, his eyes darting between the mirrors with a tension that seemed to hang thickly in the car.

"How was your first day?" he asked, his tone casual but his expression still guarded.

I hesitated, not sure how much to reveal. Things had been tense between us lately, and I wasn't certain how he'd react to certain details. "It was pretty uneventful, really. Mostly just paperwork... or at least I tried to make sense of it."

I chose not to mention the odd exchanges between James and me that had taken up most of my thoughts.

Ben nodded in approval. "Well, I'm proud of you for sticking it out. You're stronger than I am—can't stand paperwork," he added with a smirk.

I laughed, some of the tension easing between us. For now, it seemed neither of us wanted to touch on the stranger James had mentioned, and I was happy to leave it at that.

As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed the curtains fluttering in my window. When I got out, I couldn't help but glance at the empty porch where Lilly usually waited. Lately, though, her illness seemed to weigh on her more each day.

I shrugged it off until I noticed Ben still sitting in the car, staring out as if lost in thought.

I leaned back down to open the door, peeking my head inside. "Are you coming?"

Finally, he nodded, cutting the engine with a weary sigh. "Yeah, I'm coming."

We walked up the gravel path to the door together, the crunch of stones underfoot the only sound between us.

Inside, the house was quiet, with only the low hum of the fridge in the kitchen breaking the silence.

I set my bag by the door and glanced toward the hallway. "I'm going to check on Lilly," I said, not waiting for a response.

Ben nodded, his gaze drawn toward the hallway as well. "Go on ahead," he murmured, his attention caught by a suspicious noise coming from my and Cassandra's room. "I'll join you in a minute."

I tiptoed and gently pushed open the bedroom door. The room was dimly lit, with only a small beam of light streamed in through the heavily curtained windows.

She lay on the bed, her breathing shallow and her skin paler and paler every time I saw her. I approached her slowly, my heart aching at the sight of her frailty.

"Lilly?" I whispered, kneeling beside her. She stirred slightly, her eyes fluttering open. A weak but loving smile spread across her lips when she saw me.

"Hey, how was your first day?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

I smiled back. "It was okay. Did some paperwork, tried not to fall asleep."

Lily half laughed and half coughed. "It's just the start, honey. Once you get familiar you will be doing plenty of things. Like when you were learning to talk, you didn't know much at first but look at you now." She reached out to pat my arm.

Her palm lingered there allowing me to feel the coolness of her skin against my own. "I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too," I replied, my voice catching in my throat. I sat beside her, the mattress dipping slightly under my weight. "How are you feeling?"

The old woman shook her head, exacerbated,"Oh don't ask me that! I've been lazy today, just sittin in this bed."

She perked up after a second, not allowing me to interject in the comment she just made. "I did make lunch though. Cassie already had some, so don't worry, get as much as you want. It should be in the fridge."

I smiled, appreciating her effort despite her condition. "Thanks, Lilly. I'll grab some later."

She gave a slight nod and closed her eyes, clearly exhausted from the brief conversation. I sat with her for a few more moments, watching her chest rise and fall with each shallow breath.

I stood up, careful not to disturb her further, and headed back toward the living room. Ben was there, leaning against the doorframe, a troubled expression on his face.

"Everything okay?" I asked, trying to read his thoughts.

He shook his head. "Yeah, just... just thinking about some things."

He seemed to snap out of whatever kept him preoccupied, looking over to the wrapped-up food on the counter. "I'm going to heat up some of that lunch Lilly made. Want anything?"

I shook my head, wanting to go talk to Cassandra about my strange morning more.

As soon as I opened the door to our bedroom, I knew something was off. For one, Cassandra turned around with the fakest smile I had ever seen on her and she clutched one of my picture books, upside down I might add.

Her grin quickly vanished when she saw me. "Oh, I thought you were Ben again." She sighed. She beckoned me closer.

"Shut the door!" She whispered.

As soon as I did. The closet door cracked open, a blue eye sticking out. Nick came out slowly, still in the clothes he had been wearing in the office. "Hey, sorry to sneak up on you."

"What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast?"

I had only left town hall about an hour and a half ago and he was still there.

"Amanda let us out after you guys left. I came straight here." He shrugged.

Cassandra popped up from the corner, "Keep your voices down!"

She pushed Nick out of the way to stand in front of me, hands on either shoulder. "How did it go?"

I was beginning to grow tired of this question, "Not much happened at work. James was out for most of the day, so all I did was sit there basically."

I turned to Nick, "I feel bad for you if that's what you do all day when you're there."

He smiled reassuringly, "I don't mind it. Like I said, easy credits."

I decided to go back to what happened in the graveyard. "James drove me to Ben. Well, Ben wasn't around so James went to find him. I went outside because I got bored after a while."

I tiptoed into the room, gently pushing the door open. The dim light filtered through the thick curtains, casting a faint glow across Lilly's pale form as she lay on the bed, her breathing shallow. Each time I saw her, her frailty seemed more pronounced, tugging painfully at my heart.

"Lilly?" I whispered, kneeling beside her. Her eyes fluttered open, and a weak but warm smile spread across her lips.

"Hey, how was your first day?" she murmured, her voice thin but filled with love.

I returned her smile. "It was alright. Did some paperwork and tried not to fall asleep."

Lilly let out a soft, raspy laugh that turned into a slight cough. "It's just the beginning, honey. Once you get the hang of things, you'll be doing more. Remember when you were learning to talk? You didn't know much at first, but look at you now." She reached out, resting her cool hand on my arm, the chill of her skin grounding me.

"I missed you," she whispered.

"I missed you too," I replied, feeling my throat tighten. I sat beside her, the mattress sinking slightly under my weight. "How are you feeling?"

She waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, don't ask me that! I've just been lazy, lying here all day," she said, a hint of her old sass shining through.

Before I could respond, she perked up. "But I did manage to make lunch. Cassie already had some, so help yourself, it's in the fridge."

I smiled, touched by her effort despite her obvious exhaustion. "Thank you, Lilly. I'll grab some in a bit."

She nodded slightly, her eyelids heavy, and drifted off as I watched her breathing even out. I stayed by her side for a few moments, soaking in the quiet before I quietly got up and made my way back to the living room.

Ben was leaning against the doorframe, a troubled look in his eyes.

"Everything okay?" I asked gently, trying to gauge his thoughts.

He shook his head slightly as if shaking off whatever was bothering him. "Yeah, just... thinking about some things." His gaze drifted toward the wrapped-up food on the counter. "I'm going to heat up some of that lunch Lilly made. You want any?"

I shook my head, a new urgency stirring in me. I needed to talk to Cassandra about everything that had happened today.

As I entered our bedroom, something immediately felt off. Cassandra was standing with an overly bright smile, holding one of my picture books upside down.

Her grin faded as soon as she saw me. "Oh, I thought you were Ben again." She sighed and waved me over. "Shut the door!" she whispered.

I did as she asked, and as soon as the latch clicked, the closet door creaked open, revealing a familiar blue eye peeking out. Nick emerged, still in his work clothes, flashing me an apologetic smile.

"Hey, sorry to sneak up on you," he said, stepping out fully.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here so fast?" I asked, surprised. I'd only left town hall about an hour and a half ago, and he'd still been there when I left.

Nick shrugged. "Amanda let us out after you guys left. I came straight here."

Cassandra quickly shushed us, glancing at the door. "Keep your voices down!"

She nudged Nick aside and turned to me, hands on my shoulders. "How did it go?"

The question was beginning to wear on me. "Not much happened. James was out for most of the day, so it was pretty quiet. I mostly just sat there."

I glanced at Nick, smirking. "I feel bad if that's how your days go too."

He chuckled. "It's not too bad. Like I said, easy credits."

I took a deep breath, deciding to bring up the afternoon's events. "James drove me to Ben's place. Ben wasn't around, so James went off to find him. I got bored waiting inside, so I went outside for a bit..."

My sentence drifted off as I tried to find the words. "When I first came out of the woods after the fire, a man came to see me. Detective Carson. He was investigating me, but Ben put a stop to it, and I hadn't heard from him since."

Cassandra and Nick leaned in, their eyes intent, and I suddenly felt a lump in my throat under their attention. "Well, he showed up again today... at the cemetery."

Cassandra grimaced. "Great, now we've got two stalkers."

I shook my head. "I don't know, I think he's actually trying to help."

Her eyebrows shot up. "Trying to help? How?"

I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "He gave me this. Told me to look at it when I'm alone."

Cassandra eyed me warily. "This doesn't sound good..."

I hesitated, my voice dropping. "He also said not to trust James, that he was a monster. I don't know what to think but I want to hear him out. He sounded... scared, honestly."

Seeing only a phone number on the paper didn't help ease my nerves.

I glanced at Cassandra's phone, and before I could even ask, she snatched it up. "No way. How do you know he's not some creep?"

A surge of frustration flared, fed by my exhaustion from the day. I paused, gathering my words carefully.

"Cassandra, I've spent my whole life wondering who I am, wondering why I was left alone to die in the woods. Maybe it's a risk, but I'm tired of playing it safe. Staying safe has gotten me nowhere."

I stood and began to pace, facing Cassandra and Nick, both watching me with mixed expressions. "I'm calling him. With or without your help."

Cassandra sighed, her expression conflicted. "I get it, really. I just don't want you getting hurt. But... if you really feel that strongly, fine."

Reluctantly, she held out the phone. "Here."

My hands trembled slightly as I dialed the number. The line rang twice before someone picked up.

"Hello?" A cautious voice answered.

"Detective Carson? It's... it's me," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Ah, yes. I was hoping you'd call. Are you alone?" he asked.

I glanced at Cassandra and Nick, both staring with concern. "Sort of," I replied. "What is all this about? What exactly is the 'situation'?"

A short hiss came from his end. "This isn't a conversation for the phone–" I cut him off.

"How do I know you're not lying about all of this? I need something now. Otherwise, I'll tell Ben you came to see me."

A pause hung in the air, followed by a reluctant groan. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

I looked to Cassandra, my mind blank.

She leaned close to the phone, pitching her voice to match mine. "Who is NPC?"

The voice on the other end sounded surprised. "I see someone's been digging around. Alright, NPC stands for Natalis pharmaceutical company. That's a whole can of worms on its own. We should really talk in person."

"Can I bring a friend?" Cassandra mimicked.

"Yes, you can come girl. I will text you a location." Carson said in a quick monotone before hanging up.

Cassandra gasped holding the darkened phone in her hand, "Damn he's good. My impression was flawless."

The dark screen lit up as a text came through shortly after.

"Meet me at the shack in the graveyard. Midnight works?"