1 month later

Coming to terms with the untimely death of my mother and siblings has been a difficult ride. I keep having nightmares and find myself crying at an ungodly hour of the morning when there's too much time to think about everything I've lost. I was once one in a family of five. We had money, we lived in Windchime manor, there were people around me who cared about me.

But my 'father' ruined all of that by driving my alcoholic mother to suicide and killing my brother and sister as a way of starting a new life with his mistress and their child. If he got his way, I would be dead, too. My small body would have died falling down those stairs. I guess I was the lucky one.

We called the police about Matthew's body a day after the incident happened. Landon and I told them we were out in the garden when we heard gunshots coming from inside the house. We told them Matthew had killed himself in Windchime manor, as he became too guilty about the many deaths he has caused over the years so decided to do the same to himself.

They believed us, and that was the end of our Matthew problem.

It turns out that the entire village knew about how my family were killed. They all recognised the name November Bennett-- quite a unique name that I guess would easily be recognised-- and were shocked to find out that I was moving back into Windchime manor after everything that happened there.

When people found out that Matthew had died, there was a sort of relief in the air. It seems like he's been haunting the village for a long time, killing my family and Keely and Jonah and who knows who else? I think people were glad to know that no other lives would be lost at his hands. I know I was.

I moved in with Landon and his father very quickly. I had no idea how gorgeous their farm was until I did. They live in a medium-sized cottage with all sorts of wildflowers blooming in the garden. The interior is lovely and modern, and Landon told me that his mother was the one who decorated the place before she went off to the army. She'll be home in a few weeks and I'm very excited to meet her.

Sadia was very understanding of my situation and didn't expect me to go into work too much, but I kept going. The last thing I wanted to do was sit inside and let my mind wander. I wanted to be earning money and meeting new people at the bookshop, so that after a long day at work I could get home and cuddle up with Landon on the sofa. We've already talked of buying ourselves our own place, so saving up the money is a good feeling. There's a lot I have to look forward to. Things are good.

"You look pretty," Landon says as he walks into the bedroom, fiddling with his cufflinks. I brush a hand down my white summer dress, observing myself in the mirror.

"Thanks," I mutter, observing him in the mirror. "You look good, too."

He smirks, finding his favourite watch on his desk and securing it around his wrist. "You nervous?"

"A little," I admit.

Some of the new friends I've made in the village asked me if I wanted to do some sort of memorial service for my mother and siblings, considering the horrible circumstances in which they died. I wasn't sure at first, worried it would be something I couldn't handle, but eventually I agreed to it. Now it looks like the whole village is attending, and I've agreed to do a speech. As someone who has kept to herself in the shadows for the last twenty-two years, this is a big deal for me, and I can feel the nausea bubbling in my stomach just thinking about it.

Landon approaches me, standing behind me and resting his hands on my waist. He presses a gentle kiss to my jaw and something flutters within me, as it always does. "You'll be okay. I'll be there with you, and we can step away whenever you need to."

I turn around to face him, pressing my hands against his shirt-covered chest. He's so strong. If that dream I had over a month ago about him was really a memory, I know he was so much smaller back then. Well, obviously, but I remember we were the same height, his skin was pale white and he was quite skinny. I'd love to remember more of him. Landon and his father showed me some pictures of him as a child in hopes to jog my memory, although nothing really worked. But that's okay. We're taking baby steps, so that I can maybe make some sort of recovery.

"I love you," I whisper, leaning in to kiss him. And I do. I really do. Things may be moving fast for us but, honestly, this is all overdue. So much of what could have given me a better upbringing was all snatched away from me at six years old. Landon and I have a strong connection and we want to get back all those years we could have had together. So we will.

"I love you too," he grins, pulling away after our kiss. Then he nods over to the door. "Come on. Dad's waiting."

Lifting my bag from the bed, I swing it over my shoulder and follow Landon out of the room. His Dad is waiting in the kitchen when we enter, finishing up a cup of coffee, and after seeing his clothes covered in mud and rips after days on the farm, it's nice to see him dressed up in a shirt and smart trousers. He smiles as we enter, placing the mug on the counter, before leading us out of the cottage.

It's only a twenty minute walk down to the field in which the memorial service is taking place, not to mention it's a lovely day outside, so we decide to walk down, Landon's dad telling us funny stories all the way. Laughing manages to calm my nerves a little. In the month that I've known him, it's clear to me that James is amazing at getting people to chill out.

When we get to the field, there already seems to be a lot of people here. There are multiple gazebos and tents set up with people selling food, drinks and children playing games on the grass. I wanted to give the memorial more of a playful feel than a depressing one. For some reason, I know it's what my family would have wanted; for the village to have fun together in a way to honour their memory.

Also, this isn't only for my family. This is for Keely and Jonah, too. All of their friends and family are here, laughing and smiling together, and I wanted this to be something that the twins would have wanted to attend.

As we walk through the field, we say a quick hello to as many people as we can, thanking them for coming along. Sadia and other employees from Silverstones hug me and give me their condolences, then we manage to find Chloe, Josh and Charlie, the friends who helped us sort this whole thing out.

"Ember!" Chloe squeal, wrapping an arm across my shoulders. "It looks so good here!"

"Yeah, I'm really happy with how it's turned out," I say breathlessly. The crowds are slightly overwhelming, especially as I know I have a speech prepared, but I'm so glad that the service has turned out to be a success.

"Is your speech ready?" Josh asks me.

I nod, briefly touching my bag where the piece of paper is kept safe.

"I think you should get it done now," Charlie says, reading from the sparkly clipboard in his hands. "Then we can light the candles."

"Now?" I ask, my eyes widening slightly.

Landon's hand brushes upon my arm. "That means you can get it over with, without worrying too much," he says gently. At first I'm about to protest, suddenly feeling completely out of my depth with this speech, but I guess he's right. Maybe when it's done I can actually relax and enjoy this thing.

"Good luck," Chloe says, quickly pecking my cheek.

I smile at her before finding the speech out of my bag, hearing Josh's voice boom from the speakers in the field as he talks through the microphone. There's a small stage that he's stood on that he encourages everyone to gather around, and I realise with slight dread that I'm going to have to get up there. If the microphone squeals at everyone while I'm speaking, I will die a little inside.

"Hey," Landon says, kissing my forehead. "Good luck."

Again, I smile gratefully, before Josh introduces me up onto the stage. Swallowing my nerves, I go up and take the microphone that he hands to me, looking out over a sea of people talking to one another, but all conversations come to a stop when they notice I'm there and... that's a lot of eyes on me right now. But all I have to do is find Landon's piercing ones and pretend as if I'm rehearsing it to him like I have at least seventeen times before.

"Um... hi everyone," I say. My voice is loud from the speakers, but there's no feedback. Thank God. I take one last, shaky breath, before continuing. "Uh, I really appreciate you all for coming here today. It means a lot, especially after what I've been through in the last month. Um... I know that most of you know about me. Some of you may even remember me from when we were kids. Of course, I don't remember much, as I was pushed down the stairs by my father, Matthew Harrington, when I was six years old, resulting in me having amnesia. This means I don't remember my parents, or my siblings, no matter how much I wish I did.

"This... has made me feel very lonely for years. I went to live with my aunt after the incident, but she wasn't exactly around enough for us to create a strong bond. I got myself a cat, Jinx, who many of you have been asking about. He's doing great, by the way, having the time of his life on Landon and James' farm. But, although he's the best pet I could ask for, we all know that sometimes that isn't enough.

"I've wanted someone to love me for a long time. Or even just care about me. But I never really found that person. Not really. Loneliness can be such a dark, terrifying thing, and when you're alone for such a long amount of time, the thoughts can be dangerous. Trust me, I've been there. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel when I was given the chance to live here, in Windchime manor. I created friends, fell in love, and started to feel a bit better about my life.

"However, I eventually found out everything. The truth about my siblings, Samantha and Alexander Bennett, and my mother, Violet Bennett, who were all taken in such horrendous ways. Finding out that it was my father, Matthew, who drove them all to death was heart-breaking, and I was worried that he'd come to finish what he started and murder me, too. He did try, but ended up committing suicide in Windchime manor a month ago.

"I'll admit it. I feel absolutely no remorse for Matthew's death. I don't even consider him my father, so we're not going to talk about him. We are here to remember Violet, Samantha and Alexander, along with Keely and Jonah Brooke, the twins that Matthew also brutally murdered. We are all here to remember them, to live for them, and love them, just as they all deserve.

"And I want everyone here to remember to live your life. Someone once told me that you have no idea how quickly death can come, even when it's staring you right in the face. And, believe me, I've stared it right in the face. So from now on I'm going to do what makes me happy, until years and years to come when I'm greeted by death for the final time. And I encourage you all to do the same.

"Thank you."

WC: 2081