Myrtletown, California wasn't much. A small suburban city barely ten minutes out from downtown Eureka. I didn't know what I had anticipated, but I was sure the place hadn't even reached my very low expectations.

As we drove down Main I took in my surroundings. A locally owned grocery store, a rundown gas station, Bridget's Hair Studio and a restaurant named Mike's Bar-B-Que. What the hell did people do for fun here? Watch the grass grow?

"No wonder Paige is crazy," I said. "Growing up here really forces you to use your imagination."

"No kidding."

We passed an advertisement for a local café.

"I'm starved," Melissa complained. "Are you hungry?"

I forced myself to nod. "Sure."

Eventually we found the local café and agreed to eat there. The chatter of the lunch rush filled my ears as we made it inside. I wondered if we stuck out like sore thumbs amongst this crowd. It was clear we weren't from around here.

We sat as I felt Melissa's gaze on me.

"So, the church..." she started.

"We'll go after this," I stated. "We'll go and see what the hell Paige wants us to find, and figure out where to go from there."

That's when an older woman, maybe in her late thirties approached us. She was chewing on a piece of electric blue gum and had a messy bun atop her head. Her waitressing apron hung off her slim hips as she pulled out her order book.

"How are you two today?" she asked.

"Great," Melissa lied.

"Anything to drink?"

"Water."

"Coffee?" I asked.

The waitress nodded and scribbled. I noticed her name tag read Fran.

"I'll go grab your drinks and give you some time to look over the menu," Fran said before she left us.

"You should really drink some water," Melissa coaxed. "You're probably dehydrated."

"Your maternal instincts are showing," I mocked.

She tilted her head. "Alexa."

Okay, I was doing it again. I was being a bitch.

Lately, my mood was getting harder and harder to control. I blamed in on the anxiety and depression that had crept up over the past week. It caused major mood swings I had yet to cope with, although I believed I had a valid excuse.

"I'm sorry," I apologized half-heartedly. "I just... I need you to not treat me like I'm your child."

Melissa didn't protest. She just exhaled a defeated breath and nodded.

"Fine," she agreed.

And I ordered a water as a compromise.

Eventually our food was in front of us, but I had to make myself to eat. My appetite was nonexistent. I wondered if Anna was hungry as I forced myself to swallow.

"You think those two guys have any idea we're no longer in Los Angeles?" Melissa asked.

I set down my fork. "They'll figure it out soon enough. I just hope they didn't get into the attic."

"If they had they would be here," Melissa reassured.

She was right. It wouldn't have been hard to figure out. The town was blatantly written out on multiple posts. I scolded myself for leaving her attic that way before skipping town. I should've taken everything down. I should've covered our tracks better.

Suddenly I felt another surge of urgency.

I pushed my plate. "I'm stuffed."

"You barely ate half of your meal," Melissa protested.

I gave her the "you're acting like a mom" look again and she shut her mouth against her better judgement.

I should've appreciated her looking out for me, but it was only annoying. I knew I wasn't myself. I hadn't been for a long time. How could I? My little sister was missing and being held captive by a psychopath that wasn't even technically psycho.

She just had issues, according to Stanley.

Melissa quickly finished her meal as I paid off the waitress in cash. No need in leaving any traces that we were here now that I had a nice stack in my pocket. Luckily, my money had been kept safe while I had been away in jail and camp.

When we made it back outside I noticed the weather had dropped a few more degrees. I unlocked the Hyundai and jumped inside, revving the engine to warm it up.

"Alright, so where is this church?" I wondered.

"I'm pulling it up now," Melissa said.

I watched her search for it and then a blue trail on her phone's map app put us on route. I followed quickly.

I realized nothing was far in the small town as I saw the church approaching in the distance. The bell tower at the top stuck out over the few trees that lined the street. When we parked, I allowed my eyes to take in the old wooden structure.

The sign read: Sacred Heart of Isaiah.

This was it.

We exited the car as I peered up at the church. The cemetery was around back, which is where I headed immediately. There was no time to waste anymore now that we were here.

Luckily, since it was such a small town, their graveyard was small too. Finding Paige's mom's tombstone hopefully wouldn't be that hard.

"Are we assuming she's carrying Stanley as her last name?" Melissa wondered.

"I'm gonna say yes," I claimed as I quickly paced down the sidewalk.

I scanned the tombs like a mad person and hoped I didn't overlook it. Luckily, Melissa had my back as she split off from me to search on her own. The faster we could do this, the better.

A cold wind whipped between the graves and wrapped itself around me. It was like the frigid wind was desperate to make me regret coming to Myrtletown as the dead leaves swirled around my black boots. I tugged my leather jacket tighter against me.

"Alexa!" Melissa called.

I turned to see her standing about fifty feet away. Had she found it? I paced over to her and stood in front of the grave with wide eyes.

"Here lies Patrice Stanley," I read. "The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil..."

Melissa knelt. "This is it."

Paige's mother had died ten years ago, according to the numbers engraved in the granite. Paige couldn't have been any older than thirteen or fourteen. The similarity sent me spiraling. It was around the same time my father had left.

Other than that, there wasn't much to the grave. Just a pot that held dead flowers that had probably been placed there by Paige herself.

I touched the dried leaves as they crumbled off and took off with the wind. When I removed them completely, I noticed there weren't just flowers in the pot.

"What the hell is that...?"

I reached inside the pot and pulled out a sealed box that held something inside. I shook it, but was careful. I didn't want to break whatever was inside.

I unlatched it, only to reveal a small prepaid cellphone and another note. My heart jumped in my chest as my trembling hands fumbled with the newfound items.

"Here..." Melissa offered me her hand. "Let me hold the cellphone while you read the note."

I quickly obliged.

When I unfolded the note, a small envelope fell out. The note read, "Do not open until you've arrived at 213 South Main Street, Myrtletown, CA."

"It's just another address," I said. "They have an envelope that goes with it."

"Then let's go," Melissa agreed. "It's freezing out here."

I stood, but before I followed her towards the car I looked back at the grave. Her mother had died when she was so young. I realized that could've been my mom if circumstances had been different. How could a child deal with such trauma?

"Alexa?"

I looked back to Melissa, who was offering her hand.

Itook it and basked in the warmth that it brought me.