I didn't sleep after my visions and conversations with Andrew and Ryder, respectively. Even after Ryder had left, I looked up at the sky and gazed up at the moon for no reason at all. The same voice inside me that defended and yearned for Ryder was for some reason inspired by the lunar phenomena. Even though it was early, I had painted a giant crescent or waning purple moon on the wall next to the window. I couldn't remember the details of the art until I had woken up at maybe eleven o'clock after passing out. To say it was a masterpiece would be a lie. It was purple and black and gray and beautiful. I couldn't identify the overlaying design that I had put on it, but it was rarely important due to the swirls and features I had put in the center of the moon's outline and mixed gray shadow behind it.

Later in the day, I requested Bailee's assistance to help me paint and then of course that warranted a visit from Evan too, but I didn't mind. We just hung out, jammed out to music, and painted my room.

"So I'm guessing no Ryder for today?" Bailee finally brought up as she ripped off painter's tape at the base of the wall. I shook my head and suppressed the smile I wanted to form.

"Ryder?" Evan asked as he was painting a black edge to a dark purple square at the top of the room (since having someone six feet tall would be used to my advantage). Bailee and I exchanged a look.

"He originally helped me start painting," I announced, not knowing how to take grey eyes. He frowned for a second before turning his shoulders and dipping his brush into the paint. He reached up to finish his outline.

"I never took Ryder as the helpful type," he commented.

"Apparently he has his days," I said with bitterness in my voice. Evan paused for a moment and looked over his shoulder to give me a certain look, but then he set the paint and brush down. It was a look of distrust. For me or for Ryder, I didn't know. I looked away from him and Bailee's embarrassed expression for her boyfriend. My eyes met the moon design I had drawn and then I recognized where I had seen it before. One of the designs within the arches seemed to jump out at me and resemble the design of the knot on my father's journal. It wasn't a typical symbolic sign of a tornado or hurricane, but it had opposite facing horns to resemble one. The center was stretched out to make an ellipse or just maybe an O.

Obsidian, I was hearing Andrew's voice say and it reminded me too much about seeing him. It made me remember about the Obsidian house and how Cassandra mentioned it being the only safe place. That's what Andrew hinted at. A safe place to go.

***

The three of us went out for lunch, but I was definitely absent the entire outing. I had gotten past the theory that Evan was starting to hate me for associating with Ryder. He was completely fine for the rest of the day, actually. But I was still thinking about the House and Andrew and that stupid symbol thing I had subconsciously drawn but did indeed match the journal's lock.

"So what are you doing later today?" Bailee asked as we were done and Evan had gotten our trash to throw away.

"I don't know."

"Is Ryder included in this unknown adventure of nothingness?" she giggled as she sipped on her drink. I sighed as I poorly hid my smile and then I saw Stella walking down the street with one of her girl friends. I guess that meant she wasn't with Ryder. Bailee nudged my shoulder. "You're seeing him later aren't you!"

"He didn't say that, so no," I said confidently and technically true. He just thought to me that he would. And that's what made me nervous. I could almost hear him laughing at me for being nervous. He probably loved watching terror cross people's faces.

"Ready to go?" Evan asked, offering his hand to Bailee, which she took with a smile.

We parted our ways and my mind was now focused on the journal and Andrew. It was seemingly pulling me in the same direction: the House. So that's where I went. I went back to the place that my father and Cassandra grew up in. I went back to the place that I felt strange in. I went back to the place that was apparently safe.

Climbing the stairs to the porch, I looked around and it didn't seem like this place had been through such a terrible fire. Yeah, the wood and bricks were dark and the frames were falling off, but it looked to be of old age, not a fire. Even though I entered the house and it was shady as hell, it was still livable. And then there went the creaking again. This time, I didn't bolt for the door. I stood my ground and used my apparently heightened hearing to follow the sound. I walked through the large front den and entered a dining room that connected with a kitchen. My eyes quivered over everything trying to find a source and hoping it wasn't just a wild animal. I heard another squeak and continued through the room and the kitchen and was met with another living room that was connected with the original front foyer as well, only this one had a staircase off to the side. I said this place was livable, but I didn't want to test out the quality of the stairs. And I wouldn't have to. Because I sensed the source of the sound to be behind me. I slowly turned around and there he was, standing and facing me just like he had in my dream or when I woke up.

But this time I was smiling and approaching him.

"Ashlynn, are you an idiot? Why would you drive that beautiful car in all those rocks and gravel?"

I rolled my eyes, but I was then embracing him around his torso. It took him a second, but then he squeezed back. I was completely happy just being right here with him. But apparently the feeling wasn't returned because he was pulling me away from him. I looked into his eyes and saw no blue at all. They were the same annoying chocolate brown as mine. "How did you know I'd be here?"

"Dad's journal," I said, but remembered it was in the car. "Give me a second, I'll go get it from the car."

I turned to make a short trip, but Andrew grabbed my arm.

"As much as I want to ask you how you got that journal...or my car..." he trailed in a tangent of his real auto interest. "...you shouldn't be here."

"That's why I came here," I said. "It's safe."

Then he pulled me closer to him and searched my eyes.

"Wait, what do you know?" he asked me as if I had to confirm some sort of information that he wasn't able to tell me. That he didn't want to tell me. All I could do was frown. I didn't know anything. And he realized that through maybe my blank stare or, hell, he could've read my mind. Either way, he let go of me with a shove. I almost fell back.

"You need to leave," he said. What?

"Leave? Apparently I can't be anywhere then," I said.

"Then don't be anywhere," he retorted with that condescending tone of voice I had grown up with. "You know, actually, you're safe anywhere you go. It's when you put me in the picture, you're screwed."

"If you hadn't noticed, being anywhere with you isn't safe because everyone thinks you're dead, Andrew," I told him, crossing my arms.

"Good," was all he said and then I felt like it was a smack in the face.

"Good?" I quoted. "Why would you want everyone to think you're dead? Do you know how much shit I've been through in the last month thinking that you and Dad are dead—everyone thinking you and Dad are dead!"

"Dad is dead."

I wanted to just stop right there, but I couldn't. I was too angry.

"You pretending to be gone changed everything for me and you don't even care," I accused. All he did was shrug.

"Why would I care?" he asked me and took a step near me. I searched his eyes and saw a flicker of red from my own sight. "I chose to make everyone think I was gone. I chose to leave you behind, Ash. So why the hell would I care about what changed for you as if I don't know shit about anything anymore?"

I shoved past him, too angry to respond to him. His words hurt me, even though I knew that somehow he'd be watching over me now that he was back. I even heard him telepathically apologizing, but hey, there goes with that crazy theory again. And even though I didn't know how to respond, I took one look at the mustang and knew just how to retaliate.

In less than ten seconds, I had hopped over the porch's steps in order to climb inside the mustang and leave the premises. As soon as I cleared the trees that me the highway, I zoomed off towards the field by the lake that would be empty right about now. I thought I heard my conscience think in Andrew's voice "What the hell are you doing now?" but I ignored it. I ignored everything in my path except Ryder walking on the side of the road in town, nearing the teen hangout diner. It only fueled my crazy driving more.

I got to the clearing maybe further out from the lake than last time, but I still got out of the car and looked it. I threw the journal on the ground near a stump, but picked up the biggest rock I could find.