I yawned. Like, really loud. So loud I could hear my jaw snapping and popping from how far it was extending.

Rita turned around in her seat, and Riley glanced back in his mirror.

I sat up slowly, and noticed the bloody axe was in the floorboard. I felt my chest and head cautiously.

"Do you feel anything?" Riley asked me.

I shook my head. "Nothing. It's like it didn't even happen."

"Okay, so lemme get this straight," Rita interjected. "You're... immortal?"

"I mean.... technically, yeah. Like, I'll die briefly, but then I'm back to normal after I wake up again. So yeah, pretty much."

"Wow," she breathed, her eyes sparkling with wonder. "That would be so cool."

"You would think so," I replied, sighing sadly and pulling on my (f/c) sneakers.

It was the early hours of the morning by this point, around 4:00 am. I looked around at all the lights on the interstate.

"We're still a couple of hours out," Riley told me as he switched lanes.

I swear it's like he could read my mind.

"Gotcha."

"So, Riley was telling me you were born at the end of the 1700's," Rita began, really curious.

I smiled awkwardly and nodded. "Yeah, I was born in 1789."

"Woah," she gasped. "What was it like?"

"What was what like?"

"The 1800's!"

"Oh, um, I mean, it was just... the 1800's. I went to Juilliard in 1810."

Riley arched an eyebrow at me. "You never told me you went to Juilliard. Hold up," he said suddenly, and I got an uneasy feeling in my stomach. "You knew him, didn't you?"

I knew exactly who he was talking about, but I stalled anyway.

"Um... Who?"

"The dead guy. The grave you always stopped at. You said you went to attend Juilliard in 1810, he died in 1811. He also went to Juilliard. You knew him, didn't you? And that's why you fought Tessa?"

I looked down at my hands, choking back the familiar tears. "Look, can we please not talk about this right now?"

Riley went back to his driving while Rita looked a little put-out, of all things.

"(Y/N), it happened over 200 years ago. And yeah, I know it's still a bit sad, but it happened such a long time ago."

"Just because it happened a long time ago doesn't mean it doesn't still hurt!" I snapped. I sighed and looked down at my hands again. "I'm sorry, it's just... it still hurts. A lot."

Rita reached back to place her hand on top of mine comfortingly.

"(Y/N), I understand wanting to keep it bottled up and locked away, but honestly... sometimes the best healing can only start to take place if you let other people in to help you. We can't help if we don't know what's going on. And I think I speak for the both of us when I say that that's all that we've ever wanted to do: to help you."

Riley nodded in eager agreement.

I looked down and sighed. I knew they were right, and I also knew they deserved the truth. So I took a deep breath and dove into my ridiculously tragic backstory. Honestly, sometimes it feels like I'm some edgy oc in some obsessed, hormonal teenager's fanfic or something.

"Okay, yes, I knew him. Well, I... more than knew him. We were.... engaged."

Riley and Rita exchanged a surprised glance.

"I went to to visit my family in Italy for the holidays, but the boat went down. I died."

"And Lawrence didn't know about your curse. Because at that point, you didn't believe it, yourself," Riley mumbled, putting the pieces together in his mind.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "Yes, that's correct."

"(Y/N), I'm.... I'm so sorry. I had no idea," Rita said, tears glittering in the corners of her eyes. "I can't imagine what you've gone through."

I blinked rapidly to avoid crying. "Thank you. Yeah, it has been tough, but people like you guys help make it better."

Riley flashed me a warm smile in the mirror and Rita squeezed my hand reassuringly. "We're always here for you," she told me.

"I know."
~

"Well, ladies, welcome to Winter River, Connecticut."

I peered out of the window, greeted by prickly pine trees and quaint country homes. I smiled. I had a good feeling about this place.

"Omg it's so cute!" Rita gushed, scanning the scenery.

"It really is," I agreed, nodding.

We drove up a dirt road, over a little covered bridge, and up to a large, old-fashioned country house on top of a hill overlooking the tiny town below.

"Welp, here we are, girls."

I opened the door and stepped out, breathing in the clean country air. I sighed contentedly.

Rita came around to the back of the Jeep and opened the back hatch to retrieve our luggage. I went to help her.

I heard the front door open creakily and footsteps afterwards. I peeked around the car to see Lydia approaching. Today she was sporting a black cropped hoodie, short jean skirt, lacy black leggings, a choker, and her signature goth girl boots. I smiled at her. She gave me a small smile in return.

"Hi, Lydia! Beautiful house!" I greeted her, heaving my suitcase out of the back of Riley's Jeep.

"Can I help you with the luggage?" she asked timidly.

"Um, if you could actually check the back seat for my Panic! At The Disco hoodie, that'd be great!" I replied.

Lydia nodded. As soon as I had gotten my bags out of the back, Lydia reappeared.

"I found the hoodie. Also, do you want me to leave your bloody axe in the car, or do you wanna bring it with you?" she asked me blankly, holding up the small axe.

I froze, as did my two friends. We had all forgotten it was back there. I think all of us were simultaneously having panic attacks.

"Um.... you can leave it. Thanks."

She nodded at me with that same look on her face. She then narrowed her eyes at me and whispered, "I have questions, but I won't ask them."

With that, the funky little goth tossed the axe back into Riley's car, shut the door, and disappeared into the house.

"Man. Is she always that intense?" Riley asked me, coming up beside me and grabbing one of my bags.

I nodded. "Yup, pretty much. I think it takes a whole lot more than a bloody axe to rattle her."

Rita started dragging my large suitcase up to the house. "Well, that was super close, Y/N."

I nodded, following her with Riley behind me.

Yeah. A little too close.