I laid back on the car seat, staring at the town flash by as the sun began to set and darkness invaded the streets. The street lights were switched, a few of them flickering as King continued to drive.

We were heading to my home, to Aunt Carol's house and as we were inching closer and closer, I felt a tightness in my chest.

"You're okay?" He watched me, a couple of times every minute, and usually rubbed my arms with his free hand or pulled me closer to himself.

"Yeah." I rolled around, turning my face toward him.

We were almost there. I just needed to get a few things of my own from the house before I could leave it. I didn't have enough strength within me to live in the same house without Carol's presence. I couldn't even bear the thought of waking up every morning and not finding her in the lounge area or in the kitchen.

King parked the car at the driveway of my house. I rose from the seat and looked straight ahead. The lights of the house were all switched off, even the ones on the outside. There was an eerie silence, similar to one I heard moments before I found Aunt Carol dead.

"Do you want me to get your things? It will be easier for you." King offered.

I peeked inside the house for a longer minute without stepping out from the car. Memories and memories flashed in my head like a recorder that couldn't be shut down. My head throbbed and I sighed.

"I can't go inside," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I'm sorry..."

"It's okay, Eos. I'll get your things." He parked the car and stepped out of it before going inside the house quickly.

I forced myself to look away from the door as he opened it. I couldn't look inside, I couldn't go inside and I couldn't stop thinking about Aunt Carol. I didn't know anything that had happened to her. What were her last words? Did she think about me? What was she feeling? What did she last eat? Did she last text me?

It happened so fast that it was going to take a long while before I could recover from this.

It took me back to the time when my parents were killed and Aunt Carol came to pick me up. Now, she was gone.

And I no longer had a family.

King came out of the house a couple of minutes later with a bag in his hand. He placed the bag in the trunk along with my other bags that I had taken with me as we went to Barnsley.

"I think I got everything you need but if you need anything else, I'll say Arnold to get for you," He said while hopping inside the car and closing the door.

Just before he started driving, he handed me over the keys to the house and I tucked them inside my purse safely. I couldn't go inside the house today but one day, when I had enough courage, I was going to come back and remember her.

Aunt Carol was a second-mother to me. She took care of me most of my life after my parents passed away and I owed my life to her. She was the best mother and sister anyone would ever wish for.

A good twenty minutes later, the moon rose and the vast darkness covered the entire sky. A couple of stars sparkled in the darkness but for the most part, it was a clear night, no rain or storm.

King drove me over to his house that was within the town. It was built in the same housing community as Mayor Harden's house was built in.

I switched my thoughts by watching the kids jump, cycle and skate around the park nearby. It had been a while since I had cried. Maybe an hour. But I knew the worst wasn't here yet. It was going to come when everyone would be asleep and I would be the only one awake, remembering my Aunt.

I doubted I could sleep. It had been two days and I hadn't gotten an ounce of sleep.

After finding Aunt Carol, dead, we stayed in the house until the police and the ambulance arrived. I wept, cried and screamed for hours after that and nothing helped me. The guilt within me turned into a big simmering balloon that was going to pop anytime but till now, it hadn't.

I blamed myself mostly for Carol's death. Going to Barnsley was the biggest mistake I had ever made and because of that, I lost my Aunt and nearly lost my old friend.

I stepped inside King's house, looking around at something different. I hadn't been in his home before. It was my first time.

"Do you like it? I usually keep it closed as I travel around a lot." King said, struggling to change my mind and thoughts.

I nodded and smiled at him, "It's beautiful. I didn't know you lived here."

"Now you know," He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me around the house. "I asked Arnold to get some Chinese on his way back so you could eat something before sleeping."

"I can't sleep, King." I stated before my voice softened, "I—I don't think so I can and I don't want to be alone. Promise me you'll be here, with me, just for a few days. I don't want to be in this alone." Tears filled up in my eyes as the ache in my chest began once more.

"It's okay. I'm going to be here with you," Shaking his head, he continued, "I'm not going anywhere." He lifted his hands and cupped my face before leaning close to me. "I promise, okay?"

"Yeah." I nodded and sniffed again. "Thank you."

Once my tears were dry, I followed King around the house before reaching his bedroom. He led me inside the washroom and gave me some time to change and freshen up as I was still wearing the funeral clothes.

As the silence invaded in my head, thoughts returned and I remembered Aunt Carol. Standing underneath the shower, I wept slowly and little sobs broke through my throat.

There was a lot of pain, most it I couldn't handle. The worst part was that her death was upon me, she was killed because I went to Barnsley, I went to the only town that was dangerous for me. If I could take it all back, she would've been alive and I would've seen her, laughed with her, ate with her.

Droplets of water dripped from my hair as I walked out of the washroom, feeling a bit cold but clean enough. My eyes stopped burning for a moment and I breathed in a quick breath.

King shuffled through my clothes before giving me something to wear.

"Thank you." I whispered, taking my clothes and changing into them. It was just a normal black pair of pajamas that were good enough for me to mourn in for the next couple of days—weeks.

After showering, we headed back downstairs to have food together. Arnold had dropped Beatrice off to her parents who had probably arrived by now. They were intending on visiting me early in the morning.

I managed some food down my throat but I couldn't eat all of it as I felt my throat tightening up. Cutting off the silence, I asked, "What did the police say?"

King rose his head and looked at me. He seemed a little startled that I had asked him that question. "Uh—I have not spoken to them yet." He replied.

"Could you? Soon? I want to know what happened. Maybe it will make it easier for me if whoever killed my Aunt is caught." Unease crawled up my throat as I spoke.

A part of me just wanted to know who killed her and my parents.

It had been too long now.

I just wanted to know.

King placed his hand over mine, "I'll call them right away and ask but I don't think they'll be able to tell you much."

"Why?" I cocked my brow.

Hesitation fell over his face and his gaze froze just behind my shoulders. Steadying himself, he responded, "I saw the bullets, Eos, when they removed out of her, and those certain bullets are carved by the hunters."

Suddenly, I felt like I was going to vomit.