A surprise

Denera

“Over there!” I heard a man yell, and my heart plummeted.

“Mum,” I whispered out in desperation, hoping she’d come back to me.

I clutched my legs tighter around my waist, hoping this nightmare would end, wishing we could go back to the peaceful drive, the laughter, and the warmth of my family.

But then, everything froze when I heard my mother cry out.

“Rosa, please, no!”

…..

My eyes snapped open, gasping awake as I blinked profusely, the remnants of the nightmare still clinging to me like a thick fog. We were still in the car, with Rockan quietly staring ahead, the tension in the air palpable.

“Are you good?” he questioned, not bothering to turn to look at me.

“Yeah,” I replied with a nod, though I lied. I wasn’t good—not at all.

The dream was a stark reminder of the darkness in my life, the shadows cast by Aunt Rosa and her husband, Austin. They had twisted my reality into something unrecognisable, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

I felt the familiar anger ris