EPISODE 4

KEILAH

The driver called out again, his voice more urgent this time. "Get back in the taxi, miss. This place isn't safe at this hour."

I wiped the remaining tears from my cheeks and nodded, still feeling shaky, but I obliged, climbing back into the taxi. My body felt drained, like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“Take me to my address,” I mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear.

He glanced at me through the rearview mirror, frowning. “Are you sure you’re alright? You don’t look it. I’m guessing you ran off from that hospital without being discharged.”

“I’m fine now,” I lied, trying to sound more convincing than I felt. My throat was raw, my mind racing in a thousand directions. I needed to be anywhere but there—away from the hospital, away from whatever was happening to me.

The driver hesitated for a moment, still unconvinced, but finally sighed and turned the car around, heading toward my home. By the time we arrived, dawn was just starting to break, soft light creeping over the horizon. I paid the fare, thanked him, and hopped out, feeling a strange sense of relief to be back.

As I entered the living room, I saw Cora lying on the couch, her phone clutched loosely in her hand. It looked like she had waited up for me all night. A pang of guilt hit me as I sauntered over and gently grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and gently draped it over her. She stirred slightly but didn’t wake up. I stood there for a moment, watching her breathe, before turning and heading into the kitchen.

I sat down at the small table, pulling my knees up to my chest as I stared out the window. The sky outside was painted with soft pinks and purples, but I barely noticed. My mind was a storm, filled with every agonising detail of what had just happened.

How had Dahlia gotten to me so quickly? She wasn’t just passing by. Could it have been because I was near the perimeters of my old home? But was it a coincidence, or something more?

The thought unsettled me, but my mind didn’t stop there. It drifted back to the man in the car, the one who had aimed it straight at me. His glowing eyes haunted my mind, sending a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t shake the image. The way he looked at me—it wasn’t human. It was like he was possessed or something far worse.

But what had really happened? How had I not been run over? I could still feel the air rush as the car had sped toward me, certain that I was about to be crushed beneath its wheels. Yet here I was, alive.

I hugged my legs tighter, resting my chin on my knees. Nothing made sense. Every time I thought I had escaped that world, something pulled me back, dragging me deeper into the chaos I’d tried so hard to leave behind.

The sun crept over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold, but I remained coiled up on the small kitchen chair, lost in my thoughts. The warmth of the light couldn’t reach me—it felt distant, like I was trapped in a shadow that refused to let go. My arms were still wrapped tightly around my legs, chin resting on my knees, when I heard a soft voice call out.

“Aunt Keilah?”

I turned around as if waking from a deep, troubled dream. Avery stood there, his small face framed by tousled hair, his eyes wide and curious. I managed a weak smile, feeling a pang of guilt for the state I was in.

“Yes, sweetie, good morning,” I replied, my voice hoarse.

Avery stared at me with an expression that suggested he didn't quite recognize me. As I tried to stand, pain shot through my leg. I yelped and dropped back into the chair, clutching at my calf as the sharp cramp held me in place.

Footsteps sounded behind Avery, and I heard Cora stirring awake from the couch. Her voice was groggy, half-asleep as she mumbled, "Yes, what is it?"

When she stepped into the kitchen, she stopped abruptly, gasping in shock as her eyes landed on me. "Holy fuck... what happened to you?" The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them.

I winced, glancing at Avery. "Cora, stop cursing around the kids."

Cora snapped her head toward her son, guilt flashing across her face. She quickly bent down, planting a soft kiss on his forehead. "You didn’t hear that, okay?" she said, trying to smooth over the moment.

Avery nodded obediently, though his eyes lingered on me for a second longer before Cora gently ushered him out of the room. "Go wake your sister for school, sweetheart."

As soon as he ran off down the hallway, Cora’s entire demeanour changed. She turned back to me, walking over and sitting across the table, her eyes filled with concern. Before she could ask the million questions I knew were brewing in her mind, I sighed and gave her the answer she feared.

"I ran into Dahlia."

Her gasp was instant, and the worry etched deeper into her face. "Keilah..." she whispered, her voice filled with shock.

I looked away, staring out the window again. "I don’t even know how she found me so quickly," I muttered. “But there she was, like she’d been waiting for me. It’s like I can’t escape.”

Cora’s eyes narrowed with concern as she took in my response. "Do you think Ralph sent her? Do you think he knew you would be coming to visit Auntie and sent Dahlia to find you?"

I took a moment to consider her question. The thought of Ralph orchestrating this felt absurd, given the distance that had grown between us over the past two years. "No," I finally said, shaking my head. "I don’t think so. Ralph and I broke up two years ago, and we haven’t spoken since. We haven’t even talked on the phone. If anything, that would mean he’s moved on. There’s no reason for him to send Dahlia. What would be the point?"

Cora studied me closely, her gaze steady. "Yes, you two broke up, but you’re still mates. There’s a connection there that might not just disappear because you’re not together anymore. If Dahlia’s back, there might be more to it than just coincidence.”

The silence in the kitchen felt suffocating. I sat there, my hands still in Cora's, but my mind was far away. When she spoke, her words barely registered until I felt the gentle squeeze of her fingers.

"Go clean up and get some rest," she said softly, her tone gentle. "We'll talk more about this after I drop the twins off at school.”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Everything inside me felt tangled, knotted with questions I couldn’t answer. Cora gave me one last look before disappearing out of the kitchen.

My body moved on autopilot, dragging me to my bedroom and then to the bathroom. The hot water would help, I told myself. It had to. I stripped off my clothes, but as I caught my reflection in the mirror, my gaze locked onto the mark—Damien’s mark.

It was faint before, almost like a distant memory, but now it was visible again, tingling with a strange, persistent itch. My hand hovered over it, my fingertips grazing the skin. A shudder passed through me, and suddenly, my mind flashed back to the cave at Crimson Hills, where I’d first felt this same sensation.

Could it have saved me?

Could the mark have sensed the danger I was in? Did it protect me from getting ran over? Could Damien be nearby, watching? I shook my head. It didn’t make sense.

But then why was the mark itching like this? Why did I feel like I wasn’t alone?

I turned off the water, the sound of the spray cutting out suddenly, leaving an eerie silence behind. "I have to confirm it," I whispered to myself, the thought slipping into my mind as easily as a breath.

I dressed quickly, pulling on sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. My phone—I needed to text Cora, let her know I was stepping out. I rummaged through my bag, but it wasn’t there. I dumped everything onto the bed, searching frantically.

Nothing.

Did I drop it at the hospital? Damn it.

With a frustrated sigh, I grabbed a notepad from the drawer and scribbled a quick message for Cora, telling her I’d gone out. I wasn’t going to wait around for answers. I needed to know if what I suspected was true.

The streets felt too quiet as I walked. My steps were quick, determined, but as I got closer to where I was heading, that determination wavered. The familiar sense of danger prickled at my skin. This part of town wasn’t safe. I knew that. The thugs who hung around here were trouble, the kind of trouble that normal people avoided. But I wasn’t here to avoid them.

I hesitated at the edge of the alley, my heart pounding in my chest. This was stupid. Reckless. But I had to know. I had to be sure.

I bent down and picked up a stone from the ground, big enough to cause real harm.

My hand shook as I gripped it, my mind screaming at me to turn back, but I ignored it. I aimed at one of the men standing near the wall, his back turned to me, and with a swift motion, I threw it.

The stone hit him square in the head, drawing out blood, and my heart nearly stopped.

For a split second, nothing happened. Then, the man turned slowly, his hand reaching up to touch the spot where the stone had hit. His glowing eyes locked onto me, and a wave of dread washed over me.

I stood frozen, my heart racing so fast I thought it might burst. The others around him noticed me too, their attention shifting, and I could feel their eyes boring into me.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry as sand. What had I done?

But I didn’t move. I couldn’t. I needed to see. I needed to know if the mark would flare again, if Damien would show up like in the cave. I stood my ground, even as fear clawed at my insides, and waited for whatever was about to happen next.