This is Where it Lives

Bailey

I need to get Tanner away from that house.

Bitter certainty floods my veins as I walk toward my car. Every nerve in my body screams at me that I’m making the wrong choice. But I can’t just leave him there, not after what Layla’s told me. I can’t.

Making up my mind, I slide into the driver’s seat. Adrenaline surges through me as I turn the key in the ignition, urging the engine to life. I try not to think too much about where I’m going and why. Instead, I focus on the muscle memory of backing out of the driveway and navigating the familiar streets of Hahnville.

Night’s grip has tightened on the evening by the time I reach the turnoff to the old Gregory place. As I steer carefully down the rutted drive, my headlights play off the gnarled trunks of the cypress trees and the twisted mass of foliage at their roots. It feels like there are a thousand pairs of eyes on me, watching my descent into this unholy place.

My hands tighten on the wheel. I keep my gaze focused straight ahead a