Where The Truth Began

The truck rolled to a stop at the edge of the Madison family property just as the first streaks of dawn broke across the sky. Scarlett stepped out, the crunch of gravel beneath her boots a stark contrast to the eerie silence that surrounded them.

The house stood ahead, its familiar silhouette tinged with an unsettling sense of abandonment and yet... life. The paint on the shutters had long since faded, and the porch sagged slightly at one corner, but it wasn't the disrepair that caught Scarlett's attention. It was the faint glow of light seeping from the upstairs window.

"This place was supposed to be empty," Scarlett muttered, her breath visible in the cool morning air.

Henry climbed out of the truck; his expression unreadable as he looked at the house. "Things change."

Scarlett shot him a sharp look. "You knew, didn't you?"

Henry didn't answer. He simply adjusted the strap of the bag slung over his shoulder and started toward the house.