Chapter 1

Bayla

My mother had kidnapped me. She had simply tied me up and thrown me in the boot, and now I was trying to free myself with a lighter. My wrists were burning from the flames...or was it the rope cutting into my skin?

I wish it had happened that way because then I would have a valid reason to be mad at her. But instead, here I was, sitting in the passenger seat of her fat SUV, hoping she would change her mind after all.

I looked down at my wrists, which were already red from my non-stop scratching.

"Tell me...were you even listening to me?" her words reached my ear distantly.

Of course, I had been listening. But this time, I wasn't in the mood for the usual arguments with her. Whenever she tried to get her way, she succeeded. And that upset me. I had to control myself, or something would happen again. And nothing was allowed to happen, not this time and especially not in the middle of a packed jeep on the motorway.

For this reason, I kept silent and stared out the window at the passing cars. There weren't many of them here, in the middle of nowhere, but at least they took my mind off things for a few seconds.

The further north we drove, the emptier the road became, and I feared that we wouldn't arrive in this abandoned village in the middle of Wallachia in time before nightfall.

The forests here were beautiful, but something about them reminded me of those axe murder movies.

"Bayla, I understand that this isn't easy for you. But you know we have no choice," Mum said, gently now.

Of course , we have had a choice. But she had made her choice, and I had to live with it. Again . Nothing new, actually.

"I'm old enough to look after myself, and I would have got through that one week without you."

And that was true. My mother had come to this remote area once before for four weeks, only to come back even weaker than usual. During that time, I had gotten a part-time job and had earned good money. Besides, my mother had enough financial means in case of an emergency. Not that I was dependent on her.

I had left my old school behind. The school I graduated from a month ago, and the school from which I applied to study in San Francisco. I could forget about that plan now. Just like the wild student life with Larissa .

"You're only seventeen years old, and I still remember well what happened last time. Besides, it's going to take even a little longer this time."

Oh yes , that ... I'd been busy for five minutes with the postman, who'd messed up the address list for the entire block, so my dinner had been burnt. The beeping sound of the smoke alarm had prompted the anxious neighbor below us to call the fire brigade. My mother had been forced to return from her outing, almost tearing me apart.

But that wasn't the point. It had been an accident, and what could I do about it if the neighbor was so hysterical that she called in a whole fire brigade?

There was another reason why my mum's plans threw a spanner in the works.

"You promised me that we would go back when it was all over," I replied, slowly but surely upset, because how was I supposed to explain to my best friend that I probably wouldn't be back for another six months ? What would Larissa say when she received such a message?

I'm sorry, but we have to go our separate ways from now on... Oh, and by the way.... You've been waiting for me for a year now, for nothing. I'm studying in Canada for the long term.

God! That would be a nightmare!

I began scratching nervously at my wrist, a stupid habit that had been with me since I was a little girl. It relaxed me in uncomfortable situations like this one, even if my mother didn't like it.

"It's not that simple, darling. If I had a choice, I would have preferred to stay in Sacramento, too."

I suppressed a snort.

If she didn't like this place, why did she insist on looking for help there? There were plenty of good doctors in California. But no ... It had to be British Columbia.

"Look on the bright side... You can make new friends, and the university is great. I graduated there, too, after all, and it took me somewhere in life. And that's despite the fact that it's not a prestigious university," she said almost as proudly as if she had graduated from Harvard.

Was she serious now? New friends? Oh no , it wouldn't come to that. I wouldn't be able to just swap Larissa without further thought. We'd been friends since I'd been in junior high. She was the only one who had always been there for me. All the other kids hadn't wanted to have that much to do with me because I'd been this introverted kid with weird hobbies and braces, which I'd - thankfully - gotten removed four years ago.

"My friends are in Sacramento," I said tensely, even though said friends were, for the most part, non-existent. "And I don't need this silly college... I haven't even gotten an acceptance yet."

That was a fact.

"You're as good as accepted anyway. All that's missing is the letter. And believe me, you'll do just fine there. You can visit me anytime you want, and you'll be at my place on weekends anyway."

It had already come to that, that she called it home . Just because she had been home there once . Mum had always told me she had lived there with a few friends during her studies. At some point, they had all finished and left the town, one after the other. I probably would have done the same. After all, who would want to be stuck in some kind of hick town?

A slight vibration jolted me out of my thoughts. A little surprised, I pulled my mobile phone out of my pocket and read the message.

Grinning, I typed my reply.

The message hadn't even been sent. I was starting to get seriously worried about the future of our friendship. After all, we wouldn't see each other for a very long time now. All that was left for us to do was chat and talk on the phone, which, as I had just noticed, could become a challenge.

Frustrated, I shoved my phone back into my pocket and sighed.

This could only get better.

"I had a lovely time in Blairville. And you'll soon find it's very idyllic there."

Mum's words snapped me out of my thoughts and back into the uncomfortable present. I had to suppress my grin as I looked at her, aghast.

" Idyllic? I didn't know such words were part of your vocabulary, Mum."

She mirrored my laughter, mine, intensifying. As I did so, a short brown strand fell into my face.

I had cut my hair a little shorter so that my dark brown waves only reached my shoulders. The long hair had simply interfered too much with my job. However, the problem had now solved itself. I would have to find something new to pay for all the books that made up a large part of my luggage.

"You'll make it, darling. I've made it, too, somehow..."

The melancholy I usually only noticed when asking questions about my father gave me a pause. I had started grilling my mother about him at an early age. Each time, I was rejected. And every time I asked, Mum disappeared into the garden in a bad mood for the rest of the day. Over time, I had started to keep the questions to myself, and the only thing I had found out so far was that he had run away to Europe and had never been in touch with her since. No address, no contact details... I didn't even know his name.

There were no other family members, at least not on my mother's side. Nevertheless, I never felt alone. The opposite was true. My mother and I maintained a close relationship, and so far, we have made it through every single life circumstance. There have been no troublesome divorces or family dramas – just my mum and me.

I had to swallow as I noticed a hot tear running down my right cheek. I quickly turned my head back toward the window so that I was protected from my mother's searching gaze. But to make matters worse, my right arm began to shake.

Calm down, Bay, not now... You know what happened last time, and that it scares Mum.

I looked at my wrist. Nothing.

"Bay? I told you not to scratch it. Doctor Gilson didn't prescribe your medication for nothing," Mum snapped me out of my rigidity, and I bit the tip of my tongue in shock.

Ouch!

"I don't have any more pills. And I suppose I can't very well buy any in the wilderness." I earned a disapproving look from my mother before she reached into her side compartment and pulled out a blue box.

"Seriously?" Where did she keep getting these new recipes? The restriction on the number of prescriptions a doctor could give a patient in a given time seemed to be something my mother could somehow get around.

And even though these pills prevented things from happening to my body that I was rapidly losing control over, I was paying a different price for them.

"Young lady, take your medication. Otherwise, you can forget about me driving you to university every time. There's an old bike in our garage, too!"

Not only her mischievous I'm-your-mother-and-you're-not-an-adult-yet-grin , but also my bewildered look spoke volumes.

I hated bicycles, and there was a good reason for that. I had been in an accident when I was four. I couldn't remember anything except the bike. My mother had then told me about the car and the slippery road. The reason why a six-centimeter-long scar stretched below my breast. From that day on, I had vowed to never sit my bum on one of those devilish things again.

Mum was still holding the pills out to me, looking worried, while at the same time concentrating on driving.

Reluctantly, I reached for the little box.

Bayla Adams was written in block letters on the label. The plastic box was still new and filled to the brim, as it always was when Mum gave me a new one.

I opened it, took out a pill, and swallowed it. Then I slammed the lit of the container shut again and put it in my jacket pocket. I had to think of something to get rid of these pills. And hopefully, this time, there wouldn't be any new ones.

I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes, we were no longer on the endless highway but on a two-lane road in the middle of the forest. The sunlight that had woken me made its way through the lush leaf canopy and tickled my skin.

A pleasant tingling sensation ran through me, and I sat up straight. Only now did I see the wide shore stretching a few meters beyond the trees, glimmering as if in an almost too-beautiful fairy tale. Although it was still summer, some of the leaves on the maple trees had turned yellow, making the picture even more beautiful.

I had to blink and when I looked more closely, I recognized a tower on the other side of the water, a few miles away...or was it a church? Wait...

And then I saw that there, in the middle of the changing nature, was a whole city with a harbor, a church, and two modern skyscrapers.

Even further in the distance, in the middle of the needle forest, I spotted a gigantic gothic tower rising out of the woods. Deep forest stretched around it, kissed by the colors of autumn. But it was too far away to recognize everything.

"Is that…?" I began, but I had forgotten the name of the town.

"Yes, my darling, that's Blairville ."

Mum smiled at me, and now I understood what she meant by idyllic . The sun turned the water's surface into a shining mirror, and the curvy road we drove beside the railway tracks led us further and further into a magnificent forest of tall trees. The forest along the road became denser as we drove around a long bend, and the town disappeared from my view.

About two minutes later, a large, noble - though already very old - wooden sign appeared at the side of the road, on which Welcome to Blairville was written in elegant capital letters. A noble black bird sat on the edge, brushing its feathers. A raven.

Mum's radio began to buzz, and I was beginning to think the signal was gone again, as it was so often on this endless drive, but to my surprise, the tune of a News Station rang out, and shortly afterward, a man began to speak.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Blairville Daily with the Bexleys and the latest local news so you will always know what's going on in our beautiful hometown!" the newscaster began far too enthusiastically as if he had been waiting for us to come to Blairville. It was a wonder that a small town even had such a thing. "Today with Joe Bexley and..." He stopped so a woman could announce herself, "Harriet Bexley!"

"Oh God, so those two have actually taken over Joe's parents' radio station..."

I looked at Mum in surprise.

She knew these people?

"And yet again, gigantic wild wolves have been spotted in the Copelands' woods."

I tried to concentrate on the words of the over-motivated Joe as the sky above the forest closed in with thick gray clouds.

Wild wolves? In Blairville ? And why did the name Copeland ring a bell? Wasn't that the name of Mum's doctor?

"First, near Vanderwood University , now, even at the abandoned Psychic Fun Fair , according to neighborhood teens. Harriet, with more details on the wolf reports."

Harriet , who had a calmer voice, began to speak as raindrops settled on the windscreen of Mum's Jeep.

"What particular species the wild wolves are, and whether they are just regular wolves or a serious threat to Blairville residents, is unclear. However, the witness statements speak for themselves."

A frantic girl began to babble, and I turned the radio up louder as the rain became heavier.

"I had been out with my boyfriend and his guys in the woods near the abandoned Psychic Fun Fair . It was just a night hike, and the guys had already drunk a lot, which is why they wanted to continue toward the amusement park." The girl was getting more hysterical. "The fact that this one is closed and abandoned didn't put them off as much as it did me... It was dark and strangely quiet. But suddenly, there had been this cracking sound behind us. I had turned around. And there it was. A huge white wolf, bigger than me, with a beastly mouth, bared teeth, and yellow glowing eyes. I've never run so fast in my life."

I felt a chill run down my spine.

The pleasant feeling of seeing the town so fairytale-like in the distance was gone now, washed away by the girl's words and the rain on Mum's windscreen.

Just the thought that oversized wild animals were living out there in the woods around us, daring to get so close to people, was massively unsettling.

The woman, Harriet, began to speak again, "Head of the police, Sheriff Bardot, gives the warning that wolves do not attack people unless they feel threatened. However, another witness reports..."

Mum abruptly turned off the knob on the radio station.

"Hey...", I started and went to turn the radio back up, but Mum slapped my hand away rudely. "That was interesting."

"It's just town gossip. Nothing that should worry you unnecessarily."

Of course ... She dragged me off to nowhere in Canada but didn't want me to face reality. I wanted to know damn well if I was going to walk in those beautiful woods or be snatched away like Little Red Riding Hood.

But I left it at that. If the wolves in the woods were really problematic, I would find out in time anyway.

I leaned back in my seat and decided to do research later, even though everything about the thought of dealing with this new town turned me off.

It wasn't long before the rain stopped, though the sky remained covered in massive dark blue clouds, and I saw the first houses along the roadside – large houses with old facades. A few seemed like older mansions to me. Others reminded me of the farmhouses I had seen on the way through the States.

At some point, the forest disappeared completely, and the houses slid closer and closer together until we found ourselves in front of the center of the city.

Many small shops, whose names I couldn't read fast enough, were spread out along the streets. Streets filled with...people.

At first, I thought we were really arriving in the middle of nowhere, but it seemed like there was actually something going on here. Quite a few people were out and about on this sunny day, and not only were curious tourists making their way past the fish and ice cream stalls, but there were also young people out and about.

Three girls - about my age - were crossing the street toward a department store. They seemed to be making fun of something because one of them pointed at something with a giggle, but I couldn't see it quickly enough because we were already moving on.

A group of young university students was strolling across a small square toward a diner where even more young people were hanging out.

"There are so many young people here..." It slipped out of my mouth, half suspicious, half amazed.

"I told you Blairville is a university town. On weekends, most of them are at home or meet up here downtown or near the harbor and diner, which is why it can quickly get lively down here. And especially since there's another week of semester break, it's normal to see so many people your age here."

"You mean Vanderwood ? The University where I'll be going?"

Unfortunately .

"In 1800, the city had the university built specifically so all the young people here could eventually study. Believe me, this place was busy back then, too. As it was when I was your age."

Slowly but surely, I could no longer remove the image of my mother making the town unsafe on colorful motorbikes with some youngsters from my mind, even though Larissa had made up this image of my mother, which did not fit at all with the image I had of my mother.

"The university has a really good reputation, which is why you don't have to worry that no one will let you work afterward." How comforting... "Besides, you'll like it there, I promise."

Mum smiled at me, but I still couldn't share her joy. I would not finish my studies here - come what may - which meant I would only be stuck here for half a year.

We passed the skyscraper-like towers, which looked much more elegant than Sacramento's skyscrapers, even if they were no taller than the Renaissance Tower or the Wells Fargo Centre .

It was a wonder there were any of those here...

One of them was a bit taller than the other and oval in shape. It was completely mirrored on the outside, and its size ensured that the other side of the city center was bathed in a huge shadow.

Ravens circled the skyscrapers, perching on their antennas, which, combined with the dark wall of thunderstorms overhead, created an eerie image.

"Those are the DeLoughrey prestige buildings."

The what ? Who on earth were the Loughreys ?

"Prestige buildings?" I asked instead.

I knew that a lot of rich people showcased their wealth through architectural buildings, but in such a small place? This wasn't New York...

"You see that building there?" Mum pointed to the dark-glazed skyscraper over which the next storm front hovered ominously. "That's the DLSC. The DeLoughrey Science Center . But since they are now by far the richest family in town, they still bought up the bank building and many of the shops, and that was probably just the beginning..."

From her mouth, it sounded as if that didn't bode well. Even worse, as if these rich people were insatiable...and as if she... knew these people.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Do you know these Loughreys personally?"

Or whatever they were called...

For a brief moment, Mum looked a little spaced out. Then she shook her head quickly.

"No, not exactly. But it's been a very long time since I've had any contact with anyone here except my doctor. I'm sure the town has changed and the people with it. And I hope you'll like it here somehow, after all."

Smiling, she stroked my smooth hair.

I didn't hope I would like it, but I hoped she would get better. We had been through a rough time, and it wasn't over yet. All I wanted was for it all to finally stop. And if I had to, I would get along with this town…in the short term, not for too long.

Mum drove further into the inner town.

"Just in case it ever becomes important, which I hope it won't..." Mum pointed at the neat facades of the houses around us. "That's the town hall there, the mayor's office." I caught a glimpse of the Victorian stone mansion, the noblest building down here, adorned with a golden tower clock. "That is the police station. A college friend of mine works there."

A more modern building was next to the town hall, with Blairville Police Station written in gold lettering. And I really hoped I would never have to go there. The chances were low now that I was so far away from Larissa.

A blue and red font immediately jumped into my field of vision, right next to the police station, like vultures over a well-guarded bird's nest. Blairville Daily . That had to be the news station. Of course, three reporters were standing in front of it, interviewing some police officers who had probably just gone to enjoy their lunch break.

I looked across the road, past the traffic island with the statue of a man, probably from the eighteenth century. A raven had perched on its head and was pecking at the brass cylinder.

"Who's that?"

Mum followed my gaze.

"That's the merchant who discovered the island around 1790. Cornelius Copeland, an Englishman."

Again , the name Copeland . Either the name was common here by now, as it was in small towns, or an important family had that name.

I looked past the sailor's statue and spotted another large Victorian stone building, the only one with a restored facade to compete with the town hall.

"What is that building for?"

"The law firm of the..." Mum paused, and her worried look made an uneasy feeling rise inside me. "DeLoughreys."

DeLoughrey . Them, again . I didn't know what was more absurd: that the DeLoughreys owned so much real estate in town or that this town had a goddamn law firm.

"Do you want me to give you a ride to the house first, or do you want to come grocery shopping?"

"House?" It escaped me, and I looked at Mum, who was leaving the neat and lively center of town again, circling the brass statue of the old sailor to follow the other cars.

Mum had mentioned living with friends when she used to be at university, but I would have thought more of a flat or a residential wing on campus rather than a whole house.

It really surprised me that she still owned a home here somewhere. After all these years...

"It was kind of a student residence at the time. But I bought it up later because the former owner knew me well and offered it to me for a good price."

Why didn't I know about this? She could have mentioned that she owned a whole property in Canada...

As for financial means, I wasn't surprised. My mother had studied molecular biology, which is why she earned a lot of money in Sacramento. But I was beginning to wonder how she would get money here. As far as I knew, it was quite difficult to look for jobs in the field of molecular biology outside of big cities and to secure a good income in addition. This small town would kill her wealth... Plus, the fact that Mum was a researcher.

"Sure, you own a house here. Just like that. Why am I not surprised?"

Grinning sarcastically, I looked at her. She returned it unconcerned.

"So, are you coming with me to the grocery store?"

To be honest, I wasn't particularly comfortable waiting for Mum alone in an abandoned house. Who knew what was going on in the neighborhood? Maybe there were students living there who threw wild parties, got high on marijuana, and actually rode around the neighborhood on motorbikes and accidentally swept children off the asphalt.

The thought made me smirk. Soon, I would be one of them, but I would stay away from such things.

I was looking forward to student life itself. A few weeks ago, I wanted to study in San Francisco with my best friend, Larissa. Unfortunately, I had made this plan without my mother's doctor, and since I would not be of legal age for another week, Mum had decided over my head that I should come along. Mum was glued to me. That was the only explanation that made sense. And I was aware of how unhealthy this behavior was.

The problem was that it would have complicated everything even more if I had moved away, so Mum had enrolled me at this no-name university. It amazed me that they even offered my degree course here, in the middle of nowhere...

"Hello, earth to Bayla? Are you still there?"

Perplexed, I stared into my mum's face.

Mum rolled her eyes impatiently. I remembered her question.

"Oh, right, I'll come with you."

We turned into a side street, but it wasn't a street, I realized. It was the driveway to a huge grocery store called Belly Shop . A sprawling car parking area stretched out in front of us, and Mum was having trouble finding a suitable space.

"How is it always so crowded here?!"

Annoyed, she joined a queue of cars waiting for a red Mini Cooper to pull out of a parking space.

"Why don't we go shopping somewhere else?" I suggested, but Mum shook her head.

"You'll laugh. This is the only decent mall around here for miles. The nearest is in Bradiston, twenty miles from here."

"Like there's only one shop here. What about the little shops?"

"They're just boutiques, stationery shops, herb shops – nothing I'd need at the moment. There's always a weekly market open down at the harbor on Wednesdays, and there's a baker there too. But there's everything here that's on my shopping list."

Of course , the shopping list. My mother and groceries… She always had her detailed list, and woe betide if something wasn't found in the shop. That's why it always took us what felt like years to get out of a shop. If something wasn't there, she was always in a bad mood. How could we stand it here for half a year?

After about five minutes, the time had come, and a black car that strongly resembled ours had parked out.

"Finally!" Mum murmured and pulled into the free parking space. Neatly parked, she pulled out the keys, opened the door, and got out.

"You can go on in. I'll get some more money and a shopping cart from over there. Feel free to pick anything."

With those words, she slammed the car door behind her and marched toward the ATM, where a small queue of people had formed.

A black shadow flitted across our windscreen.

I flinched.

My gaze followed the black bird that had perched on the car in front of me. It was a raven, puttering around on the roof of the car, curiously looking at its reflection in the window.

Sighing, I leaned back in the seat. My eyes fell on the radio. This was my chance.

I turned the station up louder. News was on again, and Joe was still chattering away.

"However, the hunter team that had gathered last week was not allowed into the woods. The reason is that the Copelands, who own the lands around Vanderwood University, will not permit the hunt. The family does not respond to interview questions."

Damn , the wild wolf thing seemed to be a serious issue here....

"Mayor Blair will not take a position, but requests residents to stay out of the woods." Blair? As in Blairville? "The mayor won't disclose whether her statement concerns only the wolves or also the missing people cases."

The goosebumps returned, stretched all over my body this time...

"And now to Oliver Bexley with the latest weather forecasts."

Wolf reports and now missing people? In this small town? Where had Mum taken me? And did she even know about this?

"Like every mid-summer, a massive storm front is brewing over Blairville, and we need to prepare for potentially dangerous conditions. Unusual purple clouds accompany this storm front. In the upcoming months, we need to be prepared for fall storms that may come with this storm front. These storms will bring strong winds, torrential rain, and possibly even strong hail. There is an increased risk of flooding, fallen trees, damaged infrastructure, and possible disruption to transport systems. These prospects may be scary, but we want you to be well-informed and prepared. It is essential that you take precautions to ensure your safety and that of your family. Secure loose items outdoors and stay away from tree-rich areas such as Fogs Forest or Copeland Woods . We strongly recommend that you pay close attention to local weather forecasts and warnings and follow possible instructions from the authorities. Our aim is to provide you with timely and comprehensive information to protect you from the forthcoming threats. Please take this warning seriously and prepare accordingly. We will continue to keep you updated with the latest developments. Stay safe and be prepared for the worst..."

I turned off the radio.

Everything in me wanted to leave this town immediately .

It had been dry in Sacramento, and there had been few weather extremes. But damned flood-like rain and evacuations? Was this radio station kidding me?

Determined to convince Mum to listen to the weather and leave town with me NOW , I was about to open the passenger door when a white Mazda drove into the empty space, taking away any chance of me leaving the car without damaging the other.

The driver's window was down, and the speakers were blaring 7 Rings by Ariana Grande .

I immediately recognized the blonde girl I had seen earlier on the street gossiping with the other girls. She had a pretty face with high cheekbones, light blue eyes and was obviously good with make-up... Unlike me.

Her full lips formed into a smile, apparently for the black-haired girl in the passenger seat. She, too, looked very dressed up.

I rolled down the window pane.

"Hello?" I called out, probably a little too tentatively because Ariana Grande was winning the battle against my voice.

"Hey, could you please park a little further to the right? I can't get out otherwise," I tried again, way too shy, but now she noticed me, turning her head toward me. Her friend turned down the music.

"Did you say something?" the black-haired girl asked me dismissively, and another laugh came from the back of the car.

Great , that was all I needed.

"I just asked if you could park a bit further to the right. Otherwise, I won't get out of here - and neither will you, by the way," I repeated in a calm voice directed at the blonde girl.

She looked at me for a moment and seemed to consider parking out. Then she pressed a button, and the door opened…upwards.

Okay, maybe this wasn't a Mazda at all.

"So, I get out of here easily," she chirped, putting on a saccharine smile.

Was she serious?

This time, the black-haired girl laughed, too, before getting out. Another blonde girl - the one who had been giggling in the street - appeared. Unlike the other two, she wore a bit more makeup, and her clothes were all pink and rather revealing, while the other two were dressed more elegantly.

"Just wait until we get back. We won't be long," said the blonde with the high cheekbones. "Oh, and don't try to get out. That car was expensive."

All three laughed, turned their backs on me, and strutted off toward the shopping center.

Anger rose up inside me. How could anyone be so rude? I knew girls like that from high school days, and wherever they appeared, there was trouble.

I noticed how my heartbeat accelerated, and my arms began to tingle.

A glance at my wrist told me that my arteries stood out, and the dark blood was more visible than usual. As always, it reminded me of a kind of fine pattern that lay across my pale skin like a dark moving tattoo.

I shuddered and pulled the sleeves of my brown cardigan down further.

It hadn't been this strong for a long time. So had the headache that started a few seconds later and hit me full force.

It was the pills. The pills that were supposed to help me control these attacks, which they did, in fact, but just to a certain extent. If I hadn't taken them, I probably would have ripped open the car door and yelled at the girl.

"Bayla? Are you all right?"

I jerked my head around.

"Mum?"

Instinctively, I pushed my sleeve down even further and was about to open the door when I noticed, just in time, that an expensive car was parked there.

Furiously, I let go of the door handle.

"Are you okay, honey?" Mum asked, a little more worried this time.

"Yes, everything's fine. It's just the pills. I've got a headache...the usual."

I tried to sound normal, but the concern didn't disappear from her face.

There was just nothing usual about me that didn't worry my mother.

"Do you want me to go in alone?"

It would probably have been better to wait in the car. However, I didn't want to meet those stupid brats again, and the chances of them being back sooner than my mum were significantly higher.

"No, I'll be fine. Have you got the money?"

I climbed over the driver's seat, my sleeves riding up. But to my relief, my body had calmed down again. Except for my head, because it was pounding pretty hard. The sun didn't make it any better.

"Yes, of course...Why are you climbing over the driver's seat?"

Mum watched my acrobatic maneuver in irritation.

"Because another car blocked my door," I said. "People are really nice here, Mum." I looked at her, annoyed. "And while we're on the subject... have you heard the weather report?"

I wouldn't be surprised if God wanted to punish the vain inhabitants of this town with a flood. Those three arrogant goats had it coming.

"Blairville is stormy in the autumn," Mum said with a shrug. A roll of thunder sounded in the distance, as if God was signaling that he was coming for me, too. "Come on, let's go inside."

Surprisingly, the shopping didn't take long. Fortunately, I had not encountered the goats again either, and by the time we arrived at the car, theirs had left already.

The drive to the house flew by, as it was not far from downtown.

We turned into a Beaver Street . Tranquil family homes stood to the left and right of the roadside. Colorful front gardens decorated the view. Everything looked new and peaceful. If the place from those harmonious family comedies really existed, then I had just found it.

However, it puzzled me a little that the first families had already put up Halloween decorations on their stairs.

And then I discovered all the ravens on the power line. They were forming a row, preening each other's feathers.

Where were all these birds coming from? It was as if this city was suffering from a plague of ravens.

"Back then, only students lived here, but they were eventually moved to the Vanderwood campus."

I didn't take my eyes off the massively crowded power lines and tried to ignore the penetratingly laughing clown on the windowsill of one of the houses. He laughed at my cursed fate.

"Why didn't they continue to let them live here?" I asked with interest.

"There were some pretty strange things happening down here, and the students weren't always in control."

Not in control? What did she mean by that? Perhaps my initial concern that teenagers gone wild were wreaking havoc here had not been so far from reality after all. However, I could not suppress my curiosity.

"Strange things?"

Mum hesitated again. Then she stopped the car and turned it off before reaching for my hand. Hers were so cold that I froze.

"Just promise me you'll be a bit more careful around here, and always make sure you're not out on your own outside the city center."

Her look had become more serious.

Confusion spread through my chest.

How was this place any different from crime-ridden Sacramento, if not even safer? What was she afraid of? Of the wolves? Of the storm? And why had we come here, of all places, if it was supposed to be so dangerous?

As she let go of my hands and tried to avert her gaze, I reached for her hand again.

"Mum? What do you mean?"

She shook her head, avoiding my gaze.

"Just take care of yourself. There are crazy people here, like everywhere else in the world, and I don't want anything to happen to my baby."

With those words, she pulled me close, and I couldn't help but return her hug.

She was worried about me. I could feel it. Whereas my concern for her health was much bigger. I hoped that she would soon feel better and that we could then put all this behind us once and for all. It had become like a recurring nightmare that kept me awake night after night.

"Mum, I'm not a little kid anymore. You don't have to worry about me. I know how to defend myself."

And I didn't mean the nine-week karate class my mother had forced me to take in 8th grade. I really was old enough.

"I know, darling, I know. But you know I'll never stop worrying about you."

I knew that. And I worried about her just as much.

We sat like that for a while until she broke away from me. Tears that had gathered in her eyes were now running down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away with the sleeve of her blouse and smoothed her shoulder-length dark blonde hair.

"We should go inside now," she finally said softly.

Inside?

Curiously, I jerked my head around.

Mum had parked at the side of the road, and as I unbuckled my seatbelt, pushed open the door - which was now possible again - and swung myself out of the car, I realized why.

The driveway we were standing in front of was overgrown, and the wooden garden fence, from which the white paint was peeling, lay across the withered front garden of a large house. It was exactly the same color as the fence, except the paint hadn't peeled off quite as badly.

I looked around.

The neighboring properties looked neater, which was probably due to the fact that no one had apparently lived in this building for a long time. It had to be the house my mother had talked about.

And I didn't know if I really liked it. It looked like something out of a nineties' horror movie.

"Come on, I'll show you around first. We can get the suitcases later," Mum yelled to me from the boot.

A path led me directly to the wooden veranda that extended around the whole house. Someone had built a sitting area here and only a few pillows were missing to give it its coziness.

Mum came up the stairs and put a key in the door lock. She turned it and pulled the door open. A loud squeak sounded, making me wince.

"Looks like this place needs some work," I gasped.

Mum looked around before entering the house. I followed her silently.

"The last time I was here, the garden fence was still standing. A storm must have taken it down."

I wouldn't be surprised if the next storm took this whole ramshackle place with it.

Only now did I realize the meaning of Mum's words.

She had been here once before, a year ago. The thought that she had slept here gave me the creeps.

To my surprise, inside, it looked normal. The hallway was small but clean and tidy. A stone sculpture of buddha stood on a corner cupboard next to the wardrobe. When I looked closer, I realized it was not a Buddha but an elegant woman.

Going further into the house, we came to an attached living area with furniture covered by white sheets. There were no pictures on the wall, but it seemed as if some had once hung there because lighter, small, square spots stood out from the wall. A few flower pots with no contents and natural decor decorated this area of the house.

I followed Mum across the pale floorboards, and we came into a kitchen that looked very modern.

"Have you had the kitchen redone?" I asked, and Mum nodded. She inserted a plug into a socket, whereupon the fridge began to make squawking noises which, to my reassurance, faded into a loud buzzing.

"Don't worry. It's only like that at first. After a while, the noise will stop."

The ground floor was an open area, and connected to the kitchen was a dining room with a dining table for six.

It was cozy here, but nothing like our old modern flat. I missed it already.

"Come on, I'll show you your new room."

Mum smiled at me encouragingly.

Something told me I'd end up like Harry Potter in an old lumber room under the stairs, the plaster crumbling off the walls every time someone moved heavily above me.

Oh man , what had I given up my nice big room with its huge bookshelves for?

I followed my mother, hoping she would be merciful in the distribution of rooms.

An angled wooden staircase with surprisingly non-creaking steps led us up to the first floor.

It was not as bright here as downstairs, as there was only one large window at the end of the corridor, which looked out into the garden. Four doors—two on one side and two on the other —probably led to the former flat-sharing rooms. In the middle of the hallway was a railing around the stairs.

"Where do you sleep?" I asked Mum.

She gestured to one of the white doors.

"And you will sleep here," she said to me as she led me to the front door on the opposite side.

As I entered the room, I immediately noticed that it was very bright. A large floor-to-ceiling window spread the evening sun's rays throughout the room, which didn't look unattractive at all with its cream-colored walls and wooden floorboards. A carpet of the same color with cushions lay in front of the window, and a white wooden bed stood in the middle of the room. There was also a desk and a large wardrobe.

It was a spacious room, but something was missing.

Anyway, I would only be here on weekends, as far as I had understood.

"I'll quickly get the suitcases and the shopping in. Have a look around in the meantime," Mum said, turning around and leaving the room.

"I can do that too, Mum," I said loudly and followed her out of the room as quickly as I had come in.

There were a lot of suitcases, and I definitely wasn't going to let her carry them up the stairs by herself. Especially not with all that was in one of my suitcases.

"You should take it easy. Remember what Dr. Copeland said," I added, to which she rolled her eyes in mock annoyance.

But I was serious. If I wanted to get out of here quickly, I had to make sure that Mum got well again. And that was only possible if she didn't overdo it.

I hurried down the stairs and made my way back through the house to the car.

The trunk was still open, and I was afraid that something was missing, but luckily everything was still there. In front of me were the black hard-shell suitcases and a large shopping bag.

Oh dear , what had I intended to do?

But I would make it because our former neighbors in California had made it, too, and they were around fifty.

Determined, I grabbed the first suitcase and pulled it out of the car. The suitcase landed in my arms, but somehow, I lost my balance and stumbled backward with no chance of stopping. I expected to slam onto the hard pavement, but suddenly, I felt a warm hand at my back, supporting me forward again.

After finding my balance, I wheeled around and looked into the face of a young, grinning man.

His olive-green eyes contrasted sharply with his tanned skin and dark brown, slightly curly hair. He was relatively tall and had broad shoulders. The navy-blue shirt he wore accentuated his arm muscles, which I was sure he got from a gym.

I must have stared at him for too long because the grin on his face widened even more.

"Uhm...sorry. I... I must have slipped," I replied awkwardly.

God , that was embarrassing!

I quickly bent down to pick up the suitcase with one hand, but I failed.

It had to be my books.

"Do you need any help?" the young man asked me with a teasing undertone.

I looked up at him in surprise. A strange feeling spread through me.

I knew guys like him. They would go after anything that didn't run away in time. And they pretended to be nice when all they really wanted was sex to cross one off their list.

Since David , I have had enough of men.

Quickly, I shook my head.

"No, thanks...I..." Desperately, I pulled up the suitcase. "I…can handle it on my own. But thanks for the offer," I pressed out with difficulty under the weight of the suitcase. As I did so, I concentrated on the heavy item, which I couldn't lift but could at least drag behind me.

"You sure?" he asked again, amused.

This time, it sounded like he was making fun of me. But I didn't let him stop me and kept pulling on the suitcase. The noise it made meant that the suitcase was about to get a few scratches. Mum would kill me.

Why on earth had she bought those suitcases without wheels ?

"Julian, would you please help the girl, and not just stand there and watch, for god's sake?" a man's deep voice suddenly called out from somewhere in the background.

I jerked my head around. That was when I spotted the man in a police uniform on the veranda of the neighboring house, who must have just come from work. That could only be Julian's father. At least, he had a similar hair and skin color. The only difference was that his hairline was a little grayer and not so messy.

He smiled at me in a friendly way, and I returned it automatically.

Apparently, they were our neighbors. Not junkies, after all. At least not the policeman, who had to be about my mother's age. I wonder if this was the college friend she'd told me about downtown.

"I was just about to..." Julian was about to start, but I was quicker.

"No, it's all good. I'll be fine on my own."

"What have you done, boy, that she already doesn't like you?"

Now, I had to grin. I instantly liked his father.

Julian reached for my suitcase and just picked it up without a second thought.

Startled, I looked at him and backed away a little. Apparently, he was stronger than I had suspected.

I didn't say anything more because I didn't want to be rude in front of his father.

"I'm happy to help a damsel in distress," Julian said with this grin on his face that I couldn't stand before turning around and carrying the suitcase through Mum's demolished front yard as if it were a handbag.

What was this jerk thinking he was doing?

I suppressed the urge to snatch the suitcase from his hands and quickly grabbed the shopping bag, which, unlike the suitcase, was damn lightweight. Then, I hurried to follow him.

When I arrived at the house, I spotted him talking to my mum. That was all I needed now.

"Mum, this is..."

"I know Julian. Isn't he a real gentleman?" My jaw dropped, but Mum skillfully ignored it and turned to the neighbor guy. "Thank you for helping me."

Julian had blushed and was running his hands through his hair. Then he looked at me, and my eyes lingered on him again. The green of his eyes reminded me of deep, uncharted forests...

I shook my head, startled by myself, and averted my eyes from his. Julian, too, turned back to my mother.

Strange encounter...just strange.

"I'll get the other bags, Ms. Adams."

That golden retriever smile...such a little suck-up.

Julian disappeared through the door with his permanent grin, and I glanced questioningly at Mum.

"Gentleman? Really? And how exactly do you know him?"

"Firstly, he's a really nice young man and secondly, I'm friends with his father Graham. We went to Vanderwood together," she replied to me, reminiscing as she exposed the glass blue vase in her hands to my scrutinizing gaze.

Slowly, I began to realize that I knew little about my mother's past. Although she had spent half of her life here, she had not told me much about Vanderwood or Blairville until now.

Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to me: I wonder if she had met my father here. It was possible. But what would it matter? He had simply left us, and if he really wanted to have something to do with me, he would have contacted me.

I erased the thought as quickly as it had come.

"Thanks for bringing the groceries in."

Mum now looked at me again, released from her rigidity of thought, winked at me and set the vase down on the kitchen counter to take the bag from me.

Apparently, I hadn't been able to do more than bring in this light thing. I had been embarrassed in front of Julian, not being able to lift the suitcase. Where was this guy anyway?

"Mum, where's my suitcase?"

"Julian put it in your room, don't worry."

Julian had been in my room? Since when did my mother let random guys into our rooms just like that? She had always been so suspicious of my ex-boyfriend, David, when he spent time with us, even though he had been really okay before all the drama. And Julian was - at least for me - a damn stranger.

Just at that moment, he reappeared with two more suitcases under his arms and smiled in our direction.

"Where do you want them?"

Ooohh no, not this time, I thought to myself and took the initiative to do something about the pushy young neighbor.

"It's alright. I'll take these upstairs myself."

With a put-on smile, I took one suitcase from him and gestured for him to put the other down.

His gaze had become more suspicious. But he decided, wisely , not to comment and went back to the front door. The presence of my mother probably made him a little uneasy.

"One more is missing," he called out and disappeared outside.

Couldn't he just leave?

"Don't overdo it," Mum warned, addressing me as if I were weak and frail. Then she turned back to the groceries.

"These aren't so heavy," I told her with confidence.

Recklessly, I lifted Mum's first suitcase and carried it carefully up the stairs. Arriving at her room, I pushed down the handle and placed the suitcases in front of her bed. The room looked a little different from mine because she had a sloping roof with two windows. And it wasn't flooded with evening sun like mine, which was why I was already satisfied with my room.

I turned around and arrived in the hallway when I ran straight into a muscular male body. Startled by the warmth and hardness, I jumped back.

"What are you doing here again?" I hissed at Julian, overwhelmed, my gaze lingering on his broad, defined arms. Swallowing, I forced myself to look into his face.

"Your mother told me to bring these two..."

"Yes, thank you."

I yanked my suitcase rudely from his hand and carried it to my room without letting Julian finish. He, in turn, had followed me and was now leaning in the doorway. His gaze was on me. I could feel it.

Was he watching me?

I turned and looked directly into his sparkling eyes.

"Tell me, what do you actually want from me? You can't tell me you're here to kiss my mother's ass. Am I somehow your type or what? If so, I have absolutely no interest in you."

Julian's expression instantly stiffened. I had apparently scratched his ego with my words.

Satisfied, I smiled.

"You're definitely not my type , and I don't know what your problem is. I was just trying to be friendly," he retorted harshly. "You're all so aloof, except for your mother. Is that such a witch thing?"

Of course... Just because a girl wouldn't let him flirt with her, she was called a witch . What else? This guy fulfilled the stereotype to such an extent.

"I didn't need any help, okay?"

He raised an eyebrow in response to my sentence.

"That's not what it looked like," he grinned again, and I was about to slam the door right in his face.

"I still didn't ask you to do that. Now, please go. I have other things to do."

He looked at me for a moment before turning and disappearing down the stairs with the words, "I was happy to do it anyway, Adam's girl."

I rolled my eyes and closed the door behind me.

Finally , he was gone, and I had my peace. That had definitely been too many annoying people in one day. It could only get better...