"Tell me about Oakwood," she said softly – carefully – as if the request was powerful enough to conjure the devil. Silence befell for a moment that felt longer than it was. There was a heaviness in the room – an ambience of discomfort and dread. But there was no devil. As far as both of them were concerned, the devil was never coming back.
"Why Oakwood?"
"It's always best to start at the beginning, don't you think?"
"Not always. The end is always so much more interesting than the beginning."
"Why is that?"
"The beginning tells you everything. The end tells you everything and nothing at all. I like that about the end. The mystery is exciting."
"So, tell me then, what is the end?"
"I'm still waiting for it. But you know what I think? Oakwood should've been the end. That way, you and I wouldn't be wasting our time trying to dissect the depth of my insanity."
▪︎▪︎
The oak trees on the roadside had a maturity that was not like before. There was no telling what it was that made them different, but if there was one thing that had not changed about them, it was the expectation of Oakwood that they created. There was an impression of safety, of tranquility and of life. However, Oakwood was everything but, and Allison Yun was too aware of this to be deceived. Oakwood was a small town that took away meaningful things. It was a town that showed no mercy of returning them back from where they came.
The car drove steadily and a breeze blew from the slightly opened window. The wind felt like a gentle brush of freshness against Allison's skin. Her brunette hair swayed at its command. There was no stopping the strands; their free will had completely depleted.
For a town she knew to be unfathomably hot, the sun in the cerulean sky was relenting. It was a warm day – a day that could have been comforting had Allison not known Oakwood for what it truly was.
Seven years had already passed since the day she left, yet Oakwood made her feel the exact same. She felt immense guilt, and she knew it was a stain that would always remain untouched because she had absolutely no idea where and how to start to make herself clean of it. Seven years, and Oakwood still reduced Allison Yun to dirt. Home, sweet home.
"Allison?"
"Huh?" she responded, as she slowly turned to look at the driver's seat where Tessa Wilkins sat.
Allison often pondered over whether or not Tessa truly existed. Her beauty was too heavenly to decipher. She was the embodiment of a woman from the Holy Book – perhaps Delilah without the tragedy and betrayal. After all, Allison had already given up her secrets. However, not all of them were worth revealing; she could never be so foolish. Tessa Wilkins was too much a dime to be touched by some of the horrible things Allison's hands failed to dispose of.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Yes?"
"Really? What did I just say then?" Tessa challenged. Her blue eyes glanced at Allison for a moment, and then back at the road.
"Something along the lines of – baby, you know you're beautiful, right? Sometimes, I get so distracted by you that your voice kind of fades."
