Penance - Uncovering the truth, Secrets and confessions, and Twisted pasts

Chapter 22

"What?" Grayson blurted, not believing what he just heard.

"I chose you," Emily smiled, her smile was truly a sight to behold. "I love you, Grayson."

A smile slowly formed on Grayson's face, his smile was something only a number bellow 5 people had ever witnessed. He reached out, his trembling hand finding solace in the warmth of Emily's embrace."Emily," he whispered, his voice filled with both happiness and confusion. "I thought..."

She gently pressed her hand against Grayson's chest, feeling the rapid rhythm of his heart. The disbelief clutched at his heart, threatening to drown him in sorrow. But as he held onto her, not wanting to let the thought ruin their precious moment, Emily looked up at him.

Emily's eyes were like delicate blossoms of soft pink rose petals, shimmering with a gentle warmth and depth. "It's time," she suddenly said. "Let's go to Devil's Cliff."

Grayson felt his heart stop. Her words echoed in his mind, and a surge of fear coursed through his veins. He desperately protested, his voice trembling, "No, Emily, we can't go to Devil's Cliff. It's dangerous. Please!"

But Emily, with a serene smile, released her hold on Grayson's hand. He reached out in a futile attempt to catch her, his fingers grasping at the air, but the world around them shifted suddenly. In an instant, Grayson was standing on the edge of Devil's Cliff, the wind whispering in his ears and the abyss beckoning beneath them.

Grayson's heart pounded in his chest, fear and concern intertwining with his love for Emily. He knew the perils that lurked in the treacherous terrain of Devil's Cliff, and the mere thought of losing her again sent chills down his spine. "EMILY!" Grayson pleaded, his voice filled with desperation. Panic surged through his veins as he frantically called out her name, his voice echoing against the rocky cliffs. "EMILY!"

"Grayson." He heard her, a faint call, but it was Emily. "EMILY, I'M COMING!" He followed her voice, an echo in the wind, desperately searching for her. "Emily?"

Grayson's heart sank as he found Emily. Emily's body laid lifeless by the pool, her eyes open and her skin pale. It was a sight that pierced his soul, tearing away at his sanity. He shook his head in denial, refusing to accept the grim reality before him.

"It's not real," Grayson whispered hoarsely, taking a slow step back, his eyes filled with tears. He struggled to comprehend the anguish that enveloped him, his mind grappling with the devastating image before him.

As he stumbled backward, his back collided with something. Startled, he turned swiftly, only to find his brother Jameson standing there, tears streaming down his face. Jameson's fists clenched tightly, his pain evident in every fibre of his being.

"Why did you bring her here, Gray?" Jameson's voice cracked, filled with heartache.

Grayson froze, his heart heavy with guilt and grief. Words failed him as he tried to find an explanation that could ease his brother's torment. But before he could respond, Jameson turned and ran into the depths of the forest, his sorrow echoing in the air. "JAMIE!"

Grayson chased after Jameson, desperate to reach him. Through the tangled bushes and thorny paths, he pursued his brother, his voice calling out, pleading for forgiveness. "JAMIE!"

But in an instant, the scenery shifted once again, and Grayson found himself back in the familiar grounds of Hawthorne Island. "JAMESON, WHERE ARE YOU!"

Confusion and unease gripped him as he surveyed his surroundings, the weight of the haunting experiences he had just endured still clinging to his soul.

Black smoke billowed around him, suffocating him. His heart raced as he felt a chilling grip around his ankle, something pulling him downward. He looked down, horrified, and saw Avery—her face and hands covered in blood—reaching out for help. "Grayson," her words trailed off.

Grayson's body froze, his mind unable to process the horror that unfolded before him. Avery's pleas for help echoed in his ears, but he couldn't move, trapped in the suffocating darkness.

Then, as if released from a twisted nightmare, he found himself on the other side of the darkness. He opened a door, and there he stood in front of a door in Hawthorne Mansion. He opened the door, his eyes fell upon Avery lying in her bed, bandaged and connected to multiple tubes. The sight of her fragile form made his stomach churn with sickness.

Beside her, he saw Jameson, his hands gently holding Avery's, tears streaming down his face. Jameson's gaze met Grayson's, his eyes filled with anger and hatred. His voice trembled with emotion as he spoke accusingly, "Why did you just stand there?" Jameson cried. "Est unnus ex nobis. Nos defendat eius!"

Grayson took a step back, recoiling from the hurtful and heartbreaking sight before him. With a trembling hand, he reached for the doorknob, desperate to escape the pain that engulfed him.

As he opened the door, he found himself surrounded by red roses. The rooftop garden, Grayson thought.

He moved through the garden, his steps heavy and uncertain, until he came to a halt beneath a towering tree. A voice, filled with mischief, called out from above the branches. "I've been waiting for you, Grayson Hawthorne," Alison smiled down at him. Grayson looked up and saw Alison perched there, her blue eyes gleaming with a sense of both playfulness and sorrow. Confusion, hurt, and a profound sense of loss swept over him like a tidal wave. Alison leaped down from the tree, her hand extending toward Grayson, offering him a single red rose.

"This is the part where you cry, and beg for forgiveness," she whispered, her voice filled with an eerie certainty. "What-"But just as quickly as she appeared, she vanished into thin air, leaving Grayson's hands stained with blood in place of the rose.

His gaze shifted back to the tree, his heart sinking with dread. "Alison?"

Alison's lifeless form now hung from the branches. Grayson's world crumbled around him as he grappled with the overwhelming weight of grief and confusion.

He fell to his knees, his hands trembling, and let out a mournful cry. Tears streamed down his face as he desperately tried to make sense of the nightmarish maze that had engulfed him. The pain, loss, and bewilderment seemed to consume him whole, leaving him feeling adrift and broken.

In that moment, Grayson desperately wanted to escape from the haunting visions that plagued him. "Move," he ordered himself. But fear rooted him to the ground, and he found himself trapped in a maze of darkness. Each turn leading to another horrifying sight, and the hope of finding peace slipped further away. "Please, stop..." he pleaded with himself, his voice trembling.

Grayson curled himself into a ball on the cold ground. Tears streamed down his face as he  let the darkness claim him, losing himself to the depths of his sorrow, with no glimmer of light to guide him back to the surface.