Sleepless✎

𝟐𝟖

PURE UNFILTERED HORROR. That was what Ilaria felt. She hadn't felt so scared in her life but she had felt so useless when her mother first told her what happened to Kenna.

Ilaria thought that surely if she were taken instead she wouldn't feel the horror she felt then because she would know the people she loved were safe.

When she reached outside her house, she must've been sitting in the car for an entire hour, trying to slow her heart down and put on a fake smile. She didn't want to lie to her mother again but she didn't want to involve her either - involving her meant putting her in danger - Ilaria wouldn't have that.

The cabin was the only lead she had. And if the killer knows this - that's where he'd be waiting. The only person who would know exactly where the cabin is would be her mother.

With a shaky sigh, she shut her car door - the clouds were packed together, as though the sky could sense today wasn't a day for sun.

She found her mother laying down, watching a movie.

Ilaria moved to sit down next to her and she was surprised her mother hadn't mentioned her taking the car without permission.

"Ma?" Ilaria grimaced "Sorry for taking the car."

"It's okay, I wasn't going anywhere anyway" her mother replied, turning to her "I know that face, what do you want?"

Ilaria laughed and mentally prepared to lie, again "Do we own a cabin?"

Her mother sat up straight, brown hair flowing over her shoulders in waves - Ilaria envied her mother's hair, she never got her mother manageable waves, instead she ended up with curls.

"We did." her mother replied slowly with a raise of her eyebrows "We used to go there with your father when you were around 6 and Tate 9."

Ilaria bit on her lip "Do you know where it is?"

Her mother eyed her with curiosity "Why do you ask?"

Ilaria shrugged "I just thought it'd be a cool place to go to clear my head and maybe read and stuff." she said, lying through her teeth.

"Hmmm" her mother tilted her head, contemplating. Ilaria tried not to toy with her hands or do anything that might give her away - her mother knew her better than she knew herself so it made lying that much harder.

"Okay" her mother lifted a shoulder and leaned over to pull out a pen and paper "Take someone with you, I dont think you should be out alone... Atleast not yet."

Ilaria took the paper and kissed her mother on the cheek "Thanks ma. I love you."

"I love you too, jaanu"

♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎♠︎

The drive to the cabin was a long one and Ilaria felt a dull neausea in her stomach, she had to swallow down bile multiple times.

Her entire body felt cold and all the while she prayed nothing happened, that she'd get there and Kai would be hurt - but okay. That she'd be able to save him.

She stopped just outside the woods where the cabin was and pulled out her phone.

The police department answered immediately, Ilaria ducked in a breath and gave her address "Someone's being held hostage. Come with backup."

She didn't wait for a response before dropping the call and getting out of the car.

The air felt sticky and wrong, she could barely breathe through her nose, it was so quiet - certainly too quiet for woods - like the animals could sense the evil surroundings too. Maybe they could.