August 3rd started as a perfect summer day. The air was warm and still, the kind of late summer weather where the sun feels golden. The sky was a clear, deep blue, and the air smelled of mown grass and ripening apples. It was a day that felt full of promise.
Daisy woke up early, even though it was a weekend. she lay in bed for a moment, thinking about the party. Her friend Katie, a girl with a wild mane of red hair, was celebrating her birthday. Katie lived in the next town over, and she was throwing a big backyard bash.
The girls had planned to have a bonfire and a sleepover. They were looking forward to talking about their senior year and their plans for after graduation. Daisy opened her window to let in the morning air, feeling like nothing could go wrong. It was going to be a great night.
Downstairs, Eleanor was already in the kitchen, her hands covered in flour as she prepped dough for rolls. She looked content, the picture of a grandmother in her element. The grandfather was reading the paper by the window, and little Penny was trying to sneak a taste of the raw dough.
— “Penny, out from under my feet. You can have a roll when they’re out of the oven,” Eleanor said, though her voice was kind. Daisy walked in, still rubbing sleep from her eyes. — “Morning, everyone,” she said, kissing Eleanor on the cheek.
— “Morning, sunshine. You’re still going to Katie’s tonight?”
— “Yeah, I’ll head out around six. Katie wants us to stay over.”
In that moment, Eleanor felt a strange, sharp pang in her chest. It wasn’t a physical pain, but a sudden, icy shadow of intuition. She couldn’t explain why she felt a sudden wave of anxiety. — “Have fun,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. — “But please, be careful. It gets dark early these days. Don’t go walking around alone.”
