Chapter 1

My hand froze halfway through wiping away my tears. Cold sweat broke out across my back.

I knew that voice better than anyone.

It was Dad.

I forced down my fear and slowly turned toward the window.

Instead of the nightmare I had been expecting, I found Mom and Dad outside in raincoats, looking as kind and affectionate as ever.

But deep in their eyes, I caught a faint, unnatural flash of blue.

The news had just reported that my parents were dead, yet there they were outside my window, alive and asking me to let them in.

None of it made sense. They were supposed to be...

Dad seemed to notice my hesitation and said gently, "The family on the news wasn't us. We took shelter in a cave when the landslide hit, and it kept us safe."

Mom stood beside him with my brother, Max Blair, in her arms. All three of them looked exhausted.

"Open the door, Adam. Max is burning up."

The concern on her face looked completely genuine. Max's eyes were squeezed shut, his brow creased with pain, and beads of cold sweat covered his forehead.

I hesitated for only a second before unlocking the door.

Mom and Dad had never lied to me.

The moment the door opened, Mom rushed inside and gently laid Max on the bed.

I turned to find some fever medicine.

"We never should've gone hiking. Look how sick he is now," Mom said.

"The important thing is that we made it home safely. There's no use dwelling on it now," Dad replied softly.

Listening to them talk the way they always did, I finally started to relax.

"Did we scare you?" Mom asked gently as she reached out to smooth my hair.

"A little," I admitted.

Before long, Max's fever started to go down.

After washing up, we all went to bed.

When I woke the next morning, Dad was sitting on the couch watching the news, just as he had done every morning for years.

The landslide was still all over the news. The anchor was now apologizing for mistakenly showing photos of the wrong victims the night before.

"Due to an error by a member of our production staff, incorrect information was aired yesterday. We sincerely apologize to our viewers."

At last, the last of my doubts faded.

Ghosts weren't real. I was only scaring myself.

It was the second day of the holiday weekend, and Dad suggested we go out for lunch.

After we sat down and ordered, I realized I had no appetite. I didn't even touch the steak I usually loved.

Mom noticed and placed a piece on my plate before taking one for herself.

"This is delicious. You have to try it."

She popped the piece of steak into her mouth as soon as she finished speaking. Meat juices glistened at the corner of her lips, and she ate as though it were the best thing she had ever tasted.

It should've looked completely normal, but something about it filled me with dread.