IVY

CHAPTER 1 : An Unwelcome Presence

It didn’t make sense. Why did this person feel so familiar? Why did he carry this sense of unwanted disturbance? His smile looked harmless, but I knew better. Smiles could be deceiving. I needed to make him go away—or it would be another calamity. I couldn’t afford that again.

“It’s… nice to meet you,” I began, trying to turn him away.

Suddenly, Mumma stepped forward, her voice sharp. “You don’t need to introduce yourself. We won’t be making anyone’s life better with introductions.”

Before I could react, she closed the door. I stood frozen, shocked. Mumma usually wasn’t like this. Her reaction to Cristian was… strange. I saw her shivering.

“Mumma?” I whispered.

“Don’t speak with him. Don’t go near him. We could leave, somewhere else,” she muttered, almost frantic.

“Mumma, what happened? Do you know him? Who is he?” I asked, trying to reassure her. “Don’t worry. We have police protection. No one will harm us anymore.”

“Promise me you’ll stay away from him,” she insisted. “Don’t go near him, okay?”

“Okay, Mumma. But… what happened? Do you know him?”

“No… but he looks like him,” she said, her voice trembling. I didn’t know what to say.

Then the landline rang. The sudden sound startled me, my thoughts scattered. I picked up.

“Hello?”

“Ivy, this is Detective Hale,” said the familiar voice. Margot Hale—she had been our VPD contact. She usually called once a month to check on us, but this… now?

“I don’t understand. Why are you calling?” I asked.

“I need you to come to the base,” she said. “Don’t tell Diana. Just say you need to pick up some documents.”

“When should I come?”

“Anytime today. Don’t panic, Ivy. Everything is fine. I just don’t want Diana to worry.”

“Okay, I’ll be there in the evening.”

The line went dead. I turned to Mumma. She was still in a trance, pale and silent.

“Mumma, I need to go. Detective Hale said it’s for some documents,” I said gently.

“No, don’t go. It’s not safe outside,” she whispered.

“No, Mumma. Everything is fine. We can’t always live in fear. Our past can’t interfere with our future. We can’t suffer like that anymore.”

She remained silent, an expression on her face I couldn’t read.

“I’ll be back early today. I’m going to the studio first, then the base,” I added.

She just nodded. I hesitated. “Do you need to visit Dr. Doyle?”

“No, baby. Everything is fine. You go. I’ll be waiting here.”

I smiled and went to my room to get dressed. I picked out a grey hoodie and matching sweatpants. Once I was dressed, I grabbed my white shoes and my car keys, ready to leave.

Downstairs, breakfast was already packed. I hugged Mumma, kissed Nova, and headed to my studio.

The twenty-minute drive felt too quick. I was operating on autopilot, disconnected from everything.

The studio was empty. I sat in front of my canvas, my hand itching to draw. I didn’t even notice how the brush found my fingers. Hours passed like seconds. I was lost in the motion.

“Hey, Ivy! When did you get here? I thought you weren’t coming today. Have you eaten lunch? It’s 3 pm,” my coworker Emilie called.

I blinked. “I did,” I lied. Emilie, with her blonde hair and radiant smile, seemed to float through life. I envied her carefree existence.

“I’m going to Sam’s party. Are you sure you’re not coming?” she asked.

“Yes, I need to visit a friend today. Sorry, next time,” I replied.

“Okay, if you change your mind, just text me,” she said, and left.

I exhaled, turning back to my canvas. My brush slipped from my fingers.

I couldn’t believe what I had drawn. The house—the haunted house—was there on the canvas. Every detail was perfect, from the furniture to the stained carpet on the floor. It felt like I was seeing it in real life.

Then I noticed something different. A subtle change from the past. A doll. A smiling doll, looking directly at me. Its smile was kind, comforting… almost too comforting.

And then its eyes. I had seen them before. There was no mistake. That unique color—the raging ocean blue—stared back at me.