A cool autumn breeze swept through the small town of Lake-Side, Georgia. The wind whispered past Dennis as he sat on the old wooden swing in his backyard, his shoe idly tracing circles in the mud.
Beside him, the empty swing swayed gently, as if moved by some unseen force. Dennis swallowed hard, blinking against the sting of tears.
He missed Karma. It had been six months since she disappeared, and life hadn't gotten any easier. If anything, it had gotten worse. The bullies at school never let him forget. They laughed, shoved him around, and spat cruel words about his sister.
For the longest time, Dennis held it in. Until one day, he snapped. His fist collided with Randall Harrison's face—the school's worst bully. The fight spread like wildfire, drawing a crowd of kids who circled around them, cheering.
But it ended with Dennis curled up on the asphalt, his body shielding his face as Randall kicked him over and over. A teacher finally broke it up, but the damage was done. Randall walked away with a few scratches.
Dennis walked away with a black eye, a busted lip, and a broken heart. And after that... he just felt empty. Like he no longer cared if Karma ever came home.Staring out at the dense woods, Dennis wondered what had drawn his sister there.
What was so special about that place? Why had she left home... and never come back? People went missing in those woods all the time. The police searched.
No body. No struggle. No clues. Karma had simply vanished. The police questioned their parents. "Was there any reason Karma would run away?" They had no answers. Only that Karma had been acting strange.
She suffered from relentless headaches, barely ate or slept, and spent hours sketching in her notebook. Then, one odd question had unsettled them all.
"We found an old treehouse in the woods. Did Karma spend time there?" Dennis' parents exchanged confused glances.
"What treehouse?" They asked. The officer slid a photograph across the table. A rickety old treehouse stood in the image, barely held together by rotting wood and tangled vines.
Dennis' parents shook their heads, insisting their daughter would never set foot in something so dangerous. But the police had hoped otherwise. They left empty-handed. And that night, Dennis' mother cried. Dennis' foot sank deeper into the mud, his hands clenched into fists. Good, he thought bitterly.
I hope she never comes back. She never thought about what she did to us. What she did to me. A lump formed in his throat, and his anger wavered. How did she think I would feel? Dennis sniffed, furiously wiping his tears.
Lifting his head, he glanced toward the house. Through the upstairs window, he saw Alice, his older sister, talking with her best friend, Star. Jumping off the swing, Dennis ran inside, kicking off his shoes at the door. Taking the stairs two at a time, he reached Alice's room and went to push open the door—
BAM!
The door didn't budge. It was locked. Dennis stumbled back, rubbing his shoulder. From the other side, Alice's annoyed voice rang out.
"Hey!" A second later, the door swung open, revealing Alice's sharp glare. "What do you want?" she snapped. Dennis hesitated, suddenly feeling small under his sister's gaze.
"I—I, uh..." Alice rolled her eyes.
"Oh, be nice, Al." Dennis turned toward Star, Alice's best friend. Tall, with dark skin and an easy smile, Star was someone who loved music a little too much but wasn't as intimidating as Alice made her out to be. She gave Dennis a gentle look.
"Let him stay." Alice huffed but stepped aside. Dennis entered, his ears immediately filled with the country music playing from Alice's speakers. Her room was a disaster—clothes on the floor, her bed unmade, makeup scattered across the dresser.
Alice crossed her arms. "Well?" she said impatiently. "What do you want?" Dennis took a breath, his voice low.
"I think I know where to find Karma." Alice's expression turned cold.
"Excuse me?" Dennis swallowed.
"I heard the police talking about a treehouse in the woods. I'm sure Karma spent time there." His voice grew more desperate. "If we go, maybe we can—"
"Dennis, just stop." Alice's tone sharpened like a blade.
"We've been over this a zillion times.Karma ran away, and she's never coming back." The words hit Dennis like a punch to the gut. He hated when people said that. Hated when they talked like Karma was gone forever. Alice's voice softened slightly, but not much. "She had her own problems," she continued. "Whatever demons chased her away—she let them. And now, she's gone." She sighed, frustrated.
"Yes, it sucks. Yes, it's hard. But she made her choice. And you need to stop hoping she'll just waltz through that door like nothing happened." Dennis stared at her, his vision blurring with tears. Alice ignored it. "And don't you dare say anything to Mom or Dad." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Or I'll come after you faster than you can scream." Silence. Even Star looked horrified, her mouth slightly open as she turned to Alice.
"Alice!" she gasped. Alice shrugged.
"It's true. And I'm not taking it back." She turned back to Dennis. "Now get out. Go do something besides bother me and my friend." Dennis' throat tightened. Without a word, he spun on his heel and ran. Dennis raced down the stairs, shoved his shoes back on, and ran straight into the woods. Back in Alice's room, Star stood by the window, watching him disappear among the trees. Her brows furrowed.
"You were really harsh on him, Al," she murmured. Alice scoffed.
"What do you want me to do, Star?" She turned away from the window. "Lie? Say our idiot sister is coming back when she's not?"
Star sighed. "You could've at least said it nicer." Then her eyes widened. "Um... Al? I think you should see this."
Alice frowned, stepping toward the window.Her eyes followed Star's gaze—And there— She saw Dennis sprinting toward the woods. "That little—!" Alice growled.
She turned on her heel, heading for the door. "Where are you going?" Star asked.
"To make sure he doesn't get himself killed." Alice paused. "You coming or not?"
Star sighed, shaking her head. "Yeah, yeah—I'm coming." And with that, they rushed after him.