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𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐘

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Sunshine moved around her room, picking up discarded clothes and papers strewn across the floor. The clutter felt suffocating, and with a newfound surge of energy, she was determined to clear it all away.

She stepped over an old blanket, tossing it into the laundry pile, and moved toward the desk where notebooks, pens, and random items were scattered. Her eyes fell on her Juilliard application sitting on the corner, stopping her in her tracks.

She stood still, staring at the packet and the dream it once held. If she had submitted it, she might have been waiting for news about an audition by now. She reached out slowly, her fingers brushing the edge of the paper.

With a sigh, she picked it up, looking over the details of her own handwriting. She walked over to the trash bin and dropped the application inside. The paper crinkled as it fell, and for a split second, Sunshine felt the finality of that decision—a chapter closing, a different path unfolding before her.

Suddenly, the door to her room swung open, startling Sunshine. Her mother stood in the doorway gripping a duffel bag tightly in her hands. Behind her, Violet shuffled in, her eyes half-closed with sleep.

"Grab what you can. We're leaving," Vivien ordered, leaving no room for hesitation.

Sunshine blinked, caught off guard by the sudden demand. "What?" she asked as she looked between her mother and her sister.

"We're not staying in this house a second longer," she snapped. "Let's go, now!"

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Sunshine and her family rushed out of the house, their bags full of anything they could grab in the short time they'd had. Vivien led the way toward the car before she popped open the trunk.

Sunshine shifted the strap of her duffle bag on her shoulder, glancing at Violet. Any minute now, Vivien would realize the truth—that Violet was already gone—and Sunshine wasn't ready to face that conversation.

Violet's gaze locked onto something behind them. Sunshine followed her sister's line of sight and froze, seeing Tate step out onto the front porch.

Her heart sank. She had known they wouldn't get far but the sight of him with tears in his eyes still took the wind out of her. Tate hopped over the porch railing as Vivien climbed into the driver's seat.

Sunshine tossed her bag into the back of the car, shutting the trunk with more force than she intended. "Let's get this over with," she muttered under her breath, glancing at Violet before sliding into the back seat.

"We don't have to be prisoners to this house anymore," Vivien said as she buckled her seatbelt, Violet moving to sit in the the passenger seat. The engine sputtered to life, but before they could move, Sunshine flinched at the sound of a voice right next to her.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

She jumped as two figures suddenly appeared on either side of her. Vivien and Violet both whipped around, startled.

"Oh, my God..." Vivien gasped.

"I'm hurt, and I need some help."

"I know you bitches."

Everything happened in a blur. Vivien let out a scream, and in a panicked rush, threw open her door, urging them all to get out.

Sunshine scrambled as fast as her body would allow, climbing into the front seat and practically falling out of the passenger door. Violet was already out, running toward the house with Vivien close behind her.

"Go, Vi! Go! Go!" Vivien screamed, turning back to make sure Sunshine was with them. Sunshine hurried, her breath coming out in frantic gasps as they ran back toward the safety of the house.

Vivien pushed her daughters inside, slamming the door behind them.

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After the police had left, Sunshine shut the door to her bedroom, trying to block out the sound of her parents' argument that carried up the stairs. Her eyes fell on the bed where Tate had been sitting, watching him rise to his feet and cross the room.

Sunshine dropped her duffel bag to the floor, her legs feeling weak. She immediately sought comfort in his arms, burying herself in his chest. Tate instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close, and resting his chin on the crown of her head.

Her arms tightened around his waist, clinging to him, feeling the solidness of his body. In a house filled with restless spirits, Tate felt real— grounded. The other's seemed so lost, so stuck in their endless loops, repeating the same moments of pain over and over again. Though she had seen the invaders before, their cold lifeless eyes never made it any easier to handle.

Tate's hand moved to cradle the back of her head, providing her with the safety she desperately sought. Sunshine squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Just his presence alone was enough to ease the tension in her body.

"You killed them, didn't you?" she whispered, the sound muffled by his sweater.

Tate stiffened slightly. "What?"

Sunshine pulled away from him, her eyes searching for something she wasn't quite sure she was looking for. She wasn't naive. She might have been consumed by everything that had happened since then, but she hadn't forgotten.

"The people that tried to kill us," she reiterated. "Don't lie to me, Tate."

His eyes darkened with something she couldn't place. It wasn't anger– it was deeper than that, something that felt like shame. Tate looked down, avoiding her gaze, and Sunshine knew her suspicions were true.

He didn't deny it.

Tate exhaled slowly before meeting her eyes again. "I couldn't let them hurt you."

Sunshine felt her throat tighten. Deep down, she had known all along, but hearing him confirm it made it real. She knew who he was. What he had done in the past. Why would he be any different now?

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"I didn't want you to be afraid of me,"

Was she afraid of him? She knew Tate was capable of darkness, but this– this was something else. He had taken lives for her. She knew if it wasn't for him then she would be rotting somewhere in a nurse uniform, but the thought unsettled her.

"They'll always be here... won't they?" Sunshine asked, her tongue wetting her bottom lip.

Tate stepped forward, taking her hand in his. His thumb massaged the back of her hand and just like that, any lingering fear had been wiped away. "They can't hurt us, Sunny. They're just trying to scare you."

"My mom doesn't feel that way," Sunshine blinked, shaking her head slightly. "I wish I could tell her. I wish I could tell her everything."

All she wanted was to run to her mother's arms, to tell her everything she had been going through. But she knew she would come off as crazy. Who would believe her if she said the Rubber Man from the attic raped her, haunted her? Sure, she had the evidence hidden away but her pregnancy had progressed so much that the timeline didn't add up.

Tate's expression shifted. "You can't," His eyes bore into her wild with fear. "If you tell anyone what we know, they'll say you're crazy. They'll lock you up, Sunshine. They'll lock you up, and they'll take you away from me. We would never see each other again."

The thought of being separated from him... pained her. But the reality was just as suffocating. "If I stay," she whispered, her tone resigned. "I'm going to die in this house."

It wasn't a guess; it was a truth she had felt when she stepped onto the property.

"Sunshine! Violet! Come downstairs, please!" Her father's voice reverberated, cutting through the tension.

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Sunshine descended the stairs slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last. The sound of her parents' voices grew clearer, and when she finally entered the room, all eyes landed on her. Her mother stood there, her expression reflecting hurt and disbelief.

Ben was standing near her, arms crossed, a psychiatrist's patience etched into his features. "Violet said she didn't see anything," Ben began, maintaining a level tone. "So what did you see?"

Sunshine's gaze darted toward her mother whose eyes were desperate for someone to validate what she'd experienced.

Sunshine's mouth opened, but the words got stuck. She hesitated, her eyes flickering over to Violet, who was staring at her with a look that screamed— stick to the story.

"Go on, honey. It's okay," Ben coaxed, a slight nod as if he could pull the truth out of her.

Sunshine took a deep breath, turning back to her father and avoiding Vivien's gaze. "I didn't see anything." Her shoulders sunk under the weight of her decision.

Vivien's face fell, her hurt deepening. She looked at Sunshine as though the foundations of her sanity had been ripped out from beneath her feet.

"Sunshine..." Vivien choked.

"I'm sorry, Mom." Violet cut in, crossing her arms over her chest. "We don't know what you saw. You were upset, and... we got upset."

Ben seemed to accept the explanation. "Alight, you two can go."

Sunshine felt her heart throb with guilt as she turned away. They had been lying through their teeth and there was no taking it back. She walked out of the room with Violet, still feeling her mother's wounded gaze burning into her back.

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Sunshine's eyes snapped open to the deafening sound of a gunshot reverberating through the house, shattering the silence. Her heart beat against her chest as she shot up in bed. Tate's arms were still around her, his own sleepy eyes fluttering open in confusion, his arms instinctively tightening their grip around her.

"What the hell was that?" Tate mumbled, his voice raspy with sleep.

Sunshine didn't waste time responding. She quickly moved his arms off her, tossing the blanket aside and leaping out of bed. She swung open her door, racing into the hallway.

She ran straight for her parents' room where the door was slightly ajar. She pushed it open, freezing when she saw her father doubled over in pain. His hands were pressed into the side of his stomach in an attempt to stop the blood.

"Daddy?" Sunshine's voice broke as she rushed to his side, her hands shaking as she placed them on his shoulders. His face was twisted in pain but he was still alert, still conscious.

Sunshine looked over to the bed to see her mother holding a gun limply in her hand. Her face was a mask of shock, pale and wide-eyed as if she couldn't believe what she had done.

"Oh my god." Vivien's voice cracked, dropping the gun onto the bed as if it burned her fingers. "I– I thought it was her," She cried, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry, Ben."

From the doorway, Violet appeared, frozen in the archway as she took in the scene.

"I thought it was her," Vivien repeated, her words dripping with guilt.

"It's okay," Ben grunted through his teeth, trying to remain calm for everyone's sake. "Just help me up."

Sunshine and Violet moved quickly, each taking an arm, helping their father stand. His breath was shallow from the pain but the injury didn't seem serious.

"Sunshine," Ben began, nodding toward the master bathroom. "There's some valium in the cabinet. Give one to your mom to help calm her down."

Sunshine nodded, her eyes darted toward her mother who looked utterly lost. She headed into the bathroom, quickly grabbing the bottle of Valium. Returning to her mother, she knelt beside her on the bed.

"I swear she was here," Vivien whispered, her eyes glassy with tears, but she took the pill from Sunshine's hand without protest. "I saw her, Sunshine. She was standing right there. She wants to take my baby."

"It's okay, Mama." Sunshine's voice was soft, filled with the kind of reassurance she didn't quite feel herself. Tears stung the corners of Sunshine's eyes but she forced herself to blink them away.

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