Page 23 of Symphony for Lies

“Be careful.”

I didn’t respond. I just stepped out and watched the car drive away.

“Amelia!”

My head snapped toward the house. My grandmother stood at the door. Her face was pale, her eyes red. She had been crying.

“My baby!” She ran toward me and pulled me into her arms.“Why do you even have a phone if you never answer it?”

Her voice broke, and that was all it took.

I collapsed. I clung to her, burying my face against her shoulder, and sobbed. Not just tears. But gut-wrenching, body shaking, uncontrollable sobs.

She held me tighter, whispering soft, soothing words.“You’re home now. You’re safe. It’s okay.”

She led me inside, and as the familiar scent of our house wrapped around me, I sank to the floor.

My grandmother rushed into the kitchen, returning with a bottle of water. I grabbed it desperately, taking a deep gulp, but gagged as the taste mixed with bitter remnants of bile in my throat.

Still, I forced myself to swallow. I hadn’t had anything to drink all day.

Once I calmed down, my grandmother helped me to the bathroom. She wiped the blood off my face with a warm washcloth. She didn’t ask any questions; she just let me be.

After changing into comfortable clothes, we sat in the living room. Grandma had made me a sandwich, which I forced myself to eat while she crocheted a scarf.

As I chewed methodically, I told her everything. She listened without interrupting. But when I finished, her hands shook slightly as she reached for the remote to turn on the TV.

And there it was. Breaking news.

A live report from the pavilion.

The moment I saw the park on the screen, my stomach twisted painfully. To my surprise, the jogger who had found me was being interviewed.“At first, I thought she was some lunatic lying on the ground. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she was screaming so loud I thought my ears would burst. It was terrifying. She was ghostly pale, and her lips had turned blue like she couldn’t breathe. And then… she pointed to the pavilion.Of course,I was in shock when I saw it. But I didn’t lose my composure like she did.”

Liar!“He also fell to the ground,” I muttered.

“Men,” my grandmother huffed, clicking her tongue and patting my leg. “But he’s right. You look awful.”

“Gee, thanks.”

She chuckled softly and went back to crocheting. The TV droned on in the background until she sighed and turned it off.“Enough of this nightmare.”

I curled into myself, hugging my knees. “It wasn’t just a nightmare, Grandma. It was horrifying.”

“Don’t think about it right now.” She reached over, gently running her fingers through my hair.

“I’ll stay with you tonight.” With those words, my eyes finally closed.

Chapter 8

I slept through the entire day after the park ordeal. The image of the body wouldn’t leave my mind. But honestly? Even before that, I had already felt exhausted.

The week felt never-ending.

I didn’t feel rested. Not even close.

But I still got up, got dressed, and forced myself to go to work.

For Grandma’s sake, I let a taxi take me. She didn’t think it was safe for me to walk around alone anymore. As we drove past the park, the scene was still sealed off.

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