Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan) novel Chapter 504

We swung the gate open to the backyard, which was shrouded in darkness. I'm not gonna lie, I would've been majorly freaked out if I'd come alone.

Whipping out her phone, Hannah flicked on the flashlight, scattering beams across the yard. The silhouettes of the shrubs danced on the walls, the trellis stood desolate under the shadowy moonlight, and the rocking chair sat still in the gloom.

In the dead of night, the place felt downright eerie. I whispered to Hannah, "Let's check inside."

She nodded in agreement. I too turned on my flashlight, casting a stronger glow around us.

But just as we stepped toward the quaint cottage, a thud echoed from the back garden. Hannah spun on her heel and dashed toward a gate to the side, the usual route to the back.

I followed suit, guessing someone must have leapt from a window, which sent a chill up my spine.

As I turned to follow, two dark figures darted out of the building. By the time I shone my flashlight their way, all I caught was a fleeting glimpse of their retreating backs.

"Hannah!" I shouted.

"What's up?" she called back.

"We've been duped! They're gone!" I was still in a state of shock. "Looks like we're not alone in this garden."

Fuming, Hannah sprinted after the shadows, but they had vanished into the night. She hurried back, not wanting to leave me alone.

"The sound was definitely someone jumping down," she huffed in frustration.

"Let's check the back and we'll know," I said, not ready to give up. We passed through the moon-shaped gate and headed for the back garden.

The backyard was surprisingly spacious, easily over sixty square meters. It looked like it once served as a vegetable patch, now neglected yet oddly tidy.

Beneath the window, there were no signs of a break-in, but we spotted two deep footprints. Someone had indeed jumped from the second story.

Looking up, the corresponding window was ajar.