Chapter 1: Sisters' Reunion and Road Trip Revelations

Welcome to our Newest Author and her work.....(Applause)

Sam’s dark green Jeep slowly crawled onto the driveway, rain dappling the windshield and obscuring Sam’s view of her stepfather’s low brick ranch house. The place seemed impossibly smaller than she remembered, a distant shadow of her former life. She cut the engine, the sudden silence filled with the soft hiss of drizzle, and exhaled. No turning back now. Grabbing her jacket from the backseat, she slid out and made her way across the lawn. The wind had picked up, sending tiny rivulets of water streaming down her jacket by the time she reached the porch. She hesitated, one foot still in the rain, before walking forward and ringing the slightly rusted doorbell.

Lilly swung open the door, her blue eyes bright against the afternoon gloom. “Sam! You’re early,” she said, tugging at her faded Nirvana T-shirt and brushing a stray lock of blonde hair back behind her ear. She glanced at Sam’s soaked jacket, then pulled her into a quick hug. “You're getting water everywhere.”

“That’s what I’m here for Lillypad,” Sam replied with a smirk, shaking droplets onto the tiled floor as she wriggled free from Lilly’s grip.

“I am 18!” Lilly exclaimed. “You can’t use that nickname anymore.” Lilly stuck her tongue out playfully and then turned around to rush up the stairs.

Sam watched her sister bound up the stairs, her movements easy and carefree.

“Let me grab my stuff. I’ll be right down,” Lilly called, already halfway to her room.

Sam glanced back at the entryway, her smile disappearing when she noticed her stepfather, Alan, who was Lilly's biological father, coming out of the hallway. His presence seemed to fill the small foyer, a contrast to the restrained lines of his careful, quiet words.

“Hello Samantha, you’re really doing this?” Alan, folded his arms, a mixture of concern and disbelief creasing his weathered face. His eyes searched Sam's, waiting for some sign of doubt.

She paused, her fingers nervously adjusting the strap of her well-worn messenger bag. “I need to see the bookstore again before it closes. Besides, Lilly and I need to go through the books there and decide what to keep and what to auction off.” Her voice carried a conviction that was almost convincing.

“You really want to go back there after all these years?” Alan’s question lingered between them, heavy with unspoken memories.

Sam brushed a brown curl from her face, hesitating. The rain drummed a steady beat on the roof, punctuating the silence. “I have to,” she said, more to herself than to him.

Alan unfolded his arms, his worry softening into resignation. He ran a hand through his hair, glancing toward the stairs where Lilly’s footsteps echoed. “Just promise me you’ll watch out for each other.”

Sam nodded, her jaw set with determination. “I will.” Her words were firm, but the look they exchanged was more fragile, filled with the things neither of them could say.

Lilly emerged at the top of the stairs, a vibrant contrast to the subdued tension below. She took the steps two at a time, a bulging duffel slung over her shoulder. “Ready?” she asked, excitement edging her voice as she came to a breathless stop beside them.

Sam ruffled Lilly’s hair, a mixture of affection and envy at her sister’s unclouded enthusiasm. “Ready as I’ll ever be,” she said, offering an encouraging smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. She felt Alan's gaze follow her, a quiet plea that spoke volumes.

"Don’t forget to eat while you're traveling," Alan reminded them, ever the pragmatist, his voice filled with concern as they stepped out through the doorway.

The rain had intensified, blurring the outlines of the neighborhood as Sam and Lilly ducked back outside. Alan lingered on the porch, a lone figure silhouetted against the light from inside, watching as they settled into the Jeep.

Sam adjusted her cat eye glasses, wiping a fogged lens on her sleeve. Her heart beat a rhythm of anxious determination, a contrast to Lilly’s carefree eagerness. She hesitated, key in the ignition, glancing once more at Alan standing like a worried ghost of their past.

“Come on,” Lilly urged, shaking water from her ponytail. “You look like you’re having second thoughts.”

“Not a chance,” Sam replied, though a flicker of uncertainty lingered in her voice. She twisted the key, and the Jeep rumbled to life, rain streaking the windshield as they pulled away.

“Bye, Dad!” Lilly shouted, waving enthusiastically out the window.

Sam glanced at the rearview mirror. Alan was still there, a fading figure on the porch, his gentle, stoic form growing smaller as they disappeared into the gray afternoon. The rain followed them, a steady, persistent companion on the road to Peachtree Hollow.

Sam and Lilly drove down the street about a mile from the house, deciding now to stop for essential road fuel. The yellow light from the store’s neon sign flickered overhead as Sam parked the Jeep beneath Willow's Convenience. She squinted into the gloom of the small lot, feeling the eyes of a bored attendant track them as they stepped onto the cracked pavement. Her fingers itched to be wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee.

"Why don't you and Dad get along?" Lilly asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"When Mom passed away, things got tough. I wasn't easy to deal with. I was rebellious and did whatever I wanted," Sam explained, turning off the Jeep. They sat quietly, listening to the rain patter on the roof.

Sam sighed, "I didn't abandon you Lill, if that's what you think."

"I know you didn't. You've made that clear when we've talked online or on the phone," Lilly reassured her.

Sam looked into her eyes, realizing only honesty would suffice. "Are you sure you want to hear all of this?”

Lilly nodded, patiently awaiting the explanation. The Jeep was heavy with the tension of the moment.

"As I mentioned, Alan and I argued a lot. My grades were poor, my room was always messy, I stayed out late—I was acting out. He couldn't handle it while also focusing on you, so he sent me to live with my dad. I was no longer his responsibility," Sam admitted with a touch of resignation.

"I was just a few blocks away from you and Alan, and we still spent time together. But then Alan decided to leave Peachtree Hollow, which made seeing you harder. I guess I never forgave him for that," Sam sighed.

"Okay, but... you still left Georgia," Lilly said, trying to gauge Sam's reaction. This was a difficult truth for Lilly, something her father had never shared.

"I got into NYU, Lilly, right after high school in Peachtree Hollow. I was eager to leave, and my dad moved with me to New York," Sam explained her decision.

Lilly wrung her hands, unsure of what to say. "Yeah, I get it. I just missed you.”

"I know, and I love you, Lilly. I wish things had been different. We can't change the past, but we have this moment, right here," Sam said, reaching over to gently hold Lilly's hand.

Lilly smiled, she knew her sister loved her and would never intentionally harm her. Satisfied with Sam’s response she glanced toward the store front. “Shall we?”

Sam tugged her collar up against the chill of the rain as she and Lilly crossed toward the dingy entrance. Even with rain dripping from the corrugated awning, the smell of old coffee and recently microwaved popcorn seeped out to meet them.

Sam nudged the door open, a small bell announcing their arrival with an anemic jingle. Inside, the buzz of fluorescent lights hummed like trapped wasps, echoing off the walls lined with cheap merchandise. It had been years since Sam set foot in this place, but everything about it felt uncomfortably familiar—the faint tang of cigarette smoke, the tower of faded tabloids, the emptiness of a shop barely clinging to existence. She glanced around, taking in the claustrophobic aisles and the faded, peeling linoleum that curled up in the corners.

"Grab some snacks and drinks?" Lilly asked, already veering toward a display of brightly colored candy. Her voice carried a lightness that cut through Sam's brooding thoughts.

"Sure, you do that," Sam replied, as she moved toward the cooler, her steps echoing hollowly in the empty space.

They split up, Lilly tossing a bag of sour gummy worms and cheese-flavored chips into her basket, while Sam collected bottled water and a few energy bars. At the end of the aisle, an old coffee pot steamed beside the register. Sam grabbed a cup, filling it with the dark brew of life, feeling its warmth seep through the thin paper and into her cold hands. She looked over at Lilly, who was inspecting a rack of postcards featuring outdated images of nearby attractions.

“Have everything you need?” Sam called, watching her sister with a mix of affection and impatience.

"Almost!" Lilly shouted back, adding powdered doughnuts to her growing stash. Her carefree attitude reminded Sam of how different their perspectives were on this trip. For Lilly, it was an adventure; for Sam, a complicated knot of history and obligation.

They met at the counter, the clerk's eyes barely lifting from his magazine as he rang up their items. Sam could feel his curiosity as he glanced up, sensing her as a stranger in a place where everyone was supposed to be familiar. She looked around again, the rundown condition of the store mirroring her thoughts about Peachtree Hollow.

Sam just remembered, she reached into her messenger bag and pulled out a small, neatly wrapped package. She held it out to Lilly, who looked at her with wide eyes.

“What’s this?” Lilly asked, turning the parcel over in her hands.

“I want you to have it before we reach Peachtree Hollow,” Sam said, her tone a blend of sincerity and urgency.

Lilly tore at the paper, her movements quick and eager. When the gift came into view, her eyebrows shot up. It was a slim, razor-sharp pocket knife with a polished wooden handle and her initials engraved on the blade guard.

“A knife?” Lilly asked, surprise mixed with confusion.

“Protection,” Sam replied quietly, glancing toward the clerk as if gauging whether he was listening. “And also for when you need to cut something. Just promise me you’ll use it wisely.”

Lilly studied Sam’s face, trying to read between the lines of her sister’s concerned expression. She nodded slowly, tucking the knife into her backpack. “Okay, but this is kind of intense, Sam. You sure you're not overreacting?”

Sam chose not answer directly. Instead, she paid for the water and tucked the energy bars into her bag. Lilly watched her, sensing the burden that weighed heavily on both of them.

They stepped back outside, the sky a swirling mass of dark clouds threatening another downpour. Sam’s unease seemed to seep into the air around them, each step measured as they returned to the Jeep. She pulled her jacket tighter, almost as if she was trying to cocoon herself from the world.

“I know things have been weird, but it’s going to be fine, right?” Lilly said as she climbed into the passenger seat, trying to sound as certain as she wished she felt.

“It’s just better to be prepared,” Sam replied, a hint of doubt shadowing her voice.

The rain picked up, drumming against the Jeep’s roof with a relentless rhythm. Sam glanced back at the store, its flickering neon sign casting a sickly yellow glow across the lot. She turned the key in the ignition, and the engine sputtered to life.

They pulled away, the convenience store shrinking in the rearview mirror, its battered facade leaving a lingering sense of foreboding in its wake.

The Jeep’s tires thrummed along the uneven highway, echoing the steady beat of Sam’s growing unease. She adjusted her glasses and stole a glance at Lilly, who was thumbing through what looked like TikTok videos. The trees blurred past them, tall sentinels standing watch over the two-lane road, their shadows slicing through the muted light and settling across Sam’s shoulders. She flexed her hands on the wheel, the vibration mingling with the steady patter of rain on the roof.

“It’s been forever since I took this drive,” Sam said, her voice barely rising above the engine’s steady hum.

“Were you even old enough to remember?” Lilly teased, grabbing the powdered doughnuts out of the paper bag.

Sam smirked, her lips curling into a teasing smile. “You were the one almost in diapers back then.”

Lilly laughed, a bright sound that lightened the somber air. Sam offered her a sip of the convenience store coffee, careful not to spill as Lilly leaned over the console to take it. Sam’s thoughts drifted with the aroma, memories resurfacing like familiar landmarks along their route.

“Mom used to take me past Ravencrest Manor and the other old houses when I was ten, told me stories about Emil Ravencrest’s inventions,” Sam began, her words rolling out in a mixture of affection and melancholy. The name felt foreign and intimate at the same time.

“I never had that experience,” Lilly confessed, lifting her gaze to the passing trees. “I was too young, I guess.”

Sam’s expression softened, the distance between past and present collapsing in her mind. “That’s why I’m nervous,” she admitted. “So many memories, and not all of them good.”

They shared a silence, weighted and familiar. Lilly reached across the console, squeezing Sam’s hand with a tenderness that belied her age. “We’ll make new ones,” Lilly promised. “Together.”

The Jeep barreled forward, each mile a step deeper into the unknown. Sam couldn’t shake the feeling that returning to Peachtree Hollow might change everything and nothing all at once. The road wound through dense pines, and she was drawn into thoughts that tangled like the branches overhead.

“You think the bookstore will be like we remember?” Lilly asked, sipping from the cup, careful not to burn her tongue.

“Not sure,” Sam replied, her mind spinning with possibilities. “Mom always made it sound so... epic.”

“Emil Ravencrest, the mysterious inventor,” Lilly mused, her tone half-mocking, half-intrigued. “Maybe he’s still lurking in the attic.”

Sam laughed, a genuine sound that surprised her. “I wouldn’t put it past him. His whole family was a little off.”

“You’d know better than me,” Lilly said. “I just remember not being allowed to wander off. Seemed like Mom was always worried.”

Sam’s eyes narrowed, the suspicion gnawing at her. What if she had missed something important? Her mom was secretive sometimes and questions simmered beneath her words. “What do you think she was so afraid of?” she asked.

Lilly shrugged, a mix of innocence and knowing. “Probably losing one of us in those giant bookshelves. I did climb on them a few times, almost knocking it over on myself.”

Sam nodded, pondering what she missed most about the small town. Lilly's laughter helped relax her, but Sam's thoughts raced ahead, contemplating what awaited them in Peachtree Hollow.

“You’re the expert, right?” Lilly said, nudging Sam’s shoulder with mock seriousness. “How much money do you think we will get from auctioning off all of those books?”

“Is that why you’re coming?” Sam asked, her curiosity genuine. “To hope to get as much money as you can out of the bookstore before it is shut down?”

“That,” Lilly grinned, “and I missed you, believe it or not.”

Sam felt the warmth of Lilly’s words, the sincerity in her sister’s playful tone. “Yeah, me too,” she admitted.

Lilly paused and then said, “After all this is supposed to help pay for my college and also help pay off your student debt.”

Sam’s look turned to one of concern,“Just remember, I’m here if things get rough.”

“Like with school?” Lilly’s face lit with a blend of excitement and apprehension. “Classes don’t start for a few months. I’ve got plenty of time to freak out about college.”

“Not gonna lie,” Sam said, her voice teasing but supportive. “It’s going to be a wild ride.”

“I know, but I’m ready,” Lilly declared, a spark of determination in her eyes. “And if it gets too crazy, I’ll just come hide at your place in New York.”

They exchanged a knowing look, the possibility of shared adventures filling the space between them. Sam eased the Jeep over a narrow bridge, the rain-slick surface spraying water to either side. Her heart pounded with a mixture of dread and anticipation.

“Here we go,” Sam murmured as the sign for Peachtree Hollow came into view. The letters loomed large, ghostly in the mist, a gateway to everything she was seeking and fleeing.

The rain drummed a relentless rhythm, a constant reminder of the distance they’d traveled and the unknown that lay ahead. Sam and Lilly straightened in their seats, both holding their breath as they crossed the threshold.

Peachtree Hollow waited, silent and expectant.