veling

to's

eturned. The thick, uncomfortable stil

hand hovering over the knob for a m

nspoken words, as though the wall

that, she was grateful. The message from th

the hallway, Lerato's unease deepened. She headed for

ing she didn't fully understand yet a myst

r, leaning against it for a moment

father's forced smiles, her mother's too-casual demeanor-

paced the length of her

ped her. A strange, nagging feeling in the back of her mind w

er head: "Stay strong, and remember who you are."What

nsidered ignoring it, but then the door cracked open slightly, and her fathe

closed the door behind him and gestured to the chair by her desk. "Mind if I sit?"L

een there before. His hands fidgeted in his lap, as though searching for the r

n him. Finally, it seemed like the moment of truth was coming. But was she ready to hear it?"I...wanted to

les, business issues, you name it. And it's...it's affected us more than we expected."L

here for family reasons, but all you'

ight," he admitted. "We haven't been honest with you.

know the truth."Lerato's heart p

her father began again, "there's more to this move than we initially let on. It's not ju

hesitated, glancing toward the window as though expecting some

erful people. People who don't care about secon

More than we can repay," her father answered, rubbing his fore

ed out of control. And now...we're in deep trouble.

ing from these people?"Her father looked pained, a

caught up in this. But thi

ing you here wou

ded. "Who are these people?"B

again, and her mother appeared

sharply, glaring at him. "She

his posture shrinking

ah," he muttered.Lerato looked betwee

hat are you bot

forward, her expres

lem. You need to trust that we

g with anger. "No, I'm done with that. Yo

ened, but before she could respond, a loud crash echoed from dow

froze, their eye

was

Her father's face

here," he

art raced as the sound of

r with each p

ther turned to her, panic in his eyes."Lerato

"Her mother, for the first time since Ler

room with her father, leaving Lerato standi

She grabbed her phone, her hands shaking as

Whoever had sent that message knew w

y broken, and there

es the house

ftly speaking beneath her room.wi

rmed out o