It wasn't rainbow and butterflies at the Dale house but it wasn't thunderstorms and lightning either. The week bred a windy and partially cloudy atmosphere. Even though she had to take care of Jacob for the most part, it was refreshing to see another side of him, mentally and physically. Things were beginning to fit in place and that morning was no exception. Lily loved watching him sleep, even in slumber she still felt safe. The next Monday seemed so sudden, the morning seemed so chill. It was quiet and avoiding but she had to do it, she had to get up. Something still needed getting used to like sharing a table, sharing a meal, and sharing the house but other things didn't need much effort: like sharing a kiss, a bath, and a bed.

Lily Dale got up early, she fixed something for Jacob to eat before leaving for work. She didn't want to wake him so she left a little note: Early morning makes way for a brighter day.

Leaving the house greeted Lily with a happy dog wagging its tail with barks and sad whimpers from an unscratched ear. "Well, don't you look lovely today?"

It was incredible, seeing where she had been and how far she came from then. It was totally remarkable and every second was worth it. This wave that compiled Lily Dale's life moved her and changed her. She couldn't see herself going under its trough, she couldn't feel the water consuming her when it reached its crest and this time she had someone to pull her out when the tide was too much to bear. It was evident, she had a lot of people on her side now, and it was not clear whether or not she would trade them all for her father's life. She wouldn't be able to answer that question if asked. How could she put a price on the people she had grown to love? How could she sacrifice their lives for her father's? Having him would be a blessing and a miracle, surely, but Lily could never do that. Those sleepless nights could never be worth it, never.

The Beckinghams - she thought - are really supportive. The house watched her with distressed eyes. They were eyes tainted, once again, by a sight it couldn't comprehend. It held a depressing silence, needed the kind of fresh air that an opened window couldn't deliver. Lily didn't hear the plea of the Beckingham manor, the warning, because she was too accustomed to the normal way of things that she never acknowledged the fact that something could've been wrong.

"William? Mrs. Beckingham?" echoed through the house in silence. Lily saw their cars so why was the house in deep sleep? She took of her coat and then her hat, comfortably but when she was going to put away the keys, she found a piece of parchment on the chest of drawers where the family pictures stood.

Jodi was scared, locked up in her room was the only thing that gave her comfort. She didn't want to see Lily's face or wanted her to know about this treachery. This secret was eating away at her, she was disintegrating and being washed away. Hearing Lily Fisher's voice reminded her everything that happened last night was real.

Lily picked up the folded paper, it was big enough to spot and small enough to not share too much.

"Basement." She said in a silver whisper. She didn't know what to think, it was an anxiety-building word. So many things could be down there, she hesitated about going but she took a deep breath and dreamed on, hoping it wasn't as bad as it sounded.

Slow steps made it harder to face this fear, Lily knew bad things were always around the corner but she prayed that this wasn't one of them. The room was dark and it wore a smug look, the sentiment of the house, surely, adapted its mood from this here room. It only had a wine cellar to the left and a clear pathway: it was clear the Beckinghams never used the space much, then to the right, aligned with the staircase were some crates.

The tension started to build as Lily’s feet drew closer to them. She saw something, something white within the darkness. Then she jolted with the slam of the door, turning around with a heart-pumping gasp, her lower lips dancing as she clenched her fists. She closed her eyes and with a deep breath, took another step forward to reveal a white cloth dyed in blood. That was when she immediately backed away, feeling a cold touch, and in fright, screamed. It was like a glass had fallen to the floor, that’s how she felt inside. She turned around but it was nothing, just the stone-cold wall at the other end of the room.

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She walked back up to the mummy-like corpse. She stammered a “M-Mrs. Beckingham?” after noticing hair threading from what she assumed was the top. “Mrs. B-Beckingham?” She got down on her knees, loosening the sheets as they were. She then saw a blue-faced girl. Gravity had caused the blood to run down to the side of her swollen cheek, her eyes seemed to give the feeling of despair… despair. Lily quickly covered her nose as she got up, stumbling up the stairs. She pounded on the door and begged. “Open the door!” She cried, turning back down, and glancing to the end of the room. “Open! Please! Mrs. Beckingham! William! Open!” It was useless, she fell to her knees, leaning on the door as she wept. Wrapping herself in her arms, she rocked herself back at forth as she hid her face beneath her hair.

She smelled the stench of death, tasted the sharp metallic liquid on her tongue… It felt like she was in that room with her father and all those other people again. It was deafening, she was going insane trying to stay sane, and in her mind, this nightmare wouldn't end. It felt like hours and hours and hours until finally, she sensed that the door was ajar. She squinted, glaring at the astounding light that lit her auburn face. She crept up the stairs, slowly only because she was exhausted and confused. She didn't know what to do but the moment she reached the top, her next move was to say. "William." She saw him, staring at her like an eagle and its prey. He didn't say a word just yet, all he did was continue stirring from his cup.

"What did you do?" She murmured, weakly.

"I'm sorry." He stopped, leaning on the counter. "You shouldn't have seen that but I didn't know what else to do."

"You're right." Her eyes glistened, she felt vulnerable as William knew she would be so he took the opportunity to take advantage of her. "Who are you?" She said. Everything they ever were before, all the memories and conversations, everything she felt, faded like footprints in the desert sand. This voice she heard led to a face hidden by darkness, she couldn't match his voice to his face. She couldn't possibly believe that they were the same person. "Who are you?" She said again, having a seat in that little chair by the stove. She stared at her lap then lifted her head for an answer. "Why did you it?"

"It was an accident, believe me."

Why should she? Lily saw her, Taylor wasn't the same girl. Those hits, those obvious repetitive blunt hits weren't an accident.

"You have to believe me." He told her. "We're in this together." William lifted his cup with a smirk before sipping from it. He was off the deep end now, something changed him. Maybe that something revealed his true colours. Lily was trapped without a choice, before she knew it, she was doing his dirty work. He told her to take the car for a long, long drive and she did. Every time she thought about what was in the back, she was tempted to run off a cliff, into a tree, into the sea. During that drive, she dared herself to have a cold heart, to not cry but it was too hard. She had to think about the past, she had to think about William.

Was he ever genuinely sensitive? "When you lose someone so valuable, you begin wishing it never happened. I guess you wish that things would go back to the way they were. So you think that if you kept things the way they were then eventually it would be like it used to. Everything would be okay and in your mind, it's like she never left."

Well, was he? "Don't push yourself, Lily Fisher."

How could he say those things to her? "Whatever you were afraid of before, you must remember it's different now. You don't have to be scared, I know you can do it." Now he's the one she's terrified of.

"You're brilliant, Lily and sometimes I forget it."

"You're not obligated to remember." She reminisced.

"Someday I might be."

Staring blankly at the road, she cried. It was diminishing, she felt unstable. Taylor Daniels' body was in the trunk and she was responsible for getting rid of it. She cried because she was hurt, it pained. She had to stop the car, she had to pull over, and take a break. She rubbed her running nose, shocked to see the blood draining from it. Lily wailed, slapping the wheel in frustration, screaming to put up with all the built-up anger. She finally came to the end of the drive, a two-hour drive. She found a secluded clearing where she planned to bury her. He panted heavily, pulling open the sheets to witness her entire body. It was hard to look at her, it was even harder thinking about what Jacob would say if she told him. She found a box of cigarettes in Taylor's jacket but she didn't judge her, she couldn't help but think about what Taylor faced all by herself. Next, Lily checked through her other pockets and found a lighter, to which she lit one of the blood-stained cigarettes and placed it between her lips. Just pulling one time made her break down and fall into the dirt, crying. She watched the blue skies fade into a tale of yesterday. She didn't want to think about what she did that day, so she locked it up so tight and far, no one could find it... not even Jacob.

"I lost her, I don't want to lose you too."