Chapter 1
Four years ago, Mom and Dad went on an expedition to the Death Valley badlands together.]]
But Mom gave up halfway and returned early, while Dad refused to quit. As a result, he disappeared without a trace for four years.
Just recently, the police brought news confirming the worst: Dad had died in that cursed desert. All they found was his backpack and a diary. The backpack had blood stains and hair on it, and DNA tests proved it belonged to my father.
In our grief, Mom and I could only take his backpack and diary and buried an empty tomb for him.[]
However, on the third night after the burial…]
pad, Dad, who was confirmed dead, CAME home…]]
Except… covered in soil, he smiled eerily, without any trace of human warmth, as if he had just crawled out of the grave.[]
“Charlotte, did you miss Daddy?”
…]
I froze, goosebumps racing across my skin. My throat tightened as I forced out a single word.]
“Yeah…”
Dad’s smile widened, and he reached out to pinch my cheek with his rough, but strangely ice–cold hand. His touch sent panic shooting through my chest.
That wasn’t normal body temperature. Not even close.
I’m extremely scared.
I knew Dad was dead. We had literally just buried his belongings in that empty grave out back.]
So who exactly is this “father” standing before me?]
“Mom!” I called out, my voice shaking. Mom was upstairs taking a shower. “Mom!“]
“What’s up?” Mom is taking a shower in the upstairs bathroom when she heared my voice and yelled back.
I hesitated for a second, then just blurted it out: “Mom, Dad’s home!“]
“What?!” Her voice cracked with shock
Less than a minute later, she rushed downstairs, hair still dripping, clothes thrown on haphazardly. []
She expected to scold me for making stuff up, but then she saw him–Dad, standing right there in our living room.
Dad smiled wearily and then pulled a few stones from his pocket.[]
Chapter 1
“Amanda,” he said softly. “I’m back. Thanks for keeping everything together and taking care of our daughter all these years.“]
“I brought these back from Death Valley. Just a little souvenir.“[]
He tried to place the stones in Mom’s hands. But Mom flinched away. []
Crack!
The stones hit the floor with a heavy, dull thud.[]
She stared at those rocks with pure terror, her lips pressed into a tight line. I couldn’t tell if she was more afraid of Dad or those strange stones he’d brought back.[]
But Dad just kept smiling, as if frozen in that one expression.[]
The weird thing was, despite everything, this awkward attempt at romance was so typically him. In that way, at least, he hadn’t changed at all.]
My dad had always been an adventure junkie. Before he married Mom, they were both part of the same amateur exploration team.
After they got married, Dad quit the official team but still spent most of his time away from home, forming his own little expedition crews with his adventure buddies.]
After I was born, he stayed home a little longer, but he still could never tie down his free spirit. So he kept going on his trips like clockwork.
In my memories, Mom was the only one who seemed trapped in the home.
When I was little and cried, Mom would cry with me. She was constantly breaking down and putting herself back together. She endured for years until I grew older, and only then did she return to her nursing job.
Dad never appreciated Mom’s sacrifices. He even called her boring.
Every time Dad conquered a new place, he’d bring back a stone as a “souvenir” for Mom.[]
Mom’s vanity table wasn’t filled with jewelry or makeup–it was covered with rocks from all over the country.
And now there was one more.]
Honestly, I thought it was so ridiculous.]
I really wanted to chuck those rocks as far as possible![]
Dad noticed Mom’s reaction and asked with that eerie smile:
“What’s wrong. Amanda? Don’t you like it?“]
“I love it.” Mum replied coldly, then suggested he go upstairs to shower, change clothes, and get some rest.]
Without argue. Dad just smiled and went upstairs.
Chapter 1
Once we heard the shower running, Mom frantically pulled me into a corner.[]
“Charlotte! Listen to me very carefully!” Her fingers dug into my arm. “That man is NOT your father! Your father has already died in Death Valley!”
“No matter what he says or does, don’t believe him! HE IS NOT YOUR FATHER!“]
