Chapter 4

The thing about time is that you can never stop it, you can never make it go back. You can do nothing but let it pass you by. Time, an interesting concept that could never be broken or made, it could never be defined in words that truly capture its essence. It could never be explained. 

The next morning Madison rushed to her house and decided to stay in. She didn't want anybody near her, she didn't want to see anyone. She kept thinking of the statue, Dylan, her theories as to why there was a statue of Dylan in the abandoned house. 

Madison walked into Dylan's room and sat in the center of his bed. She looked around and analyzed it but something caught her eye. It was his phone. She put her older brother's phone to charge and layed on his bed hugging his pillows inhaling the scent of it. It's a strange thing to do, but somehow it comforted since it smelled like him. Madison stared at the ceiling as her mind replayed the night of his death. Tears began to flow down her cheeks as she thought about it, but she couldn't not think of it. Madison's eyes got heavy and she silently cried herself to sleep hugging the pillow. 

3 hours later Madison woke up to her phone ringing as texts and calls were coming in, she groaned and checked her phone. 

Riles: hey where are you

Noah: can we meet up again

Riles: hello

Noah: I feel like I can talk to you and I wanted to talk to you about something.

Riles: Madison, you okay

Riles: I'm worried about you

Missed call Riles 

Missed  call Riles

Riles: i'm worried about you

Riles: you rarely go M.I.A. so what's wrong babygirl

Missed call Riles

She quickly replied to Riley and let him now she was okay and turned her phone off. Remembering she put Dylan's phone to charge, Madison walked towards the desk she placed device and turned it on.

The phone lit up and displayed a photo of Dylan as the wallpaper. Madison held back her tears. She swiped through the phone, she didn't know why she was going through it, but she was. She stumbled upon a message from her mother.  Dylan had her contact name as Alexandria instead of mom which only made Madison more curious. As she tapped the screen wanting to read their messages there was only one text from their mother. 

Alexandria: one word and you're dead baby boy. 

Madison was dumbfounded. She didn't know why she'd threatened him or why she'd talk to him like that. 

She tapped the phone icon and went through his call log. 

10 missed calls from Joey Kane

3 missed calls from Alexandria

1 answered call from Alexandria 

Who was Joey Kane? Why did he call Dylan 10 times? What was so important? Why did their mom threaten Dylan? All these questions and theories were going on in Madison's mind. 

Madison typed Joey Kane and immediately found him on Instagram. He was light skinned, blue eyes, curly hair, and looked to be 6'5. Madison caught herself staring at him, she had to admit she was attracted to him. She quickly shook her head and started to focus. Joey's 23, only a year younger than Dylan would be. 

Madison decide to message the older yet attractive man and find out what he knows about what happened with Dylan. She turned her phone on and quickly got annoyed with the texts coming in from random people and sent the text to Joey. 

MadisonBitch: I need to talk to you. 

MadisonBitch: It's about Dylan 

Madison waited to hear from him. She was desperate at this very moment. She was still questioning why her mom threatened Dylan, she figured Joey would know. Her phone pinged and to her surprise he'd answered her. The message she read made her question everything more than she already was. 

Joey Kane: I'm not answering anything if Alexandria is there. 

Why wouldn't he? Why did it matter if mom was here or not?  Madison thought. 

Madisonbitch: She's not here

Joey Kane: Prove it. 

Madison sighed and sent a video of her proving her mother was not there. 

Joey Kane: okay, meet me at 403 Jefferson Dr. Brooklyn, NY 11238. 

Joey Kane: I'm not risking anything. 

 Madison sent a quick okay and got out of her room ready to meet Joey at the given address.  As she stepped outside, she met face to face with her worried best friend. "Hey, I just came to check on you, you've been distant. More than usual, so I got worried", Riley said as he saw her. "No, yeah, I'm alright. Something came up so I have to go". Madison responded as she walked right past him. 

She drove to the given address quickly recognizing the area as she arrived at the street. The night house!  He knows where the night house is, but how? What did Joey know? 

She got out of her thoughts as she parked in the drive away and locked eyes with her late brother's best friend. "Hey, Joey right," Madison asked.  "Yeah, so you're Dylan's little sister then," he questioned. 

The two finished their introductions and walked inside the night house. "Looks like someone has been in here," Joey stated as he noticed the work Madison had done to the house. "Yeah, I come here sometimes, what do you know about the house," Madison responded. "What do YOU know about this place and why have you been here," he retorted. 

Madison smiled tightly before answering his questions, "I found it one night when I took a walk and the sight of this place calmed me and I found myself in here fixing it a little bit every time I come". 

Joey studied her and stayed silent, he didn't know what to say to her. He didn't want to assume something and say the wrong thing. Joey knew about Dylan's life and how hard it was.  

"So you gonna tell me what you know about this house" Madison broke the silence. Joey chuckled. "Your brother and I used to come here with our friends and hang out or party, it was his escape  too. We bought the house together after this lady we knew moved away, she'd sold  it to us really cheap simply because she loved Dylan and he'd always help her" Joey answered truthfully. 

"What did he escape from," Madison  questioned. "A lot, Alexandria made his life hard," he answered. "what did she do exactly?"

 "Things."

 "What kind of things?"

 "You ask too much questions," Joey stated. 

"Yeah, well you're pretty vague" Madison retorted 

Joey chuckled in amusement. He grabbed her hand and told her to follow him as he walked to his car. Madison rolled her eyes and got in her car getting ready to follow him wherever he was going. 

20 minutes later, the two arrived at a large red brick mansion. Madison exited her car whilst admiring Blossom Manor, she observed the large french windows, the white lining on the outside walls, the black wooden front door, she noticed the brass door set placed on it. It seemed so familiar to her, but it was all a distant memory.  She turned to Joey who now stood beside her. 

"Why are we here," she questioned. 

"Why aren't we here Madison," Joey stated as he stared at the mansion in front of them. 

He grabbed her hand and lead her to the front of the house. Joey knew something about the house that Madison did not and/or may have forgotten. Whether she forgot or not didn't matter due to the fact that only Dylan knew most of the information needed to secure their safety in Blossom Manor.  

The two stood at the front of the door not moving. Joey didn't know whether to enter or not, he was afraid of what was on the other side of the door in front of them. Madison looked at Joey's side profile, "well what are we waiting for?" she questioned. She placed her hand on the door set and pressed her small thumb on the latch and pressed down that made the door ajar. 

Madison walked into the manor and dragged Joey with her after noticing his hesitation to enter the building. Madison stopped in her tracks as she noticed in the corner of her eye. She swiftly turned her head but whatever caught her eye quickly disappeared until the silence in the manor ended with a noise behind her and Joey.