The moment Clara stepped into their new neighborhood, she knew something was off. The air felt heavier, thicker, as if it were holding secrets that didn’t want to be uncovered. Her parents, cheerful as always, were too preoccupied unpacking boxes to notice anything strange.
Clara was different. She had always been different. Her hair was a stark white, shining like moonlight, a color no one else in her family—or even her hometown—shared. Her mother’s hair was auburn, her father’s dark brown, and her cousins were all various shades of blonde or brunette. While others had playfully teased her growing up, calling her a "snow princess," Clara often wondered why she was the anomaly in her family.
The new neighborhood was unsettling. The houses all looked similar, with perfectly trimmed hedges and eerie symmetry. Neighbors peered at them through their curtains but never came to introduce themselves. Even the streets were unnaturally quiet, as if sound itself avoided the place.
Clara tried to brush off her unease. It wasn’t until she started attending her new high school that she realized her instincts had been right.
~~~~~~~~
The first day at Crestwood High was nothing like what she’d expected. The hallways were devoid of the usual cacophony of teenagers laughing, shouting, and slamming lockers. Instead, students moved in near silence, walking in synchronized steps. Their eyes were hollow, their expressions blank, and they hardly spoke to one another.
Clara was assigned a locker next to a boy named Alex. He was the only one who smiled at her that day, and it was a relief to find someone who seemed normal. Alex had messy brown hair, a warm, crooked grin, and a laid-back demeanor that stood out in the otherwise somber environment.
“I take it you’re new here?” Alex said, leaning casually against his locker.
Clara nodded. “Yeah. And…is it always this quiet?”
Alex chuckled. “Welcome to Crestwood, where fun goes to die. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Eventually.”
Despite his lighthearted words, Clara caught a flicker of something in his eyes—something almost sad.
~~~~~~~~
Over the weeks, Clara and Alex grew closer. He became her guide in the strange world of Crestwood High, helping her navigate the school’s bizarre rules and avoid the students who seemed more like drones than people. They spent lunch breaks together, sharing jokes and stories about their lives.
One afternoon, Clara confessed her unease about the neighborhood.
“Doesn’t it feel like…someone’s always watching you here?” she asked.
Alex’s face darkened for a moment before he shrugged. “Maybe. But isn’t that just life? Everyone feels that way sometimes.”
Clara wanted to press him further, but the bell rang, and the conversation was left unfinished.
~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the oddities around her, Clara found herself falling for Alex. He was her anchor in a world that felt increasingly surreal. When he asked her out on a date one Friday night, she eagerly said yes.
They went to a diner on the edge of town. It was quiet but cozy, and for once, Clara felt like a normal teenager. They laughed over milkshakes and fries, Alex’s warmth making her forget the strangeness of her surroundings.
Afterward, they decided to take a walk under the stars. The town was eerily silent, as always, but Clara felt safe with Alex. That was, until he stopped abruptly in the middle of the street.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing the tense set of his shoulders.
Alex turned to her, his face filled with regret. “Clara, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”
Her stomach churned. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not…like them,” he said, gesturing vaguely to the empty houses around them. “You’re not even like me. You’re—” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not from here, Clara. You’re not from Earth.”
She stared at him, waiting for the punchline, but it never came.
“What are you talking about?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Alex took a step closer, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. They wouldn’t let me.”
“Who wouldn’t let you?”
Before he could answer, a low hum filled the air. Clara looked up to see a massive, glowing spaceship descending from the sky. Her heart pounded as a beam of light shot down, enveloping her.
“Alex!” she screamed, reaching for him, but he didn’t move.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face.
The light grew brighter, and Clara felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her body was weightless, but her heart was heavy with fear and betrayal. The last thing she saw before everything went white was Alex’s regretful face, his hand reaching toward her as if he could pull her back.
~~~~~~~~~~
When Clara woke, she was no longer in Crestwood. She was inside the spaceship, surrounded by strange, humanoid figures with pale, luminous skin and hair as white as hers.
“Welcome home, Clara,” one of them said, their voice echoing in her mind.
Home.
The word sent a chill down her spine.
As Clara’s memories of Earth began to fade, one thought lingered in her mind: Alex. She had trusted him, cared for him, and he had betrayed her. Yet, deep down, she couldn’t shake the image of his tearful face, filled with remorse.
Who was Alex, really? And why had he let her go?
As the ship sped into the stars, Clara vowed to find out the truth—no matter how far she had to go. **The Whispering Neighborhood**
The moment Clara stepped into their new neighborhood, she knew something was off. The air felt heavier, thicker, as if it were holding secrets that didn’t want to be uncovered. Her parents, cheerful as always, were too preoccupied unpacking boxes to notice anything strange.
Clara was different. She had always been different. Her hair was a stark white, shining like moonlight, a color no one else in her family—or even her hometown—shared. Her mother’s hair was auburn, her father’s dark brown, and her cousins were all various shades of blonde or brunette. While others had playfully teased her growing up, calling her a "snow princess," Clara often wondered why she was the anomaly in her family.
The new neighborhood was unsettling. The houses all looked similar, with perfectly trimmed hedges and eerie symmetry. Neighbors peered at them through their curtains but never came to introduce themselves. Even the streets were unnaturally quiet, as if sound itself avoided the place.
Clara tried to brush off her unease. It wasn’t until she started attending her new high school that she realized her instincts had been right.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The first day at Crestwood High was nothing like what she’d expected. The hallways were devoid of the usual cacophony of teenagers laughing, shouting, and slamming lockers. Instead, students moved in near silence, walking in synchronized steps. Their eyes were hollow, their expressions blank, and they hardly spoke to one another.
Clara was assigned a locker next to a boy named Alex. He was the only one who smiled at her that day, and it was a relief to find someone who seemed normal. Alex had messy brown hair, a warm, crooked grin, and a laid-back demeanor that stood out in the otherwise somber environment.
“I take it you’re new here?” Alex said, leaning casually against his locker.
Clara nodded. “Yeah. And…is it always this quiet?”
Alex chuckled. “Welcome to Crestwood, where fun goes to die. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it. Eventually.”
Despite his lighthearted words, Clara caught a flicker of something in his eyes—something almost sad.
~~~~~~~~~
Over the weeks, Clara and Alex grew closer. He became her guide in the strange world of Crestwood High, helping her navigate the school’s bizarre rules and avoid the students who seemed more like drones than people. They spent lunch breaks together, sharing jokes and stories about their lives.
One afternoon, Clara confessed her unease about the neighborhood.
“Doesn’t it feel like…someone’s always watching you here?” she asked.
Alex’s face darkened for a moment before he shrugged. “Maybe. But isn’t that just life? Everyone feels that way sometimes.”
Clara wanted to press him further, but the bell rang, and the conversation was left unfinished.
~~~~~~~~~~
Despite the oddities around her, Clara found herself falling for Alex. He was her anchor in a world that felt increasingly surreal. When he asked her out on a date one Friday night, she eagerly said yes.
They went to a diner on the edge of town. It was quiet but cozy, and for once, Clara felt like a normal teenager. They laughed over milkshakes and fries, Alex’s warmth making her forget the strangeness of her surroundings.
Afterward, they decided to take a walk under the stars. The town was eerily silent, as always, but Clara felt safe with Alex. That was, until he stopped abruptly in the middle of the street.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, noticing the tense set of his shoulders.
Alex turned to her, his face filled with regret. “Clara, there’s something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago.”
Her stomach churned. “What do you mean?”
“You’re not…like them,” he said, gesturing vaguely to the empty houses around them. “You’re not even like me. You’re—” He hesitated, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not from here, Clara. You’re not from Earth.”
She stared at him, waiting for the punchline, but it never came.
“What are you talking about?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Alex took a step closer, his eyes pleading. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. They wouldn’t let me.”
“Who wouldn’t let you?”
Before he could answer, a low hum filled the air. Clara looked up to see a massive, glowing spaceship descending from the sky. Her heart pounded as a beam of light shot down, enveloping her.
“Alex!” she screamed, reaching for him, but he didn’t move.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered, tears streaming down his face.
The light grew brighter, and Clara felt herself being lifted off the ground. Her body was weightless, but her heart was heavy with fear and betrayal. The last thing she saw before everything went white was Alex’s regretful face, his hand reaching toward her as if he could pull her back.
~~~~~~~~~~~
When Clara woke, she was no longer in Crestwood. She was inside the spaceship, surrounded by strange, humanoid figures with pale, luminous skin and hair as white as hers.
“Welcome home, Clara,” one of them said, their voice echoing in her mind.
Home.
The word sent a chill down her spine.
As Clara’s memories of Earth began to fade, one thought lingered in her mind: Alex. She had trusted him, cared for him, and he had betrayed her. Yet, deep down, she couldn’t shake the image of his tearful face, filled with remorse.
Who was Alex, really? And why had he let her go?
As the ship sped into the stars, Clara vowed to find out the truth—no matter how far she had to go.
