I DIDN'T REMEMBER SLEEPING. BUT THE NEXT thing I knew, it was morning. It seemed unlikely that I'd made it through the night without a nightmare, especially since I was still exhausted when I pulled the covers back - but I couldn't remember that either. 

It was eerily quiet while I got ready, other than the house's occasional groans. There still wasn't any movement when I shut the front door behind me. I sat in my car for a minute before starting it, gripping the steering wheel with my eyes fixed on the house like I was expecting it to tell me what to do - how to make everything better. It just remained still, staring back at me. 

'Sure,' I whispered, 'not you're silent.' I drew in a long breath and started the car.