Chapter 4 — The Limo Arrival

Third Person

The limousine pulls up to Claire’s driveway with a low purr, its glossy black exterior reflecting the soft glow of the streetlights. Claire stands on her front porch, clutching her pearl locket as if it’s an anchor, her thumb brushing over the engraving, “Be your own light.” The faint scent of blooming jasmine from her mother’s garden drifts on the cool spring breeze, a comforting thread of familiarity in an otherwise nerve-wracking moment. Beside her, Maddie adjusts her lavender comb in her pixie-cut hair, her excitement vibrating in the air.