Could it be Dawn?

"How did you know my name? Did she tell you?" Sabrina asked, astonished. "I didn't realize you were thinking about me as well," she said to Dawn.

After hearing that, Dawn fake-coughed, "What are you saying?" thinking to herself, why is she here? I didn't even call or text her. How did she come across me?

"My name is Iris Windrow, and Dawn is my sister," Iris stated as she extended her hand to her.

"Ah, Dawn!" Sabrina exclaimed, now knowing her name. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Thank you, Miss Sarratt, for offering private piano lessons to my sister."

Dawn coughed even more after hearing Iris' remarks, and Sabrina's eyes widened.

"Private piano lessons? Wha-" Dawn snatched Sabrina's hand away from Iris and clutched it tightly.

"Thank you for that offer," Dawn said, trying to communicate with her through her eyes. "I'm overjoyed that I had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Sabrina has no idea what's going on, but she understands what Dawn meant by how she looked, and it appears that she requires assistance. "Ah, those lessons? Of course, anything for you," she added, clutching Dawn's hand even tighter.

Dawn could only smile as she tightly closed her eyes and nodded, "Yeah, yeah."

Iris was about to say something when her phone rang. "Wait, I'll have to take this call, it's Tania," she told Dawn.

"All right, go take it," Dawn said, and as soon as the younger woman rose up and walked away, she let go of Sabrina's hand.

"What's that all about?" Sabrina inquired, perplexed. "How come we're having a private piano lesson without my knowledge?"

"How do you think I'll explain your business card? You even wrote your phone number there, and she saw it. I had no other reasons," Dawn gulped.

"How did she see it in the first place?" Sabrina questioned.

"I was looking-" Dawn murmured, which made Sabrina laugh.

"I knew you liked me, too."

Dawn's eyes widened as she exclaimed, "What?! No!"

"It's easier to admit it," Sabrina said, smirking, as Dawn moaned.

"How did you know I was here? I didn't call or text you, so how did you know I was here?"

"Just because!" "I'm here because I want to see you," Sabrina grinned.

"For what? The cake?" Dawn grabbed her wallet, but Sabrina pushed it back down.

"I want to see you because I want to understand why I like you," Sabrina remarked sincerely as she looked right into Dawn's eyes.

Dawn is at a loss for words, just as she is now caught in that gaze. She could only gulp as her cheeks began to burn and her heart began to race. "What?" she asked, mumbling.

"Dawn," Sabrina replied gently, "I like you."

"You are talking nonsense! Why would you even like me—" Dawn managed to say, but soon needed to cut it off.

"I've returned!"" Iris exclaimed, but her face changed when she realized what Dawn had spoken.

" —to learn piano at your home?" Dawn added nervously. It was too late when she realized what she blurted out.

"Eh? My house?" Sabrina mumbled.

"Really, Miss Sarratt? You're teaching her at your house? That'd be great because Dawn isn't very comfortable in public places," Iris said, smiling.

"No- no, I don't want to do it in her hou—" Dawn was interrupted by Sabrina tapping her hand on the table.

"Yes, it'll be better if we do it at my house; I don't want any distractions, just you and me," Sabrina quipped. "Don't be shy, Dawn. I'm happy to have you around."

"Take that chance, Dawn! It's free," Iris exclaimed, looking at Dawn, who was staring blankly out the windows.

2010

After being hit by Lizzie's car, Dawn regained consciousness after a day. They are fortunate because the doctor predicted that the girl would take weeks or months to awaken.

"Dawn, you're awake," Iris exclaimed, overcome with emotion as she saw Dawn open her eyes.

"Iris... mom is—mom is dead," Dawn said as she stared at the ceiling, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Iris froze, and even Lizzie, who was standing at the door, slumped her shoulders. "I saw her, and she's dead."

"Dawn, what are you saying?" Iris's voice and hands began to quiver. "Please don't say that."

"Dawn, what do you mean?" Lizzie approached Dawn to inquire further.

"Stephen..." Dawn mumbled.

Some people need help to fall asleep, and all I did was help her.

Now she's been asleep for a really long time. She might not wake up.

"He killed mom," she said, grasping the bedsheet as if the scenario had not left her mind. She recalls her mother being stabbed again and helplessly.

"Why would he do that? That's impossible, Dawn! He won't do that," Iris exclaimed.

Lizzie caressed the little girl's back and said, "Calm down, Iris."

What a shame, I didn't want to murder two people tonight.

"He almost killed me as well," Dawn said quietly.

"What?!" Lizzie pinched her brows as Iris continued to cry, stepping back slowly as if she couldn't take it all in.

"But I ran away," Dawn said to Lizzie.

Lizzie made the decision to call the police and report what had happened to Dawn. Soon after, the police and investigators arrived to question the pale and weak girl. The physicians agreed, but also clarified that the young girl could be having hallucinations as a result of being hit by a car. She may also not recall the specifics correctly.

"When did you go out to look for them?"

"About two o'clock in the morning," Dawn replied.

"Can you tell me where you found them?"

"I just kept walking down the road then I heard a scream in the forest," Dawn shrugged.

"What kind of scream?"

"It was mom, she screamed, 'why are you doing this- stop please, help me.' I knew for sure it was her," she paused.

"What made you think it was her?"

"Because she is my mother," Dawn stated confidently, as the investigator seemed to be skeptical. "I know her voice."

"What did you see when you got there?" the investigator noted everything she said.

"He's stabbing my mother. Stephen... my stepfather," Dawn responded. "With a knife, he stabbed

her."

"Did you see what the knife looked like?"

He could only chuckle before rising up and lifting the knife, tracing its blade with his thumbs.

"There are initials on the blade," Dawn stated quietly before turning to face the detective, then Lizzie, who was calmly watching the two. "G.W."

"What does that mean, G.W.?"

"It's mom," murmured the pale girl.

"What?" the detective asked, his brow wrinkled.

"Georgia Windrow, her mother's name," Lizzie replied instead.

"That makes sense," he admitted, "but—"

Lizzie and Dawn both looked at him in wonder. "It was dark that night, how did you see those initials?" he said, his voice filled with mistrust.