location. ⁺ car graveyard.
rylee's fingers brushed over the worn steering wheel, her chest heavy with the weight of memories pressed into the fabric of the car seats. how many times had these wheels carried her daughters to dance classes, soccer games, school pick-ups and drop-offs ? countless trips to work, family dinners, nights with friends—each ride filled with laughter, conversations, and the quiet intimacy of life lived together. now the car sat idle, rusting among a sea of other abandoned vehicles, its purpose long expired. going nowhere.
a soft sigh escaped her lips as she absently fiddled with the dashboard buttons. her heart ached for the chaos she once took for granted—her daughters bickering over what music to play, only for them all to end up singing along together no matter the choice. those small moments of joy, mundane yet precious, had slipped through her fingers like grains of sand. her hand dropped to the glove compartment. with a gentle pop, it opened, revealing a stack of photos. fingers thumbed through them, her gaze lingering on sunlit smiles and frozen snapshots of a life that felt impossibly distant. she couldn't linger on the captured memories, but she'd take them to later sink into. reaching into the center console, she unearthed a collection of forgotten treasures: butterfly and star-shaped hair clips, faded receipts from places they’d never visit again, a crumpled pack of gum. what once seemed disposable now felt imbued with meaning. rylee scooped the contents into a tote bag, unwilling to leave behind even these small remnants of her past.
she'd only returned here once since arriving in arcadia—to escape, to cry out the emotions she'd kept hidden from her daughters...and moments ago, she'd done the same, letting tears fall until there was nothing left but the resolve to go home with a hopeful, warm smile for their sake. with a steadying breath, rylee opened the driver’s door and slid out. the heavy thump of the door closing echoed in the stillness. “sssshit !” she gasped, heart jolting as she spotted another venturer nearby. the woman had always startled easily. wide-eyed. “sorry,” rylee muttered, brows knitting in embarrassment. she placed a hand over her racing heart, forcing a sheepish smile.
@saintlcss . // closed starter.




















