I'm Still Haunted by the Memories Solo Summer 2025

Interacting with: N/A Mentioning: N/A Date: 07/25/25

Word Count: 1000

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Avery was going through a dusty old closet across the hall from her room. She had always wondered what lay in there but was always too afraid to ask. Until that day. She had asked her grandmother the day before about why it was never used and the only response she had gotten was that it was just a dusty old closet with some junk inside and that she was welcome to go through it but probably wouldn't find anything valuable. Of course, Avery immediately took the chance to search through it now that she was given permission. She had tossed and turned all night. Excitement filling her to the brim. She had to know what was in that closet. Even though her grandmother said nothing valuable was in there, who knew what Avery could find! Maybe she could find more pieces to her past or even a glimpse of who her parents used to be! She had only heard stories from her father, so learning more about her mother would be an interesting yet daunting task. Her mother was a mysterious woman with many secrets. Many that she hadn't even told her own family about. That's why every time Avery tried to find at least something out about her mother, she hit a wall. The woman was just as secretive as the place she worked in. That's probably why the Department of Mysteries suited her so well. Avery stood and stared at the door for a moment. Her hand inches from the knob. She didn't know what she was about to get herself into or what secrets she would uncover. Once the door was opened, there was no turning back. A shiver crept up her spine. She wasn't cold, but the idea of what she may find was unnerving. She had never done something like this before. What if this was all a bad idea? What if something bad happened? Avery shook the dark thoughts out of her head. It was just a dusty old closet. Not some life-or-death choice door that could either destroy the world or bring it together. She needed to relax. "It's just a door." Avery muttered to herself as she touched the handle for the first time. The metal was cold beneath her fingertips. Like it hadn't been touched by human hands for a very long time. She carefully turned it and pulled. The door creaked and moaned at the realization that it was being opened. Avery didn't pay it any mind. A cough escaped her lips as she tried to fan the dust that flew into the air the second the door opened out of her face. Now was not the time to get sick from just dust. Once the dust had settled again, Avery sank to the floor. Overwhelmed at what she saw. Boxes full of things littered the inside. Some bursting at the seams, but others were. . . empty. Like someone had ravaged through and claimed everything they deemed valuable and left everything else. Avery began to rummage through the boxes only to find that they were mostly filled with old winter coats and rotting papers. Suddenly, something caught her eye. Something different. It was as if it was calling to her. It was a book. But not just any book. From what Avery could see, it was an old photo book. One Avery hadn't seen before. Its cover a dusty red leather. No words were written on the outside of it, so Avery had no idea what was inside of it. But, of course, she had to find out. Avery gently shut the door to the closet with one hand. In the other was the photo book she had been so excited to uncover. As she walked across the hall and into her room, she carefully dusted the cover off. The red leather rough beneath her skin. She couldn't wait to see what she would find inside. So many memories that were probably lost had been trapped long enough. Now it was finally time for them to become alive again. Avery sat down on her bed. The photo book lying in front of her. She took in a deep breath and opened it. Gasping at the sight of what she saw. It was her old home that she had been born in. Her parents were standing in front of it smiling. In her mother's arms was a little baby. The baby, obviously Avery was asleep in her mother's arms. Still small and unknowing as to what would eventually happen to her. Tears welled in her eyes as she flipped through the pages. She couldn't remember the house she had been born in. She was only three years old when they moved from it to London, so she couldn't believe that it was here. Trapped in memories. She had tried asking her parents on many occasions about the house, but every time she came up empty. And she still didn't know why. Not only were there pictures from when she was little, but there were other pictures. Pictures of her parents when they were younger. Before Avery was born. She was shocked at how much they had both changed. If she were to see them back then, she probably wouldn't of even recognized them. Tears welled in her eyes again as she stared at the pictures. How could she have never known about this? Why had her parents never told her about this? What was so bad and scarring about it that they couldn't even muster up the courage to tell their one and only daughter? Avery didn't know the answer to that question. Actually, she didn't know the answers to any of the questions that now filled her head. She had to know the truth, but how far would she go to get it? That she would have to find out. It was only a matter of time before the full truth came out, and Avery was ready to hear it.

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OOC Note: The photobook may eventually be posted on here, but it isn't for the moment.