⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀The plan was perfect.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Maybe a little too perfect, she thought.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"You're a genius, though," the angel on her shoulder chimed in.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"I agree with her," the devil on her shoulder muttered.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀After taking a deep breath, Brietta patiently waited for two minutes, ensuring Derek had a good head start before she stepped away from the tree and moved closer to his house.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀"This is all kinds of wrong," she muttered to herself, a shiver running down her spine as she ascended the steps to his porch. She cautiously pushed open the charred front door.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta didn't exactly know what she thought the inside of Derek's house would look like, but it wasn't this.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Tears welled up in Brietta's eyes as she took in the devastating sight before her. The wooden flooring in the house was marred with discoloration from the fire, and the walls looked even worse. Peeling paint and exposed plywood revealed the state of the interior. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀What added to her distress were the fresh-looking holes in the walls, as if someone had recently punched them, with sawdust still scattered on the floor nearby.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A few feet from the front door, an open roof and a staircase led to the second floor, which appeared to be in an even more deteriorated state than the first.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta sniffled softly, then shook her head. She knew she could sympathize with Derek later. Right now, she needed answers.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Taking a deep breath, Brietta ascended the staircase. Since most bedrooms were typically on the second floor of houses, she decided to start her search there.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀As Brietta reached the second floor, the floor beneath her feet creaked, causing her heart to skip a beat. The thought crossed her mind: What if the floor gave way beneath her weight?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta decided to push that worrisome thought to the back of her mind. If the floors were indeed weak, they likely would have given out a long time ago, she reasoned and continued her cautious exploration of the second floor.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀At the top of the stairs, the hallway branched into two directions, and Brietta opted for the one to her right. She proceeded down the hallway, taking small, cautious breaths as she navigated the scorched and eerie walls.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta's eyes brightened with a glimmer of hope when she spotted a door that, while appearing charred like the rest, had a faint outline resembling three swirls. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀She approached the door and used her sweater-clad fist to wipe away the ashes, revealing the unmistakable image of three swirls.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A small smile began to form on her lips, but it quickly vanished as she inhaled sharply. Brietta turned the knob on the door and slowly opened it, her heart pounding with anticipation.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀A frown crept across her face, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes as she surveyed the bedroom. Everything was charred and ruined, but she could discern the presence of two twin beds, each small enough to accommodate a child of around eight years old.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Brietta approached one of the beds and instinctively wiped away the ashes as if the simple act could somehow undo the damage inflicted by the Argents. 
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Despite her best efforts to stay composed, a solitary tear escaped her right eye and landed on the ashy sheets, causing her to inhale a shaky breath, overwhelmed by what she'd been seeing.