~HAZEL~

The village event buzzed with life, the downtown bar transformed into a night of music, laughter, and dancing.

Strings of lights draped across the wooden shafts, casting a warm, golden hue over the crowded space.

My stepmother had insisted we all attend, her voice bright and determined as she forced us out the door.

"We need this," she'd said, squeezing my father's hand. "A night to remember we're still a family despite what those awful soul keepers put us all ...