Valentine Strain

Chapter 9: Strength

It wasn't supposed to be here.

The actual range was a half-hour drive away from the Rivers estate. It had been a go-to spot for Talia and Allen to practice for its scenic view and quiet countryside vibes. The range was a wide clearing surrounded by trees that led directly into the woods. Allen would bring along a makeshift target ring for Talia to work on her technique. It was the perfect spot to focus and minimize any distractions; a sort of meditative chamber in the outdoors.

And it had all been faithfully recreated. The only concession was that the trees were painted on the walls like a kindergarten classroom, its art style heavily inspired by a children's fairytale. But the target ring, the grass, and even the foldable table they would bring along for practice sessions felt the same way as Lex remembers them.

"What else do you see?" Seong-Ju asks over the radio.

"There's a target ring and a table. But no bow..." Lex says but then notices something off about the table. "Scratch that thought."

The table was divided into three segments, each of them with its own colors; bronze, silver, and gold. Black, rectangular items sat in each segment. She picks up one of the items and flips it over. The item is a picture frame and within it is a photo from Talia's past. It shows Talia in what seems to be her pre-teen years, being hugged by Allen as they both hold up the bronze trophy.

"What do you have?" Seong-Ju checks in.

"A photo. Of her and her dad." Lex responds. "It's in a frame I picked up on the bronze side of the table. The table's color coded, split between bronze, silver and gold."

She moves over to the next segment; silver. 

She picks up the frame and flips it over. Nothing. An empty frame. She frowns and picks up the next frame placed on the gold segment. She finds the same thing. Another empty frame. She holds up her radio.

"So, I got one picture frame with a photo of Talia winning her first archery trophy." Lex says. "And I got two empty ones I picked up on the gold and silver sides of the table."

She looks closer at the two empty frames and notices something that the first one didn't have.

"Hold on. The empty frames have two little bulbs. One red, one green."

She flips the frame again and trains her sight on every inch of the frame, making sure not to miss a single detail. Another thing stood out to her.

"Seong-Ju. The frame doesn't have a stand."

"How about the other ones?"

She checks the other frames.

"Nope."

"And the ones in the Trophy Room?"

Lex gathers all three frames with her. She pushes the dangling plants out of her way and makes it back to the kitchen, taking care not to step on Avery's pool of blood.

When she makes her way back to the Trophy Room, she cups and wiggles the back of the frames from the cabinet shelves.

"It seems like they're nailed in..." Lex says over the radio. "But how?"

Seong-Ju, lost for words, doesn't respond.

She holds up one of her frames and runs her fingers through the edges, paying careful attention for anything that stood out. Now that she's looking for it, she finally takes note of the teeth-like sensation beneath her fingers. 

The frames had tiny, metallic pins beneath similar to a cartridge that went into a game console. She runs her hand through the shelves. And sure enough, the same sensation runs through her fingers. There was one slot for every cabinet. She holds up the frame from the bronze side of the table, the one that had Talia and Allen holding up the bronze trophy.