Authors: Lucy Swing
I ran through the dark, eerie forest. The trees rushed past me as my bare feet hit the ground. The pain was agonizing, but I couldn’t stop. They were closely behind me. I had been in the tunnel where he kept Maggie, but she was unconscious. She had been pale as a ghost and her body unresponsive to my voice or touch. He had come in as I knelt by her feet crying.
“Again? I thought I told you to mind your own business.” He quickly closed the space between us and pulled me up to my feet. I had no strength to fight it anymore. If he was going to kill me, I wished he would just get it over with already. He slapped me across the face with the back of his hand. The blow was strong enough to knock me unconscious.
I awoke in the middle of the forest, red glowing eyes half hidden in the shadows. The thought of playing possum crossed my mind, but they would know. They would see me breathing. Without thinking twice, I jumped to my feet and allowed my legs to take me away; before I knew it I was running.
I ran as fast as I could, but they seemed motionless, constantly behind me. Their white dresses flowed behind them with the wind that rushed by. I had dared to turn around once to see them and instantly regretted it. Not only did I lose speed, but I had gotten a clear view of who was chasing me. It was Carly, Lisa and Marie, the girls who had gone missing within the past ten days. I was unsure of what they had been turned into, but the realization that I didn’t want to become one of them kept me running.
―Bailey!‖ Dad‘s hands were on my shoulders, shaking me. I sat up and wrapped my arms around him. The warmth of his body begun to work its magic, chasing the memories of the nightmare away. ―Your alarm has been going off for a while. I didn‘t mean to scare you.‖
I lay back down, rubbing the tears off my eyes. ―I was thinking if you would like to stay home today I can call the school. You can make up your test some other day; I am sure they will understand.‖
I shook my head as the tears welled in my eyes and the sobs became loudly unbearable. I closed my eyes and turned onto my side, facing the wall, away from him. He stayed there for a moment; his hand rested on my shoulder in a silent show of understanding. After all, he had been in this same position only seventeen years ago.
When my mother left he said he had been devastated and blind-sided. He had never seen it coming and he never found an answer as to why she left us. At least that is what I had been told all my life. I wonder what had made her feel that abandoning us would be the best choice.
I went through the motions in the morning and Dad drove me to school. Word had gotten out about Maggie, and I was forced to face the whole school body and their pitying looks. As if they could understand.
I soon learned that Maggie wasn‘t the only one that had gone missing last night; Felicity and her minion had never made it home after school. I was now one hundred percent sure that it was the chocolates that were the cause of it, even if I did not understand why. I was now in lit class and so not in the mood to read Edgar Allan Poe; I closed my book and rested my head over my arm on the desk.
Why would Jude be doing this? What could he possibly want with the girls? I closed my eyes and thought hard about it, visualizing Jude in my head and what his intention may be. Suddenly the air around me shifted, and I realized the voices I heard were not from my own classroom, as what all I heard now was about the Civil War. I opened my eyes and found myself standing in the middle of history class. I looked at the other students in a panic, but no one was looking at me. Only one set of bewildered eyes were digging through me.
Jude‘s.
He seemed as perplexed as I was, shifting his weight on his seat uncomfortably. I turned around and looked at Mr. Robins as he wrote some dates on the board. When he turned around he looked right to me. No, right
through
me. He just kept babbling in his monotone voice.
―Hello.‖ I shook my hand in front of him. Nothing. He couldn‘t see me. No one in the classroom could, except for Jude who was now in a rush, putting his books in his bag. All the color had left his skin.
―Jude.‖ I whispered to him.
He looked up at me but didn‘t falter what he was doing.
―What is going on? Why can‘t they see me or hear me?‖
He shook his head, closed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder. Without acknowledging Mr. Robins‘ pleas to stop, he walked out of the classroom.
I followed him out but stopped once he disappeared into the boys‘ restroom. ―Screw it,‖ I muttered to myself as I pushed open the door and barged in.
―What are you doing, Bailey? This is dangerous!‖ He was pacing the space in front of the sinks, his hands digging into his hair, messing it all up.
―What the hell is going on? How did I get here?‖ I searched his face, wondering if he really knew what was going on.
―Get back. You have to get back before they notice it.‖ His eyes were wild; the green was being hidden by a charcoal color I had seen before.
―Get back where? To lit class?‖
―To your body! You need to get back and you need to do it now!‖ He barked the last word as he got inches away from me. His hands tightened around my shoulders as he shook me. I stared into the dark eyes, wondering why they kept changing colors. He slapped me.
―Are you okay?‖ Miss Langley asked as she gently rested her hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her confused. ―You must have fallen asleep during class. Are you feeling all right?‖ She pressed her cold hand onto my forehead. ―You don‘t have a temperature.‖ She was about to walk away when I lifted my head fully, and she gasped. ―What happened there?‖ My hand followed her eyes to the side of my face where the stinging from Jude‘s slap was. ―Is that a handprint?‖
―Probably my own, from laying my head on it so long.‖
She looked at me for a moment longer and shrugged her shoulders. I picked up my bag and rushed toward the cafeteria, glad to be able to see Chance, if for a little while. My cheek was still hurting, and I was trying hard to wrap my head around what had happened.
I need to figure out what the hell is going on.
But who could I ask? My best friend was gone, probably tied up in some tunnel, and even then, I doubt she would‘ve believed me. Jude seemed to know what to do though.
He is the enemy, you idiot!
I told myself.
I sat down in the cafeteria next to Chance, who was demonstrating how he had tackled Tyler House on last week‘s home game. Once he was done and the crowd had scattered, he turned towards me.
―Oh, come on. None of that moping shit, Bailey. I am having a good day.‖
I had no idea how to respond to that. I was appalled by his choice of words and how little he cared about me or what was going on in my life at the moment. I picked up my tray and began to walk away, knowing that looking at him one more second would cause for my anger to take over.
―So, now you are leaving?‖
I turned around and scoffed. ―I cannot believe you. My best friend has gone missing, and you don‘t want me to ruin your mood? Are you kidding me?‖ I started walking away but he grabbed my hand.
―I am picking you up at 6:30 for the dance. Be ready.‖ His voice was low but demanding, and so I made sure to match it with my own.
―Don‘t bother. I am not going, especially not with you.‖ His hand tightened as I spit the last word before he let me go and I was finally able to walk away.
By the time Dad got home, I was already dressed in my little black dress and shimmery stiletto shoes.
―You look beautiful!‖ Dad took my hand and twirled me around. Although PG-13, I still felt the dress was too revealing to be around him. ―Is Chance coming now?‖
I followed him into the kitchen and pretended to check my make-up on the mirror, swallowing the disgust that came with his name. ―I am actually meeting him there. With all that is going on, I want to have the freedom to leave earlier if the need should arise and, I don‘t want to ruin his night.‖
―Sounds like a smart move. Are you sure you are okay to go? Maybe itwould be best you stayed home; I don‘t think I will be able to relax until you get home.‖ He turned and faced me, worry displaying all over his face. I half smiled and nodded. ―It‘s not safe out there, honey…‖
I cut him off. If he finished what he wanted to say it would make it impossible for me to leave and follow through on my plan. ―I know Dad, but... it will help distract me a little, you know?‖
He raised his eyebrows giving me his best condescending look. ―There will be absolutely no drinking, understood?‖
―Yes, Daddy. I would think you‘d know me better than that.‖ I walked over to the table and picked up my backpack. ―Love you.‖ I gave him a tight hug and allowed it to last a little longer than usual.
It was strangely warm for a February afternoon. The sun was almost setting when I got in the car and threw the backpack onto the passenger seat. I sat in the driveway for a moment longer, looking up at the house, hoping everything would go as planned, and then I made my way onto highway 56 towards West Hollow.
I felt horrible that I had lied to my Dad, but he had at least bought the scheme of me going to the dance. I just hoped Chance wouldn‘t have the nerve to come over to coerce me into going with him. It would put an end to my plans way too quickly. Dad would have the whole town looking for me in a matter of seconds. I had now bought myself enough time to look for my best friend and, possibly, all the other missing girls. The memory of Carly‘s misshapen and sharp teeth kept nagging at me. I couldn‘t get side tracked, or even scared about what I may find, I needed all my attention into finding Maggie.
By the time I got to the edge of the forest, it was dusk; the last of the orange colors of the horizon disappeared and the purple shades emerged, blending into the darkening sky. I parked the car on the side of the road, hidden from the passing traffic. I held my breath as I looked at the dark forest that lay in front of me.
With a long sigh, I traded my high heels for the old and reliable beat up chucks. Once settled into my comfortable running shoes, I pulled the dress off, revealing the white tee and short shorts I had underneath it. I set off into the dark forest with my pink flashlight in hand.
I pulled the map out of the backpack and twisted it around until I got the coordinates in place. I traced the way to the cave with my finger and realized I was still a pretty far from my destination. I packed it back into my bag and I set off again, running through the uneven ground, over and under overgrown branches, jumping over large boulders, all the while trying not to twist an ankle as I was be prone to do.
I finally came into a clearing. Above me I saw that the moon was at its fullest, which was very odd, as the night before I could have sworn there had been no moon at all. The light brightly shone down onto the forest, washing every spot of darkness with its intensity. I shoved the flashlight into my back pocket now that it wasn‘t needed. On the other side of the clearing I found the entrance to the cave. I hesitated as I stared at the small opening. There was no time for thinking now; I needed to save my best friend. I crossed my fingers, in hopes I was at the right place and there was still time.
My footsteps were cautious as I silently crossed the clearing and approached the cave. I rested my back against the cold large rocks that surrounded it and peeked in. All I could see was a heart-pounding-inducing blackness that took the breath right out of my lungs. I reached for the flashlight, but my own inside voice stopped me.
You will be giving yourself away. You don’t think they will see you coming a mile away?
I slowly pulled my hand away and drew a deep breath. I pulled myself off the rocky wall and took a step onto the entrance. A cold hand wrapped itself around my mouth and waist and quickly pulled me back into the shadows of the forest.
I kicked my feet up in the air, squirming and twisting my body to break free. The arms that were wrapped around me would not budge. The large hands were icy cold, but the rest of the body I was pinned against seemed almost feverish.
―Shhh.‖ His lips were next to my ear, and I could feel his warm breath caress my skin, sending shivers down my spine. ―I will let go, but only if you promise not to scream.‖
I closed my eyes, unsure if I was horrified or I actually enjoyed being this close to him. I couldn‘t still have feelings for Jude after all that had happened. After knowing that he was the one behind all the disappearances, knowing what he was capable of.
―Bailey, I can‘t let you go if you don‘t stop this.‖ His hands tightened around me and my adrenaline kicked in gear.
The fear crept into me all at once, my muscles tightened in pain, and suddenly a blinding flash of light erupted between us. It took me a moment to realize I was free of him. I looked down at Jude, who had been thrown onto the ground, and then bolted back towards the clearing and the car.
Not a minute later, his footsteps were loud and fast, approaching with determination. I can‘t let him get me. My legs ached, and I thought of giving up; I knew there was no way I could ever outrun him. But my legs fought through the pain, not allowing me to stop. I was in survival mode, and there was nothing else I could do.
The sound of his feet hitting the ground time and time again began to fade. When I was unable to hear him anymore, I slowed my pace, looking at the forest behind me. I sighed in relief when I found it to be empty. I rested my hands on my knees and leaned on them as I tried to catch my breath. I turned to keep running, knowing all too well sooner or later he would come looking for me, and that‘s when I stumbled upon Chance, who was simply standing there, leaning against a tree. The way he was looking at me as he became one with the shadows made me take a step back.
―Chance,‖ my heart seemed to go on overdrive, ―what are you doing here?‖
He closed the space between us with incredible speed and grabbed my arm. His touch was cold and hard, I tried to pull away. His hand tightened around my arm, making me wince in pain.
―You are hurting me.‖
―Why are you here?‖
I searched his darkened face and I could tell he wasn‘t happy to see me. I tried to speak but I couldn‘t find my voice; the sudden threat in his demeanor sent my stomach catapulting down.
He shook me as if I were a faulty toy. ―Speak!‖ He demanded.
―Chance, you are hurting me. Let go,‖ I pulled again to no avail.
―Not until you answer me. Why are you here? How did you find this place?‖ He lifted my arm, almost pulling me off the ground all together. ―Did someone send you here?‖
―What? No!‖ I didn‘t understand how anyone could have sent me here, but there was no time for questioning him. ―I am looking for Maggie.‖ I finally freed myself from his grip and moved away from him as I rubbed my arm frantically. ―I know she is somewhere out here.‖ I looked back at his grim face, the way it searched mine. ―How did you find me?‖
He closed the space between us, and his rough fingertip found my cheek. It was easy to see how hard he was trying to soothe the situation, but something wasn‘t right. He wasn‘t soothing me; instead a thousand spiders crawled up my spine. He carefully slid his hand into mine, squeezing it tightly. ―You scared me. That is all. Come, there is somewhere we need to be.‖ His warm smile failed at comforting me. ―No, we have to leave. I saw Jude; it is him that has been kidnapping all the girls. He has Maggie! We have to get help.‖ I pulled my cell phone out and started to dial when he took it from me and crushed it in the palm of his hand with ridiculous strength.
―What are you doing?‖ I yelled at him. ―Didn‘t you hear what I just said?‖ I looked around the woods confused. The white light that had been shining down before had now changed. There was a red hue that enveloped around the trees, giving the forest an unnatural eerie ambiance. The bare trees around us gave way to where the moon hovered just beyond them. It was no longer a regular moon; instead, it was now deep red with two large purple rings around it. ―D-Do you see that?‖ I stuttered, and my finger shook as I pointed at it. His eyes never left my face. He got closer, and I met his hungry eyes as his hand gripped mine tighter. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run, but all I could do was stare at his blood red eyes.
―It is almost time,‖ His smile had vanished. He shoved me forward and pulled me forcefully towards the cave.
―Time for what? What‘s going on, Chance? We have to get out!‖ The desperation clearly came through in my voice, and he couldn‘t help but chuckle, a sinister laugh that got caught in his chest.
I said nothing else as he pulled me towards the cave, his fingers digging onto my skin, afraid they would rip through it at any given moment. The anxiety was escalating, and there was nowhere for me to run. My resistance was no match for his strength.
―Are you in on it with Jude?‖
He stopped and looked at me. After a few seconds a loud, crackling laugh erupted from his chest. ―Darling, it was me all along; your pitiful friend was just a pawn on the scheme of things. He was so occupied trying to save those pathetic little girls that he didn‘t see what was happening right before his eyes.‖ He smiled triumphantly. ―Until it was too late, obviously.‖
If Jude had nothing to do with it, then why was he always making weird comments and looking at me funny? Then it hit me. He hadn‘t been threatening me; he had been trying to warn me. I shook my head at my own foolishness.
―Why are you doing this?‖ The silence was filled with the breaking of twigs and dry leaves under our feet. ―
What
are you doing?‖
―Ah, well, it seems that you have something I need. But don‘t you worry, love; it will all be revealed to you soon.‖ His face got inches away from mine as if he was going to kiss me. Before I would have felt the butterflies taking over my body; now I was filled with revulsion. I looked away, disgusted. Irritation must have taken over him as he slapped me with the back of his hand, throwing me in the air and onto a fallen tree trunk about ten feet away. My back slammed against the hard mass and as I hit the ground, my head collided against a rock. A liquid streamed down my face creating a warm trail.
Aw
. The pain lingered on.
―Get up,‖ he demanded taking a few steps back. ―Get up,‖ he repeated.
I wish I could!
Without waiting much longer for me to do so, he pulled me up by my elbow and kept me at arms distance, as if my presence repelled him.
I squealed at the way his fingertips dug on my skin. There was no inch of my body that wasn‘t pounding with waves of excruciating pain. He let go of me, and I crumpled to the ground, like a puppet cut off of its strings. This time when he picked me up, he threw me over his shoulder and made his way into the cave with the incredible speed I had been witnessed to before.
―We soon will be together, forever,‖ He said. I cringed at the thought and at what that would entail. ―Well, not
you
Bailey, you will be long gone. All I need is your body.‖
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN!?
As he carried me through the darkness, a set of red eyes moved with us. The echoing of hisses filled the air. I tried to speak but I couldn‘t find my voice. The panic was now taking over me. With a fast and swift motion, he propped me on the floor against the wall.
When I raised my gaze I had a clear view to my best friend‘s chained body a few feet away from me. Her head lifted softly and I could tell it was taking all of her strength to do so. Her eyes fixed on me, and horror crossed her face. She shook her head frantically.
―No! I ate the chocolates. I took her place. She‘s not supposed to be here!‖ As if she had found her strength, she attempted to free herself from the thick rusting chains around her. ―She is not supposed to be here!‖ She repeated almost in a shriek.
Chance laughed loudly, sending the echo he caused in the cave rippling through my skin. ―Do you think I brought her here? This was all of her doing. You could have sufficed, but with her—‖ he looked me over as if I was a prized possession— ―Her body will be the one that rules next to me.‖ He began to fidget with another set of chains that hung from the ceiling between Maggie and me. ―Once Cassandra can cross over, we will be unstoppable again, don‘t you think, Magdalene?‖
Maggie stopped fighting the chains and stood still. Her eyes glowed in the dimly lit space.
―Ah, don‘t be this way. You were a good friend. You sacrificed yourself, thinking you could save her. And you might have, but she is as naïve as her mother was.‖ He cocked his head to the side and pouted his lips.
I once again tried to speak; a million questions running through my head. So many things that had always been left unanswered that she seems to have had all the answers to all along. And what did he mean she sacrificed herself for me? And WHAT ABOUT MY MOTHER??
He unlocked the chains and readied them for me. When he turned to me, lowering to pick me up and chain me, a deafening cracking sound erupted from behind him. We both looked up.
Maggie had ripped the chains from the ceiling and was now removing them from around her wrists and torso. She lifted her head enough for us to see her glowing eyes and the crooked smile.
The panic in me hit a new level, as realization that neither one of them were human and I had no idea what I was facing. All I knew was that I was lying on the floor defenseless.
―You really want to do this, Magdalene?‖ His voice was low and threatening as he crouched in front of me. His voice sounded deeper… older, as if it wasn‘t Chance anymore.
―She doesn‘t belong in this world and especially not with you. Let her go, and I promise to kill you quickly.‖ The yellow light from the emergency lights above us hit her eyes and augmented their depth. She bared her teeth, and a growl roared in her chest. My eyes were locked on her, on the best friend I had known for so long, who apparently was more than just that. Part of me felt betrayed that I had been lied to my whole life. Was any of it real?
―If I wanted you to be the one, then I would have done so since the very beginning, but her lineage is far more powerful than yours will ever be.‖ I didn‘t see it when Chance lunged forward. Maggie jumped and grabbed him by the shirt midair, thrusting him against the wall of the cave. He fell onto the floor with a loud thud.
He was up on his feet within seconds, swinging his large, muscular arms at her. She moved with incredible agility and looked as if she was barely trying. What happened to the chained girl that seemed to not have any life left?
―You forget what you have made, Benjamin. All of my powers have been amplified as well as the new ones you have given me.‖ She snickered under her breath, taunting him. Slowly, as If she was swatting a mosquito away, she hit him square in the chest and sent him flying about thirty feet away and into the darkness of the cave. She smiled at the way the body crashed against the cobblestone and then rushed next to me. Her eyes were full of worry as she seized me and looked back; making sure Chance was still on the ground. His body laid in the most unnatural position and I wondered if he would ever get back up.
―I am so sorry, Bai; this should have never happened.‖ She stared deep into my eyes and then they slowly moved to my forehead. Her eyes turned black, and desire flickered through them before she blinked it away. ―You are bleeding badly.‖ Her eyes were back on Chance‘s motionless body. ―Can you move?‖ I tried to shake my head but was unaware if I had been successful. The pain had subsided and the numbness had set in.
―What.. is.. going.. on?‖ I finally found my voice, though it was hoarse and I could taste blood in my mouth.
―We need to get you out; it is not safe for you here.‖ She put her hands under my armpits and attempted to pick me up, but I fought it. I wasn‘t going anywhere until I got some answers. Chance was probably not getting back up, so she might as well explain herself.
―What do you know about my mother?‖ My words were low and held enough animosity to make her eyes widen.
―This is not the time—―
―This is the perfect time. Tell me!‖ I was surprised at how the roar in my voice made the cave shake slightly.
We were silent for what seemed like eternity as she searched my eyes, knowing we were not going anywhere until she talked. She nodded and took another look at Chance, who was still lying, limp on the floor.
―Your mom was not normal, she was special. She was…‖ She hesitated and looked down at her hands, which were pulling on a string of her ripped jeans. ―She was a witch. She came from a very powerful lineage of witches that lived like normal people. She was sought after for her power and so she ran.‖ She looked down. ―He found her. He put her through what he intended to put you through, but she was older and not as strong. She—she didn‘t make it. You have great power in you; you just haven‘t been able to channel it yet.‖
I shook my head in disbelief, if she really expected me to believe all of this, she did not know me after all. ―Seriously, this is the best you can do? I‘m not a witch, I have no power, and that alone proves you are wrong.‖
―They are dormant. As I said, you need to call on them. Before your mom left, she bound them. Even then, I felt you use them earlier. You are much stronger than any of us can imagine.‖
―Why does Chance want me?‖ I asked as I stole a glance his way.
―It is not Chance that wants you but Benjamin. He is a warlock. He has taken the body of Chance to blend in and needs one for his wife, too. They are dangerous and we cannot let them do this.‖ She pulled out her cell phone and hit a single button; the other end answered at once. I stared at her in disbelief. ―We are at the tunnel. She is here and badly hurt. You need to get here now. Thereisn‘t much time.‖
A blur of movement passed in front of me. Chance, or Benjamin, had Maggie pinned on the ground with one arm while the other one was throwing punches that kept making holes on the ground as she dodged them. I was so caught up in Maggie‘s safety I hadn‘t noticed that I was moving. Not by my own accord, but I was once again being lifted by someone. I tried to fight it, I needed to help Maggie. My head fell onto the person‘s shoulder and I looked up.
Jude was carrying me in his arms; it felt more like cradling me like a little baby. Even with everything that was going on, and even under the dim glow of the lights he managed to leave me breathless. Leave it up to me to find out I‘m a witch and someone wants to kill me, yet still thinking only about kissing him.
He told me to be quiet and started to make his way through the cave at an amazing speed. The cold air rushed by quietly but with force. The grunting and hissing were now becoming more and more distant as the darkness embraced us. He halted with a short gasp, almost losing his grip on my body.
I couldn‘t see what was happening; my sole view was that of his face. He began to take a few steps back and I wanted to scream at him not to. What could be worse than Chance? That‘s when I heard the voices, all speaking at once.
―Hey, lover boy.‖