were cries of torment and fear.
She pushed through the darkness and found a doorway which led to a room beyond hers, a seedy hotel room dimly lit by an old TV, tuned to static.
Then she saw the source of the crying strapped to a chair, her hands and legs tied with rope, mouth gagged, eyes blindfolded by black fabric.
Though the girl looked like she’d been through hell, and was blindfolded, Noella recognized her almost instantly. It was Katie Blanchard, a cheerleader who hung at the fringes of the EnvyUs. Katie had gone out of her way to be cruel to Noella on several occasions. However, Noella couldn’t help but wince when she saw the raw lashes running across Katie’s wrists and forearms, from the rope binding her to the chair.
Noella looked around the rundown motel room, searching for whoever had done this. Katie was alone, tied up in a powder blue prom dress maybe 20 years out of style.
Katie’s cries intensified as if she’d sensed Noella.
She began to shake in her chair, struggling with the ropes, and cried, sounding like she was begging to be set free.
“Shh,” Noella whispered, not wanting Katie’s cries to bring whoever had done this to her. Noella looked around the room, both the front door and bathroom door were closed, but she could see a light on in the bathroom. Shadows played across the floor.
Whoever did this is in there!
Noella moved quickly, to untie Katie before the bathroom door opened. She was too late.
The door opened, and light spilled into the room, the man appeared in the doorway. His features were a blur, cloaked in shadows which traveled with him as he moved toward them.
Oh, God! He sees me!
Noella turned to run out the door, but couldn’t move.
The man moved closer, but ignored Noella. Either he couldn’t see her, or didn’t care if she watched.
The shadows swirled, giving way to limbs, one of them holding a knife, as he stepped forward. He ran the blade from the nape of Katie’s neck, along the side of her face, then curled it around the bend of her ear and then down into and through her throat.
Noella screamed.
The shadow turned, as if he’d heard Noella, and met Noella’s eyes with his hollow ebony pits, a geyser of blood erupting behind him.
He moved closer, opening his mouth impossibly wide, and a swarm of darkness swirled from his mouth, tendrils reaching out to seize Noella.
**
She woke gasping for breath, back in her bedroom, shaking and covered in sweat.
Oh my God, that was so realistic!
She muffled her terror, clasping her hands to her mouth, and breathing heavily into her fingered cup. Noella slowed her breath and stared across the street, hungry for the savior she could feel waiting for her on the other side of the dark gulf.
Her heart sped up when she saw Dante standing in the window again, lit by the moon above.
She jumped out of bed and ran to her window, waving, desperate to get his attention. She had to see him up close. She had to ask him what happened at the coffee shop. Had to know what he’d done, and what he was.
No human can do that.
She had a million questions, chief among them, whether he was real.
He stepped back into the darkness of the room and vanished.
Noella cried out, “No. Don’t go.”
The darkness outside grew darker, and Noella felt something outside, watching her. But it wasn’t Dante. It was something else. Something deadly, smearing her air with the taint of a threat, made the hairs on her arm stand in a wave. She swallowed hard and yanked the curtains closed.
Noella returned to bed, and sank deeper beneath the covers, shaking. She wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming, or if she was having another hallucination. Her heart pounded fast, and she felt that old familiar fear creeping over her. She had to get a handle on it before something bad happened.
What’s happening to me?
The clock read 3:11 a.m. She had to calm down and get back to sleep. She remembered Dr. Foster’s advice on calming down the attacks.
She pushed through the darkness and found a doorway which led to a room beyond hers, a seedy hotel room dimly lit by an old TV, tuned to static.
Then she saw the source of the crying strapped to a chair, her hands and legs tied with rope, mouth gagged, eyes blindfolded by black fabric.
Though the girl looked like she’d been through hell, and was blindfolded, Noella recognized her almost instantly. It was Katie Blanchard, a cheerleader who hung at the fringes of the EnvyUs. Katie had gone out of her way to be cruel to Noella on several occasions. However, Noella couldn’t help but wince when she saw the raw lashes running across Katie’s wrists and forearms, from the rope binding her to the chair.
Noella looked around the rundown motel room, searching for whoever had done this. Katie was alone, tied up in a powder blue prom dress maybe 20 years out of style.
Katie’s cries intensified as if she’d sensed Noella.
She began to shake in her chair, struggling with the ropes, and cried, sounding like she was begging to be set free.
“Shh,” Noella whispered, not wanting Katie’s cries to bring whoever had done this to her. Noella looked around the room, both the front door and bathroom door were closed, but she could see a light on in the bathroom. Shadows played across the floor.
Whoever did this is in there!
Noella moved quickly, to untie Katie before the bathroom door opened. She was too late.
The door opened, and light spilled into the room, the man appeared in the doorway. His features were a blur, cloaked in shadows which traveled with him as he moved toward them.
Oh, God! He sees me!
Noella turned to run out the door, but couldn’t move.
The man moved closer, but ignored Noella. Either he couldn’t see her, or didn’t care if she watched.
The shadows swirled, giving way to limbs, one of them holding a knife, as he stepped forward. He ran the blade from the nape of Katie’s neck, along the side of her face, then curled it around the bend of her ear and then down into and through her throat.
Noella screamed.
The shadow turned, as if he’d heard Noella, and met Noella’s eyes with his hollow ebony pits, a geyser of blood erupting behind him.
He moved closer, opening his mouth impossibly wide, and a swarm of darkness swirled from his mouth, tendrils reaching out to seize Noella.
**
She woke gasping for breath, back in her bedroom, shaking and covered in sweat.
Oh my God, that was so realistic!
She muffled her terror, clasping her hands to her mouth, and breathing heavily into her fingered cup. Noella slowed her breath and stared across the street, hungry for the savior she could feel waiting for her on the other side of the dark gulf.
Her heart sped up when she saw Dante standing in the window again, lit by the moon above.
She jumped out of bed and ran to her window, waving, desperate to get his attention. She had to see him up close. She had to ask him what happened at the coffee shop. Had to know what he’d done, and what he was.
No human can do that.
She had a million questions, chief among them, whether he was real.
He stepped back into the darkness of the room and vanished.
Noella cried out, “No. Don’t go.”
The darkness outside grew darker, and Noella felt something outside, watching her. But it wasn’t Dante. It was something else. Something deadly, smearing her air with the taint of a threat, made the hairs on her arm stand in a wave. She swallowed hard and yanked the curtains closed.
Noella returned to bed, and sank deeper beneath the covers, shaking. She wasn’t sure if she was still dreaming, or if she was having another hallucination. Her heart pounded fast, and she felt that old familiar fear creeping over her. She had to get a handle on it before something bad happened.
What’s happening to me?
The clock read 3:11 a.m. She had to calm down and get back to sleep. She remembered Dr. Foster’s advice on calming down the attacks.
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