Page 106 of Into the Dark, We Go

But above it all, the ominous rustle of something massive tearing through the underbrush grew louder, closer.

I dared not look back, fearing what I might see. The presence behind me was relentless in its pursuit, crushing the dense scrub in its path. Low in the sky, hung the round, dull disk of the moon, casting silver light on a world that had been devoured by forest. Heaviness throbbed in my temples. Pain coursed through my entire body. I couldn’t go on any longer.

"Nellie."

I stopped.

An unnatural quiet wrapped the forest.

"Lucas?" I sniffled, tears in my voice.

No answer.

And then, again, "Nellie."

Hollow, emotionless, it terrified me.

I whipped around, searching frantically for any sign of movement, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. It was calling me deeper into the woods, I knew it. And I needed to get away from it, go in the opposite direction.

A branch snapped. And then a heavy step shook the ground beneath me. I yelped and darted off in panic.

Don’t stop. Don’t stop,I told myself, but then my foot caught on a gnarled root.

The ground rushed up to meet me.

But the impact never came. I kept plummeting into the void, the trees, the moon, and the sky disappearing into an inky blackness that engulfed me in a never-ending abyss.

Darkness above.

Darkness below.

29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

September, 2020

Consciousness returned like a cruel gift.

I lay on my stomach, shivering and bruised in my tattered shirt. Each breath was a sharp and sudden stab to the lungs as I twisted onto my back. Blood clung to me like a needy lover, and the branded flesh on my shoulder stung, sensitive to even the slightest brush.

I forced myself upright, head pounding, ears ringing. There was a cold weight on my ankle, and when I jostled it, I winced at the unmistakable clink of metal. They’d chained me.

Blinking back tears, I steadied my breath.It’s okay. It’s okay. You’re going to be okay.

Pale daylight filtered through a high, unreachable window in the barn. I strained against the chain, testing its strength, but it held firm. A bottle of water lay nearby, enough to keep me alive for a couple of days. The canisters in the corner were beyond my reach. I clambered for the bottle with trembling hands, taking a few small sips to ease the dryness in my aching throat.

Three days. That’s all I had before the woods came for me.

I screamed until my voice gave out.

I didn’t knowhow much time had passed. Outside, it was cloudy and light, early morning or afternoon, I couldn’t tell. I drank half the water from the bottle, then sat back, trying to piece together a plan. Wasting energy trying to break free would be pointless. I needed something more innovative. But what? What would Mitch do if he were in my place? After thoroughly scanning the area and stretching as far as the chain allowed, I found nothing.

A dark thought unfurled. There may be a way to end it all, get it all over with.

I shoved it away.

There would be no giving up, not yet. Not until the very end.