I was drifting in possibly the most satisfying night of sleep I’d ever had when the first buzz against my thigh woke me up. Confused, I patted my leg and felt my phone still in the pocket of my borrowed sweatpants but decided whatever was going on could wait until morning. My eyes drifted shut once more…
Only to snap open a minute later when my phone vibrated again, this time twice in quick succession. Someone was calling me, and that meant it was probably important. With a groan, I rolled over onto my back, reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone. The screen was too bright in the dark room, and it took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust.
1 New Message
1 New Voicemail
My heart skipped a beat when I realized that it was after 3:00 am. Who would be calling me so late? And why did the number say ‘private’?
I slid out of the bed as silently as possible, careful not to shake the bed and wake Julian. Thankfully he was sleeping just as deeply as I had been and only offered me a single snore as I crept out of the room and into the hallway, shutting the door behind me.
I held my breath as I pressed play on the voicemail, hoping that it was just a spam call.
But I wasn’t so lucky. It was a man with a low, raspy voice. “This is the person that has your friend,” he said, his words rushed. “You must come alone, or we will kill her. You have one hour.”
The line went dead.
What the fuck?
I stared down at my phone in shock, wondering what the hell was going on.
I opened the text message, dreading whatever it would say, and found a picture of Laura tied up against a tree with her mouth gagged. She looked pissed off and uncomfortable, but unharmed.
“If you want to see your friend again, come alone to these coordinates,” the second text said. I scrolled down to find a pin on a map. It was only about ten miles away, and I had no idea why they would choose to be so close. Then again, they were demons, and their kind liked to torment us. There’s no one else it could be.
I bit my lip as I considered my options, my pulse pounding in my ears. I could go get Julian, but what if Laura got hurt? I knew how to defend myself, and I had blades along with the charmed weapons in the car. I could do this.
I didn’t want to wait. They could be torturing her right now, or worse. No, I needed to act now. I wasn’t going to sit here and do nothing. I tiptoed back into the room, grabbing my bag and quickly changing into my own clothes. My jeans had dried, thankfully, but they still smelled like wet dirt. I shoved my feet into my boots, grabbing my keys off of the counter before heading to the front door.
My hand was on the doorknob when I hesitated, looking back at the stairs. Should I at least leave a note?
It took more time than I would have liked to find an envelope to write on and a pen, but I scrawled out the situation and placed it right by the front door so he could easily find it. Hopefully, if Julian followed me, I would have Laura safe already. If not…
I shook my head, not wanting to think about it. There was no way I was going to let anything happen to her. I wouldn’t even let myself think about the possibility of her being hurt or worse.
I walked out the door and started the car, pulling up the directions to the coordinates that the text had sent me. The voice on the GPS warned me that the road was closed, but I ignored it as I headed toward the forest.
The roads were dark and quiet, which only served to make me more nervous. I’d been in many situations like this before, but something about this felt…off. I couldn’t quite place what it was, but there was a feeling of dread building in my stomach as the minutes passed.
I pulled off onto a side road and finally reached a long, cracked driveway. In the distance, I could see an enormous house, pale like a specter in the night and choked with kudzu. It hadn’t been occupied in ages.
I checked my phone to see if there were any new texts, but there wasn’t. I sighed, leaning my head back against the headrest for a moment before opening the door and stepping out.
I walked to the back of the car and opened the trunk, taking stock of my weapons and grabbing more than I would probably need.
It was better to be prepared for anything.
I closed the trunk and then made my way up the drive. The house loomed ahead, its windows like dark eyes watching me. I felt a shiver go down my spine as I approached the front door.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I pushed it open, revealing a dark, dusty entryway.
I looked around, my heart pounding. I didn’t see anyone, or smell anything besides dust and old wood. “Hello?” I called out, my voice echoing in the empty space. “Laura?”
There was no answer. I stepped further into the room, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. Near the back of the house was an open door, leading into the backyard. The picture of Laura had shown her outside, so maybe that was the direction they wanted me to go. I gripped the handles of my blades and wished Julian was with me before moving forward.
I crept down the hallway and into the back door, looking around cautiously. My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness, and I could make out a large grassy area behind the house, surrounded by trees. There was a trail leading away from the house, into the woods, and I followed it carefully.
I walked for what felt like an eternity, the trail twisting and turning through the trees. My nerves were on edge, and every little sound made me jump. I had no idea where they were leading me, but I knew I needed to be prepared for anything. I just hoped that I would find Laura soon, and get us both out of there.
Finally, I spotted a light ahead, and my heart sped up. Was that them? I quickened my pace until I reached the clearing where they had Laura tied to the tree.
My friend was slumped against the trunk, unconscious or dead, I couldn’t tell.
“Laura!” I shouted, racing toward her.
Laura’s eyes fluttered open, and when her vision adjusted and she saw me, she started to shake her head frantically, telling me no over and over again. I ignored her, but just before I reached the tree, I felt something strike the side of my neck, hot and painful like the sting of a giant bee.
I reached up to touch the spot, coming away with a small dart in my hand. What the fuck? I turned to look around me, but there was no one there.
It felt like my mind was swimming in mud as I tried to piece together what was happening. I’d come to rescue Laura, but this was obviously a trap. And now I was going to pass out. I swayed on my feet, falling first to one knee, and then fully to the ground.
I’d made a terrible mistake and now Laura and I both were going to die.
I should have woken Julian. I should have kissed him one last time.
I should have told him about our baby. He deserved to know.
As unconsciousness took me, I managed to lay one shaking hand on my belly just before the darkness swept everything away.