He wrote Chance’s words and then looked up at him. “No, Mr. Welfrey, I suppose not.”
“Of course, you don’t arrest people for taking back Christmas gifts that they don’t like, do you? This is pretty much the same thing.”
“I suppose if you’re telling the truth, then it is.”
Chance nodded. “Sir, I always tell the truth.”
“Hmph,” Officer Smith grunted. “Well, good day then, sir,” Officer Smith said, turning to go down the stairs, and Officer Novak followed.
Chance sighed in heavy relief, then thought about how different his and Susan’s stories were. The cops would compare them when they got back in their car. They’d see the difference, they’d be back. He had to take advantage of that time. He rushed into the room, and Susan looked at him, surprised.
“Wow, that was scary, huh, Chance?” she said to him.
“I got something even scarier for you, sweetheart,” he growled and pulled his trusty dagger from his pocket.
Instantly, she cowered away, but he gripped her by her long beautiful hair. “Listen up and listen good. The stories we gave the cops were different, and they’re gonna realize that. When they do, I need you to do something for me.”
She winced, staring up at him as tears of pain welled in her eyes. “Chance, what are you talking about? What did you do?” Then understanding clouded her gaze, and her eyes widened. “Oh, my God! It was you…you killed Kate, didn’t you?”
He held the blade to her throat and knotted her hair up tighter into his fist. “Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t, but when those cops come back to question you again, you’re gonna tell them that what you said was a lie. She didn’t storm out of here, she begged me to go to the dance with her and gave me her jewelry, but when I refused, she was so heartbroken, she left.”
“But—but that didn’t happen!” she protested.
“I think this knife says that it did! Now, are you gonna be a good girl, and do as I said, or are you planning on joining Katie?” He yanked her hair harder so that she was forced to look up at him.
“I-I’ll do what you said, I promise!”
“And this little incident here? It never happened,” he said, rubbing the blade of his trusty dagger gently against her throat. It wasn’t gentle enough though, and it left a tiny incision, a tiny reminder to Susan that what was happening was real indeed.
Tears streamed down her face. “Okay, I promise I won’t tell anyone, just please don’t kill me, Chance.”
“Not even your own sister.”
“Not even Sarah.”
“Good.” He smiled at her, and more tears dripped from her wide eyes.
“And no more of this befriending Luna nonsense either,” he snapped. “She’s mine and no one else’s. If you go by her again, I’ll kill your sister in front of you, and then kill you as well, understood?”
Susan did her best to nod against his firm grasp, so scared she had forgotten how to speak.
Finally, Chance tucked his knife away and let go of her hair, but Susan didn’t move from the position in which he had left her.
“Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” he called casually. “And remember Susan, not a word.” He pulled out the dagger so it flashed in the light before he turned and left her room.
***
SUSAN BROKE DOWN into a mess on her bed, blood dripping from her neck into the white covers. She didn’t notice it as the fear took over, and she was left alone to cry out her hysterics.
Chapter Twenty-Two
IT TOOK SUSAN a few hours to calm down. Part of her had wondered where Sarah had gotten to while the other half was happy that she hadn’t come back up to see her in the middle of her mess. Susan lifted her fingers to her throat and noted the thin crust over her cut. She dropped her hand, glad the bleeding had stopped. The wound could’ve been much, much worse.
She stood up and wiped her swollen eyes as she made her way over to her vanity mirror. She flinched away from her reflection; at the moment, she was anything but pretty. She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks and turned away. She couldn’t believe what Chance had told her.
Every instinct told her to run to the cops anyway and tell them what she knew. Maybe they’d be able to keep her and her sister safe if she told them in time, but fear kept her silent. She couldn’t flag down the cops who had been there even if they were still outside because she had no idea where Chance was. Had he gone home or was he lurking around outside? Lurking and waiting for her to crack? Susan sniffled and stood in the middle of the room, trying to decide what she should do next.
In his rage, he had mentioned Luna. Susan’s eyes widened. What if Luna was his next victim, and that’s why he wanted her to stay away? She frowned as she remembered Luna’s reaction to Chance’s name in the store. Luna knew, didn’t she? Susan wouldn’t keep her mouth shut, especially if she had information that was capable of saving another life.
Her reddened face hardened with ambition, and she ran from the room and out the front door. The entire time, her eyes were on the lookout for Chance. It was clear all the way through, and she rushed to her car. She cowered in the driver’s seat as the little voice in her head reminded her that Chance could be anywhere. She hurriedly started her car and drove. The whole time, she hoped Luna would be home. If she wasn’t…well, this would be Susan’s only chance to tell her.
SHE SLAMMED ON the brake in front of Luna’s. It appeared empty and unwelcoming. The lights seemed dimmed, and it was hard to tell if anyone was home. Susan turned off her car and ran up to the front door anyway. She knocked until her knuckles turned bright red.
After a minute, Luna answered. Her rumpled hair made it look like she had been lying down. At the sight of Susan—broken, bloody, and hair knotted about her head—Luna’s eyes stretched wide in horrified disbelief.
“Luna—Luna, you gotta listen to me,” Susan began before Luna could say a word.
“Susan, what is it? Are you okay? You’re bleeding!” Luna’s mouth moved as if she wanted to say more but couldn’t find the words.
“Yeah I-I know. It’s fine, it’s actually stopped now, but I need you to listen to me. Please, listen!”
“What is it?” Luna asked, leaning forward.
“Ch-Chance,” she panted and then swallowed. “He…he’s dangerous.”
Luna squinted her eyes at the tiny gash on Susan’s throat. It was a near perfect line, obviously a knife mark. Susan brought her hand to her throat, swallowing again. She knew Luna was putting two and two together.
“What did he do to you, Susan?”
“H-he killed someone, and…and the cops came, and he thinks they suspect him. He made me promise to keep my mouth shut, but…but I think he’s gonna kill you next. I wanted to warn you.”
“What?” Luna brought a hand to her own neck.
“He’s insane. I-I don’t know what to do.”
“Did he try to kill you?” Luna’s voice dropped to a hushed whisper.
Susan shook her head then looked at Luna, her eyes clouded with uncertainty and her hands clasped together before her. “I don’t know. I don’t think so—I mean, at least not yet.”
“Tell me what happened.”
“I-I can’t.”
“He’s attacked me twice,” Luna admitted.
Susan’s face twisted a bit, but she wasn’t surprised after what she had experienced. “Did he pull a knife on you?”
“No, he choked me though.”
“Please be careful, Luna.”
“You should do the same, you know.”
Susan nodded absently, her mind miles away as she dropped her gaze and shifted her weight to each leg.
“Come inside, please. We’ll call the cops and press charges together. He’ll get put in prison, and we’ll be okay.”
“I-I can’t do it,” Susan said, taking a step backwards off the porch.
“Why not?” Luna asked.
“He threatened to hurt Sarah if I di
d anything.”
“But you’ve already told me, and that’s against what he wanted. If he finds out, you know for sure he’ll hurt you…why don’t you just call the cops? Protect yourself and your sister?” Luna pleaded.
“I just thought you should know so you can try to protect yourself,” Susan stammered. She turned and ran from the porch to her waiting car, hoping Chance hadn’t been watching.
***
LUNA WATCHED AS Susan’s pink car sped away into the dying light of the evening, wishing she could’ve gotten her to stay. If Chance killed Susan as well, it would be all her fault. Luna stepped back into the house and closed the door behind her, not able to believe what she had seen.
Had Susan said that Chance killed someone, like Luna had suspected? And by someone did she mean Kate? She frowned, momentarily wondering if Susan was only playing with her, but then she remembered the gash on her throat. She knew that wasn’t fake.
Chance must’ve snapped and gone into his rage again, only this time on Susan. Luna wondered if he had cornered Susan when she had been alone or if he had done it in front of Sarah. Either way, Luna had a feeling that in that attack, he had been more capable of controlling himself and planning out his actions since he had threatened Susan with a knife.
He hadn’t done that to her.
Pieces fell into place inside Luna’s head like rusty gears spurring into action. That was why some people blindly obeyed him. Others must’ve been exposed to his secret…though most of them were six feet under. Something was deeply wrong with him, and Luna wondered what it was. She frowned, questioning whether or not she should tell someone about Susan.
Luna knew well enough that Chance was dangerous, and if she slipped and told somebody about what Susan had told her, she’d end up having both Sarah and Susan killed. She thought it was incredibly foolish of Susan, refusing to go to the authorities, but she couldn’t blame her.
Luna remembered her earlier conversation with Violet and flinched as she realized she was the same exact way.
“What are you going to do about him? He’s clearly unstable.”
“Nothing.”
“What? Are you serious?” Violet gaped at her. “Why let this go?”
“Because no matter what I do, he won’t leave me alone. Telling someone will only make him much, much worse, I’m sure.”
Having been assaulted twice, Luna still refused to go to the cops out of pure fear. As foolish as it seemed, fear was a powerful emotion.
***
CHANCE SAT IN his Honda Ridgeline around the block from Susan’s house, carefully wiping her blood off of his blade with a jet black rag. He observed the beautifully carved cobra in the silver handle before he gently tucked it away into his pocket and started his truck. When he had left Susan’s house, he hadn’t seen Officer Smith or Novak, but he still had the uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched.
That’s when he realized all of his senses were still keen, and he was alert. He didn’t feel bleary and out of it, like he usually did after he had an explosive episode. This time, he hadn’t slipped into that mind in the process. He had been fully himself, fully aware of his surroundings. Except this time, he wasn’t worried about people finding out his secret. That constant worry kept him from snapping unless he slipped into that mind, but he found that he didn’t have to worry after all. That was new. He shook his head; so many things were new with him lately that he couldn’t keep track.
That mind seemed to be spiraling out of control, but he somehow pulled traits from it and incorporated them into the part of him he could control. He didn’t know when the transition had quite happened. He guessed it had happened around the time he realized Luna had the gift he was searching for.
He liked how he had felt seeing the fear in Susan’s usually-so-happy eyes. Knowing he had complete control over her at that moment, control over whether she lived or died. It had made him feel empowered, lighter than air. He never knew he could be so violent outside of that mind, but ever since it had happened, he found that he didn’t regret it. Not at all.
He pulled his truck into its usual place on the outskirts of the land he had claimed. He cut the engine and sat there for a moment. He noticed Luna’s beautiful rose still sat in the seat next to him. He hadn’t realized that she left it. He picked it up and clutched it in his hand as he left the truck.
He crossed the land quickly, his heavy black boots flattening the grass as he went. He was the only moving shadow against the darkening sky. Once inside, he pulled a matchbook from his pocket, struck a match, and lit a small white candle which he set on a table by the couch.
He went into his ritual room, the rose still clutched in his hand. He bent down to pick up a large bone—a femur, perhaps; it was hard to tell, as it was blackened and worn down by years of decomposing. He took the rose and wrapped the stem carefully around the bone. He kicked the remaining bones out of the way from between the two candles and set the femur-rose combination between them.
He stared at it for a moment, in admiration of the way the candlelight threw shadows across the rose, making it look as if the bone itself were bleeding. He bowed his head in respect to the pentagram and uttered a little prayer to Satan before he turned and left the room without glancing back.
He made his way back to the living room where the tiny candle still burned ominously. He picked it up and carried it to another dark room, the one he had been using as his bedroom. The old beat up mattress he called his bed lay on the floor, looking unwelcoming. Chance sighed and settled down on it, the broken springs pressing uncomfortably into his back. He licked his fingers and put out the candle with a tiny hissing noise.
He clamped his eyes shut to go to sleep, but he couldn’t relax yet. He had more work to do in DreamWorld than he had to do in reality.
Chapter Twenty-Three
ONCE AGAIN, LUNA fought her dream abductor. She kicked and struggled with everything she had left in her, but that strength slowly dwindled away with every pointless thing she tried. Luna attempted to elbow him again, but her arm missed by inches. Taking in a deep breath, she gave up the fight. The harder she fought, the tighter he held on.
As he dragged her along the strange forest, Luna noticed the scenery around her seemed to change a bit. The thick, luscious trees in the heart of the forest thinned out as they moved away from it. Only dead trees and trees stripped of all leaves remained around them. The air didn’t feel right, and the atmosphere had grown darker above their heads. Beneath their feet, the grass had gone and black-colored dirt had taken its place.
They weren’t in the forest anymore but had taken a remote trail leading somewhere else. Luna’s eyes darted to a cabin as it came into view. It seemed old and unsafe, and she didn’t want to go inside. It would be certain death. An enormous stone temple stood right next door to the cabin. Ivy grew through the cracks in the side between each of the heavy stones—no one had been there for a while.
Luna stared in horror as her body froze in fear. People used temples like that to practice sacrificial offerings. They had reached the cabin; the rotting wall stood less than a foot away from Luna’s face.
It didn’t look like he would take her to the temple after all. That thought was only a mild relief as her abductor reached around her to push open the door to the cabin, and Luna peered inside timidly. It was barely lit so she couldn’t make out any details, and the only light seemed to flicker—candlelight.
A strong shove came from behind, and Luna stumbled inside the cabin, trying to catch her balance. There would be no way out. He stepped in after her and closed the door behind him. She felt a trill of fear as the darkness seemed to surround her, nearly suffocating her like a cloth over her face. He pushed her and kept edging her closer to a wall. In the faint light, she caught a metallic glint. Two shackles were attached to the wall and a skeleton lay beside it.
“Sit on the floor next to the wall,” the familiar voice growled in her ear.
Luna turned to glare at him,
but even being that close, she couldn’t make out any particular features. A blur of shadows hung across his face. She remembered that he could easily hurt her like he had done to Violet, and she wasn’t willing to test his patience again.
He crouched down to her level as if he were going to say something. Though he had taken down his hood when he had entered the cabin, the low level of light prevented her from seeing any details of his face. He stayed like that for a moment, staring at her. She felt her stomach clench in fear as she wondered what he would do next.
Quick as a flash, he grasped her arm and locked a silver shackle around her wrist. She tried to pull free, but while she was distracted, he quickly did the same to her other wrist before she even realized what had happened. She pulled against the chains with all her might, but her arms slammed back against the cold wall. Her abductor stood up and stared at her as if she were artwork on display. He had done the same thing after he had shot Violet.
“Well, I’ll be heading out now. Don’t go anywhere.” He laughed before he paced to the door. He swept his gaze around the room once and then left without another word.
Luna frantically searched her surroundings in the dim light as her eyes slowly began to adjust. Long beams ran across the ceiling and delicate cobwebs were strung up in the corners of the frame. The door seemed heavy with crossed beams, and the windows were painted over in black.
There had to be some way out.
A small end table sat a few feet away, and she wondered if the keys to the locks were there. On top of it, she noticed a dagger with a cobra carved into the silver handle. Her eye moved to the blade which glistened with fresh, red blood. She screamed louder than she had ever screamed before.
***
IN ELIDA, OHIO, Max stirred in his bed, caught up in the same powerful dream trap that had caught Luna in the next town over. In his mind, he was back in that bloody forest, in the dream at exactly the place where the other one had left off. He wouldn’t have to deal with getting shot a third time, and that brought him some relief. He never thought he’d say it, but he was glad he had already been wounded this time through.