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Chapter Twenty: United
Roark RyderDedicated to Dagny, for never giving up on trying to tame the monster inside me
Related chapters
The Dark Ones Chapter One: Desire
Georgia was soaking wet. The rain glided off her head and down her face, making her eyes burn slightly on the way down. Her shoes splashed loudly as she ran to the pavement and onto Morris Street, dipping in and out of large puddles along the way. By the time she reached the other side, even her knees were drenched. Her feet felt damp and wrinkled, her trainers doing a poor job of keeping water out. Her socks were soggy and disgusting as they splotched with every step now. She pulled her hoodie tighter over her head, lamenting the thought of how her hair was going to frizz up. Her backpack bounced behind her, weighed down more by the rain. She hoped the waterproof material would hold up and dreaded the thought of what her books might look like if it didn’t. The wind was beginning to howl and it sent the rain swishing in different directions. The chill was bad today. This time of year in Milwaukee usually spelled the end of the cold season but despite it being the last week of March,
The Dark Ones Chapter Two: Revelation
By the time Georgia finally reached the parking lot of Beldon High, she was drenched and shivering. The familiar gray and red entrance came into view as it arched over double-length sliding doors. The clouds ahead cast a morose tone over the day that echoed her mood. The parking lot was full but seemed to lack color today. Even the trees around the lot were dull and lifeless, the sky casting everything below it in a pallid tinge. As she neared the entrance, the usual throng of students was down to a small trickle as most kids were already inside. Joining the line, the chattering group in front of Georgia did nothing to ease her mixed emotions. Their inane conversations were so typical, a bunch of tripe with no substance beyond obsessing over how many likes their latest social media post received, or whatever bandwagon cause they were championing today. They were the reason older people thought of her generation as being nothing but a bunch of whiny weaklings. Georgia sighed inwar
The Dark Ones Chapter Three: Dejection
Georgia couldn’t have told a soul what went on around her that day. For the first time in her life she played truant at school. She was physically present through every class but her mind couldn’t have been further away. From class to class, wherever Georgia went, she felt the back of her neck burn. Hayden Ryder always managed to get in before her and sit at the back. Every class she entered, she tried to make eye contact with him as she walked to her seat. Each time she wanted to speak or say something to him, she lost the nerve once it came time to actually let out the words. Frustratingly, he always kept his head down and never once looked up to see her. It might have been easier if he did. He could have spoken first and broken the tension Georgia felt. Homeroom was the worst. Hayden had taken the seat directly behind Georgia. Her eyes were fixed on his face as he passed, as were every girls’ in the class. Some of them even giggled unashamedly and openly catcalled him which Mrs.Jo
The Dark Ones Chapter Four: Fantasy
Georgia was drying her hair. It felt good to finally be clean and warm for the first time that day. The steaming water from the shower felt great. It wasn’t just the heat that was soothing. The cleansing embrace of the water made her feel like she was washing off the anger and frustration from her day too. It had been one of the craziest days of her life at Beldon High, one that left her feeling dejected by its end. Actually it was HIM that left you feeling that way. Try as she might, she could not get Hayden Ryder out of her mind. After toweling off and changing into her favorite warm pajamas, Georgia sat at the edge of her bed as the rain continued to fall outside her window. Replaying the day in her mind, one thing kept jumping out as a highlight. The venom in Hayden’s words when he told her to “stay out of it” felt so unnecessary. She was angry inside as she thought of how contorted his face was when he said it. It was almost like he hated her. The thought that maybe he did j
The Dark Ones Chapter Five: Surprise
As Georgia watched the sights of her town flit past the large window, her mind consumed them on autopilot. Grayston could be a dreary place at times and the gray tinge from the dark clouds above made it seem more lifeless today than usual. Her mind was on her dream from the night before. Hayden had featured in it more prominently than she’d ever admit to anyone. No surprise there! Her mind was half annoyed and half confused at its relentless obsession with him. The dream itself added a new layer of mystique to him. It started with her being able to see him. He was beautiful and strong, his skin seeming to glow under a moonlit night, the sinew of his arms and chest a million times more desirable because of it. She kept trying to reach him but he kept pushing her away. Even in his rejections of her, she couldn’t help noticing how strong and forceful his touch was. It excited her somehow. “Let me in,” she kept pleading with him. The more desperate her cries became, the more her consc
The Dark Ones Chapter Six: Connection
Georgia could scarcely believe that a few minutes ago she had been on her way home. Now she was sitting in the passenger seat of Hayden’s car still unable to truly comprehend how she’d gotten there. Her mind was ringing with questions. She didn’t remember actually jumping in. Everything felt like a blur after he’d mentioned his own dream. Now she sat there stunned as he floored his car around the suburban streets of Grayston. Despite all her confusion, Georgia couldn’t help but admire the assured manner in which he handled the powerful car. Even at the high speeds that the car was careening around the twisty bends in the road, Georgia felt safe. Her mind was still racing though. She watched him from the corner of her eye, partly engrossed by his muscular frame which was even more impressive now that she sat right next to him, and partly fearful that he hadn’t said a word since she got in. While she was a nervous wreck, Hayden appeared much calmer, and even a little happier now that s
The Dark Ones Chapter Seven: Fear
Georgia reached home on a cloud. The short time she spent with Hayden felt like a virtual lifetime to her. He’d dropped her off at the entrance to her road. Georgia knew her neighbors could be nosy at times and didn’t want to have to explain to her parents why she’d been dropped off by a gorgeous young man driving a black sports car. Hayden had been sweet. He’d walked over to her side and let her out. He promised again that they’d talk more soon and she believed him, looking forward to it like a kid waiting for Christmas. She’d felt an overwhelming urge to hug him goodbye but fought it and let him leave with a sigh to herself as he drove away. She knew deep down this wasn’t normal. People didn’t feel this enamored after only knowing someone for two days. Yet, she did. She thought over the last few years of her life, trying to understand what it all meant. Her two previous forays into dating were enough for her to think she didn’t need to have a boyfriend right now. She’d carried on w
The Dark Ones Chapter Eight: Doubt
Georgia’s mind was consumed. It was her default setting these days. Ever since Hayden walked into her life, it felt like nothing had ever been the same again. She still shuddered at the sight of the body. It was two days later and she still couldn’t shake the memory of it. She’d seen a dead body before. When she was fourteen her mom and her drove past the scene of an accident. It was gruesome. The driver was slumped over at the wheel, blood congealing down his head and neck, the dashboard pushed back into him, crushing his body. It had stuck with her for a while but eventually, she’d forgotten all about it. This was different. This lingered with her. The local radio station update bringing it all to the fore again. “Authorities are still searching for the perpetrator behind this horrific act. While early indications are that the victim’s wounds are consistent with an animal attack, police haven’t ruled out the possibility of this being a murder. Whatever’s behind the death of Claudin
Latest chapter
- The Dark Ones Chapter Twenty: United
- The Dark Ones Chapter Nineteen: Uncertainty
- The Dark Ones Chapter Eighteen: Bitter-Sweet
- The Dark Ones Chapter Seventeen: Remorse
- The Dark Ones Chapter Sixteen: Understanding
- The Dark Ones Chapter Fifteen: Loved
- The Dark Ones Chapter Fourteen: Hopeless
- The Dark Ones Chapter Thirteen: Hope
- The Dark Ones Chapter Twelve: Pleasure
