Jack's POVI grabbed Beth’s hand, pulling her toward the stairs, every muscle in my body screaming in pain. We were almost there. Almost free. The front door loomed ahead, a promise of escape. We stumbled forward, our breaths ragged, our bodies barely holding together.Then, just as we were about to step through, Beth was yanked from my grasp."Beth!" I screamed, whirling around.She was there—held aloft by the hair, her feet dangling inches above the ground. The witch stood behind her, grinning, her hollow eyes locked onto mine. Beth thrashed, clawing at the iron grip around her scalp, but it was useless.My stomach lurched as the witch’s jaw unhinged unnaturally wide, her rotten teeth bared, aiming for Beth’s neck."Wait, wait! Please wait!" I cried, desperation clawing at my throat. "Don’t do this—take me instead! Please, take me!"Tears blurred my vision as I stared into the witch’s dead, soulless eyes. My hands trembled at my sides. I would do anything, anything, to keep Beth ali
Jack's POVI didn’t hesitate—I rushed to Beth’s side, wrapping an arm around her to help her up. She was weak, her body trembling from exhaustion and shock. We limped toward the front door, each step agonizing, but all I could think about was getting us both out of this hellhole.Just as we reached the threshold, Beth suddenly stopped, gripping my arm tightly. “We can’t leave,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over our labored breathing.I turned to her, my brows furrowing in disbelief. “Beth, we need to get out of here before—”“We have to find Suzan,” she interrupted, her eyes filled with desperate determination.I swallowed hard, every instinct screaming at me to run, to take Beth and escape before something else went wrong. But the way she looked at me, that unshakable resolve—it made me pause.“I know what you’re going to say,” Beth continued, her fingers digging into my arm as if to anchor herself, “but we can’t let my brother’s sacrifice be in vain.”My jaw clenched, tor
Jack's POVThe witch’s movements were swift and unyielding as she tossed Simon’s limp body onto the cold stone table in the center of the room. His body hit the surface with a sickening thud, and I could barely breathe as she stood over him, methodically picking up the gleaming axe. The metal reflected dimly in the low light, and a chill ran through me. I was powerless, trapped in place by the witch’s dark magic, my body frozen in fear.Simon stirred weakly, his eyes wide with terror as he realized what was about to happen. His chest rose and fell in rapid breaths, but his limbs wouldn’t obey him. He tried to speak, but no words came out—only a faint whimper. My throat tightened, and my heart began to pound as I watched the witch raise the axe above her head.“Simon!” I tried to scream, but my voice was lost in the suffocating silence. My chest felt like it was caving in, every second dragging on forever.With a swift motion, the witch brought the axe down, slicing through Simon’s bod
Jack's POVThe stench of rot and decaying flesh contaminated the air, thick and suffocating. My body was frozen, unable to move, as the reality of our situation set in. The only thing I could do was silently cry, my throat tight with fear and helplessness.I watched in horror as the witch paced around the room, her long, twisted fingers tracing the air like she was savouring the moment. She moved between us, one by one, sampling our blood. Each cut she made, each drop she tasted, was a reminder of our helplessness.But then something shifted inside me. I realized, with a sickening jolt, that I was still capable of feeling pain. That shouldn’t have been possible. My body felt numb, my limbs unresponsive, but the searing sting of my palm being sliced open reminded me that I was still alive, still here, still trapped.The pain was unbearable, and I couldn’t help but whimper, unable to stop myself. But it didn’t matter. The witch’s gaze never left me as she grinned, her smile impossibly w
Luke's POVI watched as Jack, Beth, and Simon rode off into the forest, their figures disappearing into the distance. A knot tightened in my stomach as the reality hit me: I had to find my sister, and I wouldn’t stop until I did. I had no idea what I was walking into, but I knew one thing for sure—I couldn’t just sit back and wait for someone else to find her. I had to act.I pulled out my phone and dialed Adam. The phone rang a few times before he picked up, his voice casual as he greeted me."Hey, you changed your mind already?" Adam chuckled, but I could hear the hesitation in his tone.I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves. "No, actually, I need your help with something," I said, my voice firm. "I need to know where I can find the witch's cabin."There was a pause on the other end. I could almost feel Adam's brow furrow through the phone. "The witch's cabin? Luke, what are you—""Just tell me where it is," I interrupted, the urgency in my voice clear. "I don't have time
Luke's POVMorning had arrived, but the wind still howled through the streets as I stood beneath a flickering streetlamp, pressing yet another flyer into a passerby’s hand.“Suzan’s missing,” I murmured, my gaze falling to my sister’s face on the paper. I had been out here for hours, handing them out, clinging to hope—desperate for anything. But no one knew a damn thing.I was startled by the sound of my best friend, Jack."Yo, Luke! You good?" he called out, rolling up beside me on his bike.I barely registered his voice at first. My grip on the flyers tightened, my fingers crumpling the edges as I exhaled shakily. The distress written all over my face must’ve been obvious because Jack’s expression shifted from casual concern to something more serious.“You okay, man? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”I hesitated, my grip tightening on the flyers in my hands. My eyes darted around, scanning the area as if making sure no one else was listening. Then, without a word, I handed Jack on