คลั่งรักซาตาน I

The loud crash of the heavy iron gate being forced open yanked me out of the suffocating panic of near-death.

I grabbed my panicked mom just as she was about to rush out to check what had happened and dragged her into my bedroom.

Locking the door behind us, I panted heavily and motioned for her to help me push the solid rosewood wardrobe against it.

"What are you doing now, Theodore? We have bodyguards. What are you so afraid of?"

Mom looked at me in confusion, although the terror in her eyes was impossible to hide. She still didn't know that my sister, Jessica Dawson, had taken all the bodyguards with her for the sake of her precious boyfriend.

"Mom, Jessica took all of them. It's just us in the house right now!"

I gritted my teeth, using every ounce of strength to shove the wardrobe into place. The heavy rosewood scraped across the floor with a harsh sound, leaving deep gouges behind.

Mom froze. She couldn't believe Jessica, who was usually reliable, would do something so reckless.

We were the Dawsons. Security had always been our top priority. It was inconceivable that all the bodyguards would have been gone.

Yet, she could only believe me as she saw my pale face.

"Quick! Call Jessica. Tell her to come home right now!" Mom urged, her voice trembling.

I didn't answer. My eyes remained fixed on the bedroom door, which was barely held shut by the wardrobe.

My hands trembled as I dialed the police. I spoke quickly and clearly, giving them our address and explaining what happened.

I didn't dare count on Jessica to get here in time, not after what happened in my previous life. She had returned far too late then. Mom was dead as she missed the window for emergency treatment.

My heart sank to the bottom after I hung up.

The roads had been blocked by snow for days. Our home was halfway up a mountain, and the nearest police station wasn't exactly close.

I didn't even want to imagine what might happen before help arrived.

A loud thud rattled the door. I instinctively pressed my body against the wardrobe, heart pounding as fear surged like a tidal wave.

Just then, Mom's call to Jessica finally went through.

"Jessica, come home! S-Someone's broken into the house!" Mom's voice cracked with panic.

On the other end, Jessica sounded impatient.

"Oh, Mom, stop making things up. I'm still waiting for the meteor shower with Wilson. I'll be back tomorrow."

"I'm not lying! There's really someone in the house! If you don't come back now, you can come collect our bodies later!" Mom's voice rose into a desperate scream.

Jessica's tone turned even colder.

"I know you don't like Wilson, but you didn't have to make up something like this just to scare me."