All Chapters of The Dark Ones: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

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,

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

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

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

Nothing about Georgia Pearce’s world made any sense from the moment Hayden Ryder stepped into it. All the mystery, fear, and desire she’d experienced since meeting him had reached a crescendo with his latest bombshell. Georgia stared at him incredulously for a moment, scarcely able to comprehend what he was saying. “What do you mean you know who killed her? Who is it? How do you know?” The questions streamed out of her in a flurry. Her mind felt almost unhinged. This was all so sudden and crazy—just a few days ago her life was ordinary and boring, and now she was having a conversation about a murderer. Hayden looked conflicted. The expression he wore was a pained one that seemed to silently communicate an inner-struggle. He took an eternity to answer and Georgia was about to yell at him again when he finally spoke. “You…wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.” “I don’t know what I believe anymore since meeting you, so try me.”Hayden sighed heavily and buried his head in his han