The ground seemed a terrifying distance away as I stared through the open window, my stomach twisting into tight knots. Pain was already blooming in my imagination, the brutal snap of bone, the raw scrape of skin against hard earth.“If you don't jump now, get ready to become Dior and Alvin's slave forever.” Laurel’s voice echoed in my mind, cutting through the paralysis. “Now or never, Lou.”Drawing in one last breath to steady my frayed nerves, I hauled myself over the sill. I counted silently in my head, one, two, ready, go! and plunged into the air.For a single, moment, my eyes stayed open, watching the earth rush up to meet me. Then panic won out. I squeezed my eyelids shut and braced for the blow.The impact was a dull sound, but the pain tore through me instantly. I collapsed onto the ground, groaning, paralyzed by the fresh ache radiating through my body. My right shoulder throbbed so violently I was certain it had popped out of its socket, but as I gently massaged the
Last Updated : 2026-08-21 Read more