The Night Unfurls Novels & Stories

She thought. Bianca should have had her back, but she didn’t and Anna was angry at her, but not angry enough to not pose seductively for her graduation photo. “Guys, are we still on for tonight?” Matteo inquired. Adrian rolled his eyes and said, “The plan should already be in motion.” Matteo smirked as he showed them a key and proudly said, “It is.” Sophia took the group of friends out for a celebratory lunch, and their parents joined. And by the evening, everyone's parents had given them permission to stay at Bianca's house for the night.

Afterwards I decide to go back upstairs and rest for the remainder of the evening. Night falls, and with it a thunderstorm stirs up. Lightening cracks and for some reason outside of my bedroom, I swear I see sinister red eyes peering in at me. Feel like it must be the exhaustion of the day. I close the blinds, turn on N*****x. I feel dread again as a precaution. I make sure the house is locked up with the deadbolts he installed. I also lock my room to make sure I am extra safe. I snuggle up with a blanket and put on the TV. I change my mind about N*****x and put on “Discovery of Witches” on A****n Prime. Wishing I could find a man like Matthew.

Fred, Bryan, Naomi? I pressed a pillow to my chest, trying to quiet the noise. I was tired of doubting good things, tired of wondering who was safe. But for tonight, I chose to believe. Even if it was foolish. Even if it hurt later. That small belief was enough to help me sleep. Or at least, I thought it would be. But when I lay on my back, staring at the ceiling, the night refused to rest. The hum of the generator outside, the barking dogs, the faint smell of my mother’s oil perfume, everything felt too alive. My thoughts wouldn’t stop racing.

The last thing I remembered was his arm around me as we stepped into the cool night air. The next thing I knew, I was waking up in an unfamiliar bed, sunlight streaming through the window. I groaned, my head pounding like it was going to explode. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the fog from my brain. The room around me was modern and clean, but definitely not mine. I turned my head, and my heart nearly stopped. David Collins was lying beside me—shirtless, fast asleep, and looking way too comfortable. My breath caught in my throat. “What the hell did I do?” I whispered to myself.

“You and your father will get along perfectly.” My phone buzzed again. Unknown number. Quiet nights are dangerous. Like the night your father died. Cold shivered through me. Another message: 10 days until your due date. Think you’ll both make it that far? My hand shook. Not out of fear — out of fury. I deleted the messages silently. Tonight, I let Alex rest. Tomorrow, I would tell him. Tonight, this fear was mine to burn. Sleep didn’t come easily. My mind ran loops — the past, the future, the fragile now that held them together. My body ached with weight and life and readiness.

The Song of the Stars The night was vast and endless, a dome of shimmering constellations spread across the horizon like a celestial tapestry. The cool breeze carried with it the scent of wildflowers and the whisper of leaves, a symphony that seemed to echo the stillness that followed the storm of recent events. Lyra stood at the cliff’s edge, her cloak dancing with the wind as she gazed into the distance where the first traces of dawn began to paint the horizon in hues of violet and gold.

But not tonight. My heart is racing so fast and anxiety is threatening to take over again. Every time I blink, I see Kristy lying on the ground, eyes half open and unmoving. Ruth strides forward, going to the tree where the demon tied me up and tried to burn me. The bark is still singed from the fire and the grass and weeds around the tree are just now starting to grow back. “I can feel his power!” She puts both hands on the tree. “Call him forth.”

It was the altar, however, that drew the eye. It was obviously supposed to be the centerpiece to the whole… what's the right word? Scene seemed almost too mundane… maybe art installation? No, that isn't right either…I don't know what to call it, but it doesn't really matter anyway, except the altar was the focal point. Real candles surrounded it in long holders, which I imagine Julia didn't mention to the fire marshal, who clearly signed off on all of this. The altar itself was a table covered in runes, and laying on it was what I actually mistook for a real naked woman, made up to look almost exactly like Rachel Meers, the moment we first see her murdered body.

The Night-Blooming Garden was the most beautiful and popular place in the Cloud City. More than a garden, it would be more appropriate to describe it as a forest, but as it was located in the heart of the city and a long road crossed it, many would go there, especially at night, when the most beautiful flowers would open with the beginning of each season.

“You’ve got tonight to fall apart. But tomorrow? We rise. Together.” Mirabella tosses me a fresh towel. “Wash your face..”