AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m shocked they didn’t come back to finish the job,” Eli says. “It was clearly close.”
“Look at the shining metal underneath some of the gouges. This was recent. And who has been on this farm recently? Us. We likely scared them away,” I point out. That has all of us exchanging frowns.
“We need tools,” Raven said. “We are definitely not using rocks to do this.”
“Oh, but it’s too close,” Eli protests as he frantically looks around for a large stone. “Ha!” He snatches up a jagged rock, wrapping his hoodie sleeve around his hand and gripping it, then climbing his way over to the lock.
The first hit has both Raven and I flinching. Rust flies off of the poor lock but it holds on for dear life as Eli pummels it with his stone. By the time it gives up the fight and falls to the rocky ground below he’s panting and has to wipe sweat from his brow.
His triumphant look has Raven cheering for him. Neither one of them hesitate to work together to pull open the door.
I, however, can’t move.
A fear I haven’t known since Stella has been out of our lives is gripping at my chest, tightening around it, and refusing to let go. I’m frozen and can’t even get my mouth open to speak.
Then, I see it.
Something is moving in the shadows beyond the entrance. Raven and Eli are talking but it sounds like I’m a million miles away. I have no clue what is happening until the figure moves past them to stand in front of me.
The world slowed even further as we stand off. It has no features, no face, only a presence that chills me to the bone. Whatever this thing is, it’s been stuck here. It isn’t made of anger and violence, it’s made of torture and sadness.
This cave is a tomb and I know that whatever is beyond these doors, we’ll never be able to unsee.
Raven
“What did you say, Lucien?” I question, looking up from Eli.
He shakes his head at me, “I didn’t say anything.”
There is confusion on his handsome face. I move a little closer to him, reaching for him.
Lucien looks me over, “I thought I saw a shadow, but I didn’t say anything.”
“That’s so weird. I could’ve sworn I heard my name,” I tell them both. Am I just convincing myself that my power has returned? I was so scared of it when I first got it, but now it’s a part of me as much as breathing.
“Raven,” a bodiless voice whispers. This time, I know I heard it. I spin around and try to spot whatever is speaking but it’s gone.
“There, did you hear that?” I question my guys. They both look confused when I turn back to face them and I feel both confused and ridiculous.
“The only thing I hear is the wind kicking up outside,” Eli says nervously. “And I don’t feel anything, no creepy last memories at least.”
“The gate, you must open it,” the voice commands. The conviction behind it makes it impossible to ignore and a cold shiver runs down my spine. Both Lucien and Eli step closer to offer support.
“It’s telling me to open the gate,” I tell them.
“Sounds like a ghost trap. We don’t even know what we will find behind there,” Lucien says rationally.
“What if Pandora is in there? I need to know, I have to find her,” I tell them, almost pleading. “We already got in, we have to keep moving.”
I left her when we were kids, my parents not giving me a choice on that matter, but I wasn’t a little girl anymore. I know in my heart that she isn’t alive, but I will do what I can to make it up to her. A proper funeral and all. That’s all I can do now but I won’t let her down again.
“Rock?” Eli asks, holding up his makeshift weapon. “I can see if I can break the hinges the rest of the way off. It’s rusty enough we won’t get it to budge otherwise.”
“Eli, you don’t have anything in the pack?” I ask, raising a brow at him.
“Shit, I forgot that I was wearing this,” he says with a facepalm.
He slings it off his shoulders and begins to sift through the bag, throwing out useless objects to the right and left.
