AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"You guys can just go about your ritual, or whatever other freaky fucking thing you were just doing. I'll continue… Cleansing the Demon's daughter."
There was no missing the smirk on his face as he said that. I was sure the whole group was well aware that his version of “cleansing” was very different from theirs.
We kept backing away until we were around the corner, and they were out of sight.
"Run," Stellan commanded, yanking me forward as we sprinted down the pathway, both of us checking behind us every couple of seconds for signs that they had followed.
But surprisingly, there was no hint of them. No sound of footsteps racing towards us, and the din of their voices eventually faded until it was just the sound of birds chirping and leaves wrestling the wind that we could hear.
"I'm beginning to feel like I'm not welcome in this town," I said mockingly.
Stellan and I stared at each other, our breaths coming out in gasps over the adrenaline of the moment.
And then for some reason, we both began laughing, uncontrollably.
The stress from the last few days had finally made us crack until we were both hunched over, our hands on our knees as tears streamed from our eyes with the force of our laughter.
Stellan straightened and used the bottom of his shirt to wipe at the moisture on his cheeks, the move revealing his perfect set of bronzed abs. "You know, my life has been really fucking weird since you came into it," he commented.
I pretended to be miffed by his statement. "You mean you don't usually have run-ins with crazy cult members obsessed with serial killers?" I mused.
He rolled his eyes, his features growing serious. I braced for the impact.
"I'm ready to go to his house."
The smirk I'd been wearing immediately disappeared. How the hell my life could go from brunch, to ice cream, to a run-in with a cult…to exploring a serial killer’s lair was anyone’s guess.
But Sophia deserved my best effort, and going into the hellscape that made up a Demon property was definitely part of that effort.
We jogged the rest of the way to the car, continuing to look behind us. But there was no sign of them. Stellan called and left an anonymous tip on the police hotline, alerting them of the gathering since no doubt there was freaky fuckery involved. And there were way too many children playing in that park for a cult to be gathered.
The mood grew darker the closer we got to the house. I was gripping the sides of my seat, trying to coach myself into accepting what I was going to do.
Out of the darkness, and into the light. To all that is good, and all that is bright, I recited in my head, over and over again, hoping that it would somehow give me enough bravery for what I was about to do.
I kept thinking that, as more and more shit happened to me, my ability to be ruined by the Demon would eventually diminish.
But somehow, I hadn’t seen any signs of it fading.
Stellan parked in his driveway, and we both sat in the car, just staring at the house next door.
It was still daytime, but somehow the sky felt darker, the whip in the wind more menacing as it rocked against the trees.
"Our love story was in her journals," he said softly, and my breath caught at the emotion in his voice.
“Yeah, it was, wasn't it," I replied. I picked at a thread coming loose in my jeans.
“And so was hers."
His gaze was caught on the Demon's house. "I was thinking as I read her entries that the best way to honor Sophia's memory would have been to protect you. And instead, all I've done is hurt you."
My hands were trembling as I reached up to push a stray piece of hair out of my face. How did he always know exactly what to say to make me want to cry?
"Yeah, that is all you’ve done," I finally answered. It started to rain then, the windshield growing blurry with the sheets of water falling on the glass.
Staring out my window, unable to look at him, I knew it was time to stop delaying. Just then, I noticed a faded green Jeep parked on the opposite side of Stellan’s house. It looked so familiar.
"Delilah, come on," Sophia said exasperatedly as she waited for me to decide what candy I was going to buy to bring into the theater.
