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“But Lan hasn’t sculpted in a while,” Remi says after swallowing a bite of food. “The other day, he said it’s just dull.”
“Dull?” Bran echoes. “Sculpting is the only thing that reins him in.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s been acting like a maniac lately.”
That can’t be a good sign, right?
We play together for another hour before I have to leave. Partly because I don’t want my brother to question why I was out late and partly because I don’t want to cross paths with Lan on my way out.
Still, I keep thinking about the conversation I had with Bran and Remi. How can I use the information I learned to get rid of that bastard Lan?
The answer is that I can’t. At least, not yet.
But I can store the information for later, until I eventually come up with something.
The chill of the night prickles my skin as I walk to the car.
It’s darker than I anticipated. I don’t like being outside alone in the dark. It’s where the monster lurk, waiting to ambush me.
The low yellow lights stacked between the trees do little to dissipate the claim of the night.
My skin crawls and I have to breathe deeply so as not to trigger the weak part of me.
I take large steps, but it doesn’t help to dissipate my imagination.
A rustle swishes from the trees before large heads with big, ugly snake eyes rear through the branches.
My breath catches and I give up trying to stay cool, then run to where I parked my car.
You’re not taking me today, assholes.
Not today.
The monsters flicker and grow in size until I can feel them spreading behind me like wildfire. They’re running and I’m running, but I don’t think I can outrun them.
My muscles scream with exertion and my breathing comes out chopped and unnatural.
I’m almost to the car.
Almost—
I jolt to a halt when a dark figure appears from behind a tree, wearing a mask.
A scream bubbles at the back of my throat, but I can’t release it.
All I can do is stand there as it approaches me with the intention of swallowing me whole.
“We meet again, mouse.”
7
MIA
“Bad girls get punished, and there’s nothing I love more than punishing.”
No.
My feet tremble, and a pebble creaks beneath my foot as I slide one leg back.
