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“Then we’ll have no choice but to stop you,” Max declared, steeling himself for the battle ahead.
As the wind howled and the temperature dropped further, Layla felt an icy grip on her heart. She knew that confronting the ghost would be dangerous, but she believed they were the only people who could do it.
The wind screamed through the room like a thousand lost souls, battering at their resolve and forcing them to cling to one another for support. Layla shivered against Jake’s broad chest, her heart pounding in fear as they faced the terrifying specter before them.
“Charles,” Fiona called out, her voice wavering slightly with emotion. “We know about Rebecca—your sister-in-law. She disappeared before the others, didn’t she? Before Clarissa started killing.”
Charles’s ghostly form flickered, his eyes narrowing in anger. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Maybe it’s the key to breaking this curse,” Layla suggested, trying to keep her voice steady. “Bound by love, bound by blood. Only through a union of souls can the darkness be undone. It doesn’t have to be you and Clarissa. What if...what if it was Rebecca and someone who truly loved her?”
“Impossible!” Charles spat, his form growing more agitated. “Rebecca is long gone. Nothing can bring her back.”
“Nothing’s impossible,” Bella chimed in, her eyes reflecting the silver light of the moon. “With the right magic, and the right intention, we might just have a chance.”
Layla glanced at Fiona, noting the subtle way she rubbed her belly, and felt a sudden surge of determination. This wasn’t just about solving a mystery or saving a haunted town anymore—it was about protecting the life growing inside her friend. They couldn’t afford to fail.
“Charles, please,” Layla urged, moving closer to the ghost despite her fear. “You’ve been trapped here long enough. Don’t you want to be free?”
“Free?” The spectral figure trembled, rage boiling beneath the surface. “There is no freedom without my Clarissa.”
“Maybe not,” Jake said, stepping forward and wrapping an arm protectively around Layla. “But isn’t it worth a try? For your own sake, and for the sake of all the people who’ve suffered because of this curse.”
“Jake’s right,” Max agreed, his hand on the hilt of the knife he’d brought just in case. “Give us a chance to help you, Charles. Let us try to find Rebecca and bring her back. It could be the key to everything.”
The ghost hesitated, his angry energy wavering as he considered their offer. His gaze flicked between Jake and Layla, as if weighing the sincerity of their words.
“Very well,” Charles finally agreed, his voice barely audible over the raging wind. “You have one night—no more. If you fail, I will unleash my wrath upon this town like never before.”
“Deal,” Layla breathed, swallowing hard against the fear that threatened to choke her. She couldn’t help but wonder what they had just gotten themselves into.
As the ghost vanished, leaving them shivering in the sudden silence, Layla looked up at Jake with determination in her eyes. “We have to find Rebecca and break this curse, not just for Charles, but for Fiona and her baby too.”
“Whatever it takes,” Jake promised, his grip on her hand tightening as they faced the unknown together.
Layla and Jake led the group out of the haunted mansion, their minds racing with the possibilities and dangers ahead. They had to act fast if they were going to save the souls of the Harringtons and break the curse. But where to start?
“We need to find out what happened to Rebecca,” Max said, his eyes scanning the moonlit countryside. “Maybe there are some clues in the town archives. I know we’ve been through them, but we have to be missingsomething!”
“Good idea,” Layla agreed, her heart racing with anticipation. “Let’s split up and meet back here in an hour. We’ll cover more ground that way.”
Jake nodded, his eyes flicking over to Fiona. “You should stay at my place. It’s not safe for you to be out on your own.”
Fiona nodded, her hand resting protectively on her stomach. “I’ll be fine. Just... be careful, all of you.”
With a final nod of assent, the group split up, each heading in a different direction. Layla and Jake headed toward the archives, their steps quickening as they approached the old building. The door creaked open under their touch, revealing row upon row of dusty books and papers.
They searched for what felt like hours, pulling out old journals and newspapers, scouring for any mention of Rebecca Andrews. At last, they found an old article dated from over a century ago.
“Layla, look at this,” Jake whispered, pointing to the yellowed page in front of them. “It says here that Rebecca disappeared just months before the others started to disappear one by one.”
“But why isn’t she mentioned in any of the other articles?” Layla asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
“Maybe the Harringtons knew something they didn’t want to share,” Jake suggested, his eyes scanning the article for any other clues.
“Or maybe they were too ashamed,” Layla said, as she read further down the article. “It says here that Rebecca had just given birth at the time of her disappearance. Maybe they didn’t want the scandal of an unwed mother.”
Jake’s eyes widened in realization. “That’s it. The curse—it’s not just about love and blood, it’s about family too. The Harringtons were so ashamed of what happened to Rebecca that they kept it a secret. They didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.”
