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Chapter Six
Bella Tomlin shiveredas a chill ran down her spine as she stood with her friends in front of the warehouse, and she felt the weight of the moon’s power coursing through her veins. Her green eyes scanned the assembled group: Karl, Fiona, Max, Layla, and Jake, each looking equally uneasy.
“All right, everyone,” Jake said, rubbing his hands together. “I’m still on call, but I’ll do what I can to help. They’ll notify me if I’m needed elsewhere.”
“Thanks, Jake,” Bella replied, managing a small smile. She sensed the tension in the air, and her empathetic nature urged her to reassure her friends. “We’ve got this.”
As they approached the warehouse, Bella couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The wind picked up, rustling the few leaves on nearby trees, and Layla’s red curls danced around her face. Layla glanced at the sky, her blue eyes narrowing as if listening to the whispers of the north wind.
“Let’s move quickly,” Layla said, her voice tight with urgency. “There’s something coming.”
Karl took the lead, his military training evident in his confident stride. He nodded at Jake, who moved forward to help him pry open the rusted metal door. The screech of metal against metal pierced the silence, making Bella wince.
They stepped inside, their flashlights sweeping over dusty crates and broken machinery. A musty smell filled the air, mingling with the faint scent of fear. Bella’s heart thudded in her chest as they ventured deeper into the dark space.
“Over here!” Fiona called out, her flashlight beam illuminating a huddled figure in the corner. As they rushed over, they discovered not one, but three women, bound and weak, their eyes wide with terror.
“Please...help us,” one of the women managed to whisper, her voice barely audible.
“Stay calm,” Karl said, his steely blue eyes filled with determination. “We’re here to help.”
As they tended to the women, Bella couldn’t help but worry about what had brought them here and who had done this to them. She glanced around at her friends, each absorbed in their own thoughts and actions.
Jake spoke softly to the women, reassuring them as he gently untied their bindings, while Layla handed out water bottles from her backpack. Max stood watch near the entrance, his sheriff’s instincts keeping him alert for any threats.
Bella looked over at Fiona, who was deep in conversation with one of the victims. Her brown eyes expressed empathy and understanding as she used her unique abilities to ease the woman’s fear. It was moments like these that reminded Bella why they had all been drawn together—to help those in need.
The warehouse’s musty air seemed to thicken as the group huddled around the three weakened women. Bella caught a whiff of damp earth and aged wood, the scent of the place wrapping around her like an unwelcome embrace. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing through her veins with the urgency of their mission.
“Who could’ve done this?” Fiona murmured, her voice barely louder than the fluttering wings of a moth.
“Maybe we’ll get some answers soon,” Bella replied, doing her best to sound reassuring.
As if on cue, the temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Goosebumps erupted along Bella’s arms, and she shivered as her breath fogged in front of her. A spectral figure materialized before them, its ethereal form flickering like a candle flame struggling against the wind. The specter, whose face was shadowed, whispered, “Clarissa Harrington is possessing a mortal man, forcing him to kidnap these women!”
“I’ll call 911,” Layla suggested. “We need to get these women help as soon as possible.”
“Agreed, but it’ll be faster if I use my radio,” Max said, his gaze never leaving the specter of Clarissa.
Bella couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that settled in her gut. They had discovered the kidnapper’s identity, but the road ahead would be filled with uncertainty and danger. Yet, she knew that together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
“Hello? Yes, we found three women at an old warehouse,” Fiona spoke into the phone, her voice calm and steady. “They’re alive but need help immediately.”
Bella watched her friend relay their location to the dispatcher and felt a small measure of relief. Help was on the way. But as she glanced around the dimly lit warehouse, she knew that this was only the beginning of a much larger battle.
The air crackled with tension, the scent of ozone lingering like a warning just beyond the senses. Bella glanced around at her friends, each one poised and alert, their eyes darting over the shadows cast by their phone flashlights. It wasn’t long before the atmosphere shifted, and a cold, eerie presence settled amongst them.
“Speak of the devil,” Karl muttered under his breath, as Clarissa materialized from the darkness. Her chilling gray eyes were fixed on them, a predatory gleam in her gaze.
“Clarissa!” Bella exclaimed, her heart pounding in her chest. “We know what you’ve been doing, possessing that man to kidnap these women.”
“Such clever little mortals,” Clarissa purred, a wicked smile curling her lips. “But I’m afraid your discovery has come too late.”
