Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Shit, I needed a weapon or at the very least a plan.
Satisfied its prey wasn’t going anywhere, the wraith turned its focus on the blubbering man. It lifted Josh, high enough that only the tips of his toes scraped the ground beneath him, and his hands flew to the claws clamped around his neck.
My heart sped to an unfathomable tempo as I somehow sensed what was about to happen. The wraith tangled its other set of claws in Josh’s hair, holding him by it, and then closed its fist around his neck so tightly, it severed Josh’s head in one clean snap. His lifeless body fell in a heap to the ground, while the wraith held his head perfectly in place.
It cocked its head to one side, curious. Evaluating. Watching the life drain out of him like waiting for a secret to be revealed.
The sight of his decapitation caused a physical reaction like I’d never experienced. I was sure I was going to throw up or pass out, and the only thing keeping either of those things from happening was that my body couldn’t decide which to do first.
I wanted to look away, to unsee what had just happened, but I was stiff and stuck. Locked inside myself like my body was a cage. I stared unblinking as the wraith shifted, allowing me to see what lay beyond it in its lair.
There was a stack of human skulls, and on top sat the newly collected ones.
Josh’s severed head was added to the pile of trophies, and when that task was done, the wraith returned to his body. What was it doing?
Oh, Jesus. It began to eat him.
I was finally able to tear my gaze away and swallow back the bile that had risen in my throat, which burned as it went back down. I couldn’t let that happen to Chelsea, but damn it, I needed a fucking idea.
My hands shook, and I closed them into fists to steady myself, only for my fingertips to brush against a stone on the ground. It was roughly the size of a baseball and mostly smooth.
The plan that formed wasn’t a good one, but it was all I had.
I palmed the rock, getting a feel for the weight of it.
The wraith was too busy tearing off one of Josh’s limbs to notice the girl he’d discarded wasn’t dead or unconscious. Chelsea began to stir, and hope burst inside me. She watched the wraith and then glanced around, looking alert. Had she been playing dead to plan her escape?
I willed her to look over and spot me at the edge of the boulder, and the universe answered. Her cautious gaze swept past and then snapped back to me with surprise. I put a finger to my lips, signaling to stay quiet, even though I was sure that was already her plan.
It was hard to know how much she could see in the low light, but I showed her the rock in my hand. I pointed to myself then motioned how I intended to throw it. Then I pointed to her and back the way we’d come, the route I wanted her to run.
Did she understand?
Her head bobbed in a tight nod.
Okay, good. I took a moment to prepare myself, stretching and rolling my shoulder to get the muscles loose. I’d need as much distance as I could get if she had any hope of getting away. I visualized my throw the same way I visualized a race before its start, mapping the trajectory for maximum success.
You can do this, I hyped myself up. You’re fast as hell.
I pulled air into my lungs, letting it expand my chest, before signaling to her with a thumbs-up. Then I counted down with my fingers.
Three.
Two.
One.
I reared back and heaved the rock as hard as I could, pitching it over the wraith’s head, and quickly lost sight of it in the dark sky. A few seconds later, it cracked against the rocks in the distance, shattering loud enough that the wraith stopped mid-chew. Its head turned toward the sound before it abandoned its meal and hurried off to investigate.
I let out a tight breath as it moved away, putting close to forty yards between itself and Chelsea.
Now, I screamed in my head.
She took off, her feet sending rocks skittering as she rushed through the boneyard, sprinting toward the trees. As she got closer, I scooped up the next two biggest rocks I could find, loading ammunition into my hands, and stood from my hiding place.
“Don’t stop,” I whisper yelled as she came near. “I’m right behind you.”
She flew past me, charging into the forest and heading back toward the carnival. I needed her to literally run for her life if she was going to make it back to the mirror and outrun the wraith in shoes not made for sprinting.