Duskwood - Choose or Lose

Chapter 17

Aiden POV

I woke up in the middle of the night and immediately realized that Cindy was no longer lying next to me. I turned on the lamp on the bedside table and saw that her clothes were gone, her cell phone was gone as well. An uneasy feeling overcame me. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and got up and searched the house. Cindy was nowhere to be found. In the hallway I saw that her shoes were gone and also her jacket.

I saw a note in the kitchen, "If I'm not back by tomorrow morning, I'm in trouble. I'll explain later."

"Oh, please don't," I whispered.

I went into the bedroom and quickly threw on my clothes. I sat down at my computer and tried to hack into her phone to find out her location. It took a while, but I made it. I know she's going to kill me for this, but I had to find her.

She is in the woods?

Has she lost her mind?

A voice called into my head calling out to me, "She's a witch who can see in the dark, she can take care of herself."

I ignored the voice, maybe she could see in the dark, but others couldn't! She can easily be kidnapped there without anyone noticing. I winced at the thought of her being kidnapped. I zoomed in on her location and saw a strange house. I sent the picture to Phil, he must be online as he just closed his bar.

Aiden: Do you know where this house is?

It took a while, but finally an answer came.

Phil: This is the dare house in Duskwood, why?

Aiden: Thank you!

I ignored his question why I wanted to know and searched the internet for a way there and sprinted out of the house. Outside I saw her car gone and cursed under my breath. I slipped into my car and drove the prescribed route. I got out at a parking lot. I still had to walk ten minutes. The sound of footsteps on gravel came beneath my feet. The tone of my footsteps changed as I entered the forest. Cracking branches and wet leaves. I walked along the path indicated by my cell phone, the path there was already completely flat. Apparently, a lot of people are walking to this house.

My cell phone vibrated in my hand to let me know I had arrived at my destination. When I looked up all I could see was the hugging of a house and the wind in the trees. I heard the many animals that lived in the night scurrying around. And then I saw a figure, the outline of this figure was more than familiar to me. Cindy. She stood frozen in place, looking straight ahead at a tree. I didn't see anyone standing there, but she seemed to be.

A big step sounded from the tree, which could only be heard because a branch broke under the step.

My heart was pounding in my throat, I couldn't see anything, only hear. Cindy still didn't move, how long had she been standing there like that? Cindy took a step toward the tree and my instincts told me to intervene.

I ran towards her and just as I was about to grab her, I heard an all too familiar voice. "You should come alone!"

My head snapped to the voice and blood red eyes pierced my soul which made me stand in front of Cindy. I felt Cindy shaking behind me and clutching at my side like she was scared like I was going to disappear at any moment.

"R... Ruby?" I stuttered. The blood red eyes came closer.

The smell emanating from this figure was Ruby's scent and that soft voice was one of a kind. There was no doubt Ruby was standing right in front of me. But these eyes.