Beyond the Veil

Chapter 19

She parked in front of one of the trees and slammed the car to a stop, jumping out before the engine had completely turned off. Slamming the door shut with force, she ran into the forest.

Sera ran as fast as she could through the forest, her heart pounding in her chest. She called out for Saul, her voice echoing through the trees.

"Saul, where are you?" she cried out, her voice shaking with fear.

The branches and leaves of the trees whipped past her face as she dodged them, moving deeper into the forest. Her mind raced with thoughts of what could be happening to her and the people in this town, and she knew she had to find Saul to get answers.

As she ran, she stumbled on a tree root and nearly fell, but caught herself just in time. She looked up and saw a glint of light through the trees. She took a deep breath and pushed herself forward, sprinting towards the light.

Finally, she burst through the trees into the clearing, and there he was. Saul stood at the center, his eyes locked onto her.

"Sera," he said, his eyes wide and his face full of genuine concern, "are you okay?".

"Tell me." Sera said venomously. "I don't want any bullshit. You are going to tell me."

Saul looked like he wanted to reach out to steady her, but refrained from doing so. His eyes wandered over her, wildly assessing the situation.

His gaze fell upon the wound on her arm. Immediately his expression became murderous. His body tensed up and he was alert. "Was it him?" His voice was a low rumble, his eyes focusing on nothing but the claw marks on his arm.

Sera's heart raced in her chest. She didn't dare look away from him as she slowly stalked closer to him. "Answer me, Sera." A deep cold flurry settled around her, seeingly holding her in place, making her a prisoner to his gaze.

"Tell me!" She screamed. "Did you brainwash the men at the police station? How did you make them forget?"

Saul didn't even seem to understand the question, his eyes never left her arm. His expression was dark, his face that of a true predator. "Was it him? Was he the one who struck you?"

Sera took a cautious step back. "You're not even listening! Where is Nishay?" She was screaming at him, her screams echoed throughout the forest.

There was silence for a moment, and Saul stopped dead in his tracks. He was starting to recover from the rage that had previously consumed him. His rationale was finding him again, and he backed away to give Sera the space she needed.

"Sera, I need you to tell me exactly what happened." He said slowly, enunciating the words.

"It was him," Sera exclaimed, tears falling from her eyes. "I need to go. I need to get out of here. You aren't telling me anything!"

"Sera, wait!" Saul tried to reach out to her, but immediately held himself back. He couldn't imagine the duress she was under, and he did not want to add to it. "Sera, listen to me!"

Sera turned around and ran. She didn't even understand why she was running, but she didn't understand anything anymore. It was over. Everything was over.

He did not chase her. He felt her crazed movements, he felt her every move as she ran wildly through his forest looking for a way out. She ran like a wounded animal, trying to escape with its life. He wanted so badly just to enclose her within the clearing, to sit her down, calm her, and hear what happened, but that was selfish considering how unstable she was right now.

He was desperate to know if she saw its true form. That useless creature that dared take any of her time, and dared to touch her. It was more than dead. He had no pity for the violent spirit that had been the one to open Sera's eyes. He would be careful until he knew that it was true beyond a doubt, and that she could see completely. If she can see the hell he lives in, that creature will wish it never lived.