BRING ME The Witch's Heart

Chapter 2 Through The Rabbit Hole

A peculiar sensation takes hold of my body and I find myself paralysed. The air around me feels like jagged shards of glass. My teeth chatter uncontrollably, despite the heating being on. My fingers throb with pain as I struggle to draw breath. The relentless pounding on the door intensifies, making my heart race faster. What the fuck is going on?

The cat leaps onto the windowsill with surprising agility, prying it open using its front paws. "We have to go now!" he exclaims. Wait... did the cat just speak? To me? With... words? This can't be happening.

"Wh-what?" I stammer, unable to form any other words. BOOM, BOOM! The violent knocking becomes even more aggressive. Whoever is behind that door isn't simply knocking – they're trying to force their way in.

"Come on! Quick!" urges the cat.

But before I can react, the door shatters into splinters. A powerful jolt strikes me from behind, sending me crashing to the floor. As I look up, dazed, a tall man clothed all in black stands in the doorway. He's definitely not Adrian – this man is unnaturally thin and tall. My eyes widen when I see the object glinting in his pale hand – a dagger! I inhale sharply. Its crimson blade throbs as if it had a life of its own.

"Who are you?" I demand, attempting to sound braver than I feel.

My fear only intensifies as his arm twists grotesquely, stretching out to reach towards me.

Paralysed, I watch in horror as this monstrous man morphs before my very eyes. He grows taller, his limbs stretching impossibly long. My chest tightens, breaths coming in short gasps. Who, or what, is he?

As his bony white hand creeps closer, blade-like fingers cracking and twisting, I brace myself for the cold grasp around my ankles. But before he can seize me, the cat leaps into action, sinking his teeth into the grotesque hand. The man lets out an inhuman screech that sends shivers down my spine.

"Thank God," I think to myself, snapping out of my trance. Fear propels me to my feet, but my legs wobble beneath me like jelly. The man, furious, tries to crush the cat with a grisly hand. Just in time, the black feline pounces on him with ferocity, knocking him off balance. I dash towards the window, heart pounding in my ears.

A loud thud stops me in my tracks. The man hurled the cat through the air, sending him crashing into the wall. "No!" I scream, anger and terror melding together. As I glance back at the man, his eyes lock onto mine – predatory, calculating.

Before he can do anything, the cat, lying on the floor, starts to tremble. Dense black smoke pours from his body, and I watch in awe as he transforms before my eyes. His fur turns rough and bristly, fangs elongating. Fearsome claws emerge from his now gigantic paws, and amber light blazes in his eyes. He's massive, reaching the height of my chest.

"Run for the trees!" he says, his voice deep and commanding. Without another word, he charges at the monstrous man, ready to fight.

I don't stay to watch. Reaching the window, I scramble onto the windowsill and slide through the gap. The sounds of battle echo from inside the house – crashes, screams of pain. I can't think about it; I have to keep going. Leaping over the fence, I run towards the trees. The world around me is a green blur, and my lungs burn with each desperate breath. My heart pounds in my ears, drowning out all other sounds.

"Just a bit further," I think as I sprint towards the trees. But then, something tugs at my leg.

I trip, falling face-first onto the cold ground. Rolling over, my heart lurches as I see the man in black dangerously close. His arms extended unnaturally, and his deathly pale hands clutched at my feet. He pulls me towards him, and panic claws through my whole being.