Dark Lanterns Lane

Chapter 29: A Girl In White

A girl stood in front of them — all in white, resembling an angel. She appeared as if from nowhere, as though she had simply materialized out of thin air. There was something distinctly unsettling about her gaze — she didn’t seem particularly pleased with the arrival of the group of unfamiliar boys in this house. Her face was too stern, her lips tightly pressed together and devoid of a friendly smile.

"Hello," the girl greeted them mysteriously.

"Get out of here!" Jack exclaimed fiercely.

"I'm not going anywhere from my home." Her voice was determined.

"What are you talking about? No one has ever lived in this shack!"

"I live here and have always lived. Either you leave or you stay here forever. It's your choice."

"Go away, or we'll kill you right now!" Jack screamed with a frenzied voice, then abruptly pulled a lighter from his pocket, ignited it, and menacingly approached the stranger.

"You want to scare me with fire." She said it firmly, without any hint of a question, and her voice still remained impossibly restrained.

"Shall I prove it to you right now?" The guy mockingly brought the lighter close to the edge of her sleeves.

"I think I'll prove it sooner."

A barely audible sound rang through the air — the girl quickly snapped her fingers, and then, as if on command, the fire from the lighter spread across all four walls surrounding them. Jack stood disarmed, helpless, and frightened — a far cry from the state the local scoundrel was accustomed to.

The boys were caught in a real infernal trap. Flames engulfed literally everything — windows, doors, walls, as well as the stairs leading upwards. The air was running out within minutes, oxygen barely reaching the brain, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to think, especially clearly.

They wanted to kick the girl, to take revenge on her, to teach her, but the mysterious stranger was no longer in the room.  She seemed to dissolve in the air, leaving no trace behind.  As if she has never been here...

***

Luke trembled with fear — he was utterly alone on the street, bound by ropes and unable to break free. Some areas of his skin had wounds already that were clearly visible. His breathing grew labored from terror, and the more he struggled against the damned ropes, the tighter they constricted him from all sides. His hands had gone numb to the point that he could barely feel them.

At that very moment, Luke realized — this is what death looks like. They would never find him here; he would die alone from unbearable hunger and terrible weakness. His parents would raise the alarm, contact the police, and ask for help on social media, but it would yield no results, as no one would think to look for the boy on Dark Lanterns Lane. The police might come, but only as a last resort, after checking all other places and questioning all possible witnesses. And by then, it might be too late, far too late.

But suddenly he heard something — wild screams coming from the ground floor. The first, the second, the third. Luke listened intently.

Maybe he’s not alone here? Maybe someone will come to help? Or are these just hallucinations from lack of air? But within minutes, the boy’s thoughts sharply shifted to something else, as right before his eyes... fire appeared.

"These bastards set the house on fire to make sure I die! If I burn and turn into a pile of ashes, the investigation won't be able to prove who tied me up in this house!" Luke's thoughts raced ahead of each other, leaving a terrible chaos in his mind. No, the boy wouldn't die — he would be brutally killed, and no one would be punished for it.