YHS The Reunion : 9 Years Later..

ch 14:

◇ FUNNEH'S POV ◇

As we stumbled away from the shattered window, Kyran’s hand wrapped in torn fabric to slow the bleeding, the cold night air hit us like a wave. I looked back once, hoping the creature hadn't followed us outside. But we all knew better. It was out here somewhere.

We sprinted toward town, trying to keep quiet, though the crunching of leaves and broken glass underfoot made it impossible. The streets were eerily quiet, not a soul in sight as we neared Ichigo Bakery, its soft pink lights still glowing in the distance. My legs felt like jelly, my heart racing as we finally reached the front door.

“Do you think it’s safe here?” Gold asked, glancing nervously back down the street.

“It’s not like we have many options,” Alec said, gripping the handle and pushing the door open.

The bell chimed softly, a strange comfort amid the chaos. The smell of freshly cooked chicken zosui hit us, mixing with the slight scent of incense hanging in the air.

Meghan stood behind the counter, wiping down a tray. Her gaze lifted when we entered, her expression going from confusion to concern in seconds. “What happened to you guys?” she asked, walking around the counter.

“There’s no time to explain,” I said, catching my breath. “We need help. There’s… something after us. Something not human.”

Meghan had a sense of denial, her eyes widening slightly. “Not human? Are you sure?” she said confused.

I nodded. “We don’t know what it is, but it’s been stalking us for hours.”

Alec stepped forward, his arm gently supporting Kyran. “Please, he’s hurt,” he added, showing Meghan the blood-soaked fabric around Kyran’s hand.

Meghan’s eyes flicked to the wound, and she immediately rushed to get some first-aid supplies. As she worked on wrapping Kyran’s hand, she spoke. “I’ve seen strange things before you know, things not everyone can see.”

Gold glanced at her, confused. “What do you mean?”

Meghan finished bandaging Kyran’s hand before standing up, her hands fidgeting with her apron. “I’ve always had this ability,” she said quietly. “I can connect with spirits or ghosts. Sometimes they communicate with me, warn me about things. But this… what you’re describing, it sounds like something darker.”

A chill ran down my spine at her words. “Can you… can you sense it now?”

Meghan hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The bakery seemed to grow colder, and the lights flickered once, casting strange shadows on the walls.

“There’s something,” she said, her voice tense. “It’s close. And it’s not just a spirit. It’s something more powerful, more dangerous.”

Alec exchanged a worried glance with Gold. “Can you help us?”

Meghan opened her eyes, looking torn. “I can try. But whatever this thing is, it’s not going to be easy to deal with.”

Suddenly, the front window rattled violently, making us all jump. My heart pounded as I took a step back, staring at the window as shadows shifted outside. The thing was here.

“It’s found us,” Alec muttered.

“We need to leave,” Gold whispered, her voice trembling.

Meghan, however, stood her ground, her expression hardening. “I might not be able to stop it completely, but I can buy us some time,” she said, moving toward the back of the bakery. “There’s a spirit who you guys may know as Valerie, she watches over this place. She can help us, at least for now.”

Alec looked skeptical but didn’t argue. “How long do we have?”

Meghan didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she grabbed a small pouch of herbs from a shelf and began muttering something under her breath. A strange energy filled the room, and the shadows outside seemed to pause, as if uncertain.

“I don’t know,” Meghan finally said, turning back to us. “But you’ll need to get out of here as fast as you can. If there’s a car nearby, take it. Don’t look back.”

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