Eve

Chapter six: The Abyss Beckons

The morning light barely filtered into Mary’s room as she stumbled back after spending the night at Kassia’s. It was strange there were no classes today. For a moment, she wondered why. Some kind of teacher event, she vaguely recalled someone saying, but she didn’t really care. The day off was welcome, though her mind was still spinning from everything that had happened.

She dropped her bag on the bed and collapsed into the desk chair. Assignments were piling up, even though it was just the second day of class, but they were the least of her worries. Her thoughts drifted to last night the sinister presence of the bald man dressed as some evil Santa Claus. He looked familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him before. Fear crept over her like a cold shadow. First, my dad... then this strange man... am I imagining this?

Shaking the thought from her head, she dragged herself to the shower. The warm water did nothing to wash away the unease clinging to her skin. When she finished, she couldn’t bring herself to cook. Too lazy to even pour milk, she ate her cereal dry, letting the crunchy pieces distract her for a brief moment.

Trying to refocus, Mary opened her textbook. But her mind wandered. Only one day in class, and I already don’t understand this stuff. Her eyes drooped after a few minutes, and before long, she was sinking into the familiar embrace of sleep. Her body craved the comfort of it, especially without her usual distraction she had lost her phone and her keys in the chaos of last night. No TikTok distractions... Sigh.

She gave in easily, falling asleep at her desk.

***
She woke with a jolt. The room was still. I fell asleep? Yawning, she stretched her arms, shaking the sleep from her body. An odd feeling settled in her chest. I need to go to the library, she thought. Now. The urgency was strange, but undeniable. She threw on a peach sweater over her jean shorts, slipped into her shoes, and headed out the door.

As she walked across campus, she spotted Kassia, who passed her with a strange smile. A smile that didn’t feel right too knowing, too certain. Mary returned the smile, but an unsettling sensation tugged at the back of her mind. We never just smile at each other like that.

Still, she couldn’t stop moving. The need to reach the library was like a drumbeat in her head. The same strange smiles followed her along the way students, teachers, even the receptionist in the library didn’t ask for her card, just another knowing smile. Her skin prickled, unease curling around her like a tightening noose.

The library itself was vast, with shelves towering high above, filled with dusty, forgotten books. Yet Mary didn’t linger in the bright, familiar section. She walked deeper, into the darker aisles where the books seemed ancient and untouched. The further she went, the darker it became, the once grand shelves thinning out as if consumed by shadows.

Why am I still moving? Her body continued forward, even though her mind screamed at her to turn back. She felt a growing panic, her control slipping away with every step she took. I must be dreaming. Desperation clawed at her as she pinched herself hard, the sharp pain confirming the horrifying truth. I’m awake.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, terror threading through her veins. But still, she moved forward.

The once orderly rows of bookshelves disappeared entirely, leaving only darkness ahead. And in that darkness, a dim blue light flickered, casting eerie shadows against the walls. The glow seemed to call to her, like a siren drawing her in. Despite the fear pounding in her chest, she moved faster, her feet carrying her toward it, no longer her own.

The light grew stronger as she neared it, illuminating an object suspended in the air...a book, floating just beneath the eerie blue light. Below the book, a pentagram shone on the ground, its white light casting long, ghostly shadows. Mary’s heart thundered in her chest. This is wrong...

But her body betrayed her, and she reached out, fingers trembling as they stretched toward the ominous book. Just as her hand was inches away from the book, a voice shattered the silence.

“Stop!”

She froze, her hand hovering in mid-air, the pull of the book stronger than ever. Slowly, she turned, her eyes searching for the source of the voice. Out of the shadows, a figure emerged, moving swiftly toward her. His eyes gleamed with flecks of gold, piercing through the darkness.

Green orbs? she thought, her mind reeling. Damon’s intense gaze locked onto her, filled with both warning and concern. She blinked, trying to process his presence here. She’d seen those gold flecked eyes last night, hadn’t she? It wasn’t her imagination. It couldn’t be.

What is he doing here? Her confusion twisted into terror as the book pulsed with dark energy, calling her again, louder now, as if in a desperate plea for her touch.

Inching closer she could feel energy surge through her as her hands inched closer. She felt powerful, she felt dark and evil but now she was curious because the power she felt surging through her her hands felt the air of book ready to grab this source of power for herself .

Greed?

Damon was faster than she was. He lunged forward, pushing her away from the book before her fingers could graze its surface. She stumbled backward, heart racing, eyes wide with fear.

“What’s happening?” she whispered, her voice barely audible as tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t control her emotions anymore. This place was wrong. It was evil. And now Damon was here, too the same Damon who had saved her the night before. The questions swirled in her mind, but the fear drowned them out.

Damon grabbed her by the shoulders, his eyes locking onto hers. “Mary,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “You need to listen to me, and you need to listen carefully.”
Her mind was spiraling, fear choking her. She couldn’t think straight. Could I even trust him? Her thoughts jumped wildly. What if he’s a psycho? A stalker? He had been in her class, saved her last night... what if he was the mastermind behind all of this?
Her body shook, every nerve telling her to run. Slowly, she backed away, her breath quickening. What if he’s the killer? What if he’s using some twisted magic to lure me in? Her pulse pounded in her ears. I need to get away.

Slowly, she backed away from him, her breaths coming faster and more erratic. He could kill me if he wanted to, she thought, panic surging.But again what if he’s the one behind all of this? Her pulse pounded in her ears, her thoughts chaotic and disjointed.

Damon, seeing her act like this couldn't help but roll his eyes at her behavior and slightly irritated that she is running away from him. Does he look scary now? Didn't look so last night. This is what too much criminal minds documentaries caused her. The kid would have to cut it out in the future. He thought.

She spun on her heel, ready to flee into the shadows, but Damon was faster. In a blink, he was in front of her again, blocking her path. Startled, she fell, landing hard on the cold ground.

He yanked her to her feet, and she gasped as her heart threatened to burst from her chest. “Dumb kid,” he muttered, irritation flashing across his face. “You need to wake up.”

Wake up? she thought, her mind reeling. I’m dreaming?

She stared up at him in disbelief, her tears spilling freely. This can’t be real... it can’t... But the warmth of his hand pulling her up, the intensity of his gaze everything felt too real.
God, please, please let this be a dream. I don’t want to die here. Please... She clutched Damon’s arm, her face contorted with fear. Please, God, get me out of here, and I swear I’ll never fall asleep again.

“Please...” she whispered, looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, her voice barely audible, clinging to the last shred of hope.

(Hey it's me..... Uhm.... Vote?...)