Ticking Secrets At Maydale

Chapter 7

Some Realm Far Away

"Yes, I can feel it," he growled, his voice low and ominous. "She is here."

"YES!" he screamed maniacally, laughter screeching through the air like the rustling of dry leaves.

. . .

A huge bolt of lightning narrowly missed, and I sat on the edge of my seat, petrified. A rainy day can be comforting when you're snuggled in bed with the blinds drawn, but right now, it felt terrifying.

There weren't many trees, and we were traveling on mainly flat ground, which only heightened my anxiety.

"You should try to sleep," Ben advised as he kept his eyes on the road, the windshield wipers frantically clearing the deluge.

I leaned back and shut my eyes, realizing I was more tired than I thought. Soon, I fell into a deep, hypnotizing sleep.

. . .

"Alani, don't cry, please," her voice cracked as she begged. "Please," she whispered softly, her own tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You're just going to have to stay with them for a while, okay? Because Mommy has to go."

"Just for a while?" my nine-year-old self sobbed, uncertainty gnawing at my heart.

"Just a week, I promise."

"I don't like them, Mom. They aren't very nice."

"I'm sorry," she cried while hugging me tightly.

"I'll come back, and you never have to leave me again, okay? We will be safe together forever."

"This is the last time you are leaving me with them?" I asked hopefully, my eyes glistening with tears.

"Yes." My mom never broke her promises, and that was indeed the last time I stayed there—and the last time I saw my dad.

"I love you," she mouthed as she drove away with my dad. It felt like someone had torn my heart apart, and pain throbbed wildly in my chest. I stood there, watching the car grow smaller and smaller, stinging tears blurring my vision.

. . .

The dream shifted to those sleepless, terror-stricken nights when I always feared the lightning would strike my little room in the attic. Everything felt vivid and painted red, and the only emotion awake was fear.

I woke with a start, my heart racing. Sweat soaked my forehead, and I took deep, rapid breaths.

"You okay there?" Ben's voice broke through my thoughts.

"Yeah, just had a nightmare," I replied, not entirely lying; it was a nightmare that had once been horrifyingly real.

I dialed my mom's number, knowing that her voice was my only comfort in times like these. We talked for a while, and when I finally hung up, the rain had stopped, though the sky remained dark and foreboding.

The car halted.

"I think we are here," Ben said, squinting at the map.

We both looked around, confused. There seemed to be nothing—at least, that's what it appeared to be.