syllable carving fear into the marrow of their bones. Gabriel and Eve exchanged a look, shock and disbelief flashing across their faces. The cabin creaked under the weight of the storm, adding a sinister underscore to the moment.
"Who are you?" Gabriel's voice was firm, but Eve could hear the tension threading through it. His hand hovered at his side, the knife gleaming in the flickering light.
The woman didn't move. Her eyes, though clouded, seemed to pierce through them, seeing beyond flesh and bone. "I am the one who remembers," she said cryptically. "The one who was left behind when the debts were counted and tallied. I am the reckoning."
Eve's fingers dug into her palms as she struggled to control her breathing. "What debts? What is this all about?" The questions tumbled out, desperation making her voice tight.
The woman's gaze shifted to Eve, her thin lips pulling into a humorless smile. "The sins of the fathers. The bargains struck in the dark when honor was traded for survival." She stepped closer, the floorboards groaning beneath her, and Gabriel moved in front of Eve instinctively.
"Back off," he warned, his tone sharp enough to cut. The old woman paused, studying him with a look that bordered on pity.
"You think that knife will save you?" She chuckled, the sound dry as rustling leaves. "You don't know what hunts you."
YOU ARE READING
Blood Ties
Teen FictionIn a remote cabin, 33-year-old Gabriel and 20-year-old Eve must face a brutal slasher targeting their family. Once high school enemies, their tense past is reawakened as they are forced to work together to survive. The killer is no stranger-it's a f...
