Mr. Gabriel's Revenge (Book 2) [ Psychological Horror ] | COMPLETED

Chapter 17

Jo

I gingerly step through the doors and it sounds like my family isn't too far. It's so bright, I can't see anything short of a few feet. I'm walking on grass now, and the smells are changing and seeming familiar to me. I can't put my finger on it right away. I'm making my way through with my hands out. Am I really on my way to freedom? Is this really happening?

I think I'm smelling gardenias.

Familiarity... I have a gardenia tree in my backyard.

"Elena? Lang, Leila?"

There's nothing but the kids' laughter.

"Can you hear me? It's me, it's Daddy!" I loudly shout.

I'm beginning to feel like my arms are being stretched. I quickly look at them only to see nothing is there. Nothing appears to be wrong. This is strange. What's going on? What is this?

Now it's starting to get painful.

It causes me to go into a bit of panic. I move my fingers and bend my wrists - but with ease.

The sensation becomes more intense, moving down to my legs.

I hear a loud crack and suddenly pain shoots up my spine. "AUGH!" My legs collapse in on themselves. I grab a firm hold of them. What IS this?!

Another crack.

My insides start feeling like they're being stretched and contracted. I have never felt anything like this! This is beyond any kind of pain a person could experience! It feels like I'm being forced into a small space!

Panting, my eyes widen even more to seeing my shins stretching as if they're being spaghettified. "What the hell?! What is happening to me?!" I let go of my legs and see my hands are doing the same thing.

"DADDYYYY! There you are!" I hear Leila giggle. 

I flip my head up and suddenly, the light is replaced by the sights and sounds of places, people, roads, nature, all zooming past me at immense speed.

"Wait! Stop! STOP!" I try to slow down. It seems like it's getting faster! It's becoming too hard for me to see. I want to cover my face. "I said STOP!"

Just as I reach to shield my eyes, it stops on the sight of tree bark.

I blink a few times. I can focus now...
All my senses are returning to normal.

"Haha! Found you daddy!!!" Leila pokes me. I subconsciously jerk back and away from her.

"DADDY, YOU LOSE!"

I stare worriedly, confusedly, at her.

"What's wrong? ...You don't look too good daddy." Leila's big, bright brown eyes stare up at me with concern. I see her long pigtails and yellow sundress, and the sound of her voice is in my head of when she said that's her favorite style. I'm frozen. I don't know what to think or how to react. I don't feel like myself. This is so disorienting. 

I can tell she sees the fear and readiness to fight in my eyes. Is this for real? Is this really my daughter... or is this yet another mind game for me to battle?

I look around for a few seconds, trying to understand what is happening, searching for threats.

I look to her again. Her heart is breaking as she observes what I'm going through, I can feel it. It's breaking mine.

"Leila..." I begin to kneel, and when my knees hit the ground, the force of my fall looks as though I've been stabbed in the heart.

"Yes Daddy?" She walks closer.