nothing but piles of useless rubble.
Willow’s initial thought was
that some stranger had done this, but she quickly dismissed it. The attack was
too personal. It was meant to send a message. This was Hannah’s work. Falling
to her knees in the middle of the floor, Willow covered her mouth, trying to
hold back the tears. After this morning, she didn’t think it was possible for
Hannah to hurt her any more than she already had, but she was wrong.
“You didn’t play by the rules,”
Hannah whispered from the door.
Shocked because she thought she
was alone, Willow looked up. The sight of Hannah was almost as terrifying as
the ruins she left behind. Her clothes were ripped and tattered. Twin black
streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks from her crazed tears.
“What rules?” Willow cried out.
“You’re a fucking cheat!”
Hannah screamed and rushed forward with a piece of paper in her hands. As she
sank down to the floor in front of Willow, she shoved the paper in her face. “Read
it!” Hannah demanded.
With her eyes flooded with
tears, Willow could barely make out what she was seeing, but a few bolded
phrases screamed out from the cream-colored parchment.
Grossly
inappropriate…irresponsible…refused to comply with basic requests…
“What is this?” Willow sobbed.
Hannah reached out and stroked
Willow’s hair. “This is what happens when you don’t play by the rules. This is
what you made me do. This is what I have to send to the dean because you
cheated.”
“No,” Willow choked. “Hannah, you
can’t do this to me.”
“No?” Hannah questioned with a
cruel smirk. “No, Willow, you’re wrong. I can and I will destroy you, unless…”
“Unless what?” Willow
questioned.
“Unless you come back home with
me and finish the game. This time you will play by the rules.”
Chapter
13
Twice in less than twenty-four
hours, Willow was in the bathtub. Knowing what to expect hadn’t made it any
easier. This time was worse, far worse, because there was no hope of reason.
Hannah wasn’t just a cruel bitch—she was diabolically insane . Willow no
longer wanted to know Hannah’s thoughts, her motivations. She only wanted it to
be over.
Four months…four months…four
months, Willow silently chanted the mantra in her mind. In four
months, her signed contract with Satan would be served— if she didn’t
destroy her first.
Once Hannah had tucked her in
bed, Willow rolled to her side away from her. She wondered how long she had to
stay before the game was finished. Would it ever be finished? She now knew and
understood what Hannah was capable of doing—the lengths she would go to win.
The time limit was arbitrary. Hannah wouldn’t let her go until she was done
playing, or until she found a new toy. Only this morning, she had still been
young and naïve, and didn’t realize all her hopes and dreams resided in the
hands of a madwoman because she had put them there.
Hannah lay down beside her and
was unnaturally still for a long moment before expelling a ragged-sounding
breath.
“Do you hate me, Willow?”
“Do you want me to?” Willow
answered with a flat question.
“No,” Hannah said.
Her voice sounded quivery, as
if she was crying. Willow was only half-tempted to turn around and see if she
was, but she didn’t really want to know so she remained motionless. If Hannah
was crying, Willow figured it was just part of the game—the game she never once
agreed to play and had yet to be explained the rules.
“I’m sorry, I overreacted,”
Hannah sniffed. “I told you it was my first time.”
“Oh my God, Hannah,” Willow
snarled. “Even if that was true, people lose their virginity every day without
going ape shit.”
“I’m not like everybody else.”
“I’m sorry,” Willow hissed
sarcastically. “I forgot—you’re Hannah Fairbanks . What was I thinking?”
“I’m not talking about my
career,” Hannah cried. “I’m talking about the fact that I’m a
Willow’s initial thought was
that some stranger had done this, but she quickly dismissed it. The attack was
too personal. It was meant to send a message. This was Hannah’s work. Falling
to her knees in the middle of the floor, Willow covered her mouth, trying to
hold back the tears. After this morning, she didn’t think it was possible for
Hannah to hurt her any more than she already had, but she was wrong.
“You didn’t play by the rules,”
Hannah whispered from the door.
Shocked because she thought she
was alone, Willow looked up. The sight of Hannah was almost as terrifying as
the ruins she left behind. Her clothes were ripped and tattered. Twin black
streaks of mascara ran down her cheeks from her crazed tears.
“What rules?” Willow cried out.
“You’re a fucking cheat!”
Hannah screamed and rushed forward with a piece of paper in her hands. As she
sank down to the floor in front of Willow, she shoved the paper in her face. “Read
it!” Hannah demanded.
With her eyes flooded with
tears, Willow could barely make out what she was seeing, but a few bolded
phrases screamed out from the cream-colored parchment.
Grossly
inappropriate…irresponsible…refused to comply with basic requests…
“What is this?” Willow sobbed.
Hannah reached out and stroked
Willow’s hair. “This is what happens when you don’t play by the rules. This is
what you made me do. This is what I have to send to the dean because you
cheated.”
“No,” Willow choked. “Hannah, you
can’t do this to me.”
“No?” Hannah questioned with a
cruel smirk. “No, Willow, you’re wrong. I can and I will destroy you, unless…”
“Unless what?” Willow
questioned.
“Unless you come back home with
me and finish the game. This time you will play by the rules.”
Chapter
13
Twice in less than twenty-four
hours, Willow was in the bathtub. Knowing what to expect hadn’t made it any
easier. This time was worse, far worse, because there was no hope of reason.
Hannah wasn’t just a cruel bitch—she was diabolically insane . Willow no
longer wanted to know Hannah’s thoughts, her motivations. She only wanted it to
be over.
Four months…four months…four
months, Willow silently chanted the mantra in her mind. In four
months, her signed contract with Satan would be served— if she didn’t
destroy her first.
Once Hannah had tucked her in
bed, Willow rolled to her side away from her. She wondered how long she had to
stay before the game was finished. Would it ever be finished? She now knew and
understood what Hannah was capable of doing—the lengths she would go to win.
The time limit was arbitrary. Hannah wouldn’t let her go until she was done
playing, or until she found a new toy. Only this morning, she had still been
young and naïve, and didn’t realize all her hopes and dreams resided in the
hands of a madwoman because she had put them there.
Hannah lay down beside her and
was unnaturally still for a long moment before expelling a ragged-sounding
breath.
“Do you hate me, Willow?”
“Do you want me to?” Willow
answered with a flat question.
“No,” Hannah said.
Her voice sounded quivery, as
if she was crying. Willow was only half-tempted to turn around and see if she
was, but she didn’t really want to know so she remained motionless. If Hannah
was crying, Willow figured it was just part of the game—the game she never once
agreed to play and had yet to be explained the rules.
“I’m sorry, I overreacted,”
Hannah sniffed. “I told you it was my first time.”
“Oh my God, Hannah,” Willow
snarled. “Even if that was true, people lose their virginity every day without
going ape shit.”
“I’m not like everybody else.”
“I’m sorry,” Willow hissed
sarcastically. “I forgot—you’re Hannah Fairbanks . What was I thinking?”
“I’m not talking about my
career,” Hannah cried. “I’m talking about the fact that I’m a
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