bed.
She couldn’t blame her mom for the lie. Mom didn’t know.
But Kylie did.
Not that it mattered. Unwilling to abandon her pet, trying to settle her pounding heart, she reached again for the bed skirt. Right before her two fingers caught the cotton fabric, a hand shot out.
Her own scream faded into the shadows as the cold, dead hand grasped Kylie’s arm and yanked her forward.
She fought for freedom, clawed at the fingers, twisted her arm, anything to pry it loose. Nothing worked.
“Help!” she screamed, but no one answered. The clasp around her wrist tightened, dragging her closer. The last thing she saw was the bed ruffle sliding over her face as she slipped into dark oblivion. Her last thought before her mind went numb was that she was finally going to meet the monster living under her bed.
Chapter Ten
Kylie lay flat on her back, cloaked in darkness. Deep, black darkness. Just a vision. It’s not real. Not real.
Something on each side of her pressed tight against her forearms. It felt real. She tried to move, but couldn’t. Fear swelled inside her. She tasted the bitterness of it on her tongue.
Disoriented, she tried to make sense of it. Inhaling, she smelled the earth. Wet, moist dirt. She wasn’t under the bed. Where was she? An answer came and she wished it hadn’t. She was buried. Another scream filled her throat, but logic told her this wasn’t real. Just a vision.
But from who? And what? Holiday?
The sound of Kylie’s own breath leaving her lips sounded too loud. Instantly, she realized she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t the sound of someone else breathing. No one breathed but her. Yet the grip on her wrist hadn’t loosened. Whoever had dragged her under here hadn’t left—someone still clung to her wrist as if that person’s very life depended on it. Unfortunately, Kylie knew it was too late. Only she was alive.
“Why am I here?” She tried to move again but felt somehow constricted.
No answer came.
Blinking, her vision slowly adjusted to the darkness. She saw the pattern of old wood a few inches from her face.
She tried to pull her wrist away from the tight grip, but the hold only tightened.
“Oh, shit. What have you guys done?” A familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
Holiday.
“I’m in here,” Kylie called out. Only this time no words left her mouth. She couldn’t speak.
“Cara M. said she could help us get out of here,” another female voice answered.
Footsteps sounded above. The wood panel creaked. Dust and dirt sifted down on Kylie’s face. She blinked the grit from her eyes and tried to hold her breath so she didn’t choke.
“He’s leaving,” someone whispered.
Kylie blinked, and when she opened her eyes, everything had changed. She stood in an old dilapidated cabin, staring down at the creaky wooden boards beneath her feet. Then, as if the floor faded, Kylie saw what lay hidden below.
Three decaying bodies lay positioned shoulder to shoulder. A scream spilled from Kylie’s lips. She tried to run, but her feet felt frozen. She tried to look away, but couldn’t.
One corpse was a woman with dark hair, probably in her early twenties, wearing a nightgown. The second was a blond around the same age wearing a familiar waitress outfit with a nametag on it that read CARA M. And the third … Oh God! Holiday.
Tears filled her eyes. Kylie screamed louder when she realized she once again lay flat on her back. Darkness swallowed her up. Panic tightened when she felt something moving at her side. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She leapt up and banged her head so hard, it rattled her brain. She collapsed on her back again.
“Where the hell are you?” A voice echoed around her. A familiar voice. Della’s voice. “Mofo!” Light suddenly filled Kylie’s vision. “What are you doing under there?”
Kylie gasped, swallowed her scream, and realized she lay on her bedroom floor with a shivering Socks plastered to her side.
“You are just too
She couldn’t blame her mom for the lie. Mom didn’t know.
But Kylie did.
Not that it mattered. Unwilling to abandon her pet, trying to settle her pounding heart, she reached again for the bed skirt. Right before her two fingers caught the cotton fabric, a hand shot out.
Her own scream faded into the shadows as the cold, dead hand grasped Kylie’s arm and yanked her forward.
She fought for freedom, clawed at the fingers, twisted her arm, anything to pry it loose. Nothing worked.
“Help!” she screamed, but no one answered. The clasp around her wrist tightened, dragging her closer. The last thing she saw was the bed ruffle sliding over her face as she slipped into dark oblivion. Her last thought before her mind went numb was that she was finally going to meet the monster living under her bed.
Chapter Ten
Kylie lay flat on her back, cloaked in darkness. Deep, black darkness. Just a vision. It’s not real. Not real.
Something on each side of her pressed tight against her forearms. It felt real. She tried to move, but couldn’t. Fear swelled inside her. She tasted the bitterness of it on her tongue.
Disoriented, she tried to make sense of it. Inhaling, she smelled the earth. Wet, moist dirt. She wasn’t under the bed. Where was she? An answer came and she wished it hadn’t. She was buried. Another scream filled her throat, but logic told her this wasn’t real. Just a vision.
But from who? And what? Holiday?
The sound of Kylie’s own breath leaving her lips sounded too loud. Instantly, she realized she wasn’t alone. It wasn’t the sound of someone else breathing. No one breathed but her. Yet the grip on her wrist hadn’t loosened. Whoever had dragged her under here hadn’t left—someone still clung to her wrist as if that person’s very life depended on it. Unfortunately, Kylie knew it was too late. Only she was alive.
“Why am I here?” She tried to move again but felt somehow constricted.
No answer came.
Blinking, her vision slowly adjusted to the darkness. She saw the pattern of old wood a few inches from her face.
She tried to pull her wrist away from the tight grip, but the hold only tightened.
“Oh, shit. What have you guys done?” A familiar voice echoed in the darkness.
Holiday.
“I’m in here,” Kylie called out. Only this time no words left her mouth. She couldn’t speak.
“Cara M. said she could help us get out of here,” another female voice answered.
Footsteps sounded above. The wood panel creaked. Dust and dirt sifted down on Kylie’s face. She blinked the grit from her eyes and tried to hold her breath so she didn’t choke.
“He’s leaving,” someone whispered.
Kylie blinked, and when she opened her eyes, everything had changed. She stood in an old dilapidated cabin, staring down at the creaky wooden boards beneath her feet. Then, as if the floor faded, Kylie saw what lay hidden below.
Three decaying bodies lay positioned shoulder to shoulder. A scream spilled from Kylie’s lips. She tried to run, but her feet felt frozen. She tried to look away, but couldn’t.
One corpse was a woman with dark hair, probably in her early twenties, wearing a nightgown. The second was a blond around the same age wearing a familiar waitress outfit with a nametag on it that read CARA M. And the third … Oh God! Holiday.
Tears filled her eyes. Kylie screamed louder when she realized she once again lay flat on her back. Darkness swallowed her up. Panic tightened when she felt something moving at her side. Adrenaline surged through her veins. She leapt up and banged her head so hard, it rattled her brain. She collapsed on her back again.
“Where the hell are you?” A voice echoed around her. A familiar voice. Della’s voice. “Mofo!” Light suddenly filled Kylie’s vision. “What are you doing under there?”
Kylie gasped, swallowed her scream, and realized she lay on her bedroom floor with a shivering Socks plastered to her side.
“You are just too
Similar Books
