2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Tia stood at the window, looking out at the empty street. It was five p.m. and darkness had descended thirty minutes ago. There wasn’t the laughter of children pulling their parents along. The young ones should be getting an early start on trick or treating because they only did half days in school.

The neighbors weren’t setting out last-minute decorations. Hell, everything had stopped about two p.m. Stores closed, and schools got out early. There was an air of fear that settled like an oppressive blanket around their shoulders. People were walking down the streets crying as they held fiercely onto their children. She’d even seen people checking to make sure that their funeral arrangements were up to date.

Tia couldn’t wrap her mind around what was happening. She sighed. There was nothing out there to see. It was time to give Brenna a call.

“Brenna’s line, you talk I’ll shine.” Her best friend answered in a cheerful voice.

“Are you listening to music? Wait, did I hear someone in the background? Are you having a party and didn’t invite me?” Tia asked.

“Woman, chill. First, your mother would have kittens if you left the house, and you know it. Second, let’s call this a private party of two,” Brenna said.

“Hell, now I’m really jealous. Anyone I know? And I didn’t know you were seeing someone. It’s kind of on the down low every time he comes to town.”

“Brenna, you’re going to get hurt.” She didn’t say again, but they could both hear it hanging out there.

“Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

“Yeah, we can. I won’t drop this.” Tia cared about her bestie too much to stand on the sidelines as another train wreck came for her.

“That’s why you’re my bestie. Later, hun.” Brenna hung up, and Tia sighed. It was a problem for another day.

She looked out the window, noticing it was even darker. Off in the distance, she thought she heard the howl of a wolf. Shaking her head, she got comfortable on the couch, thinking about the food her mom brought over yesterday.

***

The low growl of a wolf woke Tia. It shook her, making the hair on her arms rise as her spine tingled with dread.

“What the hell?” She got up and went to her window, hitting her knees at the last minute. If there really were monsters out there or wolves, she didn’t want to advertise the Tai special. All you can eat. Lifting the edge of the bottom curtain, she looked out at the street. She dropped the curtain, fell back on her ass, and placed the palm of her hand in her mouth to keep from screaming.

There were real, honest to God monsters roaming her street. She thought she saw a vampire, a wolfman, and even a mummy. And if that see through-apparition, she saw was real, then it was a ghost.

Holy hell and past the salt. What the heck was happening?

There was a scream. She felt it to the marrow of her bones, and it was human. They were killing people. She had to go outside and stop it. How could she stop anything from happening? They would kill her and call her an appetizer.

She told her mom she’d stay inside. How could she live with herself if she didn’t try to help? Not that she had a death wish. If she died, then someone else would live, right? She wanted to live. Was anyone else wrestling with this life-changing decision?

Could she sneak out when her street was empty of monsters? Maybe pull people on the street into her house to keep them safe? Where were these supposed witches and why weren’t they helping?

“I can scent you,” a low voice bellowed.

Tia wasn’t sure who that was for, but she flipped to her knees and started heading for her bathroom. She was suddenly glad there were no windows in her bathroom.

“Where are you?” That same voice came again. She shuddered and went faster.

Was she really that jealous of her friend having a party of two that the deep voice of a monster could make her nipples tighten and her pussy moisten? Nope, she refused to believe that was it.

A loud pounding against her door reached her ears as she entered the bathroom. Silently, she closed the door behind her. Almost passing out as she tried to pant loudly. Reaching up, she turned off the bathroom light and shivered as she sat against the wall.

“No, no, no…” She rocked back and forth. Her mom promised she’d be safe if she stayed in. How could this have happened? She did what she was told.

Her hand went back to her mouth as she tried to hear if someone was in her house. Had someone broken down the door? Why had she come to the bathroom where this was only one way in and out? The door was smaller than her bedroom door.

The bang reverberated through the bathroom and rang in her head. She had to find a way out. Standing, she ran to the door but stopped when she saw the handle turning. There was a flash of light coming from under the door — the only thing that allowed her to see the handle slowly move. She flipped the lock and moved backward, climbing into the tub. She stopped the curtain from moving and bent over enough not to be seen unless you were standing next to the tub.

Please, she started praying silently. Keep me safe. If you do, I will tell all my friends how you saved me. She wasn’t sure who she was talking to, but that could be decided later. Please.

“I can hear you, little girl. You’ve been waiting all your life for this monster to wring the life out of your body. You’re dead.” He laughed.

His laugh was deep and dangerous. She was going to die at his hands. God, how her mother would weep. There was no escaping him unless another prey presented itself. At least her mother wouldn’t know how her body was reacting to him.

Tia could hear the doorknob rattling. She took in a deep breath of air, feeling a little better until he laughed again, and she realized he was playing with her. If he could kick the front door down, which was triple locked and had a chain on it, there was no way he couldn’t kick the bathroom door down with its flimsy lock.

“I can scent you, witchling. You scent like a witch and not like a necrotech.”

What the hell was a necrotech and what did that monster mean when he called her witchling?

Tia started pressing against the wall on the side of the tub. This might be the first time she ever hoped for a weak wall in a place she was living. The wall acted like it would still be standing after a bomb.

“Run, little witchling, I’m coming in.”

She popped up and jumped out of the tub, preparing herself to run. He kicked the door down and she ran. Only part of her mind recognized that he turned to the side to allow her out.

Her brain said go to the front door, but she headed to the back door. Why? Because there were two monsters walking down the street in front of her house and that didn’t seem safe. She slammed into the door, flipped the lock, and was down the steps before her brain caught up with her. Where could she go? Taking the monster to her mother’s house was out of the question.

She needed to hide. There was a small area of woods behind her house, and she knew them like the back of her hand. There were three or four places she could hide. What was it he said? That he could scent her. As far as she knew, she wasn’t smelling, but if he could scent her, then she needed to walk through the water.

“Where are you, little witchling? I bet you’re going to taste so good. The red hair was a shock, calling to me with your creamy brown skin. There were your thick thighs and an ass that wouldn’t quit. You’re going to make the best meal of my life.”

Running through the woods wasn’t something she’d ever done before. Walking at a sedate pace was her thing. Keep running, she screamed in her head. She was almost there. She would rather be cold, wet, and shivering than cold, and dead.

She screamed! Right in front of her was the male she saw in the bathroom. She hadn’t gotten a good look at him, but now she saw him in all his glory. Tia fell to her knees when she came to an abrupt halt.

“Little witchling, why does your scent seem familiar? Ready to die?”

She looked at him and almost threw up. He was a horror. His face was misshapen and there were fangs hanging from his mouth. His eyes seemed as black as the night. But his body was beautiful. It was a toned body, like a swimmer or maybe a lightweight bodybuilder. She went back to the face.

It flickered and wavered like it was a mask and not his real face.

“Why does your face keep wavering?” If she was going to die, she might as well ask questions.

“You can see that?”

“I can see that.”

“Witchling.” He raised his hand and then the horror was gone and the male she was looking at could have been a model.

“Better. The other thing was making me seasick. I guess this is where I die. Could you make it fast?”

***

Kill her. Why was he standing here acting like he was crazy? He wasn’t in primal mode. He never went into it. It didn’t matter what All Hallows' it was. Which is why he was wearing a false visage.

He took a step closer and watched as she flinched. All he had to do was break her neck and he’d meet the criteria of being a monster.

“Why did you come to our land to terrorize us?”

He roared with pain. It was so loud that his people answered his call. Their land? This land, this world belonged to him and his people, and he wanted it back. They could have their dying world.

The trees responded to him. The leaves perked up, acknowledging their king was here.

“This, everything you see around you and don’t see, belongs to us. Your people stole it from us.” He watched as her mouth opened and closed.

“No. You’re lying!”

“Am I?” He snatched her up by her upper arm, bringing her to her feet. “Look at me and tell me I’m lying. Watch.” He walked over to a tree and laid his hands on it.

She watched that tree, which was barely taller than her, grow to become a towering oak from his hand on it.

She shook her head, trying to deny what she was seeing.

“Come here, witchling.” He said it in such a deep voice she couldn’t stop her feet from moving. “Touch that flower.”

Tia had to go to her knees, not that it mattered. She was already shivering from the cold and the mud. Her hand was shaking when she reached out and touched the flower. She silently prayed that nothing happened. When the flower grew, she silently cursed.

“What’s your father’s name?”

“I don’t know, but if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.” The male thought that just because he looked like a god, he could order her around. Well, he had another think coming.

“No one was the boss of her.” She turned and fled. He caught her when she’d only run about ten steps. She was sure she got that far because he was playing with her.

He flung her over his shoulder and started walking back to her house.

“Naughty little witchling.” He swatted her ass, and it stung, although she refused to make a sound.

Tia knew that the shit was about to hit the fan.