Chapter Eight

Katie, Alex, and I stumbled into the living room, the cold air still clinging to us like a warning. The impact of everything we had seen pressing down on me. Brian didn't even bother looking up, that smirk already forming on his lips.

"Let me guess," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Rose saw another ghost? Maybe the scarecrow moved again?"

Alex stepped forward, but Brian's mocking cut him off.

"Blood, symbols, and what? Flies now?" Brian laughed. "Jesus, Rose. What are you trying to sell this time? You sound insane."

Maya, swirling her wine beside him, giggled. "First the scarecrow, now this? Maybe you should sit down before it gets worse."

My fists clenched, but I forced myself to stay calm. "We found a door. Behind it, there were flies buzzing, and the smell..." I shook my head, bile rising in my throat. "Something's wrong down there."

Brian rolled his eyes. "Yeah, ‘wrong.' Old houses smell bad, Rose. That's how it works."

Katie's voice broke in, shaky but determined. "There's more. We found a book—some kind of evil book. This place isn't normal."

Maya sighed, her voice dripping with mock concern. "You mean like agrimoire or something? Seriously? All three of you sound like you're off your meds."

"Enough!" I snapped, my voice trembling. "You think I want this? There's blood on the walls, and someone turned off the power on purpose."

Brian sat up, his grin twitching, the cocaine making his eyes too bright. "Always a story with you, Rose. First, I was the abusive one in college, then Phoenix was the cheater. Now it's a scarecrow and a smelly basement. Do you even hear yourself? You're pathetic."

I couldn't help but scoff. "Wow, Brian, you're still hung up on the college thing? You were abusive! Phoenix was cheating! And yeah, the scarecrow moved, and the basement is weird as hell!"

Alex stood frozen, his eyes darting between Brian and me, but he stayed silent, wilting under the force of Brian's words.

I stepped closer, my anger bubbling over. "There's something down there, Brian. Something real. But go ahead—keep laughing." I made sure to hit every word, daring him to keep dismissing me.

Brian leaned back, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, I will."

Maya swirled her wine lazily, a cruel smile on her lips. "Brian's right, you know. Like, it;s a fact you always need something to fall apart over. Maybe you're the problem."

That was it. Rage exploded inside me. I lunged at her, grabbing her by the face, my nails digging into her skin. "You bitch... You've got some nerve!" I screamed, my voice trembling with fury. "You ruined my life! You destroyed everything!"

Her wine glass shattered on the floor, and Brian jumped to his feet. "Rose, what the hell—!"

Maya recoiled, shock flashing across her face as she brought a hand to her cheek, blood welling from my scratches. Her voice wavered, but she still tried to bite back. "Rose, you're insane—"

"You slept with my husband!" I shouted, completely losing control. "You cheating, sniveling, low-life whore!"

Maya's face paled, but she quickly recovered. "You think I'm the reason? Phoenix was done with you long before I came along! You were too much—too needy, too emotional."Her tone was defensive and venomous.

Her words cut, but I didn't flinch. I leaned in, voice low and sharp. "You'll never be more than a side piece, Maya. No matter how hard you try. For Phoenix, for Brian, for every man you've thrown yourself at. They all use you, then toss you aside. You're nothing but a good time. None of them ever wanted more. None of them ever put a ring on your finger, did they?"

For the first time, she had no comeback. Her face hardened, but the cracks were showing.

Brian, still reeling from my outburst, tried to step in. "Alright, maybe we should all just—"

"Shut up, Brian," I snapped, not sparing him a glance.

His smug arrogance filled the room, pushing me past my limit. I spun around, glaring at him. "You want to keep running your mouth, Brian? Because the only thing smaller than your brain is your dick."

I turned to the others, my voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "Yeah, guys, Brian could never get past second base because he was too ashamed of his tiny dick. First time he showed me? I laughed. And after that, he got all nasty with me, so I had to dump him."

I could see the shock on their faces, but I didn't care. I was done holding back.

Katie grabbed my arm firmly. "Rose, none of this matters. Let's get out of here."

I took a deep breath, stepping back from Maya. My chest heaved anger, but I felt lighter—like I'd dropped something I'd been carrying for too long.

"Yeah, let's go," Alex chimed in, breaking the tension.

Just as the three of us turned to leave, a sound echoed through the mansion. At first, it was distant, like something breaking far away, but then it grew louder—glass shattering, windows smashing, the sound engulfing everything around us.

We all froze. The noise became frantic, rattling the walls around us. It was coming from the basement.

Maya's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell is that?"

Katie's face turned ghostly white. "What is happening?" She glanced at me, fear etched in every word.

Then, a different noise—wings. Not the flutter of birds, but something heavier, more menacing. The flapping was deep, vibrating through the floor, shaking the very air around us.

We bolted from the living room, racing into the foyer, desperate to reach the door. Then a blur of darkness shot over our heads, too fast to comprehend. The noise was deafening—a massive shape tearing through the air like a living shadow.

It landed with a heavy thud, blocking our path. It was the scarecrow I saw in the fields—it was the Creeper!

The creature stood tall, wings unfurled, leathery and cracked like old parchment. His body was massive, muscles rippling under pale skin, dark veins webbing across his flesh. His face—sharp, cruel, hauntingly beautiful—was twisted with hunger.

His glowing eyes swept over us, freezing us under their gaze, trapped in the grip of fear.

First, Brian. He straightened his shoulders, trying to maintain a shred of arrogance but I could see the tremble in his hands. His face paled, his usual smugness replaced by a flicker of dread. Brian's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard, realizing his bravado meant nothing.

Next was Sophie. Her lip quivered, her body stiffening under the Creeper's molten gaze. She stood rigid, her wide eyes flicking from his wings to his claws, like she was already imagining the damage he could inflict. Her breathing quickened, shallow and rapid, like a trapped animal. The moment his eyes left her, her legs gave out, and she stumbled back, barely holding in a scream.

Then, Maya. She wasn't trembling like the others, but I could see the fear in her eyes, masked by her cold exterior. She squared her shoulders, but the tightness in her jaw gave her away. Her fists clenched at her sides, as if that would keep the panic at bay. When his eyes passed over her, she held her breath, not wanting to draw any attention.

Alex was different. His whole body stiffened when the Creeper's gaze landed on him, his hands twitching, like he was ready to run but couldn't. His face was almost expressionless, but his eyes betrayed him—wide, darting nervously, filled with the kind of fear that made a person shut down.

The moment he looked at Katie, tears welled up and spilled down her cheeks, but she didn't move. Frozen in place, her whole body shaking, she looked like she wanted to scream but couldn't find the strength to. Her breaths came quick and shallow, but she remained frozen, paralyzed by fear.

Then, his gaze fell on me.

The moment our eyes locked, something shifted in his expression—darker, more intense. I felt it immediately—like a wave crashing over me, making it impossible to breathe. His stare dropped to my breasts, lingering there for what felt like forever, his lips curling into a slow, deliberate grin. He inhaled deeply, savoring something I couldn't understand, and his grin spread wider.

He looked into my eyes again and the room seemed to disappear around us. I could feel my pulse pounding in my throat, my legs refusing to move as his eyes stayed glued to me. The heat of his gaze made my skin prickle, like he could see right through me, stripping away every layer. I was rooted to the spot, breath shallow, heart racing out of control.

Without breaking eye contact, his lips parted, revealing his jagged teeth. Slowly, deliberately, his tongue flicked out—long, dark, and forked. It slithered through the air in a slow, provocative motion, almost taunting me. My stomach twisted in both fear and something else I didn't want to name.

Sophie's scream shattered the moment, a sharp, piercing sound that echoed off the walls. She stumbled back, eyes wide with terror, hands clamping over her mouth as if to stop another scream.

The Creeper's head snapped toward her, the grin vanishing from his face, replaced by something darker, more predatory. His wings flared out with a sudden, violent motion, and before any of us could react, he lunged at her.

He moved with blinding speed, a dark blur crossing the space between them. His clawed hand clamped over her mouth, muffling her screams. Sophie's eyes bulged with terror, tears streaming down her face.

He lifted her effortlessly, her feet dangling above the floor. His other hand plunged into her abdomen, claws tearing through flesh and muscle. Blood erupted, splattering across the floor and walls. The sickening sounds of ripping tissue echoed as he tore her open.

Her muffled screams turned to choking gurgles, blood bubbling from her lips. Her eyes rolled back, body convulsing in his grasp.

He ripped his claws upward, splitting her torso, organs spilling out in a gruesome cascade. The stench of iron and bile engulfed us.

He released her, letting her collapse in a bloody heap, entrails pooling around her.

The creature turned his gaze back to us, blood dripping from his claws, a chilling smile stretching across his face, as if daring us to run.

We bolted, adrenaline surging. His wings unfurled, the powerful beats propelling him after us. The sound was deafening, a relentless force driving us forward.

My heart pounded in my ears, lungs burning as we sprinted toward the stairs. Katie stumbled but recovered, terror propelling her. Alex reached the door first, yanking it open. We tumbled through, slamming it shut, hands fumbling to lock it.

Silence engulfed us, broken only by our ragged breaths.

But Sophie's death hung in the air, an unspoken horror that would never fade.