Chapter 24

Twenty-Four

IZZY

T o say the next few hours of my shift are awkward is an understatement if I’ve ever heard one.

Silas hovers around me as if he thinks I’m going to break apart at any moment, and Reid? He ignores my existence, finding every excuse possible not to come near me. When I’m behind the counter, he’s cleaning out one of the theaters. When I’m in the cleaning closet, he’s in the bathroom. When I’m in Silas’s office, he’s wiping the windows in the lobby.

It’s infuriating.

When my shift finally ends for the night, and the sky turns a murky metallic gray, I clock out and wave goodbye to Silas. I feel awkward as shit around him now, knowing what I do, but I’m not mad. Unlike the others in my life, he was under no obligation to tell me the truth.

“You have a ride home, kid?” Silas asks gruffly as he wipes down the countertop.

Ansel dropped me off after school, but Grayson said he’ll pick me up.

“Yeah.”

I notice Reid watching us out of the corner of my eye. When he hears my confirmation, he nods once—almost to himself—and resumes sweeping.

I hurry out the back entrance and into the parking lot. Both the moon and sun are visible on either side of the sky, painting the gray in shades of white and black. I plop down on the curb and dig my phone out of my pocket. After pulling up Grayson’s name, I shoot him a text.

Izzy

Hey. I’m done. Are you still picking me up?

When he doesn’t immediately respond, I flick out of his name and onto Ansel’s.

Izzy

Whatcha doing?

Ansel

Ugh. Have a huge test in Stats tomorrow. Studying.

Izzy

You’re in AP Statistics, right?

Ansel

Maybe…

Izzy

Smarty pants.

Izzy

I’ll let you get back to studying.

Ansel

K. See you tomorrow. Need a ride again?

Izzy

I’ll let you know.

I close out of my text messages and scroll through my social media apps. Behind me, the lights of the theater turn off, and Silas says goodbye to Reid. There’s the roar of a motor—probably Reid’s bike—and then silence once more.

And still no Grayson.

Izzy

Hey. Are you still able to give me a ride?

Silence.

Izzy

Are you ignoring me? Lol

When the silence continues, an uneasy feeling circulates in my gut.

I meant for my previous message to be lighthearted and jesting, but I can’t help but wonder…is he mad at me? He didn’t seem to be upset when I confessed I may have feelings for Ansel, but maybe he changed his mind. Or maybe he decided that now that he’s slept with me, he doesn’t want anything to do with me?—

No! Stop it, Izzy! Get out of your own head!

Despite my best wishes, the familiar tendrils of panic rake themselves down my spine.

I debate texting Jake for a ride but remember Silas telling me that he has basketball tryouts. I have no idea if he’s still there, and the last thing I want to do is distract him.

Maybe I could call Hale or Gerry…?

But no, I’m not ready to deal with them. They’ll demand we talk, and I don’t yet have the words to say.

I plug in Grayson’s address into the GPS and see that it’s only a twenty-minute walk. Not too bad. And most of the trails are in a highly populated area of town.

My route decided, I drag myself to my feet and begin to follow the GPS down the darkened streets. The moon has fully crested the horizon, while the sun has burrowed low. The streetlights provide the only lighting.

I’m pleasantly surprised that I’m not the only person walking the streets at this time of night. I catch sight of a younger family pushing a child in a stroller and a couple holding hands. Some of the tension riding my shoulders dissolves.

I shove my hands into my pockets and quicken my pace. Without any sunlight to counter the wind, it’s cold out, almost painfully so. My cheeks and nose sting.

I have a scarf in my backpack?—

Dammit!

I curse when I realize I left my backpack behind in the employee break room. The good news is I have my phone and wallet on me.

I’ll have to message Silas tomorrow morning and ask if he can come in early to unlock the doors before school. I have a few homework assignments that are due.

The GPS instructs I take a left, so I do, entering a side street nestled between two brick buildings. The streetlights don’t quite reach this area, making the shadows appear particularly ominous.

Trepidation settles in my stomach at the unnerving feeling of eyes on the back of my head. Slowly, my heart hammering a mile a minute, I turn around.

But no one’s there.

Relief sweeps through me, and I turn to resume my walk when I run smack-dab into a hard chest.

“Hey, little girl. Just where do you think you’re going?”

I squint up at the man gripping my shoulders.

He’s middle-aged, with red hair peppered religiously with gray. Wrinkles bracket both of his eyes, and when he smiles, he reveals yellowing teeth. He wears a loose flannel over a stained gray shirt and ripped blue jeans.

I immediately step away, allowing his hands to fall back to his sides?—

Only to step into another chest.

I glance over my shoulder to see a blond-haired man standing there, leering at me.

“Where ya’ going, princess?” Blondie taunts with a lewd grin.

I take a second—only a second—to analyze the situation. Ginger is in front of me, and Blondie is directly behind me. There are brick walls on either side of me. There could be people on the streets, but would I be able to scream in time for them to hear me?

“Let me through, please.” I work to keep my voice calm.

Ginger licks his cracked lips. “We just want to talk to you.”

“Yeah.” Blondie chuckles darkly, and his hands begin to roam up my sides. “Talk.”

“Let me go.” This time, I allow a little bit of steel to enter my voice.

Both men chuckle.

“I don’t think?—”

I interrupt Blondie when I slam the back of my head against his face. Hard. He yelps and instinctively releases me. I take his momentary lapse of concentration to duck underneath Ginger’s arms and race down the alley.

I know when to fight and when to run. Right now, I’m outmuscled and outmanned. I’m not willing to take a risk in a fight that I’m not positive I can win.

My tennis shoes slap against the asphalt as I push myself faster and faster and faster. I can see the end of the alley, the promise of streetlights and people and stores?—

A figure moves in front of me—tall, broad, and covered in scars.

“Why are you running, sweetie?” he coos as he reaches for me.

I throw my fist back and punch Scar straight in the face. It takes him by surprise, and he immediately drops his arms, cupping his cheek.

“You bitch!”

Somebody grabs me from behind, and I kick my feet out desperately, willing them to hit something important. A scream bursts free, but a hand over my mouth immediately silences me.

“Shut up, bitch,” Blondie hisses.

I bite down on his hand, hard, digging my teeth into his flesh. He tastes absolutely vile, like dirty socks and rotten eggs.

“She’s fucking biting me!” Blondie screams, tightening his grip.

Scar moves until he’s directly in front of me. He grips my chin in a punishing grip and forces my face up to his.

“Don’t be a little brat. You should be grateful we’re giving you the attention.”

All three of them chuckle.

I narrow my eyes at him, even as terror floods my system.

I refuse to go down without a fight. Fucking refuse. If they want a docile female, then they chose the wrong one.

Scar’s gaze trails down my body and lands on my breasts. His hand leaves my chin and slowly trails downwards?—

Another shadow materializes directly behind him—an indistinct shape that I can’t quite make out. Dark fingers grab Scar by the ankle and pull.

Scar flies through the alley with a scream of terror.

“What the fuck?” Ginger exclaims.

Scar’s screams reach a crescendo, and I hear the sound of flesh tearing. Then there’s silence.

All I can hear is the pounding of my own heart trying to burst free of my chest.

“What the fuck?” Ginger repeats, venturing a tentative step forward.

Something grabs him and drags him around the corner of the building.

More screams.

More tearing of flesh.

Silence.

“Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit.” Blondie releases me as if my skin burned him. He begins to step away. “Holy shit. Holy sh—” His words are cut off when someone grabs him from above and drags him into the air. I see his legs for a fraction of a second before they disappear on top of the roof. His screams are endless. They reverberate around me.

Something dark drips down the side of the building.

Blood.

Holy fuck.

Holy fuck.

I wait for the monster—because that’s what it is—to grab me. Kill me. Tear me apart.

But there’s only silence.

Somewhere in the distance, a dog begins to bark and a baby cries. Conversations from two girls reach me as they discuss their job.

What the hell was that?

That wasn’t a goddamn wolf or anything I’ve ever seen before. Anything I’ve ever heard before. The shadow didn’t look human…but it also didn’t resemble an animal.

It was a beast, a monster, a nightmare made from shadows.

With terror still coursing through my veins, tainting my blood like battery acid, I break into a run.

And I don’t stop running until I’m secure in Grayson’s apartment.