Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 44459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 44459 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 222(@200wpm)___ 178(@250wpm)___ 148(@300wpm)
Then they were both screaming in terror.
The sound of it cut straight to my bones, rattling me onto my feet, but I wasn’t fast enough to do anything. The wraith marched forward, its two captives in tow, and launched at the glass of the mirror.
Instead of shattering, it seemed to bleed into it, carrying Josh and Chelsea through to the other side.
And then they were gone.
The lights flickered on, blinking and flashing at random, some of them so bright, I had to squint and raise a hand to shield my unadjusted eyes. For a single breath, I stared at the mirror.
Run, a smart voice in my head whispered.
Save them, another voice shouted.
I snatched up the lighter and capped it while I charged toward the mirror, going as fast as my feet would carry me.
Chapter 13
Passing through the mirror was so cold, it burned—but the sensation coursed through me like lightning. I had launched myself into the glass, leading with my shoulder and hoping it wouldn’t shatter as I hit it. Thankfully, I made it through, but I came out the other side so fast, I fell. I landed on my side, colliding painfully with the ground below.
It was flat and painted, and gold poles rose from the floor, each featuring a brightly decorated wooden animal halfway up, although the paint was faded and chipped. There were horses, peacocks, and tigers waiting to be ridden.
A . . . carousel?
It was still night, and the ornamental globe lights were brightly lit. The ride turned sluggishly in a circle, matching the slow tempo of the music playing—but it was in a minor key and much too slow to be cheery. It sounded like it was being played on vinyl and the turntable wasn’t running at the right speed. All the animals were riderless, and I glanced back to see the large mirror on the center support of the carousel, the mirror I’d come through.
Its gold frame looked a hell of a lot like the one hanging at the end of the fifth floor of Castle Docherty.
Panicked cries tore my attention away. Chelsea struggled against the wraith’s hold, trying to break free as it hurried away from the carousel and across the grass. I gauged my surroundings quickly, taking in the row of run-down carnival booths.
Tattered pennants stretched overhead between worn tents. The lights were on in the fair, winking into the night, enticing people to step up and try to ring the bell with the strongman’s sledgehammer.
But there wasn’t another soul around.
What the fuck was this place?
I darted off the moving carousel and scrambled to hide behind the ring toss booth, ignoring the garishly painted clowns there. The wraith was moving fast and away from me, and I didn’t want to lose it, but I’d be no good to anyone if it caught me.
There was a forest at the edge of the old-timey carnival, and the dark creature slid into it, dragging Josh and Chelsea, forcing me to abandon my hiding spot.
The trees were thick, and I moved as silently as I could, avoiding sticks and ducking behind large tree trunks—while the thing carelessly crashed through the low branches, creating all kinds of noise.
As we moved away from the carnival, it got dark quickly. What was I going to do when it became too hard to see? If I used the lighter, I couldn’t exactly hide.
But the tree line abruptly ended, exposing a rocky valley littered with stones, some tan and some white. Predawn light edged the horizon. It was just enough for me to make out a big rock to crouch behind, right as the wraith ceased moving.
Fuck. Had it heard me?
I held my breath and flattened my back to the rock, listening for sounds of its approach.
They didn’t come. Instead, I heard Josh’s whimpers escalate.
I cautiously peeked around the edge of the rock, letting my gaze sweep over the landscape. The white stones that littered the valley floor were oddly shaped and . . . Jesus. They weren’t rocks.
They were bones.
Centuries’ worth, because some had been bleached white by the sun, and others were new enough that there was still some tissue attached. This was like the thing’s fucking lair.
There were two bodies, if they could still be called that, given how dismembered they’d been. I couldn’t immediately identify either because their heads were no longer attached, but one had the remnants of a hospital gown.
The wraith was either annoyed by Chelsea’s squirming or eager to focus its attention on the man making more noise, because it abruptly flung her like a rag doll. She cried out as she went before striking the side of a boulder with a sickening thud. Every muscle in me went taut when she was limp and unmoving.
My instinct was to leap to my feet and charge toward her, but I just barely held myself back.