Page 14 of Hallow’s Eve

“Hold on, Little Witch. You’re not going to die. Keep your eyes on me, don’t look away,” He promises as he fights his way to me.

My body begins to weaken, causing it to sag. I fight to keep my head up so my eyes don’t leave him. The pull to let go is so strong but I don’t want to give in yet. I didn’t get to say goodbye to my Aunt June. Please, goddess, this can’t be my end.

My eyes feel heavy but I don’t dare look away. I swear I’m hallucinating at this point as three shirtless, muscular men walk toward me. Fire roars behind them, cascading a glow from their tanned, perfect, tattooed skin. My mouth waters at the sight of them, never minding the evidence of their kills stained on their hands.

They suddenly stop dead in their tracks with fear shadowing their eyes and jaws flexing to the point of breaking. Why are they so worried? Am I dead? Am I witnessing the aftermath as a ghost?

My head is yanked back by the scalp, causing me to shake from the hallucination I thought I was having. A hot breath traces my neck, followed by a sickening wet substance. I can smell the familiar decay, instantly recognizing who’s invading my space.

“Such a pretty little thing. You say your family was so good but look what you caused? Bewitching demon, to wreck mayhem. That’s okay though. The Hellbound did their job, now I can finish it.” The creature tips my head backwards, nearly to the point that it could snap at any second.

My demons try to get to me but there’s an invisible shield keeping them from crossing over to me. I hear their muffled shouts and the beating of their fists but nothing seems to break, not even the wolves that try to circle, looking for an entry point.

The stone underneath me begins to heat and the markings glow bright. Dark magic slithers around me causing me to recoil but I’m yanked back harder causing a whimper to escape.

“To the shadows and vines, the soul awaits. The cursed and the damned may walk through the gates. Accept the sacrifice, and grant me the strength, her soul is mine, promised to take.” The chant causes roaring in my ears and my eyes roll to the back of my head.

Images flash through my head from a time before mine. The very stone I’m held upon, another is awaiting her curse. The same Hellbound surrounds her with fire blazing all around. She’s not crying or begging like I assumed she would, but has her head held high and calm like nothing can consume her fear if it doesn’t exist.

I drift toward her, ghost-like to the others around her. My hands lift toward the darkness that’s tethered around her to help break her free but her head snaps in my direction. She shakes her head at my attempt and her eyes penetrate my soul.

“Brooklyn, my dearest great granddaughter. It is my time to go but it isn’t yours.” Her words cause me to step back and suck in a breath.

“H-how do you know my name? Let me help you!” I whisper, as I look around to see if our interaction is being witnessed.

She gives me a sad smile as she memorizes my features with a gleam in her eyes. I can feel a warm, mother-like pull towards her but we’ve never met before. I wish I had met her though, but the curse had taken her before I was born. I don’t know how it’s even possible that she could know my name but then again, I could be hallucinating as I cross over to the other side.

“You do not yield to this curse. You’re strong enough to withstand the pull. Don’t let your mind drift into nothingness. There’s a dagger in his cloak. You must reach back and retrieve it and fight enough to break free. That creature is the key to being released from the hold. You must be quick so those protecting you can enter the shield and finish him off. Open your eyes, Brooklyn. Blessed be,” She instructs me with a loving tone.

The world around me swirls and my body is pulled back like a current until I gasp back to present. The creature is above me as my back is arched up like it’s sucking my soul out of my body. My dangling hand swings to the side and I shift it without the creature noticing and reach into its cloak.

The feel of a cold metal handle sinks into my palm and I wrap my hand around it. With all the strength I have, I thrust it upwards, penetrating the side of its neck.

Its shriek pierces my ears and my body drops hard onto the stone. The dark magic releases its hold around me, allowing me to suck in air. My body, still limp, can feel pieces of my stolen soul collide back into my body where it belongs. Rolling off the stone, my body collides with the earth and I dig my hands into it, trying to push myself up to witness what’s about to unfold.

The shield separating me from the three demons falls and they don’t hesitate to rush forward. They don’t come to me at first. I turn my head as they approach the shrieking creature with vengeance leaking from their pores. I should be upset that they didn’t come to me right away but oddly enough, I’m not. There’s something they have to do to end all this.

Bryden and Kallen yank the creature up right, stretching its arms wide. With a swift movement, the dagger is yanked from its neck and black liquid spews out.

“Hell is waiting for you to burn. It’s not happy with your failure,” Cayden mocks as he stabs it over and over again in the chest.

Cayson leans in and tears its throat with his teeth and the twins rips the arms straight off the dying body. It’s horrific but satisfying at the same time. Flesh is torn to pieces and tossed into the blazing fire. The stench overpowers my senses, nearly making me choke down vomit.

My body is exhausted and my wounds are weakening me. I want to keep fighting but it’s too much. I would rather die with this beautiful view than the curse that was promised to me.

I slowly lower my head to the ground, letting the earth center me into complete calmness. My body relaxes as I give myself back to our creator.

The pounding of feet comes toward me and stops as they kneel in front of me, wrapping strong arms around my shoulders and the back of my knees. My head shifts into the warm chest as I inhale the scent of cedar and whiskey.

“Stay with us, Brooklyn. We have you, you hear me? Don’t you dare give up now!” A deep desperate voice wraps around me, trying to anchor me to stay.

I try hard to hold on but I’m just so tired. I just want to sleep. My eyes grow heavy to the point where I can no longer obey his words.

Peace. I feel at peace.

Chapter ten

My body jolts upright as my chest heaves, filling itself with air that it longed for desperately. The smell of cedar and whiskey fills my nose, instantly giving me the sense of safety.