My heart skipped a beat, and a chill shot through me as I read the new words on the card. I dropped it like it had burned me, stumbling back slightly.
“What the hell?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Everyone’s eyes were on me. Logan leaned in, concern etched on his face. “Audrey, what’s wrong?”
I pointed at the card on the floor, my hand shaking. “The message… it changed,” I stammered. “It said, ‘I am coming for you!'”
Everyone stood up to look at the card. Everyone stood up, their faces a mix of disbelief and fear as they gathered around the card on the floor. Logan bent down slowly, picking it up with a wary expression, his fingers gripping the edges as if expecting it to burn him too. He examined it closely, his brows furrowed.
“It’s blank now,” he said, flipping it over to show us. “There’s nothing on it.”
I shook my head, my heartbeat loud in my ears. “I know what I saw. The words were there-they were clear as day.”
Mal exchanged a nervous glance with Liam, her face pale. “Maybe it’s… I don’t know, like an optical illusion or something?”
Liam ran a hand through his hair, a frown settling on his face. “Optical illusion? Mal, that’s more than an illusion. Audrey looked freaked out, and you all heard that whispering, right?”
Logan didn’t seem interested in theories; his focus remained on me, his gaze intense. “Audrey, do you feel anything else? Like… does this feel familiar to you at all?”
I swallowed, his question catching me off guard. A familiar feeling? No, it didn’t feel familiar, but it felt targeted. Like something-or someone-was reaching out specifically to me. I looked down at my hands, trying to shake off the lingering unease. “No… I don’t know. It just feels wrong.”
Logan wrapped an arm around my shoulders, a silent comfort as he glanced back at the others. “Look, let’s just get rid of these cards. We don’t need this creeping us out any more than it already has.”
Mal and Liam nodded in agreement, both looking eager to be done with the game. But as Logan moved to gather up the deck, the lights in the room flickered. A sudden chill swept over us, and in the dim, flickering light, I thought I saw a shadow move across the far wall.
“Logan, wait!” I grabbed his arm, my eyes fixed on the shadow. “Did you guys see that?”
Liam squinted, peering into the dim light. “See what?”
Before I could answer, the lights went out completely, plunging us into darkness. Logan’s grip on my shoulder tightened, his voice a low, tense whisper. “Everyone stay calm. It’s just a power outage… probably.”
But I knew this was no ordinary outage. My skin prickled with an uneasy sensation, a cold that went beyond physical. It felt as if something was in the room with us, lurking just out of sight, watching.
A low, distant sound-almost like a muffled chuckle-echoed through the silence, making us all freeze. Mal let out a small gasp, clutching Liam’s arm. “Did anyone else hear that?”
Logan whispered, “Yeah. And it’s definitely not normal.”
Slowly, cautiously, he guided me toward the hallway, signaling for Mal and Liam to follow. We crept forward, staying close together as we left the pitch-black living room behind. But as we moved down the hallway, I felt an overwhelming sense of dread, as if we were being herded somewhere. I glanced back, my eyes straining in the darkness, and for just a moment, I thought I saw a pair of glowing eyes watching us from the shadows.
“Logan,” I whispered urgently, pulling him closer. “There’s something back there.”
He glanced over his shoulder, his jaw clenched. “Just keep moving, Audrey. We’ll figure this out once we’re somewhere safe.”
But the house had other plans. As we neared the staircase, the floorboards beneath us creaked loudly, the sound echoing in the silence. Then, as if in response, a faint whisper floated through the air again, chilling me to my core.
“Audrey…” The voice was soft, distant, but unmistakably calling my name.
I stopped, my whole body freezing in terror. “Logan… it’s calling me. It knows my name.”
Logan tightened his hold on me, his eyes flashing with determination. “Whatever this is, it’s not taking you. We’re getting out of here.”
We continued down the hallway, each step feeling heavier than the last, like we were wading through a dense fog of fear. The whispers grew louder, more insistent, their haunting tone echoing in my mind. Just as we reached the front door, it slammed shut on its own, the sound reverberating through the house.
Liam tried the doorknob, but it wouldn’t budge. “It’s locked! From the inside!”
Panic surged in my chest as I looked around, searching for another escape. Every door, every window seemed to be sealed shut, trapping us within the house. I looked up at Logan, his face set in determination, but I could see the worry in his eyes.
“Logan… what do we do?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Dad?” The word slipped out before I could stop it, barely more than a whisper.
Logan’s eyes narrowed, searching my face. “Audrey… what are you talking about?”
I shook my head, barely able to comprehend what I was seeing. There, in the dim light cast by the single streetlamp filtering through the window, stood a figure I recognized instantly. He looked like he always had-tall, broad shoulders, the familiar warmth in his gaze-yet there was something different. He seemed… translucent, faintly glowing, like he wasn’t fully there.
But I knew it was him.
“It’s… it’s my dad,” I stammered, unable to tear my gaze away.
Mal and Liam exchanged bewildered glances, their eyes darting around the hallway, seeing nothing but shadows and darkness. “Audrey, there’s no one there,” Mal said gently, as though she were afraid of startling me.
Logan looked around, searching the dim hall for whatever it was I was seeing. “Audrey, are you sure? Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yes!” I insisted, my voice trembling. “He’s right there. Standing by the staircase.”
The figure of my father remained still, his eyes fixed on me, a sad smile tugging at his lips. A lump formed in my throat. My dad had been gone for years, lost to us in a tragic accident. I had grieved him, moved forward, or at least tried to. But seeing him here now… it tore open something in me I thought had healed.
“Dad… is it really you?” I whispered, stepping forward without thinking.
As I moved, Logan grabbed my arm, his grip firm. “Audrey, whatever you think you’re seeing… it’s not real.”
But the figure raised a hand, beckoning me closer. I could see a glimmer in his eyes, something that felt like recognition. My heart ached, but the fear twisted within me, keeping me rooted to the spot.
My heart pounded in my chest as I watched my father’s figure move slightly, the faint glow around him casting an eerie light on the hallway. I could feel the air grow heavier, the silence more oppressive, but his voice-gentle yet firm-broke through the chaos in my mind.
“Don’t be afraid, Audrey,” he said, his words calm but carrying a weight that made them feel like they were meant just for me. “This is not a trick. I’m here to warn you.”
“Warn me about what?” I asked, my voice trembling as I took a hesitant step toward him, unable to stop myself. “What’s going on?”
His expression softened, and he sighed deeply, a sound of weariness and regret. “The pack needs you, Audrey. And Logan. Yes, you’re teenagers, but that doesn’t mean you can ignore your duty. The longer you stay away from what you were born into, the more dangerous it becomes for everyone, including you.”
“We are not staying away…..”
Logan’s grip on my arm tightened, his voice cutting through the air. “Audrey, we have to go now!!”