Chapter 50
Tessy’s POV
“Ahhhhhhhh!!” I heard a scream from everyone, I opened my eyes immediately only to see the man that tried to kill me lifeless on the floor, a sleek, feathered arbor found in his neck, and his gun already slipped from his hands.
I didn’t know what to do at that moment, Elizabeth rushed to meet me hugging me, “I thought I was going to lose you.”
“What happened?”
“With the way the arrow targeted him, I am certain the person is a good archer but who was the person that shot it?
The door suddenly opened with some of the bad guys coming in and boom arrow taking them down and bullets too, the room erupted into chaos. The girls screamed, scrambling to get away from the lifeless bodies. I stumbled backward, my mind reeling from the shock.
More arrows flew into the room, each one finding its mark with unerring accuracy. The other captors fell, their cries echoing through the space. Elizabeth held me close as we watched this terrible scene together.
I blinked through the chaos, my gaze catching snippets of two figures clad in black. Dragon masks concealed their faces, making them eerily anonymous. One wielded a gun with deadly precision, taking down our captors with swift shots. The other, an archer, stood tall, their bow singing as arrows flew from their fingertips.
The room descended into a bloodbath. I didn’t know what they’d shot us with, but darkness claimed me instantly.
I found myself in my childhood bedroom, surrounded by memories I thought were long forgotten. My dad’s warm smile and my mom’s gentle laughter filled the space. But amidst the nostalgia, a forgotten memory resurfaced the ‘Dragon Masks’ that haunted me in the woods.
My heart raced as the masks reappeared, this time with sinister intent. A figure in a Viper mask emerged, accompanied by the dragon-masked duo. Their voices echoed in my mind: “You need to die.”
I sprinted through the familiar woods, my legs pumping fear adrenaline. But my feet tangled, and I stumbled. The masked figures closed in, their faces twisted in malice.
My scream shattered the nightmare, jolting me awake. Gasping, I sat up, my heart racing, sweat-drenched body trembling.
It was just a dream… or was it?
Confusion swirled. How did I end up here? Memories of our rescue flickered back the shooting, the darkness. But everything after that remained a blur
I scanned my surroundings, recognizing I was in a familiar room, my dad’s house. A mix of relief and unease settled within me. Was I truly safe, or was this another layer of the nightmare?
I was still trying to differentiate between the dream world and reality when I suddenly thought about my friend Elizabeth. What happened to her? Is she also safe? What about the rest of the girls? I need to find out what took place after we passed out and who the hell are those dragon mask persons as well.
I was really weak trying to stand on my feet and I noticed bruises on my neck with the reflection in the mirror. I guess I must have sustained this when he tried to kill me all because I wanted to protect my friend.
I suddenly got distracted when I heard voices coming from downstairs, it was my dad’s and mom’s voices, what could be happening? Why are they arguing again? I hope they know I was kidnapped and went through a lot, a fight won’t help me get better.
I stepped out of the room trying to find out what was causing their argument but I couldn’t move because the Mask figures kept messing with my head, I screamed saying, “Let me go!!! Don’t hurt me!!” I lost consciousness and just like that I found myself rolling down the staircase with Mom and Dad rushing to my aid.
My vision was blurry and just like that, I saw the Dragon mask and the Viper mask figure staring at me with fury and I said in a faint voice, “The Dragon Mask is after us!” I slowly closed my eyes feeling a loud spin in my head but I ended up with another terrible nightmare again.
In my dream, I found myself back in the dingy room where I’d been held captive. The Viper Mask figure loomed over me, its fangs bared.
“You’ll never escape,” it threatened.
I tried to scream, but my voice was silenced by the Dragon Mask’s suffocating grip.
Suddenly, the room filled with flames, consuming everything. I stumbled, trapped.
The masks closed in, their hot breath on my skin.
I ran through the burning room, desperate to escape. But every door led to more terror.
The Viper Mask chased me, its eyes blazing with fury.
I stumbled upon Elizabeth, her eyes frozen in fear.
“Run, Tessy!” she screamed.
But the Dragon Mask grabbed her, pulling her back.
I tried to grab Elizabeth, but she vanished into thin air.
The masks surrounded me, their laughter echoing through the inferno.
I jolted awake, gasping for air. My heart raced, my sheets drenched in sweat.
But the nightmare lingered. My body burned, my fever raging.
Mom sat beside me, a cool rag on my forehead.
“Shh, Tessy, it’s okay,” she whispered. “You’re safe.”
Dad’s voice drifted from the hallway, urgent.
“Dr. Lee, she’s getting worse. The fever’s spiking.”
I tried to focus, but my vision blurred.
Mom’s hands felt cool on my skin, but even her touch couldn’t calm the terror within.
The masks haunted me still.
“Mom…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
“I’m here, sweetie,” she replied.
“The masks… they’re coming for me.”
Mom’s grip tightened.”They’re not real, Tessy. You’re safe.”
But I knew better. The masks lingered, waiting.
Dr. Lee arrived, her face etched with concern.
“We need to get her to the hospital,” she said.
I felt myself being lifted, carried away.
But the masks followed, forever etched in my mind.
As I lay in the hospital bed, the beeping monitors and sterile smell couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
The masks would find me. I knew it. And when they did, I’d never escape.
*
*
I lay in the hospital bed, surrounded by beeping monitors and sterile smells. The relentless hum of machinery blurred into a haze, a constant reminder of my fragile state. Nurses came and went, their forced smiles failing to hide their concerns.
Even here, the masks haunted me. In my dreams, they crept into my hospital room, their eyes glowing with malevolent intent. I’d wake with a start, gasping for air, to find Mom or Dad beside me, their faces etched with worry.
One day, Mom’s voice cut through the haze. “Eddy’s here,” she said.
My fiance’s bright smile faltered as he took in my frail state. “Hey, love,” he said softly, holding out a bouquet. Their sweet scent filled the room, momentarily chasing away the darkness.
But that night, the nightmares intensified. The Dragon Mask loomed over me, its hot breath on my skin. I screamed, jolting awake.
Mom rushed in, her face filled with worry. “Tessy, it’s okay,” she whispered, holding me tight.
But it wasn’t okay. Reality blurred with nightmares. I saw the Viper Mask in every shadow.
Until one fateful day, Dr. Lee entered with a warm smile on her face. “Tessy, you’re getting better,” she said.
The fever had broken. My mind began to clear. For the first time, I saw the hospital room without the masks’ presence.
Hope stirred within me. Maybe I could overcome this.
Eddy visited again, his eyes sparkling. “You’re going to be okay,” he said.
This time, I smiled back. The darkness receded. Light began to seep in.
I knew the road ahead wouldn’t be easy. But with loved ones by my side, I could face it. The masks still lingered, but their grip was loosening.
I was taking back control. And with every breath, I whispered: “I will overcome.”
I was finally discharged from the hospital and was brought to my dad’s home, I still have no idea what happened but when I get better, I would ask, now I need to focus on my earth but I remember hearing the doctor telling my parents, I might suffer from a side effect because of the scenes I encountered while I was held captive.
I decided to rest a little when I suddenly heard Mom shouting at Dad, I was forced to get on my feet to find out what was happening.
“You told me you were done with that life but you are nothing but a liar, you are still in touch with your left and right hands right?”
I found the argument strange, what does she mean by the word left and right hands? Of course, we humans have both.
“You are selfish.” Mom added with a yell.
“I never took it again, I just needed them and you know we needed them if not, she will be in more harm.”
“That was not your place okay, you know what, I am done with us for good, I am not reuniting with you as your wife anyone, when my daughter gets better, I am leaving and she will also have to leave this town, everything that concerns her forget about it, I hope a day is fix for her wedding so she can live a normal life with Eddy and not you.”
“Baby, please, you know I had no choice.”
“You and your friend are both a threat to our lives, and listen for the number of days I will be spending here, don’t come close to me, I HATE YOU!”
I burst into the room saying, “Mom, are you going to leave Dad? What’s going on with you two? I thought things were going better with you two?” I said with tears streaming from my eyes.
TBC..