Page 123 of A Taste Of Darkness

“How far away are you?” I asked, deciding to walk in the opposite direction of the scream.

“Ten minutes, cuore mio.”

“Who is doing this?” I gasped as I rounded another corner, finding a message written in blood on the other end of the hallway.

BASEMENT NOW, it said.

“Adriana,” Milo replied. “She’s not alone.”

“I know.” The confidence from two minutes ago was gone, exchanged with panic. My eyes moved down the wall, taking in the amputated, bloody limbs of strangers who had nothing to do with me. They didn’t even know me.

Distant screams filled the halls with sounds, each one making me feel worse.

“The police?” I spoke, deciding that I had to reduce the noises I made by a lot.

“On the way.”

I heard footsteps approaching, getting louder with every step.

“I love you,” I whispered, dropping the phone when I turned around.

65

WELL…

Milo Marucci

Fuck.

66

THESE DAMN GUNS

Sterlie Adams

I was surrounded by four guys. They tied me to a chair while my unconscious sister was lying in one of the four corners of the room.

Her chest was rising and falling, so I knew she was still alive, but that didn’t make any of this less scary. However, I did find some solace in the fact that she was still breathing and that the moment Kai found out what these people did to Flora, they were fucked.

Oh, God. What if something happened to the baby?

They were fucked times a hundred.

These men did nothing but hold guns to my head, which frankly, got quite boring at this point. It wasn’t the first time I was on the receiving end of a gun.

One thing I noticed, however, was that none of these men were the ones who attacked me before. By the way their hands were shaking ever so lightly, and the bits of uncertainty in their eyes, I bet they got pressured into doing this.

Milo said Adriana was behind all this, but I didn’t understand why. I especially didn’t understand why she was targeting me.

“Do you guys mind if I ask some questions?” I said, sounding surprisingly preppy. Neither of them replied. “Great. So, where did you learn how to use those knives you used to stab everyone?”

More silence.

“I’m just asking because I’m considering taking some classes at the same place once this is over.”

“Once this is over, you’ll be dead,” one of the guys spat.

“Ooookay…?” My eyebrows drew together. “What’s your name?” He didn’t reply. “Allow me to call you James.”

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