Page 26 of Theirs to Chase

But I run anyway, a futile attempt at escaping the devils who have weaved me into their web of a gruesome game.

Chapter 10

Eveline

The old, gothic mansioncreaks under me as I dart through the dimly lit corridor, escaping the two men who are determined to hunt me for all eternity.

How could I have been so foolish? I need to get out of here—to flee to Nadia and tell her everything that’s happened. I have to call the cops.

Mind set, I continue down the corridor with no idea of how to get out. I can hear their whispers echoing off the cracked walls, hear every groan of the floorboards behind as they come all the more closer. My breathing is ragged, fleeing for my life. Rows of dolls align a wall in a certain narrow hallway, making bile come up my throat and leaving a sour aftertaste.

They’re all familiar—each one a murderer from crimes committed long ago. How long has this been going on? Did my brother know about the horrors hidden inside this dollhouse? The thought churns uneasily in my mind, but I’ll never know the truth.

A door appears ahead, and I nearly slam into it as it opens, not caring if they can hear me. All I care about is escaping—finding an exit or a phone.

I stumble inside a vast space that looks like something taken out of the 1800s—a theater of some sort. My steps falter, suddenly aware of the height. I’m standing on a towering stage, the room stretching far before me. Heavy curtains hang behind, while a weathered wooden piano sits below the stage, its keys blanketed in dust as if untouched for years. The air is thick withdecay, making every breath feel labored. Rows of worn and dusty seats fill the room, fading into the shadows, and balconies with wrought iron railings and velvet seats rise above, half hidden from view.

It speaks of a time when it was alive, used for operas and performances. Its magnificence is undeniable. It looks like a room well used before, for operas and theaters. Now, it sits as eerily silent as ever.

Suddenly, the lights bleed into a deep, sensual red, and the hiss of a fog machine fills the air. Swirling mist chokes the space, making it impossible to see more than a few feet ahead. A sinking knot of dread coils in my stomach at the sudden shift in atmosphere. I try to swallow, but my throat seizes as I just now notice the silhouettes occupying some of the seats. They’re silent, unmoving, their presence scraping the edges of my ears.

I’m not alone.

Naked and exposed, I stand, observed by thosecreaturesstaring at me, their cold gazes tracing every inch of my skin.

A chilling sensation crawls through me, biting my skin, urging me to run. The lights flicker, on and off, then plunge into darkness—just like at the amusement park. They’re toying with me.

I take a step back, stumbling into the curtain.

The lights are turned on again, and I see the silhouettes in the seats more clearly. Five human-sized dolls are staring right at me, their eyes unmoving. A creepy melody, like out of those doll boxes, can be heard through the speakers.

“Stop!” I scream, knowing there’s no point in hiding where I am. They already know.

The lights are turned off again, and my eyes are wide in the darkness, desperately trying to see. I feel the stares of the dolls, hear the sounds of footsteps slowly approaching me, but I can’t do anything but stand still. I don’t know what’s behind thecurtain, and if I take a step forward, I risk falling down the high stage, and that fall could easily break my bones.

“There’s no point in hiding,” a male voice echoes through the room, but I can’t tell where it comes from.

My heart is a wild beast inside my chest as I decide to hide behind a curtain, tiptoeing as carefully as I can.

I hear their footsteps walking, searching for me—I don’t dare breathe. The sound approaches the stairs leading up to the scene, creaking through the vast theater. I swallow a whimper.

“Stop hiding now, or I will slit your throat while buried deep inside you, and we’ll bask in the warmth of your blood, ensuring you remain as our doll forever.”

Fear swirls inside me, mingling with an unsettling thrill that I wish I didn’t feel. My pulse races, not only from the terror consuming me but from the strange exhilaration. I’m caught between the instinct to flee from them and the dark curiosity that draws me closer. That part of me wants to come out of my hiding spot, if only to see what their punishment will be. The air around me is as intoxicating as it is suffocating.

Then, I feel the shift of the curtain, and Eros is there, a looming shadow of arrogance. He grabs my arm, dragging me to the middle of the scene, where Zack stands.

“Found you,” Eros whispers, and Zack’s eyes gleam with mischief.

It feels like glass shards tearing my insides when I await their next move, trying to wrench free from their grip.

“Don’t try to run again, little pumpkin. There’s only so many times I will chase you until I do good on my threat.” He smirks, a twisted smile that’s so deranged, it heats something inside me.

My heart stalls when I feel Zack tying something around my wrists, appearing to be marionette strings. I struggle to get free, but surprisingly, the strings hold me.

I’m naked, in the middle of the scene, before the dolls in thepublic, adding to my unease, as both their gazes roam over me.

“Stand still,” Eros whispers as his fingers trail over my body, Zack coming behind me to knead the flesh of my ass.

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