Page 30 of The Cursed Kingdom

I’ve seen a few along the way, and I pray this doesn’t come back to bite me in the ass as I approach a house on the right. It’s nestled between several trees a good distance from the road, and it’s nearly impossible to make out the details in the dark.

I have a flashlight in my backpack, but I don’t want to use it and draw any unwanted attention to myself. I doubt the house’s owner will be pleased to discover a human woman slinking around their property. I need to be stealthy.

I’m careful to keep my distance from the house as I make my way around the side property, and I pray there are no magic alarms alerting the owners that somebody is on their land.

Nothing happens, though, but I don’t let myself relax as I weave through the trees surrounding the house. I peer into the back, searching for a barn. It’s hard to see now that I’ve stepped away from the streetlights, but I can just barely make out a large structure in the distance. Perfect.

I keep close to the base of the trees before hurrying across the open field leading to the barn. If there’s any time to be caught, it’s when I’m out in the open.

Thankfully, there are no fences or equipment I need to dodge in my mad dash to the barn, and I spot no movement in or around the house as I reach the structure. I plaster myself against the exterior wall before walking around the perimeter, searching for the door.

No magic alarms blare out when I finally find it and grab the handle, and I squeeze my eyes shut and hope for the best before twisting and pushing. The door opens with a quiet squeak, and I peek inside before dropping my bag onto the ground and pulling out my flashlight. It’s pitch black inside, and I’ll be damned if I walk into this building blind.

There could be dangerous animals or sharp equipment in here.

The items in my bag clink around as I pull out my flashlight, and I cringe and glance back at the house before sticking my arm inside the barn and turning on the light.

I’m tense, primed to be attacked as the inside of the building is illuminated, and I let out a sigh of relief when I notice the space is basically empty. There’s some sort of horse-drawn equipment along the far-right wall and several empty stalls directly across from the door, but that’s about it.

I tentatively step inside and shut the door behind me, mildly aware that I’m trapping myself inside. I’m unsure if the light from my flashlight can be seen from the house, and I don’t want to take the risk.

This feels eerily similar to the start of a low-budget horror film, and I continually remind myself that I’m probably not going to die tonight as I explore more of the barn. There are dozens of small farming tools, mostly hoes and rakes, leaning against the wall next to the tractor, and to the left, beside the empty stalls, is a giant mound of hay.

Whoever owns this place must have animals, and this must be where they usually stay. Where are they now, though? Maybe they’re kept outside when the weather is nice.

I move to peek into the stalls, mildly afraid I’m about to encounter several people chained up. To my complete relief, though, they’re empty. I even spot a pile of shit in one corner, and I’m happy to note it’s too large to belong to a faerie or human. It’s always a comfort to find proof that you’re not currently hiding inside a creepy serial killer’s barn.

I’m not sure what I would’ve done had I found people chained up here. I’d have to help them, but I have no idea how I’d manage that. I can’t exactly knock on the serial killer’s door and ask if I can use his phone to call the police.

My palms feel like they should be sweating, but the gloves Samuel bought me somehow wick it away. I’m continually impressed by these gloves, and I tighten my grip on my flashlight with a quiet hum. I can feel the cool bite of the metal and the tiny ridges of the handle, almost like I’m holding it with my bare hand. It’s impressive.

I turn toward the hay. Didn’t people used to sleep on hay mattresses back in the day? It looks uncomfortable, but it’s better than the hard, dingy floor. I refuse to spend another night on the floor. My back can’t handle it.

I dig my sweatshirt out of my bag and pull it on so my exposed arms and back don’t rub against the hay. I also take this moment to change my underwear. I brought five pairs with me,and I hope to find some sort of freshwater source so I can clean them before they’re all dirty.

I’ve worn my current pair for almost two days, and it’s not good. I smell like a biohazard, and I cringe as I shove them into an empty Ziploc bag and bury them deep into the bottom of my bag.

It’s disgusting, and I don’t feel much cleaner as I slip on a fresh pair. It’s better than nothing, but what’s really going to feel good is a shower—preferably one with a loofah and gobs upon gobs of body wash.

I press my palms into the hay, testing it before turning and sitting down. It’s denser than I thought, but it’s better than nothing. My sweatshirt does protect my skin from being stabbed by the sharp ends, though, which I guess is something.

I lie back, trying and failing to get comfortable, before switching off my flashlight and tucking it into the waistband of my leggings—beside my knife.

Tomorrow morning will be better.

Chapter Eleven

ABBY

I HAVE NO idea what time it is when I wake up, but I feel in my soul that it’s early. I groan, rubbing my eyes as I roll off my makeshift bed of hay. While it definitely wouldn’t be described as comfortable, it wasn’t as bad as I feared.

The barn is still dark, and I flip on my flashlight with a low sigh.

I’ve got a pretty good internal clock, but I’m still proud of myself for waking up on time. I need to get moving before whoever owns this place gets started on their day and finds me in here. I’d rather not explain why I’m sleeping in their barn if I don’t have to.

My joints crack as I stand, and I pull my knotted hair back into a loose ponytail before slipping on my shoes and checking that everything is still in my backpack. Nothing looks amiss, but I check twice before pulling open the door I snuck through last night.

The sun is beginning to rise, casting just enough glow for me to see my surroundings. I couldn’t make out much last night, but now I notice the acres of flat land surrounding the barn. The area immediately surrounding the house is full of trees and children’s play toys, but beyond it are plowed fields.

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