Page 52 of Haunted Prey

“We’re out of time,” came a voice behind me. “Grab her. We need to go.”

FUCKING RUN.

My survival instincts finally kicked into gear. Before I could even think of what I was doing, I pulled away from the phantom before me. When he tried to keep hold of me, talking me down again, I kneed him in the crotch, hardly taking time to watch him go down before I bolted past him for the passage.

I didn’t look back, didn’t stop. Behind me, I heard only Emery’s angry, husky voice snapping, “Stay the fuck back.”

Exit. Where thefuckwas the exit?

Rooms passed, and I was sure I’d lost my way, until I saw a sign overheard saying EXIT with an arrow pointing to the left.

I rushed down another passage into another room but didn’t see the exit. This one had a set of mirrors in frames spread along each wall. In the center was a dark purple loveseat. For a moment, I didn’t see a door.

Shit.

I went to turn back, but Emery was right behind me.

I whimpered as he towered in front of the doorframe. I backed away as he moved in.

“Eve,” he said calmly. “I know this is hard. But I need you to stay with me.”

Liar. He was trying to get me caught.

I kept the loveseat between us, trying to find a way to sneak past.

He’s not real, he can’t actually stop you, said a logical voice.He can’t hurt you.

And yet I was utterly terrified that he could.

Another more sinister voice laughed.Evee, baby, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just going to bash your brains in.

Bad memories. Bad. Can’t get caught. Can’t give in.

He was talking to me again, but I wasn’t listening.

Not real. NOT REAL.

I tried to get him to circle around several times, but he refused. Eventually, like a doe fighting for her life and deciding to take the chance, I lunged around one side and tried to rush for the passage.

He caught me with ease. I screamed as he pulled me to him, not expecting him to grab me. How could a ghost do that?

He shoved his hand across my mouth to stifle my scream. I tried to flail out of his hold, and in doing so, I pulled at my bad arm. Searing pain shot up my shoulder, turning my scream into a cry.

Emery’s phantom cursed softly. As if out of desperation, he hauled me away from the passage and brought me closer to one of the tall mirrors, forcing us to face it. I writhed in his arms, not understanding why I couldn’t get free, how he could hold me like this.

No, they were coming. Please, don’t do this.

Tears streamed down behind my mask, but the phantom refused to let me go.

He lowered his face to be almost level with mine, skull face smiling in the mirror. “Look,” he said. “Look at me, Evee. Look.”

Sobs racked me with each breath.

“I’m right here.”

He let go of my mouth to curl his fingers underneath his chin. He pulled upward and slipped off the mask.

I stared at him shocked disbelief.

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