Page 36 of Forbidden Knots

Tiptoeing to the bed, I grabbed his black t-shirt hanging at the foot and pulled it over my head. Still damp, I sneaked out of the room, checking each step to see if he had woken, if he was following me. But his contented snores reassured me that he was still asleep.

Opening the front door, I glanced left and right to ensure no one else was on the street. Seeing only shadows, I closed the door and quickened my pace, following Sophie into the descending fog.

I walked down an unfamiliar street, my heart thundering in my chest. Each step brought me closer to Sophie, a voice inside me urging me to catch her and bring her home. My stomach churned, and a growing sense of wrongness gnawing at me. But I pressed on, ignoring any mental red flags.

Barefoot, I reached the sandy path leading to the forest. The sound of crickets and the scent of pine drew me into thedarkness. The forest was a green light for danger, yet I moved forward, pulled by an unseen force. I hated the darkness's grip, how it magnetized me until I was sinking, unable to move on.

I knew Shadow would always pull me back, but this time, he wasn't there. This time, he didn't know where I was.

Leaning against the bark of an oak tree, I watched as Sophie dropped to her knees, her screams piercing the night. "I am here, damn you, I am here," she cried, her sobs tugging at my heart. I covered my mouth, tears streaming as I watched her in silence.

A distant hum grew louder—footsteps. An unfamiliar voice shouted at her, "Shut the fuck up."

A slap echoed through the forest, her body hitting the ground. "No," she screamed, "No."

My breath quickened, nostrils flaring as I tried to stifle my panic.

Sophie didn't deserve this.

Sophie would be fine.

I repeated the mantra in my head, crawling on the ground, searching for a way out to get Tristan. I needed to tell him Sophie needed help.

On my feet, I ran, my soles aching from the rough forest floor. I ran, but there was no escape. The woods were a maze, each turn leading me back to the start.

I was running in circles, trapped in the labyrinthine darkness. My breaths came in ragged gasps as I realized the depth of the woods.

I was lost, and this time, there was no Shadow to pull me out.

I was spinning, I was turning back, but I continued to walk step by step until I saw lights, but they weren't the lights of the town. It was a tent with red and white stripes. Music played, a discordant symphony of sinister delight that set my skin crawling. It was the sound of an old, cracked calliope, wheezing out a jarring tune that danced along the edge of madness.

I hid behind a tree, my eyes escaping me and I saw Chiara with a group of three men. They were laughing, and drinking, while one of them, the taller one, was spitting fire from his mouth. He wore a black and white shirt, his face painted with black paint hiding an awful scar at the corners of his lips.

She kissed him, climbing on top of him, his blonde hair tangling under her fingers. "Rio, we should stop," I read from her lips.

My eyes were not believing what I saw. It felt like I wanted to see it like I was searching for bits and pieces of excuses for my relationship with Tristan. Like a sense of reason was escaping me, and in the end, betraying me.

I stepped on a branch, and she heard me. Walking towards me, she shouted, "Who the fuck is there?"

I started running, she saw me, and she started running after me. "Thalia, you bitch, come back!"

My heart pumping, my breath quickening, I was faster than I ever was. The melody behind me started to break, offering silence just for a moment before continuing again. It felt like the pipes of those instruments mimicked human screams, and my blood ran instantly cold.

I knelt, hiding behind a rock, her feet next to me, but she didn't continue. That blonde guy followed her, begging her to stay, but just the sound of a loud slap hit his face, and she walked away, and he stayed.

I felt for him. I felt that she left him heartbroken, just as I left Tristan in bed to be awakened all by himself. And then, as soon as I heard his footsteps walking away, I ran. I ran as fast as I could all the way back. I ran because I didn't want him to be alone. I didn't want him to feel like I did for my whole life.

Does this mean?!

I fell for him.

Deeply.

Completely.

Wholly.

For him. For Shadow. For his darkness and his demons.

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