Page 29 of Wicked Little Nightmare

"Come on, Lydia," I muttered, "give me a sign. You were real, I know you were."

My fingers caught on something wedged between the mattress and the bedframe. I pulled, revealing a small, folded piece of paper. With trembling hands, I opened it.

There, in faded ink, was Lydia's name. Underneath she had written ‘remember me’.

"Oh god," I whispered, a sob catching in my throat. I pressed the paper to my chest, a tangible proof of her existence. "I remember you, Lydia. I swear, I'll never forget."

I turned to Cam, my eyes wild with a mix of grief and determination. "We're going to make them pay for what they did to her. To all of us."

In that moment, I felt the familiar darkness rising within me, but for once, it wasn't directed at the world at large. No, this time, it had a very specific target. Or rather, targets.

I clutched the paper with Lydia's name to my chest, taking a deep breath that made my lungs feel like they were being poisoned by the dirt and grime that floated in the air. My heart pounded, a twisted mix of grief and anticipation coursing through my veins. I could feel Cam's eyes on me, watchful and intense.

"Let's go," I said, my voice unnervingly sweet even to my own ears. "We've got some motherfucking ghosts to chase, darling."

I strode out of the room, my steps echoing in the empty hallway. The familiar surroundings sent chills down my spine as we walked down to the all-too-familiar door of dread, but I pushed the fear aside. I was no longer that helpless little girl. Now, I was the monster they should fear.

As we approached the elevator at the end of the hall, I felt a surge of dark excitement. "This is where the real fun begins," I chirped, my fingers trailing along the grimy wall.

I peered down the elevator shaft, the blackness below seeming to stretch into infinity. The rusty cables swayed slightly, creaking in the silence. My stomach lurched, memories of being forced down there flooding back.

"Well, shit," I muttered, turning to Cam with a pout. "Looks like our express ticket to hell is out of order."

Cam's dark eyes glittered with amusement. "What's the matter, sweetheart? Scared of a little climb?"

I rolled my eyes, fighting back a smile. "In your dreams, asshole. We just need to find another way down. There's gotta be a stairwell or something."

As we continued our exploration, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. But instead of fear, I felt a thrill of anticipation. Whatever was waiting for us in the basement, I was ready to face it head-on.

"Hey Cam," I said, my voice deceptively light, "want to make a bet on how many bodies we'll find down there?"

“Probably a lot. I have an idea… sometimes these old buildings have underground pathways. Would make sense if they were doing shady shit here.” I remember reading in some obscure handbook I downloaded off the dark web that cults usually hid everything in the basement. Seems fucked, honestly. If I were hiding a bunch of bodies, I wouldn’t write exactly where I was dumping them, but I suppose it’s human nature, a morbid curiosity, to see if someone would believe them.

We dump our bodies into the ocean. Where the sharks can eat the evidence, and no one will be able to find them.Amateurs.

He regarded me for a moment before grinning, “Ooooh, a secret tunnel adventure? I love that idea. Let’s go find out.”

Thirteen: Cam

The moment we stepped out of that hellhole, Lakey's fingers intertwined with mine, her grip tighter than usual. I glanced down at her, taking in the way her long blonde hair caught the fading sunlight, almost masking the haunted look in those beautiful eyes of hers.

"You okay there, sweet cheeks?" I asked, squeezing her hand twice.

Lakey's lips curved into that smirk of hers. "I’m great. If we find where they’ve gone, I can bury my blade into their cunts. There’s nothing like revisiting childhood trauma to get the blood pumping and the torture ideas flowin’."

I chuckled, dark amusement coursing through me. "That's my girl."

We stood in the overgrown yard, the decrepit building behind us, the stench of death still in my nostrils like a rotting corpse.My eyes scanned the area, searching for any sign of a basement entrance. No cellar attached to the building…

"Well, isn't this charming," I drawled, gesturing to the wild tangle of weeds and debris. "I can see why you loved it here so much."

Lakey's grip on my hand tightened, her nails digging into my skin. "Oh yeah, it was a real five-star experience. The nightly beatings were my favorite part. The screams of the other girls helped me get off, what can I say?"

I felt a surge of protective rage at her sarcasm, but I swallowed it down. Now wasn't the time for vengeance – that would come later. This was recon. My gaze landed on a dilapidated shed tucked away in the corner of the yard, its wooden structure barely clinging to life. It was well hidden amongst overgrown bushes and a couple of dead trees.

"Bingo," I murmured, nodding towards it. "Wanna bet that's our ticket downstairs?"

Lakey's eyes lit up with excitement and she bounced on her toes. "Lets fucking gooooo."

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