Page 3 of Tears of Ruin

His lungs probably wanted to.

When I hit a cluster of trees, I shot left, hoping he hadn’t spotted me. Idiotically, I glanced back, crying out in shock when I saw that he was not only still chasing me but gaining speed.

What the freak? It was like the demon was giving him superpowers, making him run like he’d been jogging every day of his life.

I shot out of the woods and into someone’s backyard, sprinting to the front of the farmhouse.

“Fuck, I feel alive!” Martin’s excited voice rang through the night air, causing fireflies to scatter from a nearby bush and a bird to take flight from a tire swing. I didn’t think, just ran up the steps leading to a porch and slammed into the door, frantically twisting the knob in hopes, by some miracle, it was unlocked.

Come on, come on, come on. Please, open for me!

The knob turned, but the door wouldn’t budge! The sound of the ominouscrackmade me throw my one hundred and ten pounds against the wood, despite knowing how useless my efforts were.

The door barely rattled, but my wounded leg screamed in pain.

Another crack caused instant tears, and I hated how easily he’d made them fall, like he’d conditioned my tears to obey the sound of that godawful belt.

His slow footsteps in the grass reached my ears. No wheezing. No struggle, just a man enjoying the stillness of the night. Not a guy hunting his own son.

He was getting closer, and I was almost resigned to my fate. But I had to try one last time. When I rammed into the door, it popped open, making me stumble.I didn’t hesitate, rushing inside and quietly closing it behind me. I leaned against it, my eyes closed, my breathing ragged.

You’re not safe. Find the owners, beg them to protect you, plead with them to call the cops.All I wanted was a moment, just one lousy moment, but I couldn’t rest. Any second Martin would pound on the door… or break it down since a demon was now his puppet master.

After a deep exhale, I opened my eyes.

Then gasped.

I wasn’t inside a farmhouse.

I was inside a ruby-red and obsidian castle!

What the confusion was going on? I turned and glanced at the black lacquered door behind me, tempted to open it just to see if the front yard was still out there.

Martin was.

Nope. I wasn’t going to satisfy my burning curiosity when my demon-possessed father lurked outside.He was possessed by a demon long before Silo came into the picture.

This was… I couldn’t find the right words to describe just how strange this all was. As I glanced around, I spotted a desk to my right and a few potted plants scattered around.

I had to have fallen down the steps at home and cracked my head. But honestly, I would take a delusional castle over what Martin was more than likely doing to me in the real world.

Fascinated, I walked forward, my sneakers quiet on the marble flooring. I just bet it would hurt to slip and fall. My hallucination could’ve at least put some rugs down for traction.

The farther inside I ventured, the more excited I became. The wall felt cool under my fingers, and I snickered when the scones caused my reflection to look as if I was in front of funhouse mirrors.

The only thing that disturbed me was the eerie silence. For such a fancy castle, it seemed abandoned. Which was a shame. This place was too extraordinary not to throw wild parties.

But since it was deserted, I wanted to explore. Only the corridors were like a maze, and I wasn’t sure if I was retracing my steps or heading in a new direction. For an abandoned castle, every door I opened led to a bedroom that appeared to be lived in. Yet, no one was around.

Very strange. Definitely weird. Incredibly wonderful. This place had mad medieval vibes, and I loved it. There wasn’t a ton of chores waiting for me after working all day at my job. No cat following me around the house, watching me like I was about to steal something worthless.

And best of all? No Martin.

Tears came to my eyes but for all the right reasons. This castle was a blessing, a refuge I never wanted to leave. I couldn’t give a rat’s butt that I should be screaming and finding the nearest exit.

This. Was. Heaven.

I just wished my delusion had allowed my scooter to be here. It would’ve been so wild to ride it through the massive halls.

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