Page 80 of Unholy Obsession

The bell tolls for thee, Moira. Time for ruin!

I double over, gripping my thighs, nails digging into my skin because I need to feel something real, something sharp to cut through the noise. I glance around the dark, barren edge of the church, searching for something.

Someone.

There.

A man, alone, heading toward his car, keys jangling in the quiet.

Before I can think—because thinking is not on tonight’s agenda—I sprint to the edge of the church, peeking around the corner like some deranged pervert. Which I am.

I whistle.

Sharp and loud. His head snaps toward me, eyes squinting in the dark.

Hook bait. Cast line.

I grab the hem of my shirt and yank it up, flashing my tits like it’s Mardi Gras and he’s got beads. Then I wiggle my fingers in a “come here” gesture as if this is the most normal thing in the world.

He freezes. Looks away.

Dammit.

But then—he looks back.

Gotcha.

I hike my skirt up next, flashing more than just enthusiasm this time, wiggling my hips like I’m starring in the world’s most chaotic strip tease.

Come on, dumbass. How much clearer do I have to be?

He hesitates, then locks his car with a beep and starts walking toward me.

Huzzah! I caught a fish!

Fish, fish, in a dish. Catch a cock and?—

But as he gets closer, something shifts. Not in him. In me.

His face comes into focus. He’s just a guy. Totally regular guy. The kind of face you’d forget in a crowd. And suddenly, the buzz under my skin isn’t excitement.

It’s fear.

It’s panic.

Fuck. What am I doing?

Because this isn’t a game.

I’m out of control. I just happen to be aware of it like someone watching outside my body. Fuck!

This is me, but not me. Humpty Dumpty’s off the wall, and there are no king’s horsemen and no king’s men to even try to put me back together again.

I step back, breath hitching, heart still racing, but now for all the wrong reasons.

What the fuck are you doing, Moira?

The man slows, confusion on his face when I turn and bolt—legs pumping, lungs burning, running like if I go fast enough, I can outrun the thing chasing me.

---