Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 35349 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 177(@200wpm)___ 141(@250wpm)___ 118(@300wpm)
I inhaled, taking in the scents of rich spices, baked goods, and salted and smoked meats. I stopped at a stall and bought a few sweet pastries filled with honey and nuts and a loaf of warm, crusty bread that would pair perfectly with the cheese I bought my first sightseeing day, after my adrenaline had settled from my close encounter in the woods and I realized just how hungry I was.
There were tourists, the first I’d seen since arriving, and locals milling about, trying to enjoy the last lingering light of the sun before it set. I let contentment and the safety of the crowd wrap around me, feeling the last remnants of unease fully leave me.
I even spoke to a few locals who directed me to some shops that needed help. Things were definitely looking up.
After ten more minutes of shopping, mostly for food, I wrapped things up and made my way back to my little cottage with thoughts of a home-cooked meal playing through my mind. The evening was cool, and I wrapped my new, handmade shawl—which I bought this morning—around my shoulders. It was perfect for keeping the chill at bay.
A group of tourists were laughing and taking pictures of the old church as I passed them. And a couple of locals gave me small smiles in passing. But as I turned down the narrow path that led to my rental, something in me shifted.
The air grew heavier. The shadows stretched longer than they should have, and everything took on a dangerous glint when I realized there was no one around.
I’d picked this village, this cottage, precisely for that reason, but now, I wasn’t enjoying the solitude I had so desperately craved.
I slowed my pace, my instincts ringing a warning bell in my body telling me to be alert. The hairs on my nape stood on end, and I knew—fucking knew—whoever had been stalking me before was doing it right now.
He was watching me.
Everything felt so sinister at that moment, and I glanced around, but there was no one else in the vicinity. The sun hadn’t quite set yet, but the light was fading quickly. I knew I had to pick up my pace and get to the safety of my home.
The little gate in front of the cottage came into view when I rounded the corner, and I walked faster. But just as I reached out to push it open, a sharp prick at the side of my neck made me gasp, the sound loud even to my own ears.
I barely had time to react, to reach up and touch the spot where the sting settled before a wave of dizziness crashed over me. I stumbled and braced my hand on the wooden gate as the world tilted. My bags slipped from my fingers and fell to the ground as I stumbled.
My vision blurred, my grip on the fence faltered, and I felt myself tipping toward the ground. This all happened in a matter of seconds, I was sure, but God, it felt like the world stopped, and everything moved in slow motion.
Panic surged through me because my body was no longer my own.
My mouth opened and closed like a fish struggling to breathe out of water. Instinct told me to cry out, to call for help. But my lips and tongue wouldn’t work, and I couldn’t form any words.
The last thing I was aware of before I just submitted to the numb darkness and the nothingness that was rushing up quickly was enormous hands wrapping around my waist, hauling me upright, and being cradled to a firm, powerful chest.
8
DOLLY
Iwoke up to a throbbing pain in my head, the kind that made everything fuzzy around the edges and had a moan escaping from my too-parched lips.
God, why did my body feel so heavy? I wanted to place my hand on my forehead in the hopes it’d ease the ache, but my limbs felt weighted down, too heavy to even lift them. Another painful noise came from my mouth, and I clenched my teeth as the sound vibrated my skull.
I relaxed and sank into the mattress, just breathing through the discomfort. But the longer I laid there, the more panic rose in my chest as I struggled to remember where I was and what the hell was going on.
I wracked my brain for what happened that lead up to this awful feeling.
The last thing I could recall was heading home after shopping, passing by a tourist group who were snapping selfies outside the church. After that… nothing.
I tried to open my eyes, and after a few seconds of a grainy feeling and the grogginess fading, I tried to sit up. Everything felt so sluggish, my body unresponsive.
It was after long seconds of me getting my bearings and things finally settling around me that the genuine horror rushed through my veins.