Page 66 of Escaping Hallow Hill Academy
And then my eyes open.
A tangle of shadows is strung all around me with bright white light trying to crawl in from somewhere to my left. Through the bruises all over my body and the blood that’s still wet against my palms, I claw my hands into soft dirt and head in the direction of the sunlight.
And those ominous blurring voices. The intensity of them is like fireworks, but the clarity of them is like smoke. My mind may be alert, but it’s lagging to process my bizarre surroundings.
Bizarre, indeed.
Thorns and vines wrap around my wrists. My legs. My heels. Every inch of me is caught up in the tangle of nature that’s slicing into my flesh with every move I make.
I just. Have. To Get. Out.
My breath shudders, tears prick my eyes, and I keep going. Every inch of me is scraped and stinging, but I have to keep going.
A long rope of vines snags my skin, but I shove off with all my might against the mud.
And I fall face-first into the warm white sunlight.
As well as the booming voices that are now filling my mind.
“Welcome, newcomers,” the unseen speaker says, the tone carrying through the open wilderness.
A man with a long scaly tail stands at my side. His flesh is adorned with scratches and blood, just like my own. Except he doesn’t look at me with pity. He glares down on me with hate and maliciousness in his dark gaze.
“Get up,” he growls.
“Fuck you,” I whisper. But it barely comes out.
My palms push against the dirt, arms shaking and breath heaving.
That voice haunts me with every move I make.
“Thank you all for joining us,” it says vaguely.
It’s then that I notice just how many others are surrounding me.
Hundreds.
Hundreds of men and women, creatures and supernaturals of all kinds stand in the mossy expanse. They’re just as battered as I am. Just as tense. Completely unprepared.
But for what?
They’re all wearing dirty and bloody Hallow Hill uniforms.
The sight of the slashing golden colors of the school's insignia triggers panic within me.
Where’s Sialen . . . Rue . . . “Styx?” I ask, not able to stop the name from slipping out.
“Get up,” the dragon-tailed man at my side growls again.
“Fuck. You.” I curse him louder this time and force my body to find enough strength to push myself to my feet and meet the asshole at eye level. “What the fuck is your problem?”
His lips thin into an impossible line as he shakes his head slowly at me.
“Get ready,” he commands.
I turn away from him with a jerk of my body, my eyes scanning the wall of supernaturals around me. There are so many, but I have to find Rue, Sia, and Styx. We have to figure out what’s going on together.
My heart nearly stumbles out of my chest when my gaze snags on a trembling figure amongst the hoard. She’s wearing a uniform and her blazing animalistic gaze darts around with obvious fear.
