Page 53 of Captured By the Monsters
In a rush of shadows, the Specter came for me, wrapping me in his tendrils in a vise grip. Tipping back my head, I let out a shrill scream that Julie echoed, hoping our monsters would hear us.
They quickly clamped tendrils over us, muffling our shouts and slightly gagging me as they invaded my mouth.
Our screams were futile. Our monsters would never hear us from this far away, especially being muffled. I had to find a different tactic. In the moment, all I could think to do was to squirm and fight to try to break free of the Specter’s embrace.
Julie copied me once more while the Specter guards cursed our actions as we wiggled around, but this too was in vain. Their tendrils were too strong, and within seconds they swept us out of the room, the Specter holding me pausing briefly at the door.
I couldn’t see what he was doing since he was shrouded in his shadows, but when I heard the doors being banged on and the brunette screaming, I put two and two together that she was locked in from the outside.
It felt like an eternity but was really mere minutes as he took me through the castle to where they needed us. I wished with everything in me that I could have seen the path to retrace our steps once I found a way to break free.
I’d have to figure it out as I went instead.
As the shadows were lifted and I could see once more, I took in the small room that we were deposited into. Immediately I reached for Julie, and we held onto each other for dear life as the Specters disappeared through the only door in the room with the strawberry blonde in their grasp.
There was nothing we could do for her, and it felt like my heart was splintering, the shards piercing my chest with every breath. She would die, and it was likely we would as well.
“We have to find a weapon or a way to escape,” I stammered, fighting through my terror to try to be logical enough to save us.
But no sooner did the words leave my lips than for the first time we heard a noise from the redhead. It was a shrill scream that was quickly cut off, accompanied by the snapping of a neck and a thump to the floor.
She was gone.
Julie began to sob and clung to me tighter. “Sera, I don’t want to die!”
My eyes shot around the room, looking for anything to barricade the door, but all that was in here was a string of crystal necklaces hanging from the wall.
That’s why they brought us here. To have a necklace to test the bond they thought could come from this. Come to think of it, the only time I’d seen Specters with the crystal was in the first cave I was in with the other Selected.
They must not have been able to keep them unless it was a match.
I wished with everything in me that I could have power from the crystal to fight back. To do anything other than wait.
Dropping an arm from Julie, I pulled away just enough to grip the crystal around my neck and willed it to be true. To lend me a way to save us, but nothing happened.
My cheeks were stained with the hot trail of my tears as I closed my eyes and dropped the crystal, placing my arm back to hold her tightly as we awaited our fate. I’d be with her, holding her and giving her all of the support that I could in these final moments. She wouldn’t be alone, and neither would I.
I kept my eyes shut when the door opened, refusing to accept what was about to happen.
It wasn’t until her body was pried from mine and her screams pierced my ears that they flew open and I saw her being taken out the door.
“Sera!” she cried, “Help me!”
My eyes burned and my body trembled as I openly sobbed, feeling helpless. I curled into a ball, rocking myself and trying to escape into my mind, knowing what I would hear.
My only friend here would die, and I’d be next.
