AvaLater that night, Chris and I arrived in the elegant dining room—this one larger than the other, with a crackling fireplace situated at the far end and a gleaming mahogany bar against the wall. Chris pulled my chair out for me and I took my seat across from Clara, who was sitting beside Bernard.
Chris nodded, exchanging a glance with me. I nudged his knee with my own beneath the table, feeling bolstered; maybe we didn’t have a solid plan set in case of evacuation, but Bernard might just offer his help after all. That was all that mattered.“We completely understand,” Chris said. “And thank
AvaI woke up early the next morning, feeling refreshed despite the late night and what was perhaps a bit too much wine. Chris was already up, packing our bags and bustling around the room by the time I climbed out of bed.“Morning, sunshine,” he said with a grin, glancing over his shoulder as he st
Patricia nodded and shot me a knowing look. “Everything’s fine. I was just wishing Ava well.”Chris smiled. “I’m glad. And thank you, Patricia, for everything.”We said our final goodbyes, promising to keep each other updated on the blight, the infestation, and the growth of the seed. Just before we
AvaThe car rattled along the road, the only sound that of the wheels churning against the gravel. Chris, sitting beside me, gripped my hand tightly.“You okay?”I startled a bit at his touch, but nodded stiffly. Surrounding the car on all sides was a thick, oppressive fog that had rolled in not lon
As we sat down with our own meals—meatloaf for Chris, chicken pot pie for me—one of our younger officers, Mike, leaned in from the next table. His eyes were wide. “Did you guys hear about the demon?”I raised an eyebrow, exchanging a glance with Chris. “Don’t tell me you believe that, Mike. It’s jus
AvaI woke up the next morning to the sensation of the warm sun hitting my cheek, although I was still blinking away the remnants of a strange dream. As my consciousness slowly returned, I remembered the events of last night—the banging cabinet, my brief moment of fear.Now, with the sun shining thr
We decided to step into one of the shops, a bell tinkling as we entered. The interior was cramped and dusty, filled to the brim with all manner of strange objects. Dolls with eerily lifelike eyes stared at us from shelves, while jars of wet specimens lined the walls.“Creepy,” I muttered, picking up