49

TEDDY

I strained to hear Cassy and Phin moving through the house above, their footsteps faint, muffled by the dark magic trapping me.

I tried to call out, but the sound died in my throat. They were so close, yet so unreachable.

Phin's voice broke through the barrier. But when he threw the talisman out the window, it wasn't enough. The magic in the house lifted, revealing signs of life, but I remained trapped, buried in the shadows.

Panic set in as I thought they might leave without realizing I was there. I knew I had to find a way to leave a sign, something they couldn't miss. Ignoring the pain that shot through me, I forced myself to move. My shirt hung in shreds from the beatings. I ripped off a piece. It's a bloody piece, and I hope it will tell the story I couldn't.

I crawled closer to the front, where a small hole led to the floor above. They couldn't leave without finding something, without knowing I was here.

I pushed the fabric as hard as possible through the hole. The til