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Chapter 28
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2021-04-07 03:13:43Despite the circumstances, Ru did not have a feeling in her gut that she needed to flee the area immediately, which she took as a good sign. Intuitively, she felt like she could trust Cutter not to hurt her or put her in harm’s way, despite the fact that he was talking like a crazy person. While she was tempted to ask him more questions about the Reapers and how that all fit in with the legend—in his disturbed mind—she decided to just wait. Perhaps it really would all be revealed to her once they got to the Van Tassel House. Of course, she was also thinking there was a distinct possibility she might pull up outside of a dilapidated old dwelling the likes of the house in It’s A Wonderful Life where George and Mary make wishes breaking the windows.
“Cutter,” she said quietly as they began to drive deeper into the woods, “do you think it’s possible that the stress of the first few weeks of school is g
Bab terkait
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 29
Nat liked the dark. Even though this lair was fully equipped with every modern technological feature available, he didn’t turn any of them on. He preferred candlelight, and this evening he sat in a plush velvet chair, sipping red wine by the light of one solitary candle.He’d missed his opportunity, and he knew it. She’d been so close, only a hand’s breadth away. Why hadn’t she trusted him? There was no reason for her to think he would harm her, none at all.He set his goblet aside and rested his head back, wondering if it was even worth it to try again that same night. By now, the Keepers likely had her and were initiating their brainwashing techniques, resolute on turning her against him. If only he’d been successful when he’d had his opportunity.A sound at the door caught his attention, and he turned to see Raven slinking in. “What is it?” he asked, turning away
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-07Reaper's Hollow Chapter 30
Ru wasn’t sure if she should laugh or cry. “What do you mean everything I know about my past is a lie?” She glanced down at the paper again, and finding it offensive tossed it onto the coffee table. She could feel herself becoming very defensive now, so she tried breathing deeply through her nose. It wasn’t working.“Your mother’s name was, as you can see, Seraphina Raphaels. She is a Keeper. A descendant of Raphael’s.“Great. Now I’m related to a Ninja Turtle,” Ru mumbled.“Ru, please. This is serious.”With a loud humph, she said, “I’m sorry. Who is Raphael?”“An Archangel. We use our names to trace our lineage. So you are also a descendant of Raphael’s—not the cartoon character, or the artist, but the Archangel.”Ru licked her bottom lip, trying to im
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-07Reaper's Hollow Chapter 31
Ru climbed into Cutter’s truck, wishing they could’ve taken any other vehicle, and Lyric, who was already in the driver’s seat, started it. Ru clicked her seatbelt and crossed her arms, hoping some distance and deep breaths would clear her mind, thought she didn’t feel any calmer now that she was outside.Lyric turned the truck around and headed back down the winding, nearly invisible lane. She pulled out onto the country road that snaked through the forest and eventually caught the highway that headed to Reaper’s Hollow. She didn’t say a word until they were nearly to town. “I like your bracelets,” she said quietly. “You’re a lot edgier than I would have thought, considering you’re a teacher.”Ru glanced down at her bangles. “Thanks. I guess.”Lyric snickered. “What do you listen to?”Ru glanced at her for
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-07Reaper's Hollow Chapter 32
Cutter sat on the porch reflecting on what he’d done wrong. Clearly, it had been nearly everything, but he had no idea what he could’ve done differently. He had tried being direct, being completely honest, even letting her see for herself what they were capable of, but none of that seemed to matter. Now, she was out there alone, and he knew Nat had to have found her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dreamt of him. Whether Ru realized it or not, that dream wasn’t what she thought it was. He hoped his text was warning enough to keep her safe, but somehow, he didn’t think so.Lyric pulled into the driveway and got out of his truck. He was hopeful that she’d report she’d also had a discussion with Ru and now she was much more willing to believe, but he could tell by her solemn expression that wasn’t the case. “Well, that didn’t go as expected,” she muttered, tossing his keys back to him.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-07Reaper's Hollow Chapter 33
“And then, Steve said to follow him, so I did. But we forgot the potion, so I went back and got it. And Rupert was with us, but later, he died. And I was really sad about that. So I researched that if you keep the healing potion, you can save him, so I’m going to restart when I get home and see if that works.”Ira was standing next to her desk, telling her a story about Minecraft, and Ru was nodding along, even though she had no idea what he was talking about. “Wow, Ira, that sounds interesting. Can you tell me one more thing and then save the rest for recess?”“Sure,” he replied. The young boy continued to talk, but Ru was no longer listening at all. She caught a glimpse of Cutter over his shoulder in the hallway. He glanced in her direction and then looked away, taking his class down the hall, likely headed toward lunch, which is where Ru would be taking her friends in just a few minutes. Retu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-08Reaper's Hollow Chapter 34
Ru sat on her couch, her legs crisscrossed, her hands up, her eyes closed. She was doing her best to concentrate. If what Cutter said was true, and she really did have the same powers flowing within her, then she should be able to do what he had done. A little more research online, including the pages she’d found earlier where the kids were experimenting with powers like these, and she thought maybe now was the time to try it.Attempting to clear her mind, she concentrated on feeling her own energy flow freely through her body, visualizing a spark at her fingertips. Occasionally, she would think she felt something and opened her eyes to see—nothing. After a few hours, she collapsed onto the sofa, frustrated. “Gee, Ru, I wonder why you can’t make fire with your fingers? Maybe because everything Cutter said was made-up bullshit?”Her phone rang, and she sighed, hoping she hadn’t somehow just summoned hi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-08Reaper's Hollow Chapter 35
Ru stood on the top of a mountain, barren of any sort of life except for a few scraggly bushes in the distance. She felt the wind pick up, blowing the long white dress she wore out behind her. She was looking down into a rocky cavern illuminated by the moonlight, but she felt a presence behind her. Turning slowly, she wasn’t at all surprised to see the man standing there. Dressed in his black cloak, with his hood down around his shoulders, he stared at her. Even from twenty feet away, his green eyes seemed to penetrate her very soul.“How are you, Rune?” he asked, his melodic voice ringing out into the open air and dancing on the breeze. This time, his mouth moved. It was as if they were old friends.“Thanatos,” she said, acknowledging him. “What are we doing here?”“I wanted to speak to you,” he replied, no
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-09Reaper's Hollow Chapter 36
Cutter opened his eyes and blinked a few times as his spirit form completely reunited with his body. It was a skill that had taken a while for him to learn at the age of five, but now, over twenty years later, he definitely had it down. The room was dark and a glance at the clock said it was about 3:30 in the morning.He was sitting on his bed in what one might call a lotus position, as he had been hours ago when he’d left his body to stay with Ru. He’d tried not to spy on her; the last thing he needed was for her to think he was invading her privacy, but he’d been certain for the last few weeks that Nat was stalking her. He’d showed up a time or two while Cutter was nearby but hadn’t attempted to manipulate her again. Until tonight.Jumping into Ru’s vision was a last resort, but it had been necessary. Nat’s promises were compelling, and he could tell from the moment he began to fill Ru’s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2021-04-09
Bab terbaru
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 158: Epilogue
One year later… “All right, boys and girls. That is enough for today. We will pick up with Ramona’s story tomorrow afternoon. For now, go ahead and get your backpacks on, and let’s line up at the door.” Groans filled the air as twenty-two fourth graders followed their teacher’s directions despite wanting to hear what happened next in the story. They stood and walked to the cubbies where their backpacks were hung and politely took turns getting their belongings before making an orderly line at the door. Ru took a deep breath and looked lovingly at her students. Even though she’d made the same prediction every year since she started teaching, she had had a feeling about this group of kids from the very beginning. And she was right. They were the best group of fourth graders she’d ever taught. The bell rang and she wished them all a good weekend, gathering up the four students who went to daycare and walking with th
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 157
“I need to face him,” Cutter said. “And you need to get to the portal.” Ru craned her neck around the tree. While there were still some Reapers near the entryway, for the most part, the Keepers were able to set up a perimeter around the portal. If she was going to go, now was the time. “Okay. Be careful,” she said. Realizing that Cutter was about to take on one of her assignments made Ru feel uncomfortable, particularly since she knew what the end result would be, and despite the bargain she’d almost just made with the devil, she still didn’t want to see Nat destroyed. But she had to push those thoughts out of her head. She quickly kissed Cutter’s cheek and scurried off to the next tree closest to the portal. Nat saw her now, and he began to move in her direction, using his scythe to cut down an attacking Keeper as if he were nothing. Ru swallowed hard and steeled herself, looking for the next place to hide. If she used her powers on Nat, there was a chance she would
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 156
A Reaper stepped through the portal opening. Tall, with ebony hair, he wore the long black cloak she expected to see, a scythe in his hand. The man quickly ran to the left of the portal, and then another Reaper appeared on his heels. Dressed identically, with the same weapon, he ran to the right. Then, another sprang forth, and another. Ru watched, her eyes wide as the Reapers continued to pour out of the portal, as if Hell had spilled an inkwell and the thick, black substance was covering the entire earth. “Holy Hell.” It was hard to pull her eyes off of the sight, but she turned to see Cutter standing next to her. “We’ll never be able to take all of them.” It was Ivy, and Ru glimpsed a look of defeat on her face as she came to a stop behind Cutter. “We have to try,” he said. Ru could see the resolve in his face and noticed his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Ivy and I will hold them off while you concentrate on the portal.” There ha
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 155
The demons were up again, too, and the battles picked up where they had left off. Everyone else was engaged, which left Ru to face this Goliath all by herself. “Kill it! Kill it!” Rider shouted at her as streaks of blue wrapped around the snake’s midsection. He seemed to be closing in on his prey, and Ru tried not to let the sight distract her. He was right. It would be best to take out the giant before he was fully formed. With a deep breath, Ru drew upon all of the strength she had inside of her and aimed her blue light at the giant. It was difficult to figure out where to aim since he was only out of the portal up to his shins. Still, she hoped it would be enough. Perhaps it was because of his size, but she felt the need to shout even louder this time as she recited the incantation almost word for word along with Rider who was also sending the snake into oblivion. “Infernus et perdere faciam te in nomine Domini!” This time, Ru didn’t feel as confi
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 154
There it was, right in front of her, the portal. The final one. And all she had to do was raise her hands and say the incantation. All of this would be over. If Thanatos wasn’t here, she couldn’t kill him. Surely, Raphael would understand that. She’d just close the portal and sneak away, leaving that confrontation for another day. Except she knew it wasn’t that easy. Just because she didn’t see him didn’t mean he wasn’t there. And even before she could raise her hands, the pull from inside of her became overwhelming, causing Ru to double over. The air between the edges of the portal continued to ripple and wave, and Ru recognized the sensation from both of the previous portals. Something was coming. She looked at Cutter and for the first time she could remember, she saw fear in his eyes. “They’re coming,” she whispered. He opened his mouth to say something, but before anything came out, a rush of heat shot out of the portal opening. Both of them instinctively
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 153
“Well, that doesn’t even make sense.” Lyric rolled her eyes. “If you’re in charge, then why do you have to do what someone else told you?” Flint launched into a defense of his decision, but Ru shouted over him. “Flint! Look, the reason their numbers were so low at the beginning of the battle is obvious, isn’t it? It’s not because this portal doesn’t mean anything to them—it’s because it means everything to them. They’re not on the battlefield yet. They will come through the portal!” She had him by the shoulders, which caused him to jump backward, shaking himself free, and once Ru finished her statement she took a step back as well. “What? No,” Flint argued. “They’re not going to send them through the portal. That would be suicide. They’d have to come through a small opening into enemy controlled territory.” “Yeah, into a stream of five whole enemy fighters who cannot possibly hold them all off,” Rider reminded him. “You have to close in behind us.” Ru
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 152
Aokigahara sprawled in front of her like the untamed wild it was, trees encroaching into the neighboring farmlands and open spaces as if the forest insisted on reclaiming what used to be hers. From this direction, it was difficult to tell where the forest began and civilization ended, though Ru thought for certain she’d know when she crossed the line. She stifled a yawn and kept moving forward, one boot at a time, toward what might be her very last mission, if she had her way. Though she had fallen asleep for a few hours, for the most part, she’d gotten her wish and was able to stay up most of the night, with Cutter’s help, and the activity he’d chosen to occupy her certainly didn’t make her feel less worn out. The few hours she had spent in oblivion had been dreamless, as far as she knew. At least, if there had been dreams, they had been unmemorable. Her friends surrounded her as they made their way into the forest. Cutter was in front of her, Rider b
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 151
Navigating airports was hard enough for Ru when she was in countries where most everyone spoke English. Flying to Japan would’ve been completely overwhelming if Ivy wasn’t fluent in Japanese and Mandarin, especially when they had to switch planes in Shanghai. Luckily, the gentle-natured Keeper had managed to keep all of them in line and they’d made their way to Shizuoka Airport with little incident, though Rider complained about the lack of legroom on the commuter jet nearly the whole flight. Thank goodness for headphones, Ru had thought to herself. The entire van ride from the airport to their hotel, a place Ru hadn’t even attempted to try to pronounce for fear she’d embarrass herself, her eyes were glued out the window. From the buildings, to the natural surroundings off in the distance, to the smiling faces of those they passed along the streets, Ru was fascinated. By the looks she was getting, so were the people staring back at her. Five tall blondes with blue e
Reaper's Hollow Chapter 150
Cutter squeezed her leg, and Ru realized it must be apparent she wasn’t paying attention. She tuned back in to hear Sky say, “Now, the team we are meant to protect so that they can get in and close the portal will be given the code name Alfred. This will allow us to be briefer in our communications about the team.” Sky continued to talk, and she knew it was important that she listen, since Ru would be involved in whatever the blue-haired Keeper was discussing presently, but curiosity got the better of her. “Why Alfred?” she whispered to Cutter. Without turning his head, he replied, “Alfred Nobel.” “Huh?” Ru was still confused. “The inventor of dynamite.” “Oh.” Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to Sky, who was giving her the same look Ru might give a student who wasn’t paying attention. Ru swallowed hard and made herself concentrate. “Alfred will be dispatched from here, a break in the forest away from the typical entrance
