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Chapter Twenty: United
Last Updated:
2023-01-09 20:53:35
Roark RyderDedicated to Dagny, for never giving up on trying to tame the monster inside me
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The Dark Ones Chapter One: Desire
Georgia was soaking wet. The rain glided off her head and down her face, making her eyes burn slightly on the way down. Her shoes splashed loudly as she ran to the pavement and onto Morris Street, dipping in and out of large puddles along the way. By the time she reached the other side, even her knees were drenched. Her feet felt damp and wrinkled, her trainers doing a poor job of keeping water out. Her socks were soggy and disgusting as they splotched with every step now. She pulled her hoodie tighter over her head, lamenting the thought of how her hair was going to frizz up. Her backpack bounced behind her, weighed down more by the rain. She hoped the waterproof material would hold up and dreaded the thought of what her books might look like if it didn’t. The wind was beginning to howl and it sent the rain swishing in different directions. The chill was bad today. This time of year in Milwaukee usually spelled the end of the cold season but despite it being the last week of March,
Last Updated : 2022-12-31The Dark Ones Chapter Two: Revelation
By the time Georgia finally reached the parking lot of Beldon High, she was drenched and shivering. The familiar gray and red entrance came into view as it arched over double-length sliding doors. The clouds ahead cast a morose tone over the day that echoed her mood. The parking lot was full but seemed to lack color today. Even the trees around the lot were dull and lifeless, the sky casting everything below it in a pallid tinge. As she neared the entrance, the usual throng of students was down to a small trickle as most kids were already inside. Joining the line, the chattering group in front of Georgia did nothing to ease her mixed emotions. Their inane conversations were so typical, a bunch of tripe with no substance beyond obsessing over how many likes their latest social media post received, or whatever bandwagon cause they were championing today. They were the reason older people thought of her generation as being nothing but a bunch of whiny weaklings. Georgia sighed inwar
Last Updated : 2023-01-03The Dark Ones Chapter Three: Dejection
Georgia couldn’t have told a soul what went on around her that day. For the first time in her life she played truant at school. She was physically present through every class but her mind couldn’t have been further away. From class to class, wherever Georgia went, she felt the back of her neck burn. Hayden Ryder always managed to get in before her and sit at the back. Every class she entered, she tried to make eye contact with him as she walked to her seat. Each time she wanted to speak or say something to him, she lost the nerve once it came time to actually let out the words. Frustratingly, he always kept his head down and never once looked up to see her. It might have been easier if he did. He could have spoken first and broken the tension Georgia felt. Homeroom was the worst. Hayden had taken the seat directly behind Georgia. Her eyes were fixed on his face as he passed, as were every girls’ in the class. Some of them even giggled unashamedly and openly catcalled him which Mrs.Jo
Last Updated : 2023-01-08The Dark Ones Chapter Four: Fantasy
Georgia was drying her hair. It felt good to finally be clean and warm for the first time that day. The steaming water from the shower felt great. It wasn’t just the heat that was soothing. The cleansing embrace of the water made her feel like she was washing off the anger and frustration from her day too. It had been one of the craziest days of her life at Beldon High, one that left her feeling dejected by its end. Actually it was HIM that left you feeling that way. Try as she might, she could not get Hayden Ryder out of her mind. After toweling off and changing into her favorite warm pajamas, Georgia sat at the edge of her bed as the rain continued to fall outside her window. Replaying the day in her mind, one thing kept jumping out as a highlight. The venom in Hayden’s words when he told her to “stay out of it” felt so unnecessary. She was angry inside as she thought of how contorted his face was when he said it. It was almost like he hated her. The thought that maybe he did j
Last Updated : 2023-01-08The Dark Ones Chapter Five: Surprise
As Georgia watched the sights of her town flit past the large window, her mind consumed them on autopilot. Grayston could be a dreary place at times and the gray tinge from the dark clouds above made it seem more lifeless today than usual. Her mind was on her dream from the night before. Hayden had featured in it more prominently than she’d ever admit to anyone. No surprise there! Her mind was half annoyed and half confused at its relentless obsession with him. The dream itself added a new layer of mystique to him. It started with her being able to see him. He was beautiful and strong, his skin seeming to glow under a moonlit night, the sinew of his arms and chest a million times more desirable because of it. She kept trying to reach him but he kept pushing her away. Even in his rejections of her, she couldn’t help noticing how strong and forceful his touch was. It excited her somehow. “Let me in,” she kept pleading with him. The more desperate her cries became, the more her consc
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Georgia could scarcely believe that a few minutes ago she had been on her way home. Now she was sitting in the passenger seat of Hayden’s car still unable to truly comprehend how she’d gotten there. Her mind was ringing with questions. She didn’t remember actually jumping in. Everything felt like a blur after he’d mentioned his own dream. Now she sat there stunned as he floored his car around the suburban streets of Grayston. Despite all her confusion, Georgia couldn’t help but admire the assured manner in which he handled the powerful car. Even at the high speeds that the car was careening around the twisty bends in the road, Georgia felt safe. Her mind was still racing though. She watched him from the corner of her eye, partly engrossed by his muscular frame which was even more impressive now that she sat right next to him, and partly fearful that he hadn’t said a word since she got in. While she was a nervous wreck, Hayden appeared much calmer, and even a little happier now that s
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Georgia reached home on a cloud. The short time she spent with Hayden felt like a virtual lifetime to her. He’d dropped her off at the entrance to her road. Georgia knew her neighbors could be nosy at times and didn’t want to have to explain to her parents why she’d been dropped off by a gorgeous young man driving a black sports car. Hayden had been sweet. He’d walked over to her side and let her out. He promised again that they’d talk more soon and she believed him, looking forward to it like a kid waiting for Christmas. She’d felt an overwhelming urge to hug him goodbye but fought it and let him leave with a sigh to herself as he drove away. She knew deep down this wasn’t normal. People didn’t feel this enamored after only knowing someone for two days. Yet, she did. She thought over the last few years of her life, trying to understand what it all meant. Her two previous forays into dating were enough for her to think she didn’t need to have a boyfriend right now. She’d carried on w
Last Updated : 2023-01-08The Dark Ones Chapter Eight: Doubt
Georgia’s mind was consumed. It was her default setting these days. Ever since Hayden walked into her life, it felt like nothing had ever been the same again. She still shuddered at the sight of the body. It was two days later and she still couldn’t shake the memory of it. She’d seen a dead body before. When she was fourteen her mom and her drove past the scene of an accident. It was gruesome. The driver was slumped over at the wheel, blood congealing down his head and neck, the dashboard pushed back into him, crushing his body. It had stuck with her for a while but eventually, she’d forgotten all about it. This was different. This lingered with her. The local radio station update bringing it all to the fore again. “Authorities are still searching for the perpetrator behind this horrific act. While early indications are that the victim’s wounds are consistent with an animal attack, police haven’t ruled out the possibility of this being a murder. Whatever’s behind the death of Claudin
Last Updated : 2023-01-08
Latest chapter
The Dark Ones Chapter Twenty: United
Georgia stood with her head down as she stared at the coffin in front of her while the Priest addressed the mourners. A single tear rolled down her cheek. So many of her childhood memories of Abbi came flitting back to her mind now. She felt guilty about how tainted they used to seem. Between her parents, extended family, and the doctors always telling her that Abbi was crazy, she used to look back on their time together with a level of discomfort. It always felt like her Abbi was lost and nothing she had ever said to her was worth remembering. She knew that Abbi loved and favored her more than her cousins. That part was always obvious. She could still picture the huge smile that would spread on her face whenever Angela took her to visit Abbi as a child. “ven aquí mi niña,” she would say, holding out her arms widely to embrace her. “Come here my little girl,” it meant. The words rang through her mind now and made her tears fall faster. Hayden was beside her and put his arm arou
The Dark Ones Chapter Nineteen: Uncertainty
Once home again, despite all the fear raking through her mind, Georgia fell into a deep sleep that night. She thought of Abbi. Since their visit, she’d been able to sense her even though they were too far away to communicate. All she could sense was her overall energy and mood. Before falling asleep, the last thing she felt was that Abbi was anxious. She could also tell she wasn’t doing well. Her energy was more distant than ever and it felt like a signal that kept growing weaker. Georgia instinctively knew what this meant. She didn’t have much time left. Knowing how close to the end she was and how much she was suffering, Georgia couldn’t understand why she desperately clung on. She could sense that Abbi was refusing to let go for a reason. She just didn’t know what it was. When the morning arrived, Georgia’s mood was morose. She showered and changed, taking a lot more interest in herself during these activities than she normally would. It was an unnerving feeling knowing this could
The Dark Ones Chapter Eighteen: Bitter-Sweet
As Georgia lay in bed that night, the full weight of the last two weeks came crashing down on her. Since meeting Hayden, discovering their connection, and falling in love with him, their world together had dominated everything else. Nothing was normal anymore. So much had happened since meeting him, it felt like months had passed instead of just two weeks. The events of earlier that day played in her mind. Remnants of Hayden’s deep pain and remorse still churned in her brain. She felt it all and now knew why he was such a tortured soul. Seeing Claudine Grimsby’s mutilated body had been so difficult for her to deal with but it was nothing compared to Hayden’s agony when he discovered his parents. They were almost unrecognizable. To have seen that and then had to live with the knowledge that he’d done it was unimaginably difficult. She felt for him. He kept blaming himself. Later he blamed the wolf and separated himself from its actions as a kind of defense mechanism. It was a lot to
The Dark Ones Chapter Seventeen: Remorse
The drive home was subdued. There seemed to be a silent understanding between them. The quietness acted like a reminder that their entire future together was now predicated on surviving a fight to the death that neither knew if they were ready for. It got to Georgia after a while and she tried to ease the underlying tension. She searched Hayden’s mind. Despite his promises to Abbi, he still kept most of it tightly closed. She searched for a way to calm his mind. She played around with the music, selecting love songs at first. Since they were facing an uncertain future as lovers, these only made the mood more depressing so she switched to more upbeat tracks. These made her feel better at least so she decided to speak first. “I feel terrible for Abbi. To think, all those years we just treated her like a crazy person.”He agreed and then opened up a little. “It must have been horrible keeping all that inside for so long. It’s a very lonely existence to bear. Before you came along, I ex
The Dark Ones Chapter Sixteen: Understanding
It was a crazy thing to be in love after just one week. Despite the strangeness of theirs, Georgia knew it was real—more real than any other love story she’d ever known. It wasn’t just words, they truly meant it. She was left rattled but still happy. The pain and fear of knowing Hayden contemplated leaving her was difficult to deal with. She reminded herself that he wanted to leave but didn’t. Instead, when so many surrounding circumstances made him want to walk away, he still chose her and chose to stay.There was no existence without him. It was a scary feeling. Being so dependent on another person wasn’t healthy but whatever binding force drove them to each other seemed to only have one setting—permanent and irrevocable. She watched him now. He’d shown up on time to fetch her. He also opened the car door for her, held her hand tightly throughout the day, and kissed her without abandon in the hallway that morning. He even smiled more, was clean shaven, and sincerely cheerful. It was
The Dark Ones Chapter Fifteen: Loved
The rest of the weekend passed by in a depressing blur. Georgia spent the remainder of Saturday night desperately trying to connect to Hayden. She sensed the anger and rage in him as he drove away that night. She managed to keep it bay during the fight but knew as he left that it wouldn’t stay that way. Just as she was getting better at tapping into his mind, he was getting better at blocking her from it. He shut her out completely after that and she was forced to spend the entire night wondering if he was safe. Sleep evaded her completely until eventually, she heard the birds chirping and saw lines of sunlight creeping in through cracks in her curtains. That morning was a drag. She got through it on autopilot, a painful migraine shadowing her every move, and making her feel like the walking dead. Her parents were oblivious. Her mom kept going on about how great Hayden was. It irritated her since she was annoyed with him but played along to not arouse her parents’ suspicions that thi
The Dark Ones Chapter Fourteen: Hopeless
Hayden stared blankly at Georgia for a moment. A huge smile spread on her face. “The answers to all of this have been right in front of me,” she said.“Um….okay. What am I missing here?” he asked.It just hit me now when you mentioned Mexico and Chiapas. I couldn’t figure out where I’d heard that name before. So I’m guessing you didn’t realize that I’m part Mexican?”Hayden looked surprised. He raised his eyebrows, seeming a little confused too. “Part Mexican? Which part? You look pretty white to me?”Georgia chuckled. It was a part of her heritage that no one really knew about aside from her family. “Yeah, unfortunately I only inherited the pasty side of my family’s gene pool. My grandmother on my mother’s side is Mexican though. She was brought to the States by my grandfather. He was a researcher and met her while on an expedition in Southern Mexico in the sixties. The story’s a bit shocking actually.”Hayden was engaged now and fully interested in seeing where this was all going
The Dark Ones Chapter Thirteen: Hope
Georgia’s life had devolved into a circus show. Her parents on one end, worrying for her safety since news of the second victim broke, but oblivious to the fact that she had more knowledge of it all than the police probably did. Her relationship with Hayden was the definition of ‘it’s complicated’. She still had her senior year to contend with at school. Wherever and whatever this other shifter was, he could find and kill Hayden at any time. If she happened to be with him at the time of an attack, her life would be in danger too. In the middle of all this, she still didn’t fully understand her psychic powers, the link to his mind, and what it all really meant. At times she felt like it was guiding her. What if it was simply guiding her to her own doom? What if her connection to Hayden put her parents, or Lisa, or Benny, her teachers, or other students at risk? These kinds of questions peppered her mind endlessly. Her instincts told her they couldn’t avoid the killer forever. Running
The Dark Ones Chapter Twelve: Pleasure
Georgia’s heart was still singing odes of joy when she pulled up to her house. Hayden had taken her halfway and Lisa had picked her up outside their favorite coffee spot to drive her home from there. When he hugged her goodbye before escorting her to the other car, Lisa was practically giddy with excitement. The short ride home was punctuated by her boisterous chatter and endless questions. “Oh my God, I knew it! I’m so happy for you. I knew he liked you. This is so awesome. Tell me everything. What’s he really like? Where’s he from? Did you kiss him yet?” Georgia spent most of the trip trying to diplomatically answer as many questions as she could. She didn’t want to completely shut her best friend out, especially since Lisa was inconveniencing herself just so Georgia could spend time with Hayden. She gave answers like, “We just like each other for now. Things are still early. I don’t know where this is all going yet.”This helped her avoid needing to get into too much detail but
