Chapter 359
59 –The Shadow’s Choice
Madeline:
At least I was able to have a heart–to–heart conversation with Baxter after that, and the good part was that we cuddled to sleep.
It felt so fulfilling, but there was still a missing piece of me that was nowhere to be found, my daughter.
When I woke up again, I found myself alone in the bed. It seemed as if the other kids had already woken up and Baxter had taken care of them. I rubbed my eyes, feeling a sense of yearning.
I only got out of bed when I noticed the darkness outside the window, and something struck me.
Was it the same night, or had I been asleep for the whole day and it was already another night?
That anxiety gripped me, and I began to panic. I hastily reached for the door and opened it to see where the others were. However, the entire living room, almost as if the whole cabin, was empty.
“Baxter!” I called for Baxter, reaching for him as I stepped into the kitchen, but it was empty too.
The worst part was that it was not just empty, but everything seemed as if it had never been touched before.
There were cobwebs everywhere, dust covered the torn couches, there was no food, and nothing in the kitchen looked as if it had been used in years.
Panic took over because none of it made sense.
“Bodhi, Elara?” I yelled, screaming as I searched for my children.
I ran upstairs to Yuvonne’s room, or what used to be Yuvonne’s room, and it seemed to be locked, as if it had never been opened before.
Then I rushed downstairs to Baxter’s parents‘ room, and it was locked too. The same thing. There was no light. There was nothing. It was just a house that had been abandoned for years
Then I heard a faint whisper coming from the bedroom I had stepped out of.
“Baxter, is that you?” I called out.
I hurried toward the door but stopped midway when I heard voices coming from inside, and they did not sound like Baxter’s.
“What are we going to do?” a woman whispered, her voice gentle as she cried softly.
“Do not worry. I will find a way. I will not let anything happen to our child,” a man replied.
My hand began to shake as I reached for the door, trying to open it and see who was inside.
However, for reasons I could not explain, I was unable to open the door. I stayed there, listening to them.
“She has a high fever. If we do not get help for her, she will die,” the woman said, sounding distressed.
The way she spoke to the man reminded me of myself. That was how miserable and vulnerable I felt when Gina was snatched from my arms.
“Honey, I am telling you, I will go out and get her medicine. Just make sure you do not open the door for anyone p>
the man told her.
174
+26 Bonus
Then I heard footsteps moving toward the door. I stepped away, feeling frightened.
I was afraid they would catch me listening to their conversation. For a moment, I truly felt like I was the one invading their privacy. That fear made me step back even more, with greater hesitation.
However, the moment the door opened, a bright light filled my vision, and I saw a black shadow standing within it. There was no couple. There was no bedroom. It was only a bright light with a shadow.
“Mate or child?” a voice came from the dark shadow, but I could not see any features, as if there was no face, nothing there.
“What?” I asked the shadow, confused and unable to understand the hint it was giving me.
“Pick one,” she uttered.
“I do not understand,” I replied, shaking my head.
“You have to pick one,” she repeated.
The voice was terrifying. It almost sounded like it was not coming from the shadow itself, but from some unfamiliar source.
“I cannot pick one,” I uttered, refusing to give in to the orders of this entity, or whatever it was.
“Well, you must pick one, or you will lose both,” she warned.
As soon as she said that, my heart began to thump louder in my chest.
“Who are you? What do you mean by that? Is that supposed to be a threat?” I screamed.
That was when I noticed the shadow growing smaller, as if it were stepping back and away. I rushed into the bright light, trying to follow it.
“You cannot hurt my mate or my child. Who are you?” I screamed, calling out again and again as I tried to find it, trying to reach it.
But the more I stepped toward it, the more it faded away.
“No, wait. Come back. Tell me what you mean by that. Do you know where my daughter is?” I screamed over and
over.
As the shadow continued to fade, I heard one last thing from it. 1
“Since you did not pick, I will pick for you p>
1
Then a loud static noise hit me. I covered my ears with both hands and dropped to my knees.
“No, stop this. Stop it. Stop,” I screamed.
I suddenly felt hands gripping my arms, shaking me awake. I gasped, opening my eyes and staring straight into Baxter’s eyes.
“Hey, it was just a nightmare,” he murmured softly.
Behind him, both of my children stood in the doorway, watching me with shock and fear in their eyes.
2/4
960-1 Will Grote
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.