Total pages in book: 115
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 429(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
The wind gushes through me, and I look up at the sky, seeing no stars. The black clouds make the night look almost purple, and the sound of thunder fills the quiet night. “It looks like a storm is coming.” I walk toward my apartment, with the wind blowing through the staircase. I stop at the third floor as the flash of lightning comes through the clouds, lighting up the sky.
I walk up to my door at the same time as I feel a couple of raindrops on my arm. By the time I get my door open, the sky has opened up, and the rain is coming down in buckets. I close the door behind me, locking it before I turn and see the window in my kitchen is open. The small white curtain is flying in the wind, and the rain is coming in. I rush over to close the window, grabbing the dishrag hanging on the stove handle to mop up the excess water.
Only once it’s clean do I realize that I never left it open to begin with. I take a step into the kitchen and look around to see everything looks untouched. I make it to the living room window and see the window is shut just like it should be. Then I go to the bathroom, noticing nothing looks like it’s been touched. I do like every person in the horror movies do. I walk toward the shower curtain, holding my breath instead of running the other way. I push the curtain open, the whole time expecting someone to jump out at me and attack, all the while just holding my cell phone in my hand like that is going to stop the person from attacking me. I scream out when I throw the curtain aside, seeing it empty, and then throw my head back and laugh at my stupidity.
I put my hands down on my knees, getting my heartbeat down to a semi-normal rhythm. “I’m such an idiot,” I tell myself as I walk out of the bathroom and head toward my bedroom. I take a step in and stop when I see the side table by my bed is open, just a touch. I’m about to step toward it when the phone rings in my hand, and when I look down, I see that it’s Emmett. “Hello,” I answer before the first ring ends.
“Lilah,” he murmurs and his voice is low, “I think I may need your help.”
“What’s the matter?” I ask, turning and walking out of my room. The worry in his voice has my heart speeding up.
“It’s Lucy,” he replies. “She is literally in the corner shaking, and I can’t get her to stop.”
“I’m on my way,” I say, grabbing my purse and rushing out into the pouring rain. “I’ll be there as fast as I can. It’s raining.”
“Lilah,” he says my name in a sharp, tense way.
“What?” I answer once I’m in my truck, dripping fucking wet.
“You put the fucking phone down, and you focus on the road.” His tone is tight. “I would come and get you if I could leave her.”
“I’m putting the phone down right now,” I tell him, “and I’m going to take my time getting there.”
“Don’t make me worry even more.” His voice goes soft and low, and I can’t help but try to reassure him.
“I promise,” I tell him. “Now, I’m letting you go.” I hang up the phone and pull out of my driveway and head over to him. Even if I wanted to go fast, I couldn’t. The rain is just pouring down, making it so hard to see. It takes me over twenty minutes to make a six-minute drive, and when I pull up and dash out of my truck, the rain finally dies down.
I duck my head to try to avoid getting wet when I get out of the truck and run to the front door at the same time the thunder crashes, and we both hear the scream coming from Lucy. I’m right behind him as I stop at her bedroom door and see her in the corner, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Hey,” I say softly, walking around Emmett, “the last time I saw you, you were laughing away with Saige.”
“Thunder,” she stutters, “and lightning scare me.” She’s literally shaking like a leaf, and before I say anything, she throws herself at me, knocking me on my ass. Her body molds to mine as I hug her. She screams and hides her face in my chest as the thunder sounds again. This time, it sounds like two boulders being smashed together.
“Shh,” I whisper softly, rocking her side to side, “it’s okay. There are way scarier things than thunder”—she looks up at me—“like frogs and birds.” She doesn’t say anything to me. “You know, birds can eat your eyeball in one bite.”