Chapter 9- Salacious Bloodlust

(the flashback for this chapter contains themes of violence and mental illness. please be aware.)

****

ONE AND A HALF YEARS AGO,

JUNE 26th, 2019.

SANDERLAND, CALIFORNIA.

Have you ever just sat in the rain?

In the thunder?

In the lightning?

Watching it strike through the sky, bright and mysterious, like an enigma of light.

Lightning is comforting, the bright strikes illuminating every single one of my flaws and problems.

One of how I can't make up my fucking mind.

No matter how hard I try not to think about him?

He makes his way right back into my mind.

Making it so that whenever I close my eyes, whenever I try to think, it's just him.

I'm trying to forget him, I'm trying so fucking hard, but it just won't go away.

He won't go away.

And along with the storms, death is comforting.

Blood.

Gore.

Being out of my own mind.

I've turned into a maniac, and trust me when I tell you I think I've made a huge mistake.

Hanging out with him, just being with him, has turned me into a monster.

A sinner.

He's drawn me to the point of killing, of finding joy in killing.

But that's what he wants, right?

For me to fall in a downwards spiral to my own death?

To drive me to complete and utter insanity?!

And no matter how hard I try...I just can't get rid of him.

I can't.

He haunts me day and night, day and night.

I just need to go away.

Permanently.

Is that how I can disappear?!

I want to disappear.

It'll hurt less. I won't have to see him.

The world won't have to see me.

That's what everyone wants, right?

Me gone?

I can't handle the fact that he's gone, and that I'm gone too.

I've been gone for the past year and a half.

I'm nineteen now, which means he's twenty one.

I wonder how he's doing?

If he's found a new woman to toy with?

Perhaps more than one?

I'm sure he just wants us all to die. To shrivel up in a ball and die.

That's what I want to do.

I want to die.

Die.

Die.

Die.

I'm not myself anymore.

Where even is she?!

Where is Daisy?

This isn't her.

I'm not her.

I don't like what I'm becoming.

I don't like what she's becoming.

Who is the girl in my head trying to get out?!

What does she want from me?!

Rain pelts my face, and I lay flat in the grass behind my house.

The darkness surrounds me.

Or it comes off of me.

I am the darkness.

I'm making it spread.

I have to make it go away.

I have to make her go away.

I stand up, walking closer to the shed behind my house.

The door swings back and forth in the wind, and I grab a hold of it, pulling it open and reaching inside when I get a whiff of something rotten, and immediately stumbling back.

I gag, falling onto the floor in a fit of coughs.

The door swings violently back and forth, and I catch a shine.

The reflection of a person's eye.

Eyes.

They're watching.

I stand back up on wobbly legs, gripping tightly onto the door handle once more before pulling it open, ignoring the wave of rotten flesh.

Decaying.

Deteriorating.

I reach inside, fumbling around for the light switch.

I find it and flick it on, moving my eyes to the—

I let out a bone chilling scream that echoes through the night, as my breath hitches in my throat and I get extremely light headed.

I turn away, dry heaving on the floor before grabbing a shovel, pointing it at the horrifically mangled thing in my shed.

That's a human, definitely.

But what happened to them?!

The body is caked in dirt and blood, their eyes frozen in fear, staring into my soul.

Their stomach looks like it was ripped open by an animal, bits and pieces of flesh and organs strewn across my shed.

Maggots.

Everywhere.

Feeding on their dead corpse.

There is a large slit across their neck, fresh blood still pouring from their body.

That's recent.

This was recent.

I slam the door shut, vomiting in the grass next to me before holding my hand over my throbbing heart, switching my attention to the symbol on the door.

A crown drawn on paper with a bloody knife through it.

Think Daisy...where have you seen that?!

It's a gang symbol...but for what—

I feel a hand over my mouth, muffling my screams as they drag me backwards, throwing me behind a wall and enclosing the space between us.

I open my mouth to scream, but the person presses their finger against my mouth, shushing me.

"Be quiet!"

I move my eyes to theirs, and force my mouth open.

"Silas?!"

"Shush!"

"What're you—"

"No, what're you doing?! By the shed?!"

"That's my shed, you idiot! I—I opened it and saw a fucking mutilated dead body! I'm traumatized! Who fucking did that?!"

"Me, okay?! And I framed a different gang."

"Wha—why?! Who was that?!"

"Lucinda Millicent."

"Who's that?!"

"She's a secret agent who was sent to kill me."

Police sirens are heard, and I figure they heard my screams from before.

Silas grabs both of my shaking hands in his.

"Listen to me. You're going to have to go out there and take the blame."

"Wha—why?!"

He frowns.

"I'd go to jail for life."

"So will I! I'm not a minor anymore!"

"They are aware of your mental instabilities and will stick you in a psychiatric ward instead! Trust me on this, I'll get you out as soon as I can. You'll be okay."

My breathing picks up as I stand up.

I shouldn't say yes but I feel like I have to.

Silas has his ways with people.

He grows on you like a burden.

"You owe me big time. This is going to go on my record!"

"Thank you so much."

He pulls back on his hood and mask, the only thing showing his haunting green eyes.

He nods at me, and I nod back, walking out.

I immediately hear the loading of guns and hold my hands up, shaking.

"D-Don't shoot! I—it was an accident! I promise!"

The sound of the shed door slamming back and forth rings in my ears.

Tears start falling down my face along with the pouring rain, and by the expression on my face, the blood on my hands, and the shovel next to me, it sure as hell looks like I did something.

I pick up the shovel, and I immediately hear yelling.

"Put the weapon down, ma'am! We're coming over there!"

They run at my at once, and I get knocked down onto the floor, the wind knocking out of me.

They secure handcuffs around my wrists and I start laughing.

"Wha—why're you laughing?!"

"It's too late for you!"

I start laughing harder, when I hear four steady gunshots, then hear the thumping of four bodies into the floor.

The police officers.

Then who—

I hear a familiar laughing, and two familiar voices.

"Ahh, nice job, Silas. Really got the girl scared."

I hear Silas's snickering then feel someone lift my frozen body off the floor, as I sit there in shock.

I feel a hand in my waist, dragging me around so that I'm facing the person—I'm facing him.

The one who haunts my dreams every night.

The one I can't stop thinking about.

He takes my cheeks in his blood soaked hands with a crazed smile.

"Hello, Daisy."

I lift my shaking hand, touching the side of his face.

"Y-You're real?"

"I certainly am."

"B-But I thought you were leaving me—forever!"

"I will have to leave again soon, but for now? I'm here to stay. I've missed you, little flower."

Silas rolls his eyes.

"Lovebirds. Come on. Before more police come. I think I killed the most of them."

I walk shakily after them, thoughts of all kinds running through my head.

One being, how is he back already?!

As we walk past the shed, with its door wide open, I see the girl in there.

But I swear to you, when my eyes locked on hers?!

Hers moved.

*****

EIGHT MONTHS AGO,

AUGUST 7th, 2019.

SANDERLAND INSTITUTION FOR THE ILL.

It's been around a week and a half since I was shoved in a mental facility.

For taking the blame on what Silas did.

I'm such a pushover.

They say they're helping me get better...when in reality I feel like I'm drowning in a hole of insanity.

I can't reach the surface.

So close but so far.

Lucinda Millicent.

Her name has stuck in my head ever since I found her mutilated in my shed.

With her stomach ripped open and her guts across the wooden floor.

But her eyes moved.

She looked at me.

She wasn't dead.

She isn't dead.

"Daisy, honey?"

I move my head over to Maeve, my nurse.

"Hi."

"Can you come with me?"

"Do I have to?"

"It'd be more convenient if you would..."

"Alright."

I slide out of the bed, following her.

I walk past the many rooms in the narrow hall.

Men and women, even children locked in these solitary like rooms.

A man banging his head repeatedly against the white cushioned walls.

A young girl dribbling all over herself while drawing satanic symbols on the wall with a red crayon.

An old woman laughing at the empty chair in front of her as if she actually sees something.

Then another young man trying to stab his hands with a dull pencil.

But one woman catches my eye.

Rocking back and forth on the cold ground whilst hugging her knees against her chest.

I stop in front of her room and look curiously through her window.

She's saying something.

"He didn't die. He didn't die. He's watching. He's watching. I didn't die. Why'd he kill me? Why? Why?!"

She's mumbling into her shirt, her head tucked against herself.

Maeve takes my hand gently but firmly, pulling me forwards.

"Come now, Daisy. We don't have—"

The girl starts screaming, startling me as she runs to the door, clawing at it, smacking it, pulling at the door handle.

I watch as the door knob turns.

My eyes meet with hers, and she stops, pressing her hands against the glass, banging on the glass.

"You! You! I-I remember you!"

I back away a little, paying mind to the small glint in her pale blue eyes.

I freeze as Maeve drags me on.

That...that was Lucinda.

******

(DAISY'S POV)

PRESENT DAY,

MARCH 18th, 2020.

11:49 PM.

My breath jerks, as I almost fall off the edge of a small cliff.

Holy cow.

I climb carefully down, approaching the large mansion.

Looks like some shit from one of those cliche horror movies.

Something is off.

Definitely.

Probably should've told Shane about this...but it's too late for that.

I look down at my phone.

Just what I thought.

No phone service.

So if I get kidnapped or attacked by a wild lion it's just the end for me.

Oh well.

It's not like I care if I die or not anyways.

I shrug, walking straight into the spooky estate when I jump back, some of the floor collapsing.

That was close.

I peer down, seeing a cloud of dust and rubble.

I should've thought about that when coming into some ancient haunted house.

I see a small plaque on the door, squinting to read it.

I brush some of the dust off with my sleeve.

Millicent's Manor

1743-1867

Millicent's Manor? 1743-1867? So old.

I walk past it, inching carefully along the small amount of floor left to get to the other side of the room.

I draw closer to a large painting looking thing, pulling off the rusty sheet covering it.

A family of ten.

A mother, a father, four girls and three boys.

The mom has a wide and fake smile on her face. She wasn't happy.

The father simply just stares into space, while two of the young boys play fight, and the other one holds an upside down cross.

Strange...

I move my attention to the young girls, one of which is pulling the other's hair, one smiling, and the last one staring directly at me.

I stare at her for a bit longer, her bright blue irises shining through with the paint.

They look so real...

I throw the sheet back over it, looking at the small panel underneath it.

Millicent family:

Bennett and Edith Millicent.

The triplets, Wren, Sterling, and Tobias Millicent.

The quintuplets, Birdie, Colette, Marjorie, Selma, and Lucinda Millicent.

Lucinda...I've heard that name before.

Lucinda Millicent.

Lucinda Millicent.

Lucinda—

My hand flies over my mouth, and I back away a few paces.

It's—it's her.

The veil of fabric falls down a little, and the little girl's eyes stare straight into mine.

Her mouth starts to stretch up in a smile and I wipe my eyes, blinking a few times before looking back.

It's okay. It's normal.

She isn't—

A chill washes over me, because as I look back at the portrait, the little girl is now smiling. Staring straight at me and smiling.

"Oh hell no..."

I quickly walk away from the painting, breathing a breath of relief when I open a door and shut myself inside.

"Why hello there."

I freeze in my spot, my hand tightening around the doorknob.

It doesn't open.

It doesn't budge.

Stay calm Daisy...you just heard a voice. Nothing too serious. You're just hearing things.

Definitely.

I slowly turn around, my heart jumping out of my chest.

The same girl sits there, with the evocative pale blue eyes.

Her skin is deathly pale, pale enough that you can see each and every one of her veins.

She's creepy.

Her hair is long and black, and she smiles at me.

"Daisy."

"Lucinda."

She gives me a wry smile.

"I'm glad you remember me."

"You can't be real. This place, your family dates back to the 1800's."

"But we all must believe in miracles, no?"

She cocks her head to the side and I cringe when I hear her bones crack. Lucinda's smile lays a plaguing stain on her pale face.

"I would say no to that."

Her smile drops, and her face grows dark.

"You must, because it sure is a miracle that you and your friend Dylan aren't dead by now."

******

(DYLAN'S POV)

12:12 AM.

Drip.

Drip.

Drip.

The water drips.

On my head.

I must be underneath a leaking vent or something.

I try to open my mouth to speak, getting a mouthful of dry ass cloth.

I start coughing, choking on said piece of cloth.

After I calm down a bit, I force my eyes open.

I blink, adjusting my vision to the pitch darkness.

Besides a single lightbulb that swings back and forth.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

And underneath it is a chair.

With a girl tied to it.

I squint, inhaling more of that tucking cloth when I gasp.

Her eyes...they're gone.

As I hear the slow and annoying ticking of a clock, I move my eyes to my right side.

I resist the push to gag when I see the next girl.

Tied to a chair.

But her throat...is slit violently open.

I move my head to the left, the swinging lightbulb very faintly illuminating something.

Something swinging.

A girl.

A body.

By a rope around her neck. Her eyes a rolled back into her head and there's blood dripping down from her lips.

By now I'm absolutely mortified.

The last noise is what I hear behind me.

A slow panting.

I slowly move my head, glancing behind me.

My scream gets muffled by the gag in my mouth.

There's a fourth girl, tied in a position like a puppet. Her head hanging from one of the strings.

Next to each and ever one of them, there's a drawing.

A drawing that looks almost exactly like the massacre above it.

I see their names. Written in what I assume is their blood underneath them.

Birdie, Colette, Marjorie, and Selma.

And on the drawings there's one name.

A signature.

Jayden Lukas.

My blood runs cold as I hear a slapping off a whip. And manic laughter.

"Y-You thought you could kill me?! Sell me out?! I thought we were best friends, Dylan!"

My chest heaves up and down, and Jayden appears in front of me, seemingly out of absolutely nowhere.

She has a deranged smile on her face, blood painted on either side of her mouth in a sort of killer clown like smile.

She has black makeup running down her face, and her black and blue hair is ratted and messed up.

She snakes the whip around my neck, squeezing it once before slapping my chest and shoulders, watching as deep marks form and blood drops down it.

I wince.

She touches my cheek with her bloodied hand, smearing the vile liquid against it.

She then stabs her sharp blade through my leg, glaring straight into my eyes.

"Best friends don't do that, Dyl!"

I let out a scream of pain through the thick cloth, and she drags the thing down from my mouth, the knife still sticking out from my leg.

My mouth hangs slightly open, and I shake my head rapidly.

My pink lipstick smudges across my face, and she starts laughing again.

"Best friends...best friends..."

"Yes! We are!"

"Stop lying to me, bitch!"

She slaps me across the face, watches as it moves to the side.

"I-I'm not, Jordan—"

She grabs my cheeks harshly between her hands, squeezing.

"Don't you dare say her name again." She seethes. "I don't want to here that little bitches name again!"

I start to breathe heavily.

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry?! You told him you wouldn't tell anyone. Then you brought the girl with you! Why?! Why?!" Jayden spats, stomping around in a circle while pulling harshly on her hair.

I do t say anything, and her eye twitches.

"Nothing to say, huh?! You like her better, don't you?! I'm always the second option?! You bitch! You bitch! I—I trusted you—I—"

She starts smacking her head, ripping the knife from my leg and throwing it at one of the bodies, attempting to laugh but wheezing instead.

"I didn't mean to break your trust—I promise! I didn't want any of this to happen!"

"Yet you let it! You little whore!"

My heart stops when she shoves the knife against my throat, and she smiles.

"I want to kill you so bad, Dylan. But I want to kiss you as well. My salacious bloodlust is taking over me."

My lips part, betraying me.

I smirk.

I think I have a plan.

"Then do it."

She presses her lips against mine, and I kiss her in return, smirking against her mouth.

I slip my hands free from the restraints, pulling her closer.

"You're so—"

"So what?"

"Dead."

I insert a needle into her neck, watching as her knife falls to the floor.

She drops with it, as I look over her.

"You little bitch,"

"What was that?"

"You're going to die."

"Oh really?"

"Yes really."

I turn my head over my shoulder just as a metal bat knocks into my head, knocking me out cold once more.

I hear a male snigger as my vision blurs.

"LOL, that was hilarious."

My heart beat starts racing.

Hold up.

"Zane?!"

*****

(ZANE'S POV)

1:57 AM.

Yes, I was in with Lucinda, Silas, and Jayden's plan all along.

Once I heard my favorite little Daisy was coming...I just couldn't turn it down!

And I'm not gonna lie...I felt some sick satisfaction when I slammed that metal bat onto Dylan's head.

I kinda feel bad that I had to give the girl another bruise, she already got stabbed in the leg by my crazy ass Jayden.

Love the psycho.

Silas is on his merry way to make a grand entrance, and I don't think you should be surprised that I'm in on this.

I'm in on basically every single psychotic plan.

I mean...first of all, they're entertaining.

And second of all, who wouldn't want me in on their plan?

I'm sure Daisy's gonna get a hit when she sees her lunatic lover involved with the whole ordeal.

I make everything filled with more fun.

Filled with more violence.

Filled with more bloodlust.

*****

(DAISY'S POV)

2:00 AM.

I freeze when I hear a scream.

My eyes snap on Lucinda's.

The same smile is still on her face.

It hasn't moved.

She hasn't moved.

She hasn't talked.

She hasn't even blinked.

"What was that?!"

"A scream, dearie."

Her eyes are wide and totally creepy.

I inch backwards towards the door, and when I reach for the handle she stiffly shakes her head twice.

"Nuh uh uh! I wouldn't do that if I were you, honey!"

I jerk my hand away from the door, feeling a thumping against my feet.

I look down at the carpet, feeling Lucinda's eyes follow my every move as I reach down, pull over the carotene and see the wooden trapped door, moving up and down with each thump.

A small padlock keeping it tightly shut.

"Lucinda...what's in here?"

"Why don't you take a look, Daisy? See what's lurking."

Her mangled hand touches mine when she hands me a small key, with the initials EM carved messily in  it.

I reach down, shakily picking up the lock and inserting the key, heading a click when I turn it.

I pull it open, looking down.

"What is—"

"Bye bye!"

I gasp when she shoves me down the dark hole, laughing as I continue to fall in a downwards spiral, falling from floor to floor to the ground with a loud thunk.

I hear the door slam shut, and the thought just occurs to me:

If it was a drop, who was banging on that trapdoor?

A chill runs down my spine, and I stand up, brushing myself off.

At least I landed in something soft.

I hear a soft breathing, ragged but there.

I turn my head multiple ways, before calling out.

"Hello?"

"D-Daisy?"

My heart stops.

No...it can't be...it can't! H-he died twelve years ago!

I slowly turn around, trembling.

My hand flies over my mouth, and I run over to the glass room, banging my fists on it.

"D-Daisy that's really you?!"

"Yes! Yes it is!"

I frantically feel around for some sort of opening, when I feel a presence behind me.

His eyes move to someone behind me, and they widen with fear.

"W-Who's behind me?"

"Daisy...it's Silas."

I hear his laugh behind me as he grabs my wrist firmly, pulling me back from the glass cage like thing.

He pulls me around to face him, and I start panting.

"Daisy...I see you've found Dallas?"

******

(SHANE'S POV)

2:34 AM.

It's been eight hours.

Where are they?

I climb out of the car despite myself, looking at that dreadfully dark and quiet trail.

I turn on a flashlight, and start into the woods.

I pause when I hear a scream.

A female scream.

That sounds a lot like—

"Daisy?!"

I run further into the trees, seeing a looming dark house.

The Millicent house.

Or most known as the Stone Mafia's base.

******

(DYLAN'S POV)

2:59 AM.

I wake up again, but this time in an all white room. With a glass opening.

It shows out into a darker space.

Am I underground?!

I stand up, running over to the glass.

I stare ahead, my heart jumping.

That's Daisy. That has to be Daisy.

I bang on the glass, yelling in hopes that she'll hear me.

She jolts up, standing up from the floor, running towards the glass.

She looks at me, mouthing something.

I shake my head and she sighs.

"Dallas! He's alive!"

"Who?!"

"My younger brother! Dallas! I-I thought he died twelve years ago! Do you know where we are?!"

I nod.

"We're in the Stone Mafia's base. I'm pretty sure. Silas's gang."

Daisy's face pales as her eyes move to a small room next to mine.

I assume that's where her brother is.

I look to the one next to hers, my heart leaping out of my chest.

Jordan.

The real Jordan. She's there again!

But this time she's out cold on the floor, not moving.

I don't even know if she's alive.

All of our attention's snap over to the hall, where humming is heard.

And footsteps.

Daisy's eyes bulge out of her head and I glare at him.

"Zane?! Is that you?!"

He turns his head to her, and waves.

"Oh hello, babe! You having fun?"

"No!"

She points to her brother, seemingly panicked.

"Please! Find a way to get him out!"

Zane frowns before shrugging.

"Sorry, babe. I would help you, but Silas told me I can't."

Her eyes widen even more and her eyebrows raise.

"Silas?! You too?! Why are you all working with him?! Are you against me or something?! Let my brother go! Let Jordan go! Let Dylan go! Let me fucking go!"

She flares at him, and Zane awkwardly backs away.

"Zane, I swear to the heavens and anything holy that if you leave, I will find you and set your cute ass on fire! I'll burn you to a fucking crisp! Burn you! Kill you!"

His eyes widen, and he backs away even more as Daisy tells him off.

"Listen to me you big teddy bear! Get back here right now and let me go before I fucking—"

I gasp when something shocks her, and Daisy slumps to the floor in an unconscious heap again.

I look at Zane, who looks even more surprised.

"I promise you, it wasn't me—"

Zane gets pushed out of the way, and a smirking Silas takes his place.

"That person would be me. The bitch was getting on my nerves yelling like that."

My eye twitches.

"Does someone mind telling me what in tarnation is going on?! I mean holy crap, first I was in the car with Shane and Daisy, then I was knocked the fuck out by both Silas and Zane and then guess what?! I was out in some sort of scientific lab cube thing!"

They both look at each other, than me.

"Oh don't give me that innocent look, Zane! You know what you did!"

"And you, you Silas are one big piece of—"

I get zapped too, falling to the floor.

"Good. Now the fun can really start now that pinkie pie finally took a chill pill and decided to shut the fuck up."

*****

(SHANE'S POV)

3:04 AM.

I walk inside the house, getting a whiff of rotten flesh.

It smells like absolute shit in here.

I look at the floor.

Guess that rusty ass floor finally caved in on itself.

I carefully walk over all of the small rubble pieces, coming across a door with creepy humming coming from it.

It's like some sort of cursed nursery rhyme or something.

"There's a place, where sinners go. Where they cry their troubles away...and you'll never know, how they passed away..."

I freak the door open, immediately shutting it.

What the fuck?

There was a woman in there, knitting together dead people's skin.

"Oh hello? Is there a visitor?"

The door opens, but the woman still sits still on the bed.

"Come now. Come inside, child. I only want to chat."

When I don't, she frowns.

"Shane, honey, why don't you come inside?"

How does she know my name?

I walk inside despite myself, and she pats the spot next to her.

"Come sit!"

Her bony hand grabs mine, sitting me down.

"You're such a beautiful little boy, you remind me of my own."

"Little? Ma'am, I'm twenty five."

"Oh. The age I was when I passed away."

She starts laughing, and I look at her funny.

"You're telling me I'm talking to a spirit?! Am I going insane?"

"No, silly! I was just joking. I'm very well alive, but you are a cute young man. I see why the girl has interest in you."

I don't bother to ask who.

"You seem very confused, dear. My name's Lucinda. Lucinda Millicent. You must be the notorious Shane Shaw."

"Notorious?"

"Yes! They're waiting for you. Have fun!"

"Wha—"

She pushes me into a trap door, laughing before slamming it shut.

*****

I wake up in the dark, tied to a chair.

I hear someone singing.

Again?

"Oh! You're awake!"

A single lightbulb flicks on, and Jayden appears in front of me.

She isn't looking too good.

"Hello, Shane! How are you?"

"Uhh...I'm doing pretty good? My ass kinda hurts because I hit the floor pretty hard...but otherwise, all is well. I'm just a bit confused as to why I'm the one tied to a chair at the moment?"

I look down at my restraints, then back at her.

"How are you?"

She laughs then starts clapping.

"There he is! Still being sweet as ever!"

She presses my nose.

"You're cute as a button! Such a sweetie pie...too bad you're going to have to go."

"Umm...what?"

"I have to kill you! You know too much...but maybe there's something I can do to save you! To keep you alive!"

"That'd be nice...I guess...are you feeling okay?"

She frowns.

"Do I not seem okay?"

"No, no, no. Well, I mean yes! Yes! You look great! As always. You just seem a bit sad."

"Nice of you to ask."

She undos my restraints, allowing me to stand up.

"I will keep you alive on one rule, Shane."

I frown out of confusion.

"Yes...?"

"You come on my side and help me."

******

(JORDAN'S POV)

3:57 AM.

It's cold. It's bright. Not dark anymore.

I see Dallas, my friend for the past seven years since I first got thrown into this mess.

I see him as a little brother.

I've been friends with him since he was eleven and I was sixteen.

I see Dylan, I believe her name is, the girl who tried to save me.

Then I see Daisy, the girl I hear about the most.

Then I see Silas, the one who said he was going to help me than actually kept me as a prisoner.

I want to hate his guts but I can't.

I feel like I owe him for him saving my life...and there's just this element about him.

Something that draws you into him.

That's probably how Jayden got mixed up with him.

How all of us got mixed up with him.

Maybe that's why I'm secretly in love with him.

Yes. I finally said it. I finally admitted it.

Silas Stone, I am completely and utterly In love with you. No matter how hard it hurts.

He's simply just a good manipulator, but I think it's his time to go.

I want to kill him.

*****

(DAISY'S POV)

4:09 AM.

11 HOURS SINCE THE SUPPOSED "ABDUCTION".

Silas finally let me out.

He let me out if that place.

I don't know where Shane is.

Did he leave without us?!

I'm now in a pitch black room, free of any light source at all besides a single lightbulb swaying from the ceiling.

I'm standing off to the side, currently quite scared for my life.

I hear footsteps, coming from all angles of the small room.

He stops in front of me, smiling.

"Daisy."

"Silas."

"How are you this morning?"

I snarl at him.

"Just. Peachy. But you know,"

I push him onto the floor, wrapping my hands around his throat.

"I just suddenly felt the need to kill you."

My hands tighten around his throat, watching his eyes water as he can't breathe.

Oh the ecstasy.

"Why don't you fight back? Are you really excepting your fate so soon?"

I drop my hands from his neck, smiling.

"I thought you'd show me a bit of a more fun time, Silas. I guess not."

He doesn't answer, slouched against the wall with his auburn hair falling in front of his eyes.

The only thing I can make out is the wide smile lining his face, and the blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"Try again."

My face drops, and I tilt my head to the side.

"Whatever are you talking about?"

I feel a hand snake around my throat, dragging me backwards with a choke.

I pry at their hand as they slam me against the wall, blue eyes shining in the faint light.

"I'm having this really bad rage, and I'm going to grab you by the throat and rip your esophagus out."

I mange to grin through the pain.

"Jordan."

"You won't touch him again. And if you do, you'll—"

Blood splatters across my face and chest when a knife goes through the center of her neck, and Jordan falls onto the floor with a loud thump.

I blink, sliding back against the wall.

"Silas—you just—"

"Killed her. She was getting on my nerves."

I try desperately to process what the hell just happened, when an overwhelming feeling of bloodlust hits me.

I want to kill him.

I need to kill him.

He—he killed the real Jordan.

As her blood spreads further and further at my feet, I grab the knife from her neck, advancing forward and stabbing him in the chest, watching as he gasps and falls to the floor, dropping at my feet.

Oh no...not again.

He has a smile on his face, and he starts laughing, then wheezing.

I stand over him wide eyed, my hand flying over my mouth.

"I'm so sorry—I didn't—you—"

He shakes his head, green eyes meeting mine one last time before he stops moving.

"It's only the beginning of the end, Daisy."