Chapter 21: The Hunt Is On

My phone hangs loose in my hand, terror racking through me as I rush through the dark woods, desperately listening for Eileen’s voice.

“Lily? Lily, are you still there? F*ck! Answer me!” Kirby’s voice drones on, still reverberating through the phone. With one swift tap, I end the call and shove the phone in my pocket, racing onward.

A hand reaches out behind me, yanking my suit jacket and forcing me back. I yelp in surprise as I slam into someone’s chest, his musty scent filling my panicked senses in an overwhelming waft.

Purely on instinct, I kick behind myself, breaking free from the man’s hold long enough to get away. A few paces out of his grasp, I turn around to face him. His wavy hair is ruffled from exhilaration and his right hand clenches in a fist now that it’s no longer on my jacket. His other hand holds a flip knife, coated in a dark crimson liquid.

Eileen.