Chapter 25: The Masked One's Counterattack (Part 5)

Bella quickly pulled Imala away from the pouncing Skinwalker's trajectory. The Skinwalker landed on the ground on all four feet.

The sisters quickly took off into the panicked crowd, tightly holding hands. "Hold on!" Imala warned.

The sisters were puched and shoved unwillingly by the bodies of panicked townsfolk fleeing from the Skinwalker threat. The sisters almost lost their grip a few times, but were able to hold on.

Bella looked around frantically. She could see Skinwalkers leaping down from rooftops, hissing and snarling and pushing aside the townsfolk.

"Hey, Imala!" Bella called out. "Look!"

"At what?" Imala panted. 

"The Skinwalkers! They're not attacking anyone!" Bella pointed out. "You think maybe they came back for revenge after they failed to kill us?"

"What now?," Avaron spat. "Are you going to suggest that they took the old man and his grandkids?"

"Of course..." Imala realized. "That's probably why they didn't show up."

The sisters continued running for their lives. Soon, they caught sight of the entrance arch.

"Look! We're almost there!" Imala shouted.

At the moment she finished her sentence, a pair of Skinwalkers blocked their path.

Imala planted her heels firmly into to the ground, grinding to a sudden halt. Avaron and Bella crashed into each other, propelled by the momentum build up by running.

"You spoke too soon..." Avaron sweated nervously, staring into the evil, monstrous gaze of the Skinwalkers' discolored scarred eyes.

The sisters quickly turned around to run in the other direction, only to be cut off once again by another pair of Skinwalkers.

Within milliseconds, the Skinwalkers had pinned down the sisters, and tied up Imala and Bella.

The Masked One approached the captured sisters, staring them down with his piercing blue eyes from behind his mask. 

"Hello again, Moon Sisters," The Masked One greeted coldly. "It's been quite some time."

"Since when?" Imala asked.

"Since that night," The Masked One answered.

Bella gasped with realization. "So you're the one who sent all those Skinwalker thingies to attack us?!"

"Indeed, Bella Moon," the Masked One confirmed. "And while I may have failed the first time, I have succeeded this time."

At that moment, Binde Hoovins approached the trio with a spring in his step, smiling devilishly.

Avaron gasped, realizing she had been betrayed. "Hoovins?!" 

"I've been working with him this whole time, and you never suspected a thing, you greedy girl." Hoovins stroked his mustache proudly and smugly.

"You were just using me!" Avaron wriggled and squirmed as hard as she could, trying to break free from the Skinwalkers' strong grasp. 

"You've been quite helpful in my quest to finally take the town for myself, Miss Moon," Hoovins said. "And now, I get everything for myself."

"Wait! Hold on!!" Avaron cried out. "Leave my sisters out of this! I was the one who worked for you, so you should be taking me instead!"

"No, Avaron!" Imala cried. "Don't do this!"

"And that's exactly what we plan on doing, Miss Moon," the Masked One said. He looked to the Skinwalkers. "Tie up the green-dressed one."

The Skinwalkers forcibly stood Avaron up. One held Avaron in place, while the other took out a length of rope and tied it around Avaron's torso.

As she was being bound, Avaron looked over her shoulder and looked at her sisters with an amicable face "Imala. Bella. I'm sorry."

"Avaron..." Imala began. "You've been up to something bad, and we had no clue. I was always suspicious, but..."

"That's true." Avaron sighed. "Do you even know why I do these things, Imala?"

"Because you love us." Imala answered. "Ever since Mom and Dad died, we've been left to survive on our own."

"I can still remember how we survived on the streets: stealing food, money, doing everything we could to survive," Bella added. 

"But every time you did something bad for us, I'd get angry at you, obviously," Imala said. "But deep down, I knew that you only did it because you cared about us."

Avaron smiled. "Thank you, Imala. For understanding." 

The Skinwalkers finished tying her. They then hoisted her onto her back. 

"Skinwalkers! We have the green-dressed one. It is time to leave." The Masked One commanded. 

The Skinwalkers scampered away. The Masked One took a quick last glance at the tied up Imala and Bella before walking away. 

Hoovins followed a few steps behind him, sneering at the sisters before dissapearing.