Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66334 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 265(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“Oh, yeah. It was just a bump.”
Just a bump? Even Carol’s brows rose at that. There was still a bowl-sized lump on his forehead. Ky’s arm tightened and I knew for the sake of this man’s life, it was time to move along.
“Glad you’re okay,” I told him genuinely, walking Ky closer to the cabin door.
I checked the timer. We were down to six minutes. “How are you going to handle me talking to guys outside of here?”
“You won’t.”
“Ky.” I laughed. “It would be impossible for me not to.”
“You’ll see,” he countered coolly.
By the time the counter reached four minutes, we were all gathered near the door, anticipation hanging in the air. As the seconds dwindled, the bolt finally unlocked with a soft click at the five-second mark. We stepped outside, the early signs of sunrise barely peeking through the darkness. Right away we could see that the Sanctuary sign had been removed, replaced with one that read, To the Farm. A folded paper was tacked to it.
Brody reached it first and snatched it down. He unfolded the paper and read aloud, "To the farm you now must go, where challenges await, and fears will grow. Find your way and face the harm, for only the strong will leave the land."
Hayven glanced at the poorly drawn map Brody held up. "Great, we're following the artistic skills of a toddler."
"The Farm... We've been there a few times," Ciaran said, scanning the map.
"It won't put us too far off," Maverick added.
"By farm, you mean like goats and stuff, right?" Dion asked, hopeful but clearly doubtful.
"If only," Brody replied, folding the paper and tucking it away.
We set off, moving across the field. The city lights twinkled in the distance, the clocktower a faint silhouette against the horizon. Ky's hand found its way to my back, a steadying presence that never left. As we walked, the cool morning air brushed against my skin.
"This farm is bound to be some kind of fucked up nightmare," Mel muttered.
"You say that as if we haven't already faced a dozen of those," Lana replied dryly, sticking close to Ciaran.
"So, what's the deal with? What are we expecting?" Hayven asked. She was walking a little ahead, not fully ignoring Charon anymore.
Maverick shrugged. "Could be anything. Traps, challenges, or worse."
"Fantastic," Dion muttered.
Brody laughed. "Just keep your head on straight. We'll get through this."
Ky's grip tightened on my waist, his touch grounding me amidst the uncertainty. "You doing okay?" he asked, his voice low and comforting.
"I'm fine," I replied, though my heart was racing.
We reached the farm, its eerie name spelled out in faded, crooked letters above a large, closed gate.
"Field of Lost Souls." The sign creaked in the early morning breeze, adding to the unsettling atmosphere. The gate had a smaller sign that simply said, "Now Open."
“This looks really familiar,” Lana said, her voice tinged with unease.
It did, but only because we’d walked through a cornfield on Troy Sainte’s property.
“I’ll go in first,” Earl volunteered, stepping forward.
“No, wait—” Lana began to object, but Carol cut her off.
“It’s fine. Let him go.”
Earl shuffled ahead and pushed open the gate. There was a soft click and the whirring of a tape, but no voice accompanied it.
“So creepy,” Hayven murmured, her light blue eyes darting around.
We proceeded forward, sticking to the center of the path in case someone was lurking in the corn stalks. The tall plants swayed gently, seeming to close in on us. As we ventured deeper into the maze, the air grew colder, the sense of foreboding intensifying with each step. At the end of the trail, we reached another gate. Earl stepped forward and pushed it open. This time, a voice began to speak from an unseen source.
"Mary had a flock of lambs whose eyes were black as coal.
They nibbled at her sanity, gnawing at her mind, leaving shattered memories, and dark whispers left behind.
In fields of endless darkness, where shadows dared to play, the lambs turned feral, monstrous, and devoured Mary's soul.
So tread with care, dear contestants, and heed this tale of woe for Mary’s lambs now stalk the night, and they will claim you all."
“I do not remember it going like that when I was a kid,” Dion said, shaking his head.
Mel laughed. “My mom probably sang that to me when I was a baby.”
"That is messed up," Brody commented.
"Your mom's a bitch," Maverick added.
"An understatement," Lana agreed.
"All of that’s true," she acknowledged. "But was that little rhyme supposed to be our hint?"
"Oh, they're here. We just can't see them yet," Ciaran said, his tone matter of fact.
"Care to elaborate?" Lana asked, her eyes narrowing.
"If you see someone in a sheep mask, let me know," he answered. "Let's go." He made sure she walked with him as he set off again, apparently already knowing where he was going. There was a barn a few feet ahead, dark with its doors open.