Chapter 5
Brigid
I turn the corner, leaving Main Street behind. The bright lights and hum of town life fade, replaced by the soft whisper of leaves and the distant caw of crows returning to their roosts for the night.
The forest looms ahead, a wall of green and shadow. I step onto the familiar path leading home. It’s darker than I’d like. I spent too much time at the coffee shop, forgetting how fast the evening light fades at this time of year.
I'm about halfway when the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Something's off. The forest has gone eerily quiet, save for the rustling of leaves in the breeze. My hand instinctively reaches for the knife in the pocket of my cardigan.
"Just paranoia," I tell myself, but my feet pick up their pace anyway.
A twig snaps behind me. My heart leaps into my throat. I glance over my shoulder, my blood turning to ice as I spot two men emerging from the shadows between the trees. Their eyes are fixed on me, predatory grins spreading across their faces.
I speed up, walking as fast as I can, and they match my pace. I break into a run, my oversized cardigan billowing behind me. The sound of heavy footsteps follows, growing closer with each passing second. My mind races, searching for an escape route. There are no houses around, no one to hear me call for help.
"Where are you running to, honey?" one of the men calls out.
I don't answer. I can't waste the breath. My lungs burn as I push myself harder, desperate to reach the safety of my cottage. I hear the thudding of footsteps gaining ground, and then they're in front of me, cutting off my escape. I recognize them now—Donal's friends. The taller one, Sean, leers at me, his gaze crawling over my body.
“What do you want?” I ask, my voice scratchy and too quiet. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.
"Brigid, Brigid, Brigid. There’s no need to run from us. We just want to have a good time. We can all have a real good time, the three of us, eh?”
“Donal said he'd share you with us," Mike sneers. "Told us you'd be up for a bit of fun."
I feel my body go cold. “I have to go. Donal’s waiting for me,” I lie.
The men laugh like I’ve told the funniest joke ever.
Sean catches his breath. “Who do you think told us you’d be walking home this way, you dumb slut.”
My fingers tighten around the knife in my pocket. Fear pulses through me, but it's quickly overshadowed by a burning anger. I'm so tired of this, of always being the one everyone thinks they can hurt.
"Fuck off," I say, flipping open the knife in my pocket with my thumb, then pulling it out. The blade reflects what little light there is left in the evening.
The shorter one, Mike, laughs. "What do you think you’re gonna do with that?"
They move closer, and I feel my back press against a tree. The rough bark digs into my skin through my thin khakis. Sean reaches for me, his meaty hand aiming for my wrist. I react instinctively, slashing the air in front of me. He jerks back with a yelp, a thin red line appearing on his cheek.
"You little bitch!" he snarls.
Blood drips from Sean's face, splattering onto the forest floor.
As it hits the ground, it feels like time itself slows down and something inside me shifts.
I feel the beginnings of one of my headaches. My ‘spells’, as my Aunt Janice called them. I don’t black out but I do lose time during them. No, no, no—please not now .
But something else unexpected happens.
A surge courses through my veins, unlike anything I've ever felt before. It's cold and dark, yet oddly consolatory. I gasp, my vision blurring for a moment.
"What the hell?" Mike's voice sounds shaky.
I blink, refocusing on the scene before me. Darkness swirls around my body like living smoke, licks of shadow dancing across my skin. The knife falls from my hand, but I no longer feel defenseless.
Sean stumbles backward, his eyes wide.
I look down at my hands, watching the darkness curl around my fingers.
Mike turns to run but trips over a root, falling face-first into the dirt. The shadows leave my hands, clawing at him, ripping through his shirt, and tearing into his skin. He screams, scrambling away on all fours to get away.
Sean’s earlier swagger evaporates instantly. He continues backing away, his hands up in front of himself protectively. "You freak," he whispers.
There’s that word again. So fucking boring .
For the first time in my entire life, I feel like I’m in control. Like I am powerful. Part of me wants to hurt them, to make them feel as scared and helpless as they've made me feel. The shadows respond to that feeling. The fear emanating from Sean and Mike makes me feel stronger, like I am the thing in the woods they need to fear.
Sean grabs Mike by the arm, hauling him to his feet, and they both sprint away, crashing through the underbrush, getting as far away from me as they can.
As their footsteps fade, I lean against the tree, sliding down to sit on the forest floor. The shadows retreat, then disappear, leaving me feeling drained.
The air around me thickens, growing heavy and oppressive. The shadows I controlled moments ago are gone, but a new darkness forms in front of me.
Shapes form, coalescing into a dark, amorphous mass that looms over me.
My heart feels like it’s going to rupture; it’s beating so fast. "What’s happening?" I whisper, but there’s no one there to respond.
The mass pulses, reaching out towards me. I scramble backwards, leaves crunching beneath my palms. The shapes follow. I feel one slide up my neck and around my throat.
I try willing whatever power I felt earlier to return, but it's as if the entity is siphoning it from me, growing stronger as I grow weaker.
Something brushes my ankle, ice-cold and treacly. I kick out, but my foot passes through it uselessly. Panic claws at my throat as I feel pressure and I realize I'm suffocating. The thing, whatever it is, is choking me. The edges of my vision grow dark, and I know I’m about to lose consciousness.