| Horror and Thriller Fiction posted December 10, 2024 | Chapters: |
...15 16 -17- 18 
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in the dark the screaming never ends
A chapter in the book Screams of the Shadows
The Reckoning
by marilyn quillen
Sarah gripped the Key, its crystalline surface burning against her palm. The chamber vibrated violently, the golden light pulsing in waves that pushed back the shadows clawing at the edges of reality. The shimmering figure loomed before her, its form distorted but steady, its voice calm amid the chaos.
"Sarah," it said. "This moment defines everything."
The weight of the words pressed down on her, suffocating in its gravity. Her mind raced as she stared at the Key, its patterns shifting like living things. Seal the void, the voice had said. Or open the path. Two impossible choices.
Behind her, the shadows screamed, their forms writhing and snapping against the golden barrier. Their rage shook the chamber, cracks spidering out from the pedestal. The crystalline Key pulsed in her hand, matching the rhythm of her own panicked heartbeat.
"What happens if I seal it?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
The figure tilted its head, its tone steady. "You will cut them off forever. The void will collapse, and their power will fade."
Her pulse quickened. "And if I open the path?"
The figure paused. "Balance will return. But the price will be high."
"What price?"
"You."
The word hit her like a blow. She stumbled back, her fingers tightening around the Key. The shadows surged again, their cries deafening as they slammed into the barrier. Her head spun with the weight of the decision.
"Why me?" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Why do I have to choose?"
The figure flickered, its shimmering surface dimming slightly. "Because you carried it. You survived. The Key does not choose lightly."
The phone buzzed violently in her pocket, its vibration almost painful. She pulled it out with trembling hands, the screen flashing a single message:
Seal it. Save yourself.
Her chest tightened. The shadows clawed at the edges of the chamber, their rage palpable. The figure stood silently, waiting. The Key pulsed brighter, its glow searing into her skin.
Sarah closed her eyes, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. She thought of everything she had endured the shadows, the chase, the lies. The cryptic messages that had driven her forward, one step at a time, without answers. The crushing weight of the case, the burden of carrying something she didn't understand.
Her fingers curled tighter around the Key. "I'm tired of being used," she whispered.
She turned toward the pedestal, her decision made.
"Sarah," it said. "This moment defines everything."
The weight of the words pressed down on her, suffocating in its gravity. Her mind raced as she stared at the Key, its patterns shifting like living things. Seal the void, the voice had said. Or open the path. Two impossible choices.
Behind her, the shadows screamed, their forms writhing and snapping against the golden barrier. Their rage shook the chamber, cracks spidering out from the pedestal. The crystalline Key pulsed in her hand, matching the rhythm of her own panicked heartbeat.
"What happens if I seal it?" she demanded, her voice trembling.
The figure tilted its head, its tone steady. "You will cut them off forever. The void will collapse, and their power will fade."
Her pulse quickened. "And if I open the path?"
The figure paused. "Balance will return. But the price will be high."
"What price?"
"You."
The word hit her like a blow. She stumbled back, her fingers tightening around the Key. The shadows surged again, their cries deafening as they slammed into the barrier. Her head spun with the weight of the decision.
"Why me?" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Why do I have to choose?"
The figure flickered, its shimmering surface dimming slightly. "Because you carried it. You survived. The Key does not choose lightly."
The phone buzzed violently in her pocket, its vibration almost painful. She pulled it out with trembling hands, the screen flashing a single message:
Seal it. Save yourself.
Her chest tightened. The shadows clawed at the edges of the chamber, their rage palpable. The figure stood silently, waiting. The Key pulsed brighter, its glow searing into her skin.
Sarah closed her eyes, her breaths coming in short, panicked gasps. She thought of everything she had endured the shadows, the chase, the lies. The cryptic messages that had driven her forward, one step at a time, without answers. The crushing weight of the case, the burden of carrying something she didn't understand.
Her fingers curled tighter around the Key. "I'm tired of being used," she whispered.
She turned toward the pedestal, her decision made.
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© Copyright 2024. marilyn quillen All rights reserved.
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