| << Chapter 7 | Chapter 1 |
Madi’s heart hammered in her chest as she and Rae sat on the back porch, straining to see past the line of trees at the edge of the yard. The rustling in the underbrush had stopped, leaving an unsettling silence in its wake. The fading light of twilight cast long shadows across the backyard, making it hard to see beyond the porch lights’ soft glow.
"Do you think it’s an animal?" Rae whispered, leaning closer to Madi. Her eyes were wide, and though she was trying to sound calm, Madi could hear the fear lurking beneath her words.
Madi shook her head slowly. Every instinct told her this wasn’t just an animal. She glanced toward the house, the safety of the interior beckoning her. “We should go inside,” she murmured, her voice tight with urgency.
Just as they stood to move, a dark shape emerged from the shadows of the trees. Madi’s blood turned to ice as she recognized the figure—Sid. His massive frame seemed even larger in the dim light, his face twisted with rage and determination. He was here, and he wasn’t alone. He had a large hunting knife glinting in his hand, reflecting the last of the daylight.
“Run!” Madi screamed, grabbing Rae’s arm and pulling her toward the house.
They sprinted for the back door, Rae stumbling beside her as they raced across the back porch. Madi’s breath came in ragged gasps, her only thought to get inside, to reach safety. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out everything else.
She reached the door first and yanked it open, practically throwing herself inside. But as she turned, she realized Rae hadn’t made it.
“Rae, come on!” she shouted, her voice trembling with fear.
But it was too late.
With terrifying speed, Sid closed the gap between them. His hand shot out, grabbing Rae by the arm and jerking her backward just as she reached the back door. Rae let out a scream, struggling wildly, but Sid’s grip was like iron. Madi froze, a scream dying in her throat as she watched helplessly from inside.
“NO!” Madi yelled, stepping back out onto the porch, but Sid was already dragging Rae toward the trees. The girl kicked and fought, but Sid didn’t slow down. His eyes met Madi’s for a split second, a cold, triumphant look in them, before he turned and vanished into the darkness of the woods, taking Rae with him.
“Rae!” Madi screamed again, stumbling down the steps and onto the grass. But they were gone. The yard was empty, the trees beyond eerily still.
Madi’s legs felt like they might give out beneath her. She spun around and ran back into the house, her hands shaking as she burst into the kitchen. “Heather!” she shouted, panic tightening her voice. “Heather, come quick!”
Heather rushed into the kitchen, her face pale with worry. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
“It’s Sid,” Madi gasped, her voice shaking. “He—he took Rae. He’s got her. We have to do something—now!”
Heather’s face drained of color, horror and fear etched into her features. Without another word, she grabbed her phone and dialed Mike’s number with trembling hands. “Mike, come home—now,” she said, her voice breaking. “Sid took Rae. He’s in the woods behind the house. Hurry!”
Within minutes, Mike’s patrol car screeched into the driveway. He jumped out, his face a mask of grim determination as he took in the situation. He barely spared a second to acknowledge Madi’s terrified expression before pulling a rifle from the back of his car and strapping a flashlight to the barrel.
“We’re going after them,” Mike said firmly, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. “Heather, stay here. Madi, you’re coming with me. I need you to show me which direction they went.”
Madi nodded, her throat tight with fear. There was no time to argue, no time to think. Rae’s screams were still echoing in her mind, and every second they wasted meant Sid was getting further away.
The woods were dark and thick with shadows as Madi led Mike through the underbrush. Every step felt agonizingly slow, the ground uneven and tangled with roots that threatened to trip them up. The beam of Mike’s flashlight cut through the darkness, casting long, eerie shadows across the trees. Madi’s breath came in shallow bursts, her ears straining for any sound that might lead them to Rae.
“Rae!” Mike shouted into the darkness, his voice ringing out through the trees. “Rae, can you hear me?”
For a moment, there was only silence. And then—a faint sound, muffled and distant. A whimper.
Madi’s heart leapt in her chest. “This way!” she whispered urgently, taking off in the direction of the sound. Mike followed close behind, the flashlight bouncing wildly as they ran.
They burst through a dense thicket and into a small clearing. There, at the far edge, Sid stood with Rae in front of him, the knife pressed against her throat. Her eyes were wide with fear, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to stay still.
“Let her go, Sid!” Mike shouted, his rifle trained on the man. “It’s over.”
Sid’s eyes shifted to Mike, a sneer curling his lips. “It’s over when I say it’s over,” he growled. “You’re not taking her away from me. None of you are.”
Madi’s breath hitched, her gaze darting between Sid and Rae. She had to do something—anything—to distract him, to give Mike a chance to take the shot.
“Sid, she’s not your daughter,” Madi said, her voice trembling. “You know that. Please, let her go. You don’t want to hurt her.”
Sid’s face twisted with fury, his grip tightening on the knife. “You don’t get to tell me what I want!” he shouted. “You took her from me. You made her afraid of me!”
His words sent a chill down Madi’s spine. He was unraveling right in front of her, his grip on reality slipping further with every passing second.
“Sid, you don’t want this,” Mike said, his voice low and steady. “You let her go, and we can talk. It doesn’t have to end like this.”
For a moment, something flickered in Sid’s eyes—uncertainty, confusion. But then Rae shifted slightly, and the movement seemed to snap something inside him.
With a roar, Sid shoved Rae to the ground and lunged at Mike, the knife flashing in the dim light. Mike fired, the gunshot echoing through the clearing like thunder. Sid staggered, a look of shock crossing his face as he fell to his knees.
Rae scrambled away, Madi rushing forward to pull her into her arms, her own body shaking with adrenaline and fear.
Sid’s breath came in ragged gasps, blood spreading across his chest. He looked up at Madi, his eyes filled with something dark and twisted. “You… took her from me,” he whispered, his voice weak. “But it’s not… over.”
With one last shuddering breath, Sid slumped forward, the life draining from his eyes. Madi stared at his still form, a mixture of relief and horror washing over her.
It was finally over.
She turned to Rae, who was sobbing quietly in her arms. Mike knelt beside them, his face pale but resolute.
“He’s gone,” Mike said softly. “He can’t hurt anyone anymore.”
Madi nodded, holding Rae tighter. The woods were quiet now, the only sound the rustling of the leaves in the breeze. It was over. Sid was gone. But his last words echoed in her mind, a haunting reminder of the darkness that had gripped him.
They made their way back to the house, the sounds of sirens approaching in the distance. Madi knew it would take time to heal from everything that had happened, but for the first time since this nightmare began, she felt a small, fragile sense of peace.
Sid was gone, and she was free.
She glanced down at Rae, whose tear-streaked face was still buried against her shoulder, and made a silent promise to herself: she would never let fear control her again. Together, they had survived, and together, they would move forward.
One step at a time.
| << Chapter 7 | Chapter 1 |
