Faith's POV
The sudden barrage of gunfire made me instinctively duck for cover. I saw Sindy's eyes widen in terror as the bullets ripped through the air, and then
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact. But instead of pain, I felt nothing. I opened my eyes to find Sindy's gun still smoking, the bullet hole in the ground mere inches from my foot.
I exhaled slowly, trying to calm my racing heart. My hands instinctively roamed my body, searching for any signs of injury. But I was intact, shaken but alive.
Amanda's voice cut through the tension, her words laced with frustration. "Damn it, why didn't you just kill her already?"
Amanda's voice was barely audible, but I caught the hint of malice in her tone.
Matthew's face twisted in anger, his veins bulging like cords beneath his skin.
I tuned them out, focusing on the simple fact that I was still breathing. For now, that was all that mattered.
Matthew's voice was a low rumble as he spoke, his words dripping with impatience. "Just end it, Sindy. Stop playing games."
He sank into the chair behind him, his eyes never leaving Sindy's back as she approached him. The two of them began to argue in hushed tones, their voices rising and falling in a tense cadence.
Amanda's gaze remained fixed on me, her eyes blazing with anger and hatred. Her fingers drummed a staccato beat on the armrest of her chair, the only outward sign of the seething emotions beneath her surface.
I froze, my muscles locked in place as I watched Amanda's every move. I knew that if I made even the slightest wrong move, she'd be on me in an instant.
Sindy might be the one holding the gun, but Amanda was the one who looked like she'd actually pull the trigger.
The dim lights of the family church flickered, casting an eerie glow on the walls. I felt a shiver run down my spine as I watched the lights dance, unsure what was happening.
The others turned to stare at the lights, their faces tense with concern. The air was already thick with darkness, and the thought of being plunged into total blackness was suffocating.
Suddenly, the curtains billowed inward, as if an invisible hand had swept them aside. The double doors creaked open, then slammed shut, the sound echoing through the chamber like a death knell.
I felt my heart racing, my breath catching in my throat. This was insane. The lights flickered once more, and then died, plunging us into darkness.
A low, vicious curse erupted from one of the others, the sound making me jump. And then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the doorway, heavy and deliberate.
My skin crawled as I strained to see through the darkness, my ears straining to pinpoint the source of the footsteps. But there was nothing. Just the sound of my own ragged breathing, and the creaking of the old wooden doors.
Darkness swirled around me, and then a hand clamped around my wrist, yanking me into a sprint. I growled, caught off guard, as my feet pounded the ground in a frantic bid to keep up.
The world blurred around me, a chaotic mess of shadows and dim lights. I stumbled, my senses reeling, but the stranger's grip held firm.
Suddenly, we burst through the doorway, and I gasped in the cool night air. The dim lights of the church flickered back to life, casting an eerie glow over the scene.
Sindy's scream echoed from inside, "Where is she?" but I was already being dragged away from the church, the stranger's pace relentless.
As the darkness receded, I caught my first glimpse of my rescuer , a stranger in a mask, his eyes gleaming with a fierce intensity. My heart skipped a beat, my pulse racing with a mix of fear and adrenaline.
"Who are you?" I demanded, trying to keep up with his breakneck pace.
He didn't answer, just kept running, his grip on my wrist like a vice. I was scared, unsure if I'd just traded one danger for another.
As we hit the corner of the street, I dug in my heels, refusing to go further. The stranger's eyes flashed with impatience, and he growled, "You want a name? You'll get one when you're safe. Until then, shut up and run."
Amanda's shout cut through the night air, "There she is" and I saw her charging towards us, her eyes blazing with fury. I took off after the stranger, my heart pounding in my chest.
My legs pumped furiously as I sprinted down the street, my breath coming in ragged gasps. I had no idea where we were headed, but something about the stranger's confident stride put me at ease.
My heart was still racing from the adrenaline fueled escape, but a tiny voice in my head whispered that I'd made the right call. My brain, on the other hand, was a jumbled mess, still reeling from the events of the night.
All I knew was that I wanted to be safe, to not die. And right now, this stranger was my only hope. I picked up speed, my feet pounding the pavement in a frantic bid to keep up with him.
A glance over my shoulder confirmed my worst fears , Sindy, Matthew, and Amanda were hot on our heels, their faces twisted with anger and determination.
I faced forward again, my eyes locking onto the stranger's broad back. He was running effortlessly, his long strides eating up the distance. I felt a surge of gratitude towards him, mixed with a healthy dose of fear.
As we ran, the stranger's arm brushed against mine, sending a spark of electricity through my body. I felt a strange sense of safety with him by my side, like he'd somehow shield me from the dangers lurking behind us.
We'd been running for what felt like an eternity, our footsteps echoing off the deserted streets. I was starting to lose steam, my lungs burning and my legs aching.
"I'm tired," I panted, hoping the stranger would take pity on me.
He shot me a sidelong glance, his eyes narrowing slightly before he nodded curtly. "Almost there."
I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Where was "there", exactly? But before I could ask, a burst of gunfire echoed through the night air, making me jump.
My stress level skyrocketed to, oh, let's say 203 (if that's even possible). I felt like I was going to implode from anxiety.
"Seriously?" I yelped, my voice shrill with panic. "Can't we just have a quiet night in for once?"
The stranger's expression didn't change, but I could've sworn I saw a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He grabbed my arm, pulling me into a sharp turn down a narrow alleyway.
"Come on," he muttered, his voice low and urgent. "We're almost safe."
We tore down the street, our feet pounding the pavement in a frantic bid to escape. But then, without warning, the street just ended. Like, literally ended. I mean, what kind of street just drops off into thin air like a freaking cliff?
I skidded to a stop, my eyes wide with horror as I stared down at the river churning below. No. Freaking. Way. I was not jumping into that.
The stranger's voice cut through my panic, his tone low and even. "Do you trust me?"
I turned to him, my expression incredulous. Was he kidding me? We'd just met, and he was asking me to trust him with my life?
I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "Uh, no."
The stranger's face didn't change, but I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Amusement, maybe? He took a step closer to me, his movements fluid and predatory.
"Good," he said, his voice low and husky. "Because I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm telling you to trust me."
And with that, he grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, straight towards the edge of the cliff.
I dug my heels into the ground, trying to stop my momentum, but the stranger's grip on my arm was like a vice. Gunshots echoed through the air, the sound sending a jolt of adrenaline through my veins.
I was torn. If I didn't trust the stranger, I'd die for sure. But if I did... well, I'd still probably die. This was the river where most humans like me met their maker.
The stranger's voice was a low, urgent whisper in my ear. "Trust me."
I hesitated, my heart racing with fear. And then, in a move that felt like pure insanity, we launched ourselves off the edge of the cliff.
Time seemed to slow down as we plummeted towards the water. I felt a rush of wind, a sense of weightlessness, and then nothing.
Everything went dark.