Moonlight Magic

Chapter 15

I wanted to talk to the guy but so far it was him coming to me not the other way around. How the flip was I supposed to find him?! Plus lately I didn't feel like I was being watched anymore. Did it mean he was gone?
It's already been a week since my visit to the mental institution. I sat in the window seat in my room with the spell book and the note in my lap. 'Cremlim Institute. The Black Forest.' Cremlim Institute? He said I would find answers there, or I thought that's what he meant.
My parents were at a conference or something regarding the development of Ravensvale. After all, being the richest meant being the most influential. Mum and Dad were more busier lately. I rarely saw them anymore except at the silent dinner sessions on some nights.
The sky outside the window had already darkened to a deeper shade of blue as night approached. Heavy, grey clouds had moved in over the town. An electrical storm was brewing and a downpour was inevitable. A chill had settle in as I watched the trees along our long driveway sway in the wind.
I shoved the note into my jeans pocket, grabbed the book and headed towards my parents' room. Resolved to take a second look around, I decided that no matter how scary it was down there I might've missed something last time while I was all shocked.

Halfway down the stone stairs, I caught a clank that came from below. I immediately stopped in my tracks and kept my ears peeled. Clank! There it was again. Now more curious than nervous, I stealthily moved further down the stairs.
When I reached the bottom I realised that the clanking noise was accompanied by tiny, monstrous squeals. I swallowed the lump in my throat and pushed ajar one of the doors.
It was Mum and Dad. So they never left. I wondered how many of those nights they said they were returning late was actually true. Perhaps they were always here all along.
Unlike last time, the cages now housed disfigured beings that slumped on the floor; their chests barely moved. There was a fire burning in the old barbecue thing and blood dripped off the sides of the operating table that imprisoned another deformed figure. They stood over it as it screamed and struggled against the restraints. I now understood what Talia meant.
Even from behind, I sensed the evil aura my parents were giving off. Except the way Talia had described it as more of a glow around the two of them, I saw shadows. Thick, black wisps curled around the two people I'd considered as kind and loving but were now nothing more than dangerous and cruel.
As I moved back to get away from the living shadowy talons that were reaching out to me, my shoes scrapped against the ground and the sound bounced off the walls. My breath caught and I didn't dare to move.
Mum and Dad turned their heads slowly until they faced me. Their eyes were dark orbs, no white of the cornea in sight. I felt the malice that poured out of these eyes, filling my lungs and keeping me immobile. My heart thumped a irregular beat.
"What do we have here?" Mum's lips smirked.
"Tsk. Tsk. What did I say, Becky. I told you not to seek answers to needless questions," Dad reprimanded me like all the other times that I had gotten some part of history wrong.
"W-why are you doing this?"
"Why, why, WHY?! Always with the questions!" he snapped. "You just couldn't keep your little nose out of things. I always thought that was a problem, Monique, but you never listened."
"Well too late for anything when she also has the book," Mum replied. "And no need to shout, Becky's a good girl, she'll understand." Turning to me she asked, "Won't you, dear?" So this tome did belong to them.
"You are sick. I don't know what or why or how you're doing this but I want no part of it. You're crazy!" I managed to say. I needed to keep my head together and them talking if I wanted to get out unscathed.
I quickly scanned the room full of equipment. Anything that was solid and not too heavy for a weapon were nowhere near me. If I turned and ran they would no doubt blink in front of me like Talia said they could. Even if they didn't, they have mysterious powers that I didn't even want to start to phantom how they might utilise it on me.
"If you're thinking of running, I would suggest otherwise," Dad said. "You see, you weren't meant to find out yet, pumpkin."
"What do you mean 'yet'? You didn't think I would just join you in your elaborate torturing scheme willingly, did you?"
"Yes, darling. You were supposed to join us on your seventeenth birthday," Mum said.
"You are both seriously deluded and disgusting. You should be the ones in an asylum, not Talia!"
"DONT YOU DARE SPEAK TO US THAT WAY! We are your parents and you will respect us and do as we say if you even value your life a little!" Dad shouted. Glowing red veins suddenly threaded through his blank, black eyes.
"Now, now, Richard. She doesn't understand but she will."
"Perhaps we misjudged her. You know I always had my doubts ever since she was born. I never felt that potential in her." Dad's even tone rattled my bones and fear invaded my mind. "So..."
All if a sudden, a pulsing fireball appeared in his hand. My eyes widened at the sight of it. A second later, I hadn't realised it was coming at me until the last moment. I swiftly dived to my left and rolled away.
As I scrambled to my feet still tightly holding onto the tome, white pain lanced through my right arm. I looked down and saw a deep, charred cut across the length of my forearm. Biting my lip, I made a run for it.
I could hear footsteps pounding along behind me, matching my ragged breath. As I reached the top and yanked on the torch, laughter floated up towards my ears. My ears rung like the fabled warning bell predicting misfortune, one of the many urban myths in Ravensvale.
I pushed myself harder as the footfalls grew faster and closer. My feet flew across the floor, down the stairs and delivered me to the front doors. Once outside, I headed for the Black Forest. Hopefully, Purple Eyes was there.
Fortunately, living on the outskirts of town meant that the Cursed Woods were near. The forest was a blanket of trees that surrounded a third of the town's boundary, in the opposite direction of Verisa after exiting Rose Gate park.
As I closed in on the forbidden woods, I noticed that no one was chasing me. Only a few more minutes and the line of trees would be in sight. I didn't bother to try lose them. After all, they knew this town's streets as well as I did. I was just hoping I was fast enough.
I turned to look behind me and out of nowhere they appeared, smiling and not a bit tired. I yelped and sped up even faster. Unfortunately, they were still gaining on me. All this time they knew exactly where I was; they were only toying with me.
"Stop! You are to return to us at once!" commanded Dad.
I had to do something at the very least to slow them down. I searched in front of me to see if there was anything to throw at them or block their way. Nothing, except the book I held which no way in hell was I giving it to them.
As the book came to mind, a set of words stood out to me from my memory -Irritum tenebris lux splendens procedit. Before I even knew what I was doing, I had already started citing in Latin, knowing that it was just the trick I needed. I felt tingly and the pain in my arm intensified.
I turned enough to aim the ball of light that had appeared in my left hand at my pursuers. Dad had a surprised look on his face and took the brunt of it while Mum was just grazed but it was enough to make her pause.
Holy crap! Did I really just do that?! Nonetheless, whatever I did was successful in delaying them but had also drained me. My arm was throbbing even more and my head was feeling slightly sluggish. My breaths were uneven as I continued to run.
I finally reached the opening leading into the forest when a sheet of rain came down. It had became even darker then a few moment ago and as I entered the forest, the little light that was left became more dimmed. Yet I pushed on.
I wasn't sure whether this 'Cremlim Institute' was for real or if it was actually in the Black Forest. For all I knew, it might've just been a prank or I had misunderstood what the guy meant.
"BEEEEECKYYY!"
Oh no, that was Mum. I hastened my feet and rushed deeper and deeper into the thick set of trees. I had dramatically slowed down with my energy running low. By this point adrenaline was all that was keeping me going.

I had lost track of time. Night had fallen and in addition to my injured arm, I had hurt my ankle when I slipped on mud. They haven't found me yet. Perhaps it was thanks to the dark or maybe the maze-like path I took.
The moonlit sky didn't make a difference to the black surrounding me. I hobbled blindly and carefully cradled my arm as I tried my best not to trip on roots. I had to get out of here.
Rain poured and chilling drops of water ran down my spine, drenching my shirt. My hair was plastered to my face and I couldn't see an inch in front of me. The freezing wind battered my body as I wove around and under trees. The lower branches grabbed at my thin clothes. I was hungry and fatigue slowly consumed me.
But just when my legs were about to give out, flickering light in the far distance spilled through the skimpy branches of the dark wood trees. Fighting exhaustion, I quickened my pace and limped in its direction. As I closed in on the light, a shrill sound echoed an eery message behind me.
"Becky! You can run and run and run and run but you can never truly hide from me!"
And as I reached the source of that wonderful light, the screech was the last thing I heard before collapsing onto the twig covered ground.