DARK AND TWISTED

CHAPTER 37

Nyx wanted to leave because it sounded like a family matter but Maya insisted her to know about this as well if she was going to protect me from them.

Maya cleared her throat, "When you were a kid, Sy Cove had a problem called overpopulation. At that time, it wasn't a tourist attraction yet so money was also a problem. People were starving. Cannibalism was a way to solve overpopulation and starvation. They suggested killing the younger ones in the family. That's what I learned back in school when I was in Sy Cove. Your older sister, Angela, was killed a day before you turned 4 years old."

"What happened to Angela?" my heart almost stopped while mentioning a sibling I didn't know I had.

"Zayne, mom and dad ate her, of course. You refused to eat the meat because you didn't like the smell of raw human meat. Even if our family didn't want to kill you, Sy Cove is one of the most dangerous places to live in. I'll send you the full history of Sy Cove if you want to know. The real history. Not a cover up they taught me in school."

"And you ran away."

"Yes, with you. You were 4 and I was 15. I didn't know what should I do. I had to make sure the three of them were asleep before I could run away. I never wanted to be like them because it's just so wrong. A woman gave us a ride to the city nearby and she gave me some money. I lied to her by telling we had relatives waiting for us in the city."

I sobbed after knowing what happened. No wonder Maya was so overprotective; she was hiding me from them, my own family. Nyx gave a gentle squeeze on my shoulder, letting me know she was there if I needed a shoulder to cry on.

"We are hiding from them. I understand everything now."

"Exactly. I have something to tell you. Christian Anderson is not what you think. He comes up as a nice, charismatic middle-aged man but he has a huge secret. He told me I'll know about this once I turned 17. So, be careful around him.

"I have to go to work now. Nyx, take care of her. Even if they force you to stay with them, pretend you don't know anything or do anything that's necessary. You're smart enough to figure this out," she hung up and sent the full history of Sy Cove like she promised.

'Sy Cove used to be a normal town. But now, it's a town filled with different categories of individuals; serial killers, kidnappers, necromancers, sadists, cannibals, and so on. Around early 1990, a few of them broke into the town while running away from the authority and terrorized it. They killed almost everyone in a week. More years past, the more of them move in and live there. They even start having families. Outsiders who want to live there must embrace their tradition and become like them or else they will pay the price with their lives.'

Maya texted me she said she wrote what she knew about it.

I buried my face in my palms, wishing everything I heard and read was just a nightmare. Life isn't fair at all. All these years, I was itching to know who were my parents, but after this, I didn't think I need to know anything anymore. It was more terrifying to know I was born in this dark and twisted town.

To make matter worse, I got a call from Christian. I had no choice but to pick it up.

"Hope, I was worried. Why aren't you answering my texts?" His voice was different in a bad way.

"I forgot where did I put my phone. I'm sorry. I'll be back before dinner."

"Don't be late," he hung up.

I left my phone on the table and went to the toilet. I turned on the faucet, letting the water run down before cupping my hands under it, and letting it spill over. I splashed my face a few times before I stared at my reflection. I looked terrible. My dark circles were visible and I could become a panda if I wanted to. My nose was red at the tip, my eyes were bloodshot and my lips were chapped. I should've taken care of myself but what's the point at this moment?

I went out of there and dried my face with a clean towel Nyx handed to me.

"Are you okay? I know it's a stupid question but I'm worried," she chewed her bottom lip.

I nodded, avoiding eye contact. I looked terrible; I didn't think it was right for me to look at other people with that appearance.

I asked her to drive me home because the longer I didn't come back, the more trouble I would get myself into. I didn't bother to bring my bags with me. Maybe because my mind was too occupied until I forgot the important things. She agreed with my decision and drove me there. She dropped me at the same place she did the other day. Good, because I didn't want her to get into trouble.

Dragging my feet as I came up with some logical excuses if they asked anything strange. Either lie or tell the truth, there's no difference. I couldn't hide the fear and disappointment after knowing the truth about my life, and my family.

Freezing air brushed against my skin as I stood there. 2 a.m. in Sy Cove was different from any other place. Only the streetlights flickered and lightened up the darkness. A few minutes later, the raindrops dripped, hitting my head and exposed skin. I stepped further with my freezing hands shaking to hold the doorknob.

Twisting it slowly, I nudged it wide open with my palm. There was nobody in the living room. I expected Zayne or Christian to be there. I stepped inside one at a time while hugging myself. The air felt different, heavier than usual. Suddenly, the door behind me slammed by itself and someone hit me in the head from behind.