Rot & Romance (Rewriting)

Chapter 96

"That happened," Benjamin said quietly.

Joseph looked absolutely mortified as he stared at Monica.

"Oh, hells. Please don't tell me I did that."

Benjamin nodded but didn't say anything.

Joseph slowly approached Monica.

"Look, I'm so sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. If there's anything I could do to help--"

"You could get the hell away from her!" Vivienne growled. She was now kneeling down next to Monica. "You've already done enough."

Joseph looked at Jules.

"Look, Madam, I'm really sorry--"

Jules raised her hand, dismissing his attempt at an apology. She couldn't even look at him.

Natalie finally seemed to be coming to as well.

"Wh-What's going on?" she groaned, her eyes sweeping across the room. "Who are all these people?" But before anyone could answer, her green eyes became a milky white as she glared at Monica. "I-I've got to get out of here," she said, turning and making her way for the front door.

"Natalie, wait," Joseph said, going after her. But she was already opening the front door to Benjamin's hideout.

Then, there was an explosion.

* * *

Lainey stopped dead when she heard what sounded like a bomb going off. It came from the direction of Benjamin's hideout.

"Oh, God," she whispered.

Lights from the surrounding houses came on. A few residents even stepped outside of their homes.

"The hell was that?" one man asked, looking at Lainey.

"I-I don't know," she said as she continued walking.

"You sure you should be out there alone?" he called after her. "It's pretty late. It'll be midnight before long."

Midnight.

She found herself sprinting towards Benjamin's hideout instead of speed walking.

Please, be okay.

* * *

It was dark.

Arid.

It took Fawn a few moments to realize she was no longer on her feet. She rolled over onto her knees, not able to see a thing through the thick blackness. She heard distorted screaming from miles and miles away. She heard voices shouting foreign languages.

Or incantations.

When she finally got to her feet she tried shouting out for Mama, but her voice also sounded distorted and distant.

What is this dark space?

She tried moving, but she felt sluggish. Weighed down. As if the surrounding darkness was oppressing her. She soon realized that even breathing was hard.

The darkness was suffocating her. She felt dizzy and once again fell to the ground. Or at least she think she fell to the ground. It was too dark to tell.

She lay, heaving.

Staring into the darkness as it consumed her.

It was cold.

So cold.

Fawn never really thought about how she'd die, but she surely would've never guessed death by darkness.