Something heavy drops in my stomach.
I stopped believing there were cannibals out here. But maybe I shouldn’t have been so sceptical of the stories that floated around the farmhouse.
“Fine,” the Devil snarls. “But she’syourpet.Yourresponsibility.” With that he turns and stalks off into the night.
A shudder rolls over my body as I’m placed back on my feet again. Fear paralyses me but Death still holds me tightly enough that I couldn’t run if I wanted to. With his body plastered against me, I can feel his bulge pressing into my lower back.
“I can help,” the Nightmare steps in again, crowding close, stealing space around me.
They tower over my petite frame so much that my capture finally starts sinking in. There’s no way I could outrun them, let alone fight them off. Their sheer size makes escape feel like a fantasy.
Death yanks me away possessively, like a child protecting their toy. “I don't need your help,” he grinds out.
My fight or flight instinct gives way to fawning as I stand there unable to move. Scared to breathe too loud.Looking up at the terrifying masked man in front of me, tears well up in my eyes.
I’m going to die. That much is certain. But what torture will I have to live through first?
“Look at those pretty eyes,” the Nightmare muses.
The skull-masked guy cranes his neck to look down at me like the ghost of Death himself.
“Goddamn,” Death groans. “She looks like a deer caught in headlights.”
He moves his hand from my face, only to take a fistful of my hair, holding me tight by it as he steps in front of me.
The pinpricks on my scalp and the fear wracking my body are plenty to hold me still. I’m too scared to even scream.
He yanks on my hair, pulling my head back, and a yelp squeaks from my mouth as a single tear slips over my eyelashes.
“Fuck yeah. I’m keeping her, I don’t care what Phoenix says. Let’s take her back now,” Death says enthusiastically.
Chapter 2
Myles
Lucky me, finding the prettiest little toy to play with.
How the fuck a girl could just wander into our town, is another question. She’s lucky it’s been a while since we reinforced that side of our perimeter. Could’ve been a different story if she triggered one of Zane’s traps.
She must’ve travelled far. There’s no way a girl of her calibre was living in this shithole before society imploded around us.
She’s got some fire in her too. Wouldn't stop fighting me the entire way back to our makeshift home. Even when I threw her over my shoulder, her tiny fists still pounded at me relentlessly.
The inside of my mask is slick with sweat. Every breath feels hotter, thicker. Suffocating. I need to rip the damn thing off!
But Phoenix and Zane insist on the masks. To protect our identities and strike fear into the hearts of those who hear rumours.
Sure, people whisper about us for miles around. Settlers benefit from living nearby because of our vendetta against flesh traders. Most raiders and scavengers know better than to test our lines or they learn the hard way.
But this girl chose our town anyway. Why?
Her struggling is getting annoying. She just keepssquirming and twisting as if she has a chance. Like she hasn't just been yanked out of the dirt like a toy I dropped and decided to reclaim.
But the way she tried to take a swing at me with that knife… That was almost cute.
Almost.
“You really don't know when to quit, do you?” I growl, tightening my hold as she kicks the air. “Keep squirming, little doe. See how far that gets you.”
