The noise from far outside has stopped, and the cars have been parked somewhere close. Close enough for them to be able to flee, yet not close enough to be spotted. Unfortunately, my hearing is impeccable, and they have no chances of fleeing.
The silence is comforting. It’s telling me that the time has come for me to unleash some of the anger that I’ve been holding back. Nothing is going to take the feeling away from me, and just to make it a bit more fun, I unlock the front gate using my phone.
The entrance is wide open for them, and the Ghost is waiting.
Let the haunting begin.
TWENTY
Ican sense Aria’s presence close by. She’s a sneaky person, and she opted for going barefoot, to minimize the chance of her footsteps being heard. Having my little sister as support might seem hilarious, but they'll underestimate her without knowing the girl is deadly. But this would be the last time her services will be required in the name of the family. The next time I let her kill, it’ll be when rids the world of that bastard of her ex-boyfriend.
I close my eyes, my ears perked for any sudden movements, or faint noise. From the outside, the only sounds that can be heard is the soft pitter-platter of the rain against the windows, the sound of it hitting the grass and the path that leads from the house towards the metal gate. The wind is blowing harshly through the trees, the smell of spring rain in the air.
The moment I open my eyes, a smirk tugs on my features and the first bullet exits the barrel. The door opens just in time, and the man falls dead to the ground. The bullet pierces straight between his eyes, a clean shot, even in the midst of the darkness that surrounds me.
His lifeless body slumps, the delightful thud of him hitting the floor fills my ears. As soon as the men behind him realize one of their own is down, they spring to action. They enter the manor — my fucking home — as if they own it. The fucking audacity of these little pests is making my blood boil, my fists balling.
I move to the side, shielding myself from their view.
My heart beats furiously in my chest, the adrenaline slowly starting to overtake the blood in my veins, and despite the sheer, and utter darkness of the entire manor, I can see everything perfectly. My mind is clear, with two goals in mind.
Kill. Them. All.
Show. No. Mercy.
I move from my hiding spot, aim the gun at the first person that gets close enough to me. The first bullet pierces through his palm, causing his own gun to fall down with a loud thump. He screams out in pain, and I shut him up by blowing his brains out, the blood and the brain matter splattering up the wall behind him.
Shit, Mom is going to kill me for all this mess.
My bare feet are silent on the dark, oak wooden floors, not a single sign of my existence given. Just like a ghost, I cannot be heard, I cannot be seen. Yet, I exist. I terrorize until they all realize that I’m not just a ghost story to scare the children off.I’m real, and they’re in my realm now, their impending deaths looming in the air.
The sound of Aria’s guns filters through the room, and judging by the way things are developing, I have nothing to worry about. The frequency in which Aria is firing the shots, and having little to no returning bullets, my mind is at least for now. At least, when it comes to her. She seems to have it covered, standing at the top of the stairs, shooting anyone who even attempts to climb up where our mother is peacefully sleeping.
Something in the air shifts. Perhaps, it’s because after all the things that we’ve gone through, from Mom’s coma, to Dad’s supposed death, Aria’s suicide attempt, and Blair’s kidnapping, I can finally see the ending. It’s near, within my reach, and soon, it’ll all be over. The liberation, the weight being lifted off my shoulder is a feeling that can’t be compared. The sense of taking back all the control is too addictive, too irresistible to let slip through my fingers.
One of the very brave – or very stupid, men attacks me from behind, the bullet grazing my shoulder. The pain will come later, once all the adrenaline wears off. Right now, it only fuels the anger and the demons that control my mind, my body, and my soul. With a deep ominous cackle, I reach for his hand with my left one, wrapping it around his wrist. I yank him forward, until his head hits the wall. There’s no time to be playing around, and I plan to waste a second. With the back of the gun, I whack him on top of his head, causing him to groan. A lot of colorful words follow, though I pay them no mind.
I’ve lost count of how many men I’ve killed. The white, cotton shirt is soaking in blood, my feet drenched in the thick, crimson liquid. At one point, Cove made an appearance, though it was brief but I know he’s still here somewhere. He’ssomewhere within the manor, and he’s not someone I should ever be worried about. My mind is completely focused on every man that enters through the front door. The one I’m looking for is yet to make an appearance. That’s quite alright, though.
The night is still young, after all.
My mind is reeling from all the bullets that are flying left and right, the sound of the rain intensifying as minutes tick away. I run further into the house, waiting, blending with the shadows. Even the pearly white hair remains hidden, and no one can spot me. I drag my eyes away from the front door, glancing around. Fuck, there are too many dead bodies already, compiling one on top of the other. I don’t even have enough time to count them, before another man strikes. It’s Keith’s bullet that takes him down, and I nod in gratitude, before shifting my attention to the top of the stairs.
And my heart sinks to my feet.
Aria’s gun is working over time, and when her clip is empty, she’s quick to replace it with a new one. She’s so focused on shooting everyone that’s trying to climb from the left side of the stairs that she’s completely neglecting the right side, where a man is sneaking up behind her.
“Aria, watch out!”
My scream carries through the noise, and the moment she hears me, her eyes snap to mine. However, by the time she realizes the severity of my warning, it’s already too late. There’s a gun pressed at the back of her head, causing her body to go completely still.
Her hand is still in the air, her gun aimed at those at the bottom, and she isn’t moving. This is why I shouldn’t have involved her in this — no matter the skills she possesses, she’sstill a teenager, and her senses aren’t as keen as mine. Fuck, this can turn very bad, very quickly.
Aria sucks in a sharp intake of breath, slowly lowering her hand. Her eyes are not leaving mine, and I’m almost surprised to see that she’s not scared. In fact, the only thing I can see, even from across the room, is pure determination. Oh, fuck, the girl is planning something, and I can only pray it won’t end with her dead. I look away from Aria for a moment, my eyes glued to the man that dares to hold her at gun point. It’s none other than Edgar Flint, the very same man I’ve been waiting to appear. Like the sneaky bastard that he is, he probably came through the back door, and Cove didn’t see him.
He’s staring at Aria only, but he’s suspicious. It is highly unlikely that someone like Aria, who was born and raised in a family of professional killers, would simply lower her weapon. He’s staring at her hand, the gun clutched tightly in her grip, and he doesn’t dare to look away. One mistake, and Aria will throw him off the railings.
“Drop it,” he says, his voice lowering. “If you don’t, I’ll spill your brains on the floor.”
