From that first night when he was twelve, and the three had come crawling through his window, Charlie Cross was marked. For years afterward, it was the same as if he had stepped back in time.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD33PjWiHGy
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgrYBdDCfsQ
They looked exactly the same.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFCKwnCLSQn
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ919GCaYKcG
They asked the same thing of him.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSkf089Aof
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGOar17slTB
Always the same thing.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5IsDBsA8j
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLftsf55TA
“We chose you. We want you to join us. We want you to kill with us, Charlie. So we can stay here. Won't you do it?”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk8xwqYjbQi
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM0VtIYEp4Q
And he always refused, terrified of what would happen if he didn't. Would they ask him to kill his parents or friends?423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtVxc1nWTOK
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVccjfWitQq
“They're important to you,” Liam told him. “But we need you. You're the fourth.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU44wBjxajU
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuD9l0dVeTv
Olivia slipped her arms around Liam, her chin on his shoulder. “We'll just keep coming, you know.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvtTc5yKgR
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnWmR8Yrx6
They had kept that promise. When Charlie turned sixteen, he thought somehow he was safe, that he had reached the age where nothing could get him. He was wrong.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv8LIWBWwQV
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwDQMAGhcy
He was sitting on the couch, remote in hand, after everyone had gone to sleep. He kept hearing footsteps upstairs, and assuming it was his parents, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjITATWYF8
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeqjXolyaK
But he had barely closed his eyes when a familiar voice called his name. He sat up, eyes wide. But he wasn't afraid. He knew they would come again, just like before. He was stupid to think they were still imaginary, even after all this time.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXiOHALZJY
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqAeIV2njU
That was when he saw her, standing by the TV. She twisted her long blonde hair around a finger. Her brown eyes fell on his startled face, and she smiled. “Hello, Charlie,” she said softly.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo9bYYvPam1
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuV2S1Rts9
“Olivia,” he said. “Hi.” He looked around. “Where are Liam and Carly?” He thought it was strange that she was here, alone, a week before Halloween.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuo8A7mJs97
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdoA4zEqEE
As she sat next to him, he caught a scent that made his stomach churn. Blood. He knew that smell all too well. He wanted to ask her about it, but thought better of it.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp5Mt1IaqVe
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ21zA0k8zuH
“Don't kill him, Liv.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡprMNc73mjx
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayk10ghbqk
Carly emerged from somewhere in the darkened room, making Charlie wonder if she had been there the whole time. He never got used to the sight of her slashed neck, or the smell of rotten flesh.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5odicJZIn
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD6H9VKQAku
“I was just talking,” Olivia said. “Nothing wrong with that.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Ou6v6NnGH
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0KMXfon31
“You're trying to persuade him.” Liam put a hand on Olivia's shoulder, his nails digging in. “Aren't you, sweetheart?”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxt0K0vRuOc
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyQA0gffZ7k
“Of course not,” Olivia said. “Charlie can make his own choices.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ3STo09qWV
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4fovZaIe7
“It's not Halloween,” Charlie reminded them. “And I'm not going to help you, I'm sorry. I won't kill anyone.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtEINWdlknq
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9IvyFh2pnH
Olivia's eyes darkened and she scowled. “Yes, you are.” She slid her nail along his arm, some blood trickling down his skin. “You refuse us again and you'll be sorry.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2KqZq4gnF
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmi5l96igVO
“Olive!” Carly shouted. “No, we talked about this. We need him, so you cannot hurt him. He's the fourth.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH9cClRJ7BM
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtHEltFK8sT
“The fourth what?” Charlie asked. “You said that before. I don't know what you mean.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡigzYMna6fQ
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvPdDMttlAH
“One more person makes us stronger,” Liam answered. “Each of us needs to feed on someone to continue to gain access to this world during Halloween night.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡntaoCcekle
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQOLSQedAsF
Charlie shook his head. “This is such a nightmare,” he whispered.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwbWKAxcxc
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsV4jjT7Ee3
“Only it's not,” Carly said, sitting on his other side. She glanced at the others. “We have to tell him.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9FG2OYAq1
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJS4vtQIT8h
They nodded.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEQuQ4KofIf
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOP5RNT6VBX
“Tell me what?” Charlie asked.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJMH2CxWtM
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZHTzifobWA
Liam spoke, his voice apologetic. “This is your last year to refuse us. You won't get another chance next time.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5hbOzuFl7
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00tECVIvPw
Charlie swallowed, his pulse racing. “What are you talking about?”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIV7qwbLSp
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjIgLZBrZx
“We've lived so long because of others. Eventually, before their sixteenth year was up, they agreed to help us.” He cast a glance at Olivia. “Until she decided we didn't need them anymore.”423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYAwy7ar3K
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtnrpcz5Mty
Now he understood.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD9d4DqQWPJ
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ61W5vIEXrx
Every year for as long as Charlie could remember, he'd heard the stories. Halloween had come and gone, and with it, another body. Everyone thought some troubled teen had decided to take off.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWV2KzenxIE
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2B91OgQ8kk
But Charlie knew the truth now.423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiogXCt1vnt
423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PBTp5OZlS
And he prayed he wouldn't be next. 423Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0sB3JmtjEK
Penana
search
Loginarrow_drop_down
Registerarrow_drop_down
