I stared at the screen for a few minutes, thinking if it was a joke.
Hannah and I weren't that close. We knew each other as much as anyone sharing a living space for two or three months could.
So I wasn't someone she would joke around with about something like this.
What do you mean?
What happened?
Who's going to kill you?
I typed down with shaky hands. A reply came almost instantly.
I don't know. Please, help me.
I called her number.
"Lyra!" Her voice came from the other side.
"What happened? Where are you?" I questioned.
"The watermill…the old watermill outside of town," Hannah replied cautiously. "There's an old book with a feathered bookmark on my desk. Please bring it here, or else I won't survive," she paused, "Please hurry."
"What do you mean?" There was no answer. "Hannah?" The call was disconnected, leaving me in a dilemma.
Despite that, I looked through Hannah's desk. There were a lot of books and notes piled up on her desk. It took me a minute to find the book that matched the description.
Now, what was I supposed to do? The wise thing to do was to call the police, but there was a good possibility that they'd think of it as a prank call. Convincing them would take a while. Me going there would be fastest, but then what? There was nothing I could do if there was danger.
So, I decided to do both. I called the police and gave most of the details to them. At first, it didn't seem like they believed me, but I did my part. After that, I left with the book.
The watermill was by a small river in the forest. It used to be a good spot for camping, but now the overwhelming darkness made the forest almost unapproachable.
I was walking through this forest, depending solely on the phone flashlight. I took the back gate to cut the time and walked as fast as my feet could go.
Night in the forest was unique. There was no sound except the occasional shuffling of leaves. I couldn't even hear crickets. It was unnatural in its own way. Even the air seemed frozen, and it felt like I was slashing through different lairs of darkness to enter a different world. The darkness was crawling on me with time. I could barely see.
To be frank, I had no idea what danger lay ahead. So, coming here without a plan was rash. If Hannah was in danger, I could fall into danger as well. I didn't consider all that when I left. But now, it was useless to think of, as I was almost near the watermill.
The stars reflected on the water. If not for that, I wouldn't have noticed the river and might've walked into it.
I could almost hear my heartbeat as I approached the mill. Standing by the door felt like floating in a dark void. I texted Hannah but didn't get a reply.
I came this far. It wouldn't hurt to go inside. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked inside. The air shifted as soon as I stepped inside like I had entered a different world. There was a metallic smell in the air. I couldn't pinpoint what it was but guessed it was rust or something similar.
I took a few more steps, but my feet came in contact with something, making me stumble behind. I lowered my phone to see what was in the way. Likely, one of the biggest mistakes I had made so far.
A pale body was on the ground. Blood stains covered different parts of the body. Even though Hannah said someone was trying to kill her, I didn't think I'd find a dead body here.
I stepped away as far as I could, only to stumble again. I peeked behind to spot another corpse.
My feet felt heavy. Which way should I go? What do I make of this? Was Hannah even here? After calming my pounding heart, I moved the light around to see my surroundings.
There weren't 2 or 3 but 7 to 9 corpses on the ground. I closed my eyes to convince myself this wasn't real and just a bad dream.
But the rustic smell didn't let me think so and the sight didn't go away when I opened my eyes again. It wasn't rust, it was the smell of blood that had filled the air. The pungent smell made it harder for me to breathe.
I had to get out of here. No, I needed to get out to save myself. But my mind was in shambles, and so was my sense of direction.
Suddenly, I heard the sounds of footsteps. Was it the police? Or was it the people responsible for this massacre? Being unsure, I stumbled through the room and hid in a corner.
As I prayed for someone to help me, the footsteps became louder before coming to a stop. Are they gone?
The murky atmosphere suddenly became awfully cold. It was almost like a cold spell, but now was not the time to think about changes in the weather.
I closed my eyes and breathed through the cold air, contemplating whether to step out. But before I could decide, something ice cold brushed against my throat, prompting me to open my eyes to look at the source of the coldness.
Within the pitch-black darkness, eyes the same shade as blood stood before me, as if glowing.
"Well, look what we have here."