Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Skylia and Hemlock debate whether the writing in Maya's notebook is genuine or a lure. Hemlock proposes a test: Skylia asks the notebook a question only Maya would answer. She writes asking about their secret meeting spot; the notebook responds with a specific detail only Maya would know, but Hemlock warns that shadows can extract memories from those they've taken. The shadows outside intensify their attack on the cabin. One gets through a gap in the iron lining near the chimney. Hemlock uses his walking stick to drive it back and reseals the gap with iron filings, but the effort costs him physically. At dawn, the shadows retreat. They prepare to leave for the bleeding tree. As they exit, Skylia finds a new mark on her forearm—a dark line like the bruised letters in the notebook. Hemlock says it means the door is already reaching through her. They drive toward the Hemlock Line, and at the chapter's end, they find the road blocked by Sheriff Brody's cruiser.
I held the notebook at arm's length like it might bite me, which was not a metaphor I'd ever expected to apply to stationery.
"So either my best friend is sending me messages from the other side of a supernatural door," I said, "or the ancient evil in the woods has learned to use a composition book. Both options are terrible. I want a third option."
"There isn't one." Hemlock had moved to the far wall, pressing his palm flat against the iron sheeting. His eyes were half-closed. He was tracking the three pressures outside while also, apparently, having a conversation with me. Multitasking. Impressive, if you didn't think about why he'd gotten so good at it. "The writing is real. It's on the page. Whether the source is Maya or something wearing Maya's knowledge—that's what we can't determine from here."
Keep reading "Chapter 7"
Open the same story in AIBookCraft. Later chapters may require an active subscription.
Free on iOS & Android · No signup to read