Chereads / A Kiss From Darkness / Chapter 5 - Déjà vu.

Chapter 5 - Déjà vu.

The knife rotated in a looping motion, and as Lilith jumped down from the window, it landed in the middle of her head.

"Arrrghhh!" Lilith screamed, placing her hands behind her head owing to the excruciating pain.

After some seconds, she carefully withdraws her hand from the back of her head, and as she caresses her hands together, she realizes there is no blood on her hands.

The handle of the knife thrown at her smacked her in the back of the skull.

"You miss you jerk!" She exclaimed with a sneer on her face, immediately placing her cane stick on the floor and hastening her steps to avoid Mr Felix.

"Why are you all looking at her? Go after her right away?" Mr Felix spoke with a frown.

"H-huh?" One of his bodyguards muttered, pretending not to have heard his boss.

"Get her!" Mr Felix groaned at the top of his bodyguard's face.

The man who threw the knife at Lilith nodded as he approached the window, his accomplice trailing behind him.

Lilith had no idea where she was going, but she knew she needed to trust her instincts and use her sense of perception.

She was racing straight when she sensed the footsteps of those trailing after her becoming closer.

Without hesitation, she turned to the left, straight into a deep forest.

"Gruuuuull!" The booming roar of thunder was heard as the lightning imprinted some marks on the cloud before disappearing into thin air.

Lilith's head smacked with several tree branches as she stepped on the dry leaves beneath her feet.

She would periodically kick stones, and since her goal was to escape, she ignored the pain as she continued to move forward.

'The forest does not appear to have many trees.' Lilith thought to herself because she hadn't collided with any trees.

She only collided with small tree branches, stones, wood, and a variety of other small objects that were not hazardous to her.

As Lilith ventured deeper into the forest, a strong wind began to blow.

The moon in the sky watched her intently, creating an ominous light for the blind Lilith.

She refused to give up, although she couldn't see where she was going.

All Lilith could think about was getting away from the disgusting Mr Felix and his brood.

"Throw that knife at her." One of the bodyguards spoke.

Lilith, her heart racing, chose to take the path to the left, hoping to evade the impending danger.

As she took the road on the left, her bare feet hit the cold ground, a sharp pain shot through her soul, the sound of flesh punctured by metal ringing in her ears.

She had stepped on a stray nail, its rusty tip buried deep in her skin.

"Arrrghhh!" A blood-curdling scream ripped from Lilith's throat as she crumpled to the ground.

The nail had pierced clean through her foot, the force of her weight driving it deep inside her foot.

Blood, hot and thick, pooled beneath her, staining the ground crimson as Lilith's hands scrambled in vain to staunch the gushing wound.

She clutched at her leg, her body wracked with sobs as she battled against the pain.

Lilith bites her lips, allowing blood trickle down like a torrent out of her foot.

The anguish was excruciating, and as she forced herself to rise, she looked up at the sky before yanking her legs free from the nail.

"Arrrggghhh!" Lilith screams as if her life has been snatched away.

As she finally freed her legs from the nail, she turned back to observe whether she could hear the bodyguard's footsteps, but there were none.

"Ouch!" She heard one of the bodyguards scream.

And then… the clouds above grew thicker, almost black, like a heavy blanket of darkness descending upon the earth.

The wind moaned and shrieked, and then, as if the heavens had opened, the rain began to fall.

It came down in torrents, beating against the ground with relentless fury, washing away all traces of the day's dust and dirt and Lilith's blood on the floor was watched away by the rain.

The thunder followed close behind, its deafening booms shattering the silence of the stormy night.

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the heavens in flashes of brilliant white light.

"Fuck!" Lilith cursed as she began to run for her dear life, ignoring the throbbing pain from her feet.

In a frenzied panic, the blind Lilith frantically groped for anything to guide her through the torrential downpour.

Even though she couldn't hear anyone's footsteps, she was convinced that they were close.

Lilith's ears were assaulted by the ominous thunder and the deafening patter of raindrops, creating a symphony of fear and despair.

"Argh!"

Every second, every step, was a gamble as she fought to escape the unknown danger that lurked in the shadows of the storm.

"I have to escape that old jerk," Lilith said to herself as she continued running, allowing her white garment to become drenched with the rain.

She had no idea where she was going, but all she wanted to do was run as far as possible from him.

"There she is!" A female voice rang out from the shadows, its icy tone piercing the silent gloom like a razor-sharp blade.

"So the old man asked a female to pursue me?" Lilith thought within herself, but she was unable to answer her question since she needed to concentrate on running.

"After searching for so long, she has finally brought herself into our den." Another voice exclaimed in delight.

"Arrrh!" Lilith whimpered as she hastened her step.

Her blind cane wasn't helping a bit and it was beginning to slow Lilith from her means of escaping so she threw it away.

And still, Lilith hastens her steps.

Rain droplets could be heard falling mighty on the trees and their branches, which made Lilith instantly stretch out her hands forward, using her sense of perception to study her environment.

Despite Lilith's best efforts to stay calm, her heart pounded in her chest like a war drum as she dashed, stumbling and tripping, through the dense underbrush.

As she ran, her feet dug into the mud ground of the forest, her heart rising in horror.

"Wh... what do you want from me?" Lilith taunted, as she halted, tired of running without any direction in mind.

"If Mr Felix wanted only sex from me, he wouldn't have ordered his men to throw a knife at me. That could have killed me."

Lilith's mind raced as she tried to make sense of the situation.

Fear coursed through her veins as she realized that Mr Felix's motives ran deeper than mere lust. But what could his true intentions be?

"What do I want?" The cold, insidious voice of a man was suddenly heard.

Lilith nodded her head upon hearing the voice of a man who had questioned her.

She could feel the man being rooted to the spot, which made her less cautious about running.

"We don't want something great, Lilith," he hissed, his voice a low, rasping growl. "We only want your heart." Lilith's stomach churned causing her skin to crawl in disgust.

From the tone of the man, Lilith could tell that she was already in a dismay. "Did that disgusting old man send you to kill me?" She scrunches, her fear morphing into a seething rage. "At first he wanted my virginity and now my heart?" She added while hissing in annoyance.

Lilith had thought the old man's lust for her was creepy, but this... this was pure evil.

He had sent his henchmen to kill her and hunted her through the treacherous forest like a wild animal.

The female voice from earlier cut in, a hint of curiosity in her tone. "What old man?" She asked, causing a scowl to appear on Lilith's face.

Lilith's voice rang with authority despite her perilous situation. "Stop playing dumb and answer me!" Lilith demanded.

A mischievous laughter echoed through the air, its cackle mingling with the ominous thunderclaps overhead.

"The old man is dead."

"H-huh?" Lilith's voice hitched in her throat as raindrops cascaded down her lashes.

She blinked rapidly as if trying to dispel the news she had just heard. "The old man... is dead?"

"We want just your heart." A deep mysterious male voice uttered. "Surrender it willingly, and we will depart in peace."

It was at this moment reality struck Lilith.

She realized that she had only escaped the old man only to discover herself in great danger.

'Who are all these people and why are they after my heart?' She pondered.

From her sense of perception, Lilith could feel the footsteps of people getting closer, and from their footsteps, she could tell that she was surrounded by more than ten individuals.

'What exactly do these people want from me?' Lilith questioned herself once more, but her answer was far from reach.

Forcing down her saliva, she began to say a silent prayer, hoping that the heavens would protect her.

And with that...

Lilith with a positive mindset, began to run forward as fast as she could, the mud weighing her down and likewise the heaviness from her entire drenched clothes.

"Get her!" The female voice from earlier roars towards her companions.

They all began to run after Lilith at full speed, not minding the heavy raindrops that fell over their body.

On the other hand, since Lilith wasn't with her cane stick, she was unable to feel everything around her.

She could feel that she was groomed by tall trees in the forest.

With each frantic step, Lilith senses a potential danger lurking around every corner. But it was too late to turn back now.

Her injured legs, slick with mud and rain, lost their footing and sent her hurtling forward, crashing into the unforgiving bark of a gnarled tree.

She stumbled onto the ground.

Lilith let out a yelp of pain, the sound echoing through the forest as she crumpled to the ground, her hands reaching out to feel the extent of her injury.

She hissed in pain as she tried forcing herself to get up, but the more she struggled, the more her legs felt weak and heavy with a mighty pain being borne upon her.

Lilith bit her button lips and she closed her eyes, trying to elevate herself up from the ground when suddenly, the faint footsteps of those after her were heard.

"Shit." Lilith cursed beneath her breath as she tried leaping her leg.

The pain was simply unbearable and soon, those after her suddenly caught up with her.

"We need your heart, Lilit..."

"Fuck you all!" She yelled, cutting the lady from her statement as she immediately ignored the pain from her leg.

She began to run, leaping a little from the throbbing pain from her legs.

"Hahahah." The lady chortled. "You can run all you want dear, we will still catch you." She added a dreadful smirk playing at the corner of her lips.

Lilith ignored the lady as she continued running, hearing their footsteps from behind her.

As some strands of Lilith's hair fell above her face, she pushed them backwards only to sense something.

She could sense a safe place on the road leading to the left.

With determination, Lilith ran towards the opening road at the left, but she was unable to get to the safe place that she had sensed because the hands of the lady from earlier suddenly pulled Lilith's hair from behind.

"You thought you were running?" The lady scoffed, her grips of Lilith's hair tightening. "We have been walking behind you ever since your so-called running. Your thousand steps is a single walk for us."

Lilith's stomach instantly crunched in fear and before Lilith knew what was happening, the lady raised her from the back of her hair, pulling Lilith up from the ground.

"Comply with me or I'll have to take your heart by force," she hissed, her words dripping with venom.

The coldness in her tone sent a chill down Lilith's spine.

"B...but if I comply, I'll die, and if I don't comply, I'll still die, so what's the point?" Lilith stammered, her hands grasping at the woman's arm to prevent her from pulling her hair.

Her words were met with an icy stare and a tightening of the grip around her hair, causing Lilith to grimace in pain.

"You're forgetting the difference," the woman replied, her voice low and dangerous. "If you comply, you'll die quickly, painlessly. But if you don't comply, you'll die slowly, painfully." The woman's eyes gleamed with malicious delight as she relished the fear she was instilling in her victim. "So, what will it be?"

Lilith felt her heart pound against her ribcage, her mind racing as she considered her options. But ultimately, she knew there was only one choice to make.

"Fuck off, you bitch!" Lilith cursed, her voice lacing with venom as her words spilled out like acid.

The lady smirked, amused by Lilith's braveness. "You ask for it then." She whispered into Lilith's ear, before throwing Lilith in the air.

Lilith hadn't predicted to be flung away, but before she could think of anything, her body hit a mighty huge tree, causing a whimper to escape her mouth but it was silenced by the thunderstorm crack as her body crumbled onto the wet floor.

Lilith hissed in pain as she forced herself up from the floor. She knew that she was most likely going to die in the hands of the beastly lady and that was if she continued being seated on the floor.

Clenching her teeth with her hands clenched, Lilith began to run, ignoring the dreadful pain.

Just then, she senses a building right in front of her.

The loud footsteps of the lady and her companions who were trailing after her could be heard, prompting Lilith to wrestle herself into moving forward.

As Lilith stretched out her hands, her finger collided with a bunch of grass, and it was an end road.

A sense of déjà vu washed over Lilith, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"This feels... familiar somehow," she murmured, her voice barely audible above her pounding heart. "Like I've been here before."

But as quickly as the thought appeared, it vanished, like a wisp of smoke on the wind.

"No... It can't be," Lilith shook her head, unable to recall where or when such an experience had occurred.

Nevertheless, Lilith continued to use her hands in roaming around the grass wall, hoping to at least see an escape hole in the wall.

"But... but I felt that there was a road here?" Lilith stuttered within herself as she continued to use her hands to scorn around the glasses that were right in front of her.

"Agh!" Lilith whimpered in pain clutching her thumb as a thorn from the grass pricked her skin which made her feel a stinging sensation.

Lilith's outstretched injured hand came into contact with the soft grass, and the wall in front of her as if by some unseen power, began to slide open.

"W-What?" she gasped, her mouth widening as she stumbled back in shock.

The wall, without a sound, continued to glide smoothly to one side, revealing a dark, mysterious room.

"How?" Lilith breathed, her heart hammering as the impossible events unfolded before her.

Although Lilith couldn't see, she was still able to know that what had happened was strange.

"I won't get inside there…"

Before her statement could be completed, she began to hear the footsteps of the lady getting closer from behind her.

"Shit!" Lilith cursed beneath her breath as she bit unto her lower lips stretching both of her hands towards the open route from the wall.

Exhaling!

Lilith turned back to see if the footstep was still getting closer but to her dismay, it was.

She could hear the sound of a lady's feet colliding with the wet grass and mud on the forest ground.

"For goodness sake!" Lilith sighed with gritted teeth as she walked past the opened wall.

Immediately she stepped inside the wall behind her aggressively rolled back to its previous position, as it became shut with a deafening thud, taunting the heart of Lilith to skip a bit.

Stepping through the opening, Lilith realized that she wasn't still in the forest at all—she had entered some sort of house, or at least what she thought was a house.

The air around her felt different, a strange, heavy stillness that was neither indoor nor outdoor.

Lilith stretched out her right hand forward to observe her surroundings, but out of nowhere, she felt a strong grip on a figure who had pulled her left hand.

"Let go of me!" Lilith screeched, her voice rising with each horror as she tried to pull her hands away from the hand that held her captive.

A raspy, guttural sound emanated from the depths of the room, sending a chill down Lilith's spine.

She held her breath, frightened to the core.

Lilith placed her right hand on the figure who had pulled her closer…

But then she was stunned to realize that it was a skeleton. "Save me oh Lord! She screamed intensely, aggressively pulling her hands away with full force but then she heard the skeleton take a step closer to her.

The world of Lilith became frozen as she stood immobile, her heart literally beating ten pounds per second and she instantly felt her life flash right across her.

As the skeletal figure approached, Lilith felt her legs give out, her body collapsing to the floor in a tangle of limbs.

"Hello, little mortal," a deep, haunting voice intoned, the words sending an icy shiver coursing down Lilith's spine.

Without warning, the skeletal creature snatched her from the floor and pressed its bone-white lips against hers in a frigid, unholy kiss.

Lilith recoiled in horror, her entire body going rigid as she fought to tear away from the bony grip.

Silence…

"Aaaagh!" Lilith screamed thunderously, the sound muffled against the bone-dry mouth that clamped over hers.