Bella Catherine was once wrapped in a love she thought would last forever. She and Shane Willson had built a life filled with laughter, warmth, and quiet moments shared beneath the stars. They were each other's home, their days spent savoring every small joy and finding comfort in the simplest things—a hand held, a shared glance, the whispered promises of a life together. They had dreamed of growing old side by side.
But in a heartbeat, all of it vanished. Shane was taken from her in a violent accident, leaving Bella shattered, her world darkened by grief. Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months, and though two years had passed, the ache in her chest remained as raw as the moment she'd received the news.
Every month, Bella visited Shane's grave, carrying flowers and her silent grief. The cemetery had become her sanctuary, the one place she could feel close to him. She would sit by his headstone, close her eyes, and imagine his voice beside her. Today was no different, or so she thought.
As Bella laid fresh flowers at Shane's grave, a strange sound caught her attention—a low, broken whine. She looked up and spotted a dark shape slumped by a nearby tree. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was a dog, wounded and still. She approached slowly, and as she knelt, her breath caught; the dog's body was limp, its fur matted with dirt and blood. She reached out to close its eyes, but something strange and red glinted from within its wounds.
Curiosity got the better of her. Trembling, she lifted the dog's fur and gasped. There, hidden deep within its belly, was a small, blood-soaked book. Bella felt her heartbeat quicken as she carefully pried it free. The book's cover was a dark crimson, almost the color of dried blood, and it seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
Despite every instinct telling her to leave it, she slipped the book into her bag and hurried home, her mind swirling with questions and fear.
That evening, Bella placed the strange book—this "Red Dairy"—on her table, staring at it under the dim kitchen light. The diary was sealed, its thick black ribbon bound tightly. Strange symbols were embossed into the cover, symbols that seemed almost alive, shifting in the candlelight. The air around it felt heavy, and an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. She felt that the book was watching her, waiting.
That night, sleep was impossible. She tossed and turned, her dreams filled with images of Shane and a dark voice whispering from beyond. She dreamt of him standing just out of reach, his eyes empty and cold, a haunting presence that left her trembling.
The next morning, Bella sat by the diary, feeling its pull more strongly than ever. She ran her fingers over its rough cover, tracing the symbols. As she did, she felt a faint, electric shock and heard the faintest whisper—a low, almost hypnotic voice.
"Blood… for blood," it intoned softly, sending a chill down her spine.
Horrified, she drew back, but the words echoed in her mind. The book needed a sacrifice, a terrible price to reveal its secrets. She thought of Shane, of the love she lost. Could it be possible, she wondered, that this dark relic could offer her a chance to bring him back?
She felt torn, trapped between the life she once knew and the impossible, terrifying promise the diary held.
The Red Dairy lay on her table, waiting.
To be continued.....
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