Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90672 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 453(@200wpm)___ 363(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
“It’s what the original Sinners called it,” Cody clarifies. “I feel like if I’d been around, we would have come up with more scientific-sounding names. Do you mind if I see the Sinners’ bible?”
I fish into my backpack and retrieve it, handing it over. Cody flips through until he gets to a sketch of…a creature without hands but with elongated, sharp-looking arms.
“This is the Slasher they encountered,” Cody says.
“Doesn’t look like the sketch you showed me of what you saw in your vision.”
“From what Dobbers and your father say in here, they don’t have to manifest in the same form, but from what you described, it works the same as this creature as far as feeding off blood and fear, so even if we’re not spot-on, it seems safe to assume these creatures are similar enough, at least to find and kill.”
“How did they find it?”
“The Guides offered Dobbers a similar vision, which they apparently had an easier time interpreting. I think because he had a better connection to the Guides than I do. Sort of innate, like your ability. It’s the difference between a singer with natural talent and someone with skill. Both in combination are ideal, but separately there are weaknesses. You seem to have a lot of innate talent, but the rest of us have acquired what we have through training. Dobbers was more of a mix.”
Of course it wouldn’t be so easy for us. “Okay…so if we don’t know where it is, what do we know?”
Seth replies, “I did some research on the victims Dobbers and your dad listed. There were four. It looks like it was a month and a half from the first disappearance to the next victims, which confirms our timeline for the attack on the fairgrounds.”
“Taking time because it’s gaining strength from the first victim,” I say.
“And acclimating to a physical body,” Cody adds. “The next three victims were killed on the same night, so it clearly just needs to recover from its first meal.”
With this new information in mind, I go through everything we’ve discussed. “So this thing goes on a killing spree to feed off more blood and fear, which there’ll be plenty of at a frat party.”
“Exactly,” Cody says. “If we’re right, there’s no telling what it’ll be able to do after. Hell, it might kill everyone and have the strength to come and take you right away, like a snowball of energy that can keep going without stopping.”
“Fuck, I hope we’re wrong,” I mutter, then try to refocus on what’s important. “These supposed Guides warned you that it’s after me, possibly because it might be able to use my powers to help it on its killing spree, right? That’s our working assumption?”
“At least we know he’s a good listener,” Seth says.
I ignore him. “So the plan is to meet here every day, you teach me some of these things you’ve learned how to do, and we find this thing and kill it before it has a chance to kill again so it doesn’t become this murder machine?”
“That about sums it up, yes,” Brad says.
“I don’t love the idea of waiting around while this thing is on the loose, but if we’re lucky and the Slasher doesn’t attack again until late November—big if—I guess that raises my next question: how long did it take you guys to figure out how to use your powers?”
“It was different for each of us,” Brad explains. “Cody had a more intuitive sense about it right away. Took me a few weeks. Seth a little longer than that. And then some time to figure out our…specialties.”
I’m curious how that played out, particularly given what his relates to, but I figure now’s not the time to ask.
“But we weren’t like you,” Cody says. “None of us had whatever it is that allows you to tap into the power without having these secrets from the Sinners’ bible, which makes me wonder how quickly you’ll catch on.”
“I wish I were that optimistic, but it’s not like I walk around doing the kinds of things you guys do. It’s simply happened, whether I wanted it to or not.”
“Speaking of powers you don’t understand,” Seth says, “that brings us to the next aspect of all this that we should discuss.”
“Seth,” Brad says, shooting his friend a glare.
“Seth means,” Cody adds, “we think it might help if we knew more about the Lust.”
My cheeks warm. “What did you tell them?” I ask Brad. Did he betray me?
Cody chimes in, “He hasn’t told us anything since he first started experiencing it after you arrived. The whole reason we’re bringing it up now is because Brad doesn’t want to talk about anything you’re uncomfortable with.”
Even though my defenses are up, it’s nice to know Brad hasn’t been sharing such intimate information with his friends. Although, this raises yet another issue. “I don’t know that it’s something I want to talk about.”