Three years after Lucinda's confrontation with the mastermind behind the infection, she is forced to risk everything to save Lucella once and for all.
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Fifteen-year-old Lucinda Emerson was well aware of the fact that she didn't take TIO down...
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I had experienced night rides before, but that was within the safety of my parents' car. Back then, the wind would only make its way through my hair, but now it was all over my body. The warm and soft seats beneath my hands were replaced with rough and cold handles. The cold and somewhat heavy helmet took the place of the headphones that would never fail to put me to sleep after leaving someone's birthday party. The times that I would fall asleep on my sister's lap contrasted with my desperation to stay awake, even though I wanted nothing more than to fall asleep right there and then.
But I had to do this, for my own peace of mind, and for the sake of Lucella.
The buildings and streets that were once so full of life gradually changed to trees and street lamps the further I went. After a few minutes of riding, I noticed the roof of a familiar lighthouse peeking out over some trees in the distance. Additionally, the voices I would hear everytime I closed my eye grew louder and louder. That meant that I was getting closer to where I was supposed to be. My curiosity was growing bigger by the moment.
I tried not to let the bad memories get to me as I passed the port. Even if it was only for a split second, the thoughts of me walking on the tight rope, hiding from that diver, and leaving them for dead with an anchor inside of their chest came back to me. The diver was gone now, so my predictions of them being able to survive were correct. I didn't want to find out where they were now, though. I let out the sigh I didn't know I had as soon as I was past the port, however, the feeling of dread washed over me like the waves crashing against the rocks.
At that moment, a small hole amongst all the trees and vines found itself in the corner of my eye.
I drove towards the lane closest to the opening before slowing the motorcycle down. Soon, I had completely stopped a few feet away from the entrance. This was it. This was where I was supposed to be. I leaned the motorcycle against a nearby tree before opening the storage compartment and taking out my flashlight and first aid kit. I closed the compartment once more before taking a deep breath and walking towards the path that led to the entrance. I didn't know what would be waiting for me on the other side, but I did know that it would be important.
I bent down a bit in order to get through the entrance, and what I saw on the other side made me gasp.
I found myself on a stone path rather than the gravel one I was once on. There were rows of lanterns on either side, and the building they led to casted a shadow over me. The building, which looked like some sort of mausoleum, was covered in moss and vines, and had fireflies flying all around it. I bit my lip before forcing my legs to carry me towards the ominous place. I turned my flashlight on as I walked up the stairs leading to the dark entrance and poured its light around me. It was then that I noticed the sole word, or surname, that was engraved on the entrance above me.
Emerson.
There was a staircase that went down into the ground, lined by stone brick walls and filled with nothing but darkness. On top of that, the smell that came out of it was atrocious. I forced bile back down my throat before pulling my mask over my nose. Then, I began my walk down the stone brick stairs, changing the direction of my flashlight every once in a while. Once I reached the last step, the narrow hallway expanded to a large room lined with coffins.
