𝕕𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕘𝕖𝕕 𝕘𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕤: 𝕒 𝕓𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕘𝕣𝕠𝕧𝕖 𝕗𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟛: 𝕊𝕙𝕒𝕕𝕠𝕨𝕤

Billy opened his eyes to a pounding migraine, a broken nose, and a rotten stench in the air. He blinked, his vision swimming before him as he struggled to sit up. He wasn't in his Camaro anymore, or his house for that matter. He glanced around, his vision slowly adjusting to the darkness. He appeared to be in some sort of mill. Steel beams towered over him, and moonlight streamed through grimy, cracked windows. The ground below him was caked with dirt and dust, and rusted machinery was scattered all around the mill. A rat scurried past his boots. He reached up to massage his temples, only to find that his hands were tied with shoelaces to a rusted pipe.

"Darcy," Billy croaked weakly. "Darcy?" He glanced around the mill, but she was nowhere to be found. He remembered hitting his head on the dashboard, but had she really been the cause? His mind reeled just thinking about the possibility. "Darcy?!"

Billy glanced frantically around the mill before his eyes landed on a blood-stained Nike shoe with the laces missing. Tommy's shoe. Dread pooled in Billy's stomach as he struggled against his binds, the shoelaces digging into his wrist. "DARCY?!"

"You're finally awake." Darcy descended from a set of stairs across from Billy, striding towards him.

"Darcy, what's going on?" Billy continued to writhe against the shoelaces, his wrists turning red and raw.

Darcy kneeled in front of Billy, watching him struggle with his binds with cool, calculating eyes and a frown on her lips. This was not the Darcy from earlier; it couldn't be.

"What the hell is going on, Darcy?!"

Darcy leaned in close, the hair on the back of Billy's neck standing up, but not out of anticipation. "Where is she?"

Billy scoffed despite the fear creeping into his throat, threatening to close off his airway. "Where is who?"

Darcy spoke, her voice eerily calm. "Where do I find the Mage?"

"Who the hell is the Mage—"

Darcy's eyes flashed with impatience as thunder rolled overhead. The forecast didn't call for rain tonight. "Where is the Mage?!"

"Darcy, we've got to go! Some sick bastard's tied me up, probably the same one who took Tommy!"

"Not until you tell me where the Mage is!"

"Darcy, listen to me!"

"NO!" Darcy's voice boomed, echoing around the mill. "Not until you tell me where she is!"

Why couldn't she understand they had to leave? Billy pleaded with Darcy with irritation and fear in his voice. "Darcy, I don't know who this Mage is, but I know that this place isn't safe, and we've got to!"

Darcy shook her head, scoffing as she began disappearing into the shadows of the mill.

"DARCY!"

Billy gagged as the rotting stench grew stronger, which only made him struggle against his bonds more. He could understand now; Darcy was the one who kidnapped Tommy, and now he was her next victim. He had been wrong, and this paranoid town had been right.

A low growl stopped Billy from his writhing. He glanced around the mill, waiting to hear the growl again and where. Darcy reappeared from the shadows, leaning down towards Billy.

"Don't worry," she began calmly, "he won't hurt you. And it will all be over soon."

"Who the hell is he?"

Billy followed Darcy's gaze to the source of the growl. In front of him, a large, faceless spider monster made of a dark substance that reeked of roadkill slowly prowled towards him, growling and baring its teeth. Billy glanced up at Darcy, pleading once more.

"Darcy, please!"

Darcy shook her head, walking away. "I'm sorry, Billy. But he won't stop once he finds the Mage."

"DARCY!" Billy writhed against the shoelaces once more, the laces turning red with his struggle. He frantically glanced behind him for anything sharp to free himself as the spider monster prowled closer. His eyes settled on a nail sticking out of the pipe he was bound to. Billy moved his wrists upwards and began frantically sawing away at the shoelaces with the nail. Just as he sawed away the last of the binds, the spider monster opened its mouth, aiming a tendril straight for Billy. Billy dove and rolled away, hiding behind one of the rusted machinery. His head was still pounding from when Darcy slammed it against the dashboard, and he was in no shape to run, but he had no choice.

"Running away doesn't make it any less harder," Darcy called out, as if she could read his mind.

Billy peered around the machinery, finding Darcy and the spider monster scanning the mill for him. Once they turned their backs against him, Billy sprinted from his hiding spot, running straight for the mill's exit. He dashed towards his Camaro, which was parked just outside the mill. Billy climbed inside his car, locking the doors and twisting the key to start the ignition. Rather than hearing the familiar purr, his car sputtered weakly. Billy turned the key again, only for his car to fizzle out. He slammed his hand against the dashboard, cursing loudly. His gas tank was full according to the dashboard and he'd just checked his spark plugs the other day. It didn't matter. He was going to be next, and he was going to end up just like Tommy, all because he went out with a girl.

Billy jumped in his seat just as Darcy ripped open the door of his car with alarming strength.

"No one outruns him."

"No, but I'll outrun you." Billy grabbed a fistful of Darcy's hair and slammed her head against the side of his car, not hard enough to leave a dent but just enough for her to lose consciousness. He glanced up at the mill again, reading the sign: Brimborn Steelworks. He stayed silent as he listened for the growl of the spider monster, but all he heard was the chirp of crickets.

Billy turned his gaze downwards to Darcy, now lying on the ground. He should bring her to the police station and confirm the town's suspicions, but bringing an unconscious girl to the station while he looked battered and bruised himself wasn't the best idea. If he brought her back to her house, he imagined the conversation with her aunt wouldn't be very productive. He needed to watch her, just until she regained consciousness. She'd told him that she couldn't remember things after her hands turned cold. Damn it. He should've checked her hands instead of leaving it to her own judgment. But if he brought her home, Max would be there, and Susan and Neil wouldn't since they were out visiting Terre Haute for the week. If Darcy acted out again, he could handle her for the moment while Max called for help. Asking Max for help was the last thing he wanted to do, but so was dealing with this side of Darcy. Unless this side of Darcy was her true self and her story about not remembering things was all bullshit.

Billy scooped up Darcy into his arms again and brought her around to the passenger's seat. He buckled her seatbelt, never taking his eyes off of her. Not even as his car purred to life, even though it previously refused to start. Not even as he pulled out of Brimborn Steelworks.