Her Terrifying Love

Part 1

Lyla stood alone on the sidewalk watching football players jog off the practice field. She wore makeup to hide the bruises on her pretty face. If it weren't for the chain-link fence, she would likely collapse from exhaustion but she hid it well. She fixed her brown eyes on Jack, the boy who she hoped would be her future.

He pulled the football helmet from his head, pushed a mat of hair from his damp forehead, and gulped a long drink from his water bottle. Jack was effortlessly handsome, nothing artificial about his gentle smile, or his natural good looks. If Lyla had the chance to design the ideal boyfriend, listing every desirable trait and characteristic, Jack Bentley would check all the boxes. He followed his teammates toward the locker room.

A sudden gust of wind broke Lyla's trance. The powerful blast ambushed her, whipping her hair and pelting her face with debris. She squeezed her eyes shut as dried leaves clustered around her ankles.

When her phone's muffled ringtone hummed from her back pocket, her hand automatically retrieved it. Her eyes went wide when she read the message.

"No!" she screamed. The phone slipped from her trembling hands, tumbling to the cement sidewalk.

From the swirling clouds of leaves, a little girl with a head of strawberry ringlets appeared. She simply materialized on the sidewalk not ten feet from Lyla. She picked up the phone, a text tone bringing a smile to her cherubic face.

Suddenly, the wind died, as though someone had flipped a switch.

"Here." She offered the phone to Lyla.

"I don't want it."

"But there's a message for you." Her voice became raspy, a devilish flame flickering in her round chestnut eyes.

"No!" Lyla turned.

The child clamped her wrist with a cold hand. "He wants you to wear the ring," she insisted.

Lyla could see it now. This was an old soul who wore the child like a mask.

"I have it right here." She extended her small hand, displaying a familiar silver ring. Lyla couldn't break free, the girl held her wrist in a death grip.

"You better put the ring on before he gets here. He's gonna be mad."

"Let go!" Lyla struggled furiously, but she was trapped.

"Look!" The girl pointed, the corners of her mouth curling into a sinister smile. "Here he comes."

Lyla glanced over her shoulder and shrieked.

FIVE WEEKS EARLIER...

Leaning against her locker, Lyla wore a tight scowl as she read a message on her phone. "What the actual hell?"

The message read: HEY, KITTEN. PICK YOU UP AFTER SCHOOL?

Against her better judgment, she thumbed an angry response: IT'S OVER. I'M DONE. LEAVE ME ALONE.

Before he could respond, she blocked his number.

Darcy peeked around the locker door, pushing her copper-colored bangs out of her eyes. "There you are." Then, recognizing her friend's distress, she added, "What's going on?"

"Keenan, that ass."

"Ignore him. He'll get the hint."

Lyla's voice rose along with her blood pressure. "Then he parks out in front of my house just staring like a psycho."

Both girls' heads turned when the school's power couple, Jack and his super model-hot girlfriend, Carissa sauntered down the hallway arm-in-arm.

Darcy jammed her finger into her mouth, making gagging sounds.