The Curse of the Bloodwood

or breath, my squeals

.' The soothing voice pulled m

obbing face hovering above me, h

pered, my voi

, I'm here.' She

h, my heart still rac

ou were dead

ed. 'Don't worry, I'm fi

comforting me as I d

t d

breakfast. Mom had left early, forgetting to gi

yself, not expecting

lized it was already 8am. I

to be startled by the sheer number of

dy late. I rushed out the door, my mind

tuck in the middle of a History le

atching Louis's captivating gaze. His beautif

m with those eyes? He looked back at me, and at that

face. But Louis' expression changed in a

I do th

y, feeling a fla

trying too hard? I'm the ruby, I should be g

thought about him. But everything jus

that made me such a

an end, I turned around, only to fin

d my bag, and head

fixed beside the ancient oak tree, which s

who still held a special

urious stares of everyone who walked past me. They probably wond

huckle as I watched him playfully pick

not droo

nd now he's s

me, and I knew I had t

, but I ignored him, swiftly w

d, his footsteps

nd sharply, and snappe

ut he quickly recovered. 'Wow, you hav

yebrow. 'Are

ile on his face. 'I think after se

amusement. 'Why di

sion turning serious. 'I

know, you don't have to worry about me,' I said, try

nced. 'No. You don't have to pretend

my throat as Louis'

managed t

I mean, ever since your dad left. But I don't know why you've been i

nsure of how to p

'I cannot leave you like this. I'm your friend, right? Why are you

g a weight lift

lp you,' h

he past few weeks, and I don't know why these nightmares kee

on turned serio

me, it was me, then my dad, now it's my mom. I had this weird dream about the old lakehouse two nights

rs. 'Emily, I need you to listen to me very carefully. No matter

eeling a spark of relu

rn. He took a deep breath, his expre

's a rumor about the town's dark history

ing me a helpless

e where vampires and wer

lighten the mood. 'What? They're jus

t taking me seriously. 'You don't believe me,'

h I find hard to believe, it's too dangerous. And it doesn't have anything to d

don't care what you think, Louis, because I can't keep hav

surprise and annoyance, 'You're so

hool wa

he night, having completely forgotte

to the park, where I had spent ho

nd. The vision was so clear, factual. It felt so cr

that Mom had died in that dream

e absence of her usual notes before le

my heart racing

front door, I calle

hat followed

my eyes fixed on the human-

isturbing, and I wh

e was no