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Tuesday (The Days of the Week #2) Chapter Ten 63%
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Chapter Ten

I waited until after dinner to sneak away. William excused himself early and retreated to his rooms on the third floor, leaving me alone to make my way to the second floor. But once I was out of Holloway’s sight, I ducked into a small sitting room with a balcony. I hurried across the room as quietly as I could.

The balcony overlooked the back lawn and hedge maze. I slipped through the French doors and gently closed them behind me. A light breeze ruffled my hair as I crept to the stone railing and peeked over. The drop from the balcony was less than five feet. I could do it if I lowered myself over the side first.

I glanced back at the French doors, but the sitting room remained dark and quiet. Taking a deep breath, I swung one leg over the stone railing, then the other, until I was perched on the edge.

Gripping the rough stone tightly, I slowly lowered myself down until I was hanging by my fingertips. For a heart-stopping moment, I dangled there, then let myself drop the remaining few feet. I landed with a soft thud on the damp grass, the impact jarring up my legs.

I froze, listening intently for any sound of alarm from within the manor. But the night remained still, the only sound the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Letting out a shaky breath, I turned toward the hedge maze looming in the darkness.

As I hurried across the lawn, the back of my neck prickled with the distinct sensation of being watched. I glanced over my shoulder, scanning the windows, but I did not see anyone. I reached the entrance of the maze and paused, peering into the dark passage between the towering hedges. The thick foliage seemed to swallow the faint moonlight, leaving only shadows. Steeling my nerves, I stepped inside.

The temperature dropped as soon as I crossed the threshold, the air heavy and still. The hedges muffled all sound, even the rustle of leaves, creating an eerie, oppressive silence. I held my hands out to either side, letting my fingertips brush against the cool leaves as I made my way deeper into the maze.

Left turn, right turn, dead end. I retraced my steps and tried again. The twisting pathways all looked the same in the darkness, and soon I had lost all sense of direction. I could not even be sure which way led back to the entrance anymore.

A trickle of fear ran down my spine as the hedges seemed to press in around me, their shadows deepening. I paused at a fork in the path, straining my ears for any sound that might guide me. But there was only silence, thick and heavy.

Leaves rustled somewhere behind me. I whirled around, my heart leaping into my throat. “Hello?” I called, my voice sounding small and thin in the oppressive stillness. “Is someone there?”

No response. I stared into the darkness, trying to penetrate the gloom. Just as I was about to turn back, I heard it again – the crunch of dry leaves crushed underfoot. It was closer this time. Fear prickled along my skin as I squinted into the shadows behind me.

Silence. Then, a low growl emanated from the darkness, so deep I felt it in my bones more than heard it. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but fear kept me rooted to the spot.

Slowly, a shape detached itself from the shadows. A horrifyingly familiar shape. Massive and moving with a disturbing, fluid grace. The weak moonlight glinted off large teeth and pure white eye shine. The creature prowled forward, emerging into the light.

I could not move, could not breathe, as the creature stalked toward me, its lithe muscles rippling beneath a coat of thick black fur. It looked like a wolf, but nothing like a wolf. It was far larger, its form twisted and unnatural. A lupine head with a short snout, a too-long neck, and a prominent spinal ridge. An extra set of legs jutted from the middle of its broad torso, and all six limbs ended in sharp claws. It was a nightmare come to life.

Those glowing eyes locked onto mine, and a snarl rumbled from deep within the creature's barrel chest. I stumbled backward, a scream lodged in my throat, as the beast crept closer, its razor-sharp claws sinking into the damp earth. My back hit the hedge wall and I realized with a sickening lurch that I was trapped.

The creature paused, its head lowering as it sniffed the air. Suddenly, the rumbling growl cut off. Its glowing white eyes remained locked on mine as it stood motionless.

Hardly daring to breathe, I pressed myself further back against the hedge, the branches digging painfully into my shoulders. Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity as I waited for the beast to lunge. Slowly, it took a step back, then another, until it melted back into the shadows as silently as it had appeared.

I stared after it. What…? I stood there frozen, as I tried to make sense of it. The creature had violently raged when there was a door between us. Why back off when I was cornered and defenseless?

I hesitated, looking around. I was still as lost as I was before. But maybe… It was a ludicrous thought, but I found myself slowly walking in the direction the creature had gone. The rational part of my brain screamed that this was insanity, that I should turn and run as fast as I could in the opposite direction. But a deeper instinct urged me on, whispering that the creature was my best chance at finding a way out.

The hedges closed in around me as I followed the path the beast had taken, the shadows deepening until I could barely see my hand in front of my face. I strained my ears for any sound of movement ahead but heard only my ragged breathing and the frantic pounding of my pulse.

After several tense minutes, the path opened up into a small clearing. Weak moonlight filtered down, illuminating a crumbling stone fountain at the center. The basin was dry and choked with dead leaves. And just beyond it was a stone outbuilding the size of a one-car garage. I paused beside the fountain to listen for the creature, but there was no noise aside from the faint rustling of leaves.

I gave in to my curiosity and walked over to the old, wooden door of the building. I grabbed the rusty handle and tugged. The door swung open with a groan to reveal a set of dirt stairs leading downward. A faint light flickered in the darkness.

I almost shut the door and walked away. It was the smart thing to do. But since I arrived, everyone had warned me away from the maze. They were hiding something, and I hoped it was not what I feared it was.

If that creature was some sort of pet, how far would William go to protect it? Would he cover up a murder? My mind went back to the crows. Their horrific screams. Who were they mimicking?

I peered down into the dark stairwell, hesitating at the threshold. A damp, earthy smell wafted up, mingled with something else, something metallic and cloying. My heart pounded as I placed a tentative foot on the first step. Taking a deep breath, I pressed my hand to the rough stone wall and started down the stairs.

The air grew colder and damper as I descended, the stone turning to hard-packed dirt under my hand. The darkness pressed in around me even as I moved closer to the dim light. After a dozen steps, my foot hit packed earth. I paused, straining my eyes to see in the gloom. Up ahead, an old-fashioned lantern hung from a hook embedded in the dirt wall. The single candle inside did little to push back the darkness.

I crept toward the light, one hand trailing along the wall. When I reached the lantern, I caught sight of another further away. It was not an underground room. It was a passageway. But, why?

The tunnel stretched into the distance, dotted by a lantern every fifty yards. Just enough light to mark the path, but not enough to illuminate it. I moved forward cautiously, one hand trailing along the dirt wall, listening for any hint of the creature. Did William keep it down here?

The silence pressed down on me, broken only by my shallow breathing and the soft scuff of my shoes against the ground. I lost track of how long I walked, only focused on moving from lantern to lantern. Slowly, the passageway grew brighter ahead.

The dirt floor gave way to stone, and I stumbled into what looked like a basement room. A bare bulb hung from the ceiling in the middle of the room, casting everything in bright light and dark shadows. I scanned the room with a frown. Was I back at the manor?

I moved further into the room. A long, rough-hewn table sat along one wall. It held a small stack of books, a pair of reading glasses, and a pile of neatly folded clothes. Odd.

The opposite wall was bare aside from dark stains on the floor and… I moved closer, peering down at a heap of what looked like scrap metal. No, not scraps. I cocked my head. Were those shackles?

I stumbled backward, my eyes darting from the dark stains on the floor to the dark flakes on the metal cuffs. Blood. Was William keeping that thing chained down here?

I looked around frantically. It must have escaped before I arrived. That explained the staff’s odd behavior and William’s secrecy. My stomach sank. He had been trying to distract me from my search from the moment I arrived.

A cold sweat broke out across my skin as a horrifying thought occurred to me. What if Aiden had stumbled upon this place? What if he had encountered the creature? My breath hitched as I remembered the creature's massive claws, its razor-sharp teeth.

No, I refused to believe it. I needed to get out of here and back to town. Alert the authorities about what I had found. I spotted a door tucked into the corner near the table and headed for it.

Just as my hand grazed the door handle, I heard footsteps in the passageway. An odd cadence I was starting to recognize. I twisted the handle and pushed open the door. I caught a glimpse of the creature emerging from the dark tunnel a fraction of a second before I pushed the door closed behind me.

I pressed my back against the door, my heart pounding wildly as I heard the creature's claws clicking against the stone floor on the other side. It noisily sniffed on the other side of the door, but after several tense moments, the footsteps retreated. I exhaled shakily and took stock of my surroundings.

I was in a narrow stairwell, the stone walls rough and damp beneath my fingertips. A faint light filtered down from above, just enough to make out the steps leading upward. Seeing no other option, I began to climb.

The air gradually grew warmer and dryer. After what felt like an eternity but was probably only a few minutes, I reached the top, where a heavy wooden door blocked my path. I set both palms against the door and slowly, carefully, pushed it open.

Dim light spilled through the crack, and I found myself peering into what appeared to be a study. A very familiar study.

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