71
Pecan's pov
I finally found her.
The figure lurking in the garden, hidden in the dim shadows of the bushes, was unmistakable. Stella. Her presence alone made my pulse quicken, but something about her now was... wrong. Terribly wrong. She stood completely still, as though she were waiting for me to notice her, her face partially obscured by the darkness. The wind whistled faintly through the garden, carrying with it the faint, metallic scent of blood.
Maybe I made a huge mistake by coming out again.
"Stella?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper, trembling as it left my lips.
She didn't respond. Her silence chilled me far more than any words could have. I wrapped my arms around myself, rubbing my hands over my shoulders as if the action would ease the icy dread pooling in my chest. My instincts screamed at me to turn around, to go back into the house where it was safe, but my feet refused to move. I had to know what was wrong.
