The Final Toll - Day 21 #25DaysOfChristmas

Day 21: The Desperate Plan

The creature’s skeletal grip tightened around Megan’s wrist, its cold, hollow eyes boring into hers with an intensity that made her stomach churn. The room seemed to shrink around her, the darkness pressing in from all sides. The air was thick, suffocating, as if the cabin itself had become part of the curse, trapping them both in its grip. Megan’s breath came in short, ragged gasps, her mind spinning with panic.

Tom was at her side, his face pale, eyes wide with terror as he grabbed at the creature’s arm, trying to wrench it away from her. But the creature barely noticed him. Its hollow gaze was fixed on Megan, its twisted mouth curling into a cruel, mocking smile.

“You cannot escape,” it hissed, its voice like nails scraping against her mind. “You are both bound by the bells. You belong to me.”

Megan’s pulse raced, her heart thundering in her chest. The cold was unbearable, spreading up her arm like a thousand tiny needles, and she could feel the darkness creeping into her mind, wrapping itself around her thoughts, pulling her deeper into the curse.

“No...” she gasped, her voice trembling. “I won’t let you take us.”

Tom let out a strangled cry as he threw himself at the creature, his fists pounding against its twisted, skeletal form. “Let her go!”

But the creature didn’t flinch. Its grip on Megan tightened, its hollow eyes gleaming with malice. “You are marked,” it whispered. “You cannot fight the inevitable.”

Megan’s vision blurred, her strength fading as the cold seeped deeper into her body. She could feel the creature’s power, its dark, oppressive energy, suffocating her, pulling her under. She was losing. The creature was too strong.

But she couldn’t give up. Not now. Not when Tom’s life—and her own—depended on it.

With the last of her strength, Megan reached for the first bell, still clutched in her free hand. Her fingers trembled as she raised it, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The bell had hurt the creature before—maybe it could weaken it again, give her and Tom a chance to escape.

She rang the bell.

The sound was sharp, piercing, cutting through the thick, oppressive air like a knife. The creature let out a low, guttural snarl, its body flickering and distorting as the sound tore through it. For a brief moment, its grip on Megan loosened, the cold receding just enough for her to yank her arm free.

Tom grabbed her, pulling her back as the creature recoiled, its skeletal form flickering in and out of the shadows. Megan’s heart pounded in her chest as she stumbled back, gasping for breath, her mind reeling from the encounter.

“We have to get out of here,” Tom said urgently, his voice tight with fear. “Now.”

Megan nodded, her hands trembling as she clutched the bell tightly. The creature was still there, lurking just beyond the edge of the darkness, but for the moment, it was weakened. The bell had bought them time—but not much.

Her gaze flickered to the second bell, still nestled in the ornate box on the floor. The discovery of the second bell had been a shock, and now she realized its presence had made the creature more powerful, more dangerous than ever before. But there had to be a reason there were two bells. There had to be something they were missing—something they hadn’t figured out yet.

Megan’s mind raced as she grabbed the second bell from the box, her hands shaking. “Tom, I think... I think the second bell is part of the key to stopping this.”

Tom looked at her, his face pale, eyes wide with disbelief. “How? The second bell made things worse.”

Megan swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. “I know. But we haven’t figured out what it really does yet. The creature said we’re bound by the bells. Maybe that’s how we break the curse—by using both of them.”

Tom stared at her, his face etched with fear and confusion. “You want to ring both bells at the same time?”

Megan’s pulse quickened. It was a dangerous plan—one that could easily backfire and make things even worse. But they were out of options. The creature wasn’t going to stop until it had claimed them both, and they couldn’t keep running forever.

“We have to try,” Megan said softly, her voice trembling. “It’s the only way.”

Tom hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to the shadows that lingered at the edges of the room. The creature was still there, watching, waiting. They didn’t have much time.

“Okay,” he said finally, his voice shaking. “Let’s do it.”

Megan nodded, her hands trembling as she handed Tom the first bell. “We ring them together,” she whispered. “On three.”

Tom’s face was pale, his hands shaking as he took the bell from her. He looked at her, fear and uncertainty written all over his face, but he nodded.

Megan’s heart raced as she gripped the second bell tightly in her hand. The cold in the room was suffocating, the shadows shifting and flickering as the creature moved closer. She could feel it—its dark, malevolent presence pressing down on them, waiting for the moment to strike.

“One,” Megan whispered, her breath shaky.

The air grew colder, the darkness thicker.

“Two.”

The creature’s hollow eyes gleamed in the shadows, its twisted form slithering closer, its skeletal fingers reaching out toward them.

“Three!”

Megan and Tom rang the bells simultaneously.

The sound that followed was unlike anything Megan had ever heard. It wasn’t just a sharp, piercing ring—it was a deep, resonant tone, a sound that vibrated through the very fabric of the air, shaking the walls of the cabin, rattling the windows. The two bells harmonized, their tones blending together in a way that felt unnatural, otherworldly.

The creature let out a deafening, bone-chilling screech, its body twisting and contorting as the sound reverberated through the room. The shadows around it flickered violently, as if they were being torn apart by the sound, and the cold, oppressive energy that had filled the room began to dissipate.

Megan’s breath caught in her throat as she watched the creature writhe in agony, its form distorting, flickering in and out of the shadows. The two bells had done something—something powerful. The curse’s hold on them had weakened.

But it wasn’t over.

The creature let out one final, agonized wail, its twisted, skeletal form flickering violently before it disappeared into the shadows.

The cabin fell silent.

Megan’s heart pounded in her chest, her hands trembling as she lowered the bell. The air around them had changed—lighter, but still charged with something dark and unseen. She could feel the remnants of the creature’s presence, lingering just beyond the edge of reality.

But for now, it was gone.

Tom let out a shaky breath, his hands trembling as he set the first bell on the floor. “Did we... did we stop it?”

Megan swallowed hard, her throat tight with emotion. “I think... I think we pushed it back. But I don’t know if it’s gone for good.”

The two bells lay on the floor between them, their surfaces still glowing faintly with the remnants of the dark energy they had released. Megan’s chest tightened as she looked at them, her mind racing. The creature had said they were bound by the bells, but now that they had used them together, the curse seemed to have loosened its grip.

But it wasn’t broken.

Tom let out a long, shaky breath as he leaned back against the wall, his face pale. “So... what now? Do we just wait for it to come back?”

Megan’s stomach twisted with dread. They had bought themselves time, but the creature wasn’t gone. It was still out there, still bound to them by the curse. The bells had given them a weapon—a way to fight back—but they hadn’t figured out how to break the curse entirely.

“We need to find the keeper,” Megan said softly, her voice trembling. “He knows more about the curse than we do. He might know how to end it.”

Tom’s brow furrowed as he glanced toward the door. “But can we trust him? He hasn’t exactly been helpful so far.”

Megan swallowed hard. Tom was right. The keeper had been cryptic, evasive, and had warned them that they couldn’t break the curse. But he was the only one who understood the bells, the only one who knew the full scope of what they were dealing with.

“We don’t have a choice,” Megan said quietly. “We need answers.”

Tom hesitated for a moment, his face pale, but he nodded. “Okay. Let’s find him.”

Megan’s pulse quickened as she glanced toward the door, her heart racing. The keeper was still out there, somewhere in the shadows, watching them. And now, with the bells in their possession, they had a chance—however slim—to end the curse once and for all.

But deep down, Megan knew that their final confrontation with the creature was coming. The bells had weakened it, but the curse’s hold was still strong. And when the creature returned, it would be more dangerous than ever.

They had to be ready.

Share |