Mia's heart skipped a beat as Emily's eyes flickered back to black. She knew she had to get Emily away from the Watcher's influence, but she didn't know how. She grabbed Emily's hand and tried to pull her toward the car, but Emily resisted, her feet rooted to the cracked pavement.
"Come on, Emily," Mia said, her voice shaking but determined. "We need to get out of here."
Emily didn't move. She just stood there, her eyes locked on Mia's with an intensity that made Mia's skin crawl. Mia felt her pulse quicken as she realized that Emily was no longer in control—the Watcher was.
Suddenly, Emily's body began to contort and twist. Her limbs stretched and bent at impossible angles, bones cracking and reforming as if they were made of wax. Mia watched in horror as Emily's face elongated, her mouth stretching wide in a silent scream, her eyes bulging out of their sockets like dark, bottomless voids.
Mia forced herself to act. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the small vial of holy water, the one the priest had given her. Without hesitation, she threw it at Emily's twisted form. The water splashed against Emily's face, and for an instant, the darkness retreated. Emily's eyes cleared, the blackness receding to reveal the terrified girl trapped inside.
"Mia…" Emily whispered, her voice barely audible. "Help me."
Mia grabbed Emily's hand again, this time with renewed determination. "Run!" she shouted, pulling her friend toward the car.
They sprinted across the cracked asphalt of the abandoned mill's lot, the air thick with the scent of rust and decay. Mia could feel the Watcher's presence pressing in around them, like a suffocating fog. She could almost hear it breathing, feel it whispering her name in the back of her mind. She didn't dare look back, afraid of what she might see.
They reached the car, and Mia fumbled for the keys with trembling hands. She dropped them once, her heart nearly stopping in her chest as she bent to retrieve them. Emily stood beside her, eyes wide and darting, lips moving soundlessly. Finally, Mia managed to unlock the doors. They dove inside, slamming the doors shut just as the shadows of the mill seemed to pulse outward, reaching for them.
Mia jammed the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine roared to life, and she slammed her foot on the accelerator. The tires screeched as they sped away from the mill, gravel and dust spraying behind them. Mia didn't look back. She couldn't.
But as they drove, the adrenaline faded, replaced by a cold dread that settled in her stomach. She couldn't shake the feeling that the Watcher hadn't been left behind. She glanced in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see Emily's twisted form staring back at her. But Emily sat quietly in the passenger seat, her eyes fixed on some unseen point far beyond the horizon.
Mia reached out and touched Emily's hand, the cold skin sending a shiver up her spine. "It's going to be okay," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "We'll get through this. I promise."
But when Emily turned to look at her, Mia felt her blood run cold. Emily's eyes were still black—bottomless and unblinking. They weren't Emily's eyes at all. They were the Watcher's.
Mia tried to swallow her fear, to keep her voice calm. "Emily, can you hear me? Are you still there?"
Emily didn't answer. She just stared at Mia with that empty, inhuman gaze. The car's headlights cut through the darkness of the winding country road, but it felt like the night was closing in on them, like the darkness itself was alive and reaching for the car.
Mia's mind raced. How could she save Emily from the Watcher's grip? What did it want from them? Why her? And how could she fight back against something that wore her friend's face like a mask?
She took a shaky breath and pulled out her phone. She dialed a number she hadn't called in years—a number that she'd kept hidden, just in case. It rang twice before a familiar voice answered.
"Hello?" the voice said, cautious but warm.
"It's me, Mia," she said, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. "I need your help. Emily's been… taken over by The Watcher. I don't know what to do."
There was a pause, a silence that seemed to stretch forever. Mia's grip on the wheel tightened until her knuckles turned white.
"Mia," the voice finally said, calm and steady. "I'm coming. Just stay safe. I'll be there soon."
A surge of relief washed over her, but it was short-lived. She could feel The Watcher watching them still—Emily's eyes never blinking, never moving. She didn't know how much longer she had before it tried to take control again.
Emily turned her head, her voice low and husky, almost mocking. "Who was that?" she asked, her tone cold and flat.
"Just a friend," Mia said, her voice tight. "Someone who can help us."
Emily nodded slowly, but Mia could see the way her eyes shimmered with that endless black. She could feel the Watcher lurking behind those eyes, biding its time. She knew she had to be careful. The Watcher could be anywhere—hiding in Emily's mind, or worse, trying to find a way into her own.
The night seemed endless. The hum of the engine was the only sound, the road stretching out ahead like a thread pulled tight. Mia's thoughts churned: What if the Watcher couldn't be driven out? What if Emily was already lost?
Finally, a glimmer of hope appeared on the horizon: a small cabin, light spilling from the windows, smoke curling from the chimney. It looked warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the cold night pressing in around them.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked, her voice still low, still not quite hers.
"Somewhere safe," Mia said, gripping the wheel tighter.
As they pulled up to the cabin, Mia could see a figure moving inside. The warm light flickered against the windows, and she could almost believe they were safe. Almost.
She turned off the engine and took a deep breath. She reached for Emily's hand, squeezing it gently. "We're going to fix this, Emily," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I promise."
Emily didn't answer. She just stared at the door of the cabin, her eyes reflecting the warm glow but not the hope inside.
Mia got out of the car, her legs shaky, but her resolve hardening. She opened Emily's door, helping her out. Emily moved stiffly, like she was fighting something with every step.
They walked up the path together, Mia's heart pounding in her chest. She could feel The Watcher's gaze on her, like a hand pressing against her back, urging her to turn around. But she didn't. She knocked on the cabin door, and it swung open almost instantly.
The figure inside was an older woman, her eyes sharp and knowing. She nodded once, as if she'd been waiting for them all along.
"You're here," she said. "Good. We don't have much time."
Mia took a deep breath. She knew the real fight was about to begin. And she couldn't help but wonder: if The Watcher had already claimed part of Emily, what would it take to banish it completely—and what would she have to sacrifice to do it?