Williams Residence

[Midnights]

Home of Alice Mae and her family.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Since their visit to the witch tunnels, Alice Mae had been more dependent on Caleb than she'd like to be. It had been easy for him to come and go since her parents started their divorce proceedings. Her dad was no longer staying at the house, and her mother was out almost every night trying to find herself a new husband.

"Are you sure your family will be okay with me coming for Christmas?" Alice Mae had only met Caleb's family a handful of times despite dating for almost two years. It frustrated her. She didn't like going into the unknown unprepared. It didn't help that she'd become highly paranoid recently, which was why she needed Caleb to stay with her. Luckily, he'd been super supportive through all of it. Since the tunnels, Alice Mae started having nightmares and waking up in cold sweats. Most recently, she started getting nosebleeds—something she'd never experienced.

She paced back and forth in front of her bed while inhaling Caleb's vape. It was the only thing that could calm her at night. Otherwise, she couldn't get the images from her nightmares out of her head. Alice Mae preferred her head to be empty before bed. It was less scary that way. After a few more minutes, Alice Mae finally stopped pacing and climbed into bed next to Caleb. She had always felt safe with Caleb and now was no different. If anything, she felt safer. He knew what they both experienced was real. Unfortunately, it impacted Alice Mae differently than everyone else.

She snuggled close to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Have I told you lately that I love you?" Alice Mae grinned ear to ear. "To infinity and beyond," she added. "And thank you for always putting up with my bullshit," her smile faded slightly. She knew it hadn't been easy for him either.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb was a skeptic. Just about any crazy theory that the girls had about the Shadyside murders, he could think up a few logical explanations for why it wasn't possible. He didn't believe in the "witch", Shadyside was a shitty place to live and as a result, some of the residents just snapped when they'd had enough. However, he couldn't explain away what they saw and heard in those tunnels, and it was honestly bothering him more than he was letting on. What was bothering even more was what was going on with his girlfriend. He knew something was up, even if she wasn't letting him in on everything and what he did know had him worried.

"Yeah, totally." he replied as he continued to play a racing game on his phone. This was the first year that his mom was hosting Christmas since grandma had decided last year that she wasn't going to do it anymore. As a result, his mother had been going crazy the past couple weeks making sure everything was "perfect". She had been very receptive to his news of Alice Mae coming because she figured that meant Caleb would be on his best behavior.

"Shit." he muttered to himself as someone ended up stealing first place from him at the last moment. Tossing the phone down on the bed, he pushed his hair back out of his face and watched Alice Mae as she paced. The worried look on his face disappearing the moment that she decided to climb into bed next to him. His arm instinctively wrapped around her, and he placed a quick kiss on the top of her head. "You have, but I love hearing it so I'm not complaining." Caleb chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and stop the scary thoughts trying to creep into his own mind.

"I love you too, babe. You're my girl, forever and always. I got you, and you got me. We got this." They were Sunnyvalers, nothing bad ever happened to their kind. It just didn't. Then, why did he still feel so worried? Grabbing the vape, he took a couple hits before setting it next to his phone and wrapping both arms around pulling her in as close as he could before pulling back enough so he could look her in the eyes. "You're my girl, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you. I promise. Okay?"

[Alice Mae Williams]

“And just think, a few weeks ago, I was telling you not to talk to me anymore,” Alice Mae teased. They weren’t typically the type of couple to break up and get back together. He had hurt her feelings the last time, and that’s why she reacted the way she did. Alice Mae still felt terrible for the way she handled everything and letting her emotions get the best of her. At least they were able to reconcile quickly with no harm done. She was going to try and handle her jealousy better.

Alice Mae wanted to believe Caleb this time, but she knew if what she was seeing was real, there was no way Caleb could protect her without putting himself in danger. Alice Mae didn’t want that for him. “You know, I like the sound of forever and always with you,” Alice Mae decided to focus on something else as her body melted into his. New worries quickly filled her head. “What will happen to us when you go to college next year?” Alice Mae asked. She was a junior, and he was graduating. “And then, who’s to say we even end up attending the same college?” She let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed with herself for opening this can of worms.

It was no secret that Alice Mae was a mess. All she wanted was to go to bed, but she couldn't turn her brain off. It was like she had a dozen tabs open in her head. Alice Mae buried her face into Caleb’s chest and entangled their legs together. After a few minutes, she finally broke her silence. “Would you believe if I said I thought I was cursed?” She asked, a bit muffled. Alice Mae knew it sounded crazy, but it was the only reasonable explanation for everything that was currently happening to her. She pulled back slightly, “Like, what if I touched something I wasn’t supposed to? And I got my first nosebleed down there,” Alice Mae pointed out. “I don’t get nosebleeds, Caleb,” she added with a matter-of-fact tone.

She knew her boyfriend had been skeptical beforehand, but they hadn’t talked much about the tunnel since. They could both agree that some freaky shit was happening down there.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb rolled his eyes, "I try not to think about that." He had put his playboy ways aside the moment he started dating Alice Mae. Still, he had a hard time shutting down his natural charm and that was something that he needed to work on. It was too easy for him though; looking the way he did, all it took was a little charm and he could have nearly anyone eating out of the palm of his hand. It was addicting in a way.

'I thought we were trying to relax...' he thought to himself as he shifted slightly on the bed. It's not that he didn't think about these things, but he found it easier to push them aside until they were problems that needed dealt with asap. College was almost a year away and they would figure it out one way or another. "Don't think like that, babe. I'll go next year, get a lay of the land, I'm only a couple hours away so I'll come back often. Then next year you can get there, and everything will be back to normal." First, they had to figure out how to get her nightmares and nosebleeds to stop.

Caleb began stroking her hair as snuggled in closer, hoping that she was finally ready to sleep. He was nowhere near close to falling asleep himself but at least if she got some rest, he could stay up and take over the worrying. What the hell had Heather gotten them wrapped up in? They were Sunnyvalers, they didn't have to deal with this kind of shit. "Babe. Listen. Curses aren't real. Neither are witches. Maybe you touched some poisonous plant or mold or something. I don't know. Maybe it's time you go see a doctor, okay? There's got to be a logical explanation for this." He pulled back more so that he could look her in the eyes. She looked scared and a little sad.

"Hey. I don't know what's going on, but I know one thing for sure. I'm going to do whatever, and I mean whatever, it takes to make sure you are okay. You hear me? I'm not going to let anything happen to you." Caleb was raised to be a protector. His father taught him that the moment he took on the role or boyfriend or husband, that meant it was his duty to protect his woman. Unlike his father though, Caleb was a little more laid back about it because he wanted Alice Mae to have the ability to do things on her own. But he would always be there to have her back whenever she needed it most.

[Alice Mae Williams]

College wasn’t a preferred topic, but she tried her best to occupy her mind. So when Caleb shut down the conversation by reassuring her that everything would be okay in the end, she let him.

Alice Mae thought Caleb would believe everything he saw, but he didn't. He instead said the curse and witch weren’t real and began listing logical explanations as to what was happening to her. It wasn’t until Caleb commented about her seeing a doctor that she got upset. She didn’t have the energy to argue with him, but she couldn’t help herself, “How could you say that after everything we saw down there? Why are you in such denial?” Alice Mae needed her boyfriend to believe her, so she knew she wasn’t going crazy. “If I see a doctor and tell them everything that’s been happening, they’d have me fucking committed,” Alice Mae told her boyfriend.

She was about to turn her back on him, but what he had to say next made her stop. “Yeah, well, you’re still an insensitive jerk,” Alice Mae scrunched her nose at him, rolled her eyes before finally turning her back to him. Alice Mae may not have known what was happening to her, but she knew it wasn’t an allergic reaction to something she touched.

[Caleb Larson]

"Hey, woah. Hold up." Caleb threw his hands in the air as a sort 'white flag'. "I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't saying tell them everything. But like, maybe they can help with the nosebleeds and nightmares. Those happen for normal reasons too, that's all I'm trying to say. I'm sorry it came out wrong." Caleb didn't know if he was putting his foot further in his mouth, but he had to say how he felt. They had to at least be open to the idea that there were more rational explanations for the things they'd seen. Besides, they were from Sunnyvale, they didn't get cursed. That was Shadysider shit.

Grabbing his vape off the bed, he took a few hits before putting it back down, contemplating what he was going to say next. He felt like he was losing his grasp on reality. Were they really lying her talking about witches and curses? Like, there was just no way all that hocus pocus shit could be real. Just because they didn't have a logical reason for everything they'd seen and heard, didn't mean there wasn't one. He couldn't rule that possibility out yet. Now he was kind of wishing they were still talking about college.

Climbing out of the bed, he kept his eyes on Alice Mae because he knew it would cause her to roll back over toward him. "Listen, I don't think either one of us is ready to fall asleep so let's, I dunno, do something fun." Caleb turned on his signature charm and held out his hand to her. Once she'd crawled out of bed, he led her living room. "Let's see. We could watch a movie or... play a board game. Strip twister?" He joked, trying to cheer her up some.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae focused on the wall while Caleb apologized. It didn’t last long, though; she immediately rolled over when she felt him start to get out of bed. Alice Mae couldn’t stay mad at him. He was the only person she had right now. If she pushed his button too far, he’d leave, which was the last thing she wanted. She took his hand and let him lead her into the living room. It was depressing and only reminded her that her family was no more.

She knew Caleb was trying his best. Alice Mae did crack a small smile when he mentioned strip twister. “If you want to see me naked, then say so. We don’t need to play a stupid game,” she teased. If she tried to be in a better mood, his attempts to improve everything might work. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s how you got me into bed the first time,” Alice Mae added. His charm could be undeniable at times.

Alice Mae fell back into the couch and patted the empty spot, inviting Caleb to sit next to her. “I can’t stay mad at your stupid ass,” Alice Mae admitted. “I’m just susceptible because of everything that’s going on.” Alice Mae could be dramatic, but it wasn’t usually this over the top. “You’ve been great, and I shouldn’t be acting like a brat,” she added, scooping up his closest hand with hers. “I don’t feel much like myself right now. It makes it hard for me to want to anything.”

[Caleb Larson]

"I wanna see you naked." he muttered under his breath with a smirk and slight chuckle. It was true though. He almost always wanted to see her naked but right now honestly didn't feel like the time. She'd have to be the one to initiate if anything were to happen. Caleb was too worried about her mental state at the moment, last thing he wanted to do was pressure her into doing something she didn't really want to do.

Caleb happily took his spot next to her on the couch and stared up at the ceiling, both trying to listen to what she was saying and figure out something for them to do at the same time. "Thank you because I'm definitely a stupid ass. But I am trying. I promise, I am," he gave her hand a soft squeeze before continuing, "And you're not acting like a brat. You're dealing with a LOT of shit right now. You have every right to be stressed out."

"Don't feel much like yourself you say? Alright. Maybe that's why you don't feel like doing anything. So... let's do something that you wouldn't normally do? Not like something you don't do because you hate it but like something you wouldn't do. Does that make sense? Made sense in my head but now that I'm saying it out loud, I don't know anymore. Feel free to tell me to shut up, whenever."

[Alice Mae Williams]

“I know you’re trying. You may say stupid shit, but your actions never go unnoticed,” Alice Mae reassured him with a slight nudge into his side. “You’re sweet and thoughtful and probably the best boyfriend I’ve ever had. I’m the lucky one,” she added. Alice Mae knew she was always too worried about the little things that she had difficulty seeing the bigger picture. “My parents may be getting a divorce, and I may be stressed, but that doesn’t give me the right to be a dick to you.” Alice Mae tried to be the bigger person in any situation. This one is no different. She flashed him a small apologetic smile, “I’m sorry.” Alice Mae wanted a clean slate going into the rest of the night, and she was going to try not to be the moody brat she had been.

By the end of Caleb’s ramble, he had Alice Mae smiling again. She let go of Caleb’s hand as she readjusted herself on the couch to be closer to him. “Yes, you make sense, Caleb,” she answered with a chuckle. He could make her upset, but more often than not, he had her laughing to the point her stomach would hurt. “We can do something I like but don’t often do tomorrow. It’s almost ten, and most places are already closed,” she reminded him while moving one of her hands to the back of his neck and extending her legs over his lap.

Alice Mae rested the side of her head against the back of the couch cushion, quietly admiring all his features as she played with the hair on the back of his neck before moving to the hair by his ear. Oddly enough, it was able to soothe her, and for the first time all night, Alice Mae didn’t feel like she wanted to jump out of her skin. When she got bored with his hair, Alice Mae slid her index finger down one side of his jawline and then around his chin. He had stubble, and she smiled because she liked it. Alice Mae moved her finger slowly across his face, connecting his moles and freckles with an invisible line. She loved every beauty mark on his body.

After outlining his lips, Alice Mae saw a glimmer in Caleb’s eyes, causing a slight shift in the mood and her. Alice Mae leaned forward, pressing a delicate kiss against his lips. “It’s okay,” she whispered when she felt Caleb cautiously kiss her back. It'd been a rough night for the both of them, so she didn't blame him for being careful.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb smiled when she not only understood what he was trying to get at but actually went along with it. His hands rested on her legs as they sprawled across his lap, his hands alternating in caressing them. The ceiling faded behind his eyelids as soon as she began playing with his hair. He loved when she did that.

When her fingers began to roam further, he did everything he could to try not to let it turn him on too much. She was being intimate, didn't mean it had to lead to anything more. He needed a definitive green flag before he let the second head between his legs win against the one on his shoulders.

'Cold weather. Naked in the cold. Alice Mae naked in the cold. Damnit no! Dick in the snow cold.' Caleb opened his eyes in an attempt to stop picturing his girlfriend naked. He looked over at his fully clothed girlfriend and it would have helped if she hadn't used her finger to outline his lips. That sent his mind racing with a number of dirty thoughts.

Then she kissed him. Caleb did his best to not seem too eager in his response, but still enough to let her know he desired her in that way always. Her words of approval were all he needed to deepen the kiss. One of his hands left her leg in search of the back of head while the other worked it's way up her thigh and to her hip. Once there he pulled her in closer before continuing it's adventure up to her chest.

[Alice Mae Williams]

One of Alice Mae's hands instinctively shifted to the back of his head and entangled in his hair after he deepened the kiss and pulled her closer. She moaned softly against his lips, feeling his hand slip underneath her top and brush against her skin. As eager as she wanted to be right now, Alice Mae wished to keep their pace slow. She enjoyed the fourplay just as much as she did the sex, and right now, she was trying to savor every moment she could.

After making out for several more minutes and Caleb’s hand freely roaming underneath, Alice Mae began wanting more. That's when she broke their kiss and swiftly removed her t-shirt and panties and tossed them on the floor next to the couch. Alice Mae laid back, pulling Caleb with her. She opened her legs more as he tried to settle in between them comfortably. Once they were situated, the pair quickly returned to where they had left off. Alice Mae’s hands found their way into Caleb's luscious hair again, and every time his hands moved over a sensitive part of her body, she would tug gently.

Her tongue steadily moved in and out of Caleb's mouth. Her hands moved from his hair, and rested on his shoulders. As much as she liked to be in control of all situations, tonight was different. Alice Mae wanted to follow her boyfriend’s lead.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb whined slightly when she pulled away, not ready to be done yet, but when he opened his eyes and saw her stripping down, he wasted no time following suit. He yanked his shirt off and tossed it across the room, but failed to get his boxers off before Alice Mae pulled him down on top of her. It was probably for the better, as much as he wanted her right now, he had to make sure she got hers and the foreplay was a big factor in that. With just a thin layer of material remaining between them, it made it slightly more easy to hold off for longer.

Every tug of his hair was met with an involuntary thrust from his hips. Caleb could feel his boxers becoming damp between them as he continued to rub her most sensitive area with his erection and they passionately make out. His urge to enter increased as well and he had to remember to slow himself down. She needed the release more than he did.

The moment that she let go of his hair, Caleb's kisses began trailing to her cheek, then jaw, before resting on her neck for a moment. Only long enough to give a nibble before continuing down toward her chest. Once he reached her nipples, he swirled his tongue around one and cupped the other breast with his roaming hand. Caleb scooted away from her just enough to make room for his other hand to slide in between her legs.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae turned her head to the side as Caleb trailed away from her mouth, pressing her fingertips into his shoulder blades as he made his way down her. Once he reached her belly button, Caleb began shifting his body down until his head was between Alice Mae's thighs. He then wrapped his arms around her thighs, pulling her closer to his face.

She gasped as Caleb penetrated her for the first time with two fingers, her back arching slightly as he steadily moved them in and out of her. Alice Mae bit her bottom lip to avoid making too many noises while his fingers continued to explore inside of her. Then, Caleb replaced his fingers with his tongue, licking and sucking avidly on her clitoris, occasionally slipping a finger or two into her. As the sensation intensified, Alice Mae was no longer able to stay quiet. She moaned, cupping one of her breasts before playing with her nipple.

"Wait, wait, wait," Alice Mae cried out. She wanted Caleb to stop before he made her climax. She lifted her head to look down at him, "I want to cum with you inside of me," she informed him. "I want you to feel it." Caleb eagerly removed the last of his garments, tossing them on the floor with the rest of their clothes. They stayed in the same positions, except Caleb was now on his knees as he worked on closing the space between them.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb loved hearing her moans and feeling her squirming increase as he ate her out. He also loved the taste of her, he'd gone down on his share of girls, but she was by far the best. His eyes snapped open the moment he realized why she'd stopped him, and quickly thereafter his boxers were gone. Caleb positioned his penis at her entrance but waited before thrusting. Quickly moving his hand out of the way and back on the couch to get better leverage, Caleb looked down at her and placed one soft kiss on her lips. "I love you," he reminded her.

Taking his time with the first thrust, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the feeling of her walls surround his dick. Going until he could go no further, a low groan escaped his lips. Caleb continued kissing her as he picked up pace with his thrusts, making sure to let her feel the full length of him every time. Once she began bucking her hips up in rhythm with him however, he could feel the pressure building inside of him. Positioning himself to support his weight on one arm, his now free hand latched onto her hip as he pushed as deep as he could into her.

Pressed close and his movements longer as expansive, his body rubbed against her clit with each swift thrust. Caleb's fingers pressed into her skin as he continued to pump into her until he felt her reaching her climax again. This time she let him get her all the way there, soon he felt her walls tighten around and her nails dig into his back. Not long after, Caleb let out his own loud moan and he combined his cum with hers.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae had never been with anyone other than Caleb. He was her first, and she was hoping he'd be her last too. So, everything she knows, Caleb taught her.

She could feel the tip of his penis at the entrance of her vagina as he leaned forward to kiss her. "I love you too," she replied softly before letting out a soft gasp when Caleb swiftly slid into her, making sure she felt everything. As Caleb caught his rhythm, Alice Mae began thrusting upward and meeting every one of Caleb's thrusts into her. She moaned, clutching onto his back. "Go deeper," she begged and nibbled on his earlobe briefly.

She felt the sensation build in between her legs as Caleb began to pick up his pace. With every one of his thrusts, Alice Mae's fingertips dug deeper into his back as she cried out. It was enjoyable and painful at the same time. Yet, she didn't want him to stop. Alice Mae opened her legs as wide as possible, wanting to ensure she got all of Caleb. Alice Mae kept one hand on his lower back and moved the other to the side of his face, cupping his cheek. Alice Mae stared into his eyes, whimpering every time he went too deep.

Alice Mae could not get off with a simple few penis thrusts like most girls her age. Instead, she needed constant stimulation against her clit and was lucky enough to have a boyfriend who knew how to do that. Alice Mae let out a mixture of moans and cries as Caleb continued hitting her spot, finally causing her to climax. Her fingertips dug into his back while her other hand fisted a handful of his hair at her peak. Ultimately, Alice Mae could feel the walls of her vagina open and close around Caleb's thick penis as he moved in and out of her raw. Despite Caleb's constant begging, they only had sex a few times without condoms, and that was because she was terrified of getting pregnant before being married. She had to admit, though, the sex was always better when they didn't have one.

After Caleb hit his peak, he collapsed on top of Alice Mae while trying to catch his breath. Embracing him, she pressed a quick kiss against his forehead before letting her head fall back against the seat cushion. She could still feel the aftermath of her orgasm and was too numb to move. Alice Mae closed her eyes while one of her hands started to move up and down his back as the other played with his accessible earlobe. It was a good thing he was okay with her unnecessary fidgets.

As much as she didn't want to, she knew they'd have to move. They still had a few hours before the bars closed, but she didn't know if her mother would come home early. That'd be embarrassing and awkward if she were to walk in on them. "You wanna go to bed?" Her fingertips softly moved over his cheek and jawline. "Or at least move this to my bedroom," Alice Mae suggested with a chuckle.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb couldn't focus on anything except how amazing it felt fucking Alice Mae. Most high school girls really just laid there and didn't do much at all - they must have figured it was all his job once he was inside of them. There had been a couple of girls that were crazier but with them he also risked bodily injury and it really hadn't been worth it. Caleb was like Goldilocks and Alice Mae fit him just right. He also figured that he could always sneak in some new things slowly with her every now and then so that things never got boring.

"I wanna sleep right here," he joked, knowing that wasn't possible. Grunting as he struggled slightly to lift the weight of himself off of her. Looking down at her with a smile, he gave her a kiss on the tip of her nose before snagging his boxers off the ground to use them to prevent any juices from falling out onto the couch when he pulled out. Once separated, he used them to clean her up (then himself) enough to be comfortable on her trip to the bedroom. "I got the clothes, you just get your cute butt back to the bed." Caleb was hoping to get in some more naked cuddling in.

Tossing his boxers in her bedroom trash, he placed her clothes on the ground next to her side of the bed before climbing his way into his side. Wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her in closer as she rested her head on his chest and got comfortable. Slowly stroking her hair once she finally situated, Caleb looked down at her and smiled. "I love you, Alice Mae."

[Alice Mae Williams]

"Thank you," Alice Mae sweetly said, watching as he wiped down her body with his boxers. She thought it was sweet. Once getting off the couch, Alice Mae nodded with a grin, "Yes, Sir," was the last thing Alice Mae said before disappearing up the stairs. She wanted to clean herself off a bit more and use the bathroom. When she was done and returned to her bedroom, Caleb was already on his side of the bed. She shut the door behind her and wasted no time climbing into bed, snuggling up to him.

She rested her head on his chest before entangling her legs with his. Her eyes closed as Caleb started to stroke her hair. Alice Mae shifted when he repeated her three favorite words. She tilted her head back, looking up at him, "I know you do, Caleb," she sleepily smiled at him. "And I love you," she said, snuggling closer and pressing a kiss against his chest. "Your arms are the only ones I ever want to fall asleep in." It was crazy to think about because they were so young, but Alice Mae knew Caleb was her end game. Especially after everything that has happened in the last few days. He never left her side.

She was sleepy enough to fall asleep, but she also didn’t want to miss this moment. Her hand moved over Caleb’s chest, connecting his beauty marks again while he played with her hair. After a few moments, she moved on top of him, much like he had been while they were downstairs, but more carefully so she didn’t hurt anything important. “What was your very first ever thought about me?” Alice Mae curiously asked, placing her hands one over the other on his chest before resting her chin on them. “I nearly pissed my pants the first time you spoke to me after the game,” Alice Mae reminisced. “I heard you’d been asking about me, but I only thought they were rumors until then,” she admitted.

[Caleb Larson]

After their activities downstairs, Caleb was ready to sleep the night away but unfortunately his girlfriend wasn't quite as ready yet. When she climbed on top of him, he almost thought she was ready for round two but quickly realized that this was more so aftercare for her. "My first thought?" he repeated, giving himself a moment to replay the first time he'd thought about her like that. He had first noticed her when she became a cheerleader but that was purely in a sexual all-cheerleaders-are-hot kind of way. It wasn't until he saw her stand her ground and shut down one of his teammates that he realized she was more than just a hot set of pom poms.

"Honestly?" he asked even though he already knew what her answer would be. Caleb interlocked in his fingers behind his head and looked at her with a smirk. "I thought you were fuckin' hot." His eyes may have fallen for her first, but it didn't take long for his heart to do the same. The more time they spent together and the more he got to know her, the more he realized that he didn't need anyone else. And that was why he would never intentionally flirt with any other girl but her.

"Then I realized you were the whole package and I had to shoot my shot. You think you were nervous though? I was terrified you were going to tear me apart like you did to Eric when he tried to hit on you," he joked with a chuckle. He debated asking her the same thing but, considering he'd still been a bit of a player when she first noticed him, he decided to change it up a little bit. "What was it about me that made you say yes?"

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae rolled her eyes at him when he initially answered, "I should've known," she muttered. But then he continued, and she chuckled when he mentioned Eric. "That's because Eric is gross and has STIs," she pointed out. "He gave like three cheerleaders chlamydia. That's why I said no," she said, gagging.

"I heard you were a nice guy despite your track record," Alice Mae told him. "Your looks didn't hurt your chances either," she said playfully, sticking her tongue out at him. "To be honest, I had a crush on you long before you knew I existed," she explained. "One of the varsity cheerleaders you were fucking around with used to make fun of me for it." Alice paused, wondering if she had said too much. The only person who knew all of this was Heather. It was something she had never expected to tell Caleb. "I said yes to spite her, but I also said yes because you were my dream guy, and you didn't even know it."

"That didn't go as expected, huh?" Alice Mae chuckled, but she didn't want Caleb to dwell on one of his past fuck buddies giving her a hard time. Because, of course, Alice Mae wasn't thinking about that situation anymore. In her eyes, she won. She was co-captain of the varsity team with Heather and got the quarterback. Who treated Alice Mae the way Leslie could only have wished.

She shifted her body downward, spreading open Caleb's legs before settling in between them. Alice Mae wanted to distract him from the thoughts she unintentionally put there. So, she stroked his penis with one hand while the other played with his balls to get him hard. She didn't even know if it'd be possible since she knew he was probably just as tired as she was.

[Caleb Larson]

"You had a crush on me?" He teased, trying to keep the focus on them and not on one of his past conquests. Sad part was that he couldn't even be sure of who Alice Mae was talking about. He'd just about fooled around with all the varsity cheerleaders that he found hot and even some who were only decent looking but easy to get naked. He got bored of them fast and most high school relationships weren't built to last, he was just saving them all from wasting time. Now that he had Alice Mae, that was all different. They were meant to be one of those high school sweetheart romance stories.

Caleb's eyebrow perked up once he noticed Alice Mae moving her way down. The moment her hands began caressing his junk, Caleb's eyes tried rolling into the back of his head, he was tired but he figured he could go one more round and his slowly rising erection agreed. Wishing that he'd gone to clean up when she did (he'd originally planned on showering first thing in the morning), he figured that if she didn't care, neither should he, plus this time he had a more readily available condom. Letting her continue to satisfy him for a little bit before he finally stopped her, "Wait. I want you on top, just give me a moment."

This whole night had been foreplay in his opinion, he was ready to fuck her and pass out. Reaching into the back of her bedside table drawer, he pulled out a condom wrapper, opened it up, and rolled it down his shaft. Enjoying the view as she climbed back on top of him, his smiled up at her as she knelt above him. "You're so fucking sexy." He stated as his hands worked up her thighs before landing on her hips while she positioned him at her entrance. He could feel the heat between her legs and he did his best not to thrust despite desperately wanting her now. Caleb knew it would feel better to let her take control first, she really had a way with her hips when she rode him.

[Alice Mae Williams]

“Yes. Who doesn't have a crush on you?” She rolled her eyes and playfully slapped him across the chest.

It didn't bother her that Caleb hadn't cleaned up beforehand. They were only their juices, anyway. Alice Mae deep-throated him, causing herself to gag and create more salvia. Her tongue swirled around the head of his penis before he stopped her. She pulled her mouth off and frowned before Caleb instructed he wanted her on top. Alice Mae got on her knees while he reached for a condom in the side table drawer.

Once he got the condom on, Alice Mae positioned herself on top of her boyfriend. She shivered as his hands grazed her bare skin before grabbing her hips. Alice Mae stayed silent but smiled at him in response to his compliment before reaching between her legs and guiding Caleb inside. Alice Mae hated being on top because she didn't feel like she was good enough, but whatever she did, Caleb seemed to love it. When he penetrated her, it wasn't as sensational as it had been the first time tonight. Nonetheless, it still made her head fall back and caused her to moan.

Alice Mae started solidly, thrusting her hips back and forth, enjoying all the sounds from her boyfriend. She leaned down, kissing him deeply, using her hands to prop her up. Alice Mae broke the kiss and seductively sucked on his bottom lip, all while keeping her pace. Alice Mae whined against his lips when his penis hit a sensitive spot inside her. Still, without hesitation, she continued—sliding one of her arms underneath his neck, she placed her other hand on the side of his face and rested her forehead against his.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb's eyes closed as she wrapped around his cock and let out a moan. The sex was always better without a condom, but he'd also rather finish high school first before having a kid. Being a teen parent was more of a Shadysider thing. His hands remained on her hips, moving with her hips as she rocked back and forth, still doing his best to let her do her thing uninterrupted. When she leaned down and began toying with him though, he couldn't control himself any longer. His hands repositioned toward her ass, his fingertips pressing harder into her skin as he thrust himself deeper inside of her trying to hit her sweet spot.

His hands remained on her ass for a while before one of them wandered up her back. Caleb tried to remain in rhythm with her but eventually got too wrapped up in how amazing it felt that he fell out of sync. Only for a moment before using his hands and another deep thrust to temporarily stop all movement. Caleb let out a groan before passionately kissing her and picking up the thrusting again. The hand on her back worked its way up around to one of her breasts, his thumb making small circular motions on her nipple as he continued to lift his hips to meet hers.

Caleb certainly didn't have it in him to last much longer and luckily neither did she because it wasn't long before he heard and felt her reaching her climax. Once he was certain she was there, he stopped fighting his own orgasm and he let it all go with one last thrust.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Once they finished, Alice Mae immediately got off Caleb and rested next to him. She was usually one to go to the bathroom after sex to prevent infections, but she couldn’t be bothered tonight. After Caleb pulled off the condom and cleaned himself up with a towel he found on the floor, Alice Mae snuggled up to him. A few hours ago, she didn’t know how she would fall asleep, now she couldn’t keep her eyes open. “Thank you,” she mumbled tiredly before falling asleep in Caleb’s arms.

[Alice Mae Williams]

It was quieter than usual on her street.

The kind of quiet that felt padded, like the whole world was walking on tiptoe. Alice Mae sat on the rusted porch swing, one leg tucked under her, the other bare foot pushing softly against the wood planks to keep herself swaying. The air smelled like cut grass and rain that never came. Her hair was still damp from a shower, half-twisted back with an old clip. No makeup. No armor.

She liked it better this way.

Didn’t have to pretend.

Didn’t have to explain the tight feeling in her chest or the way she hadn’t really exhaled in two days.

The porch light buzzed behind her. Inside, her mom was probably asleep in front of the TV again. The volume turned too low to hear, too loud to ignore.

Alice (]https://i.ibb.co/b5z2Dtxj/4-AC425-D3-04-DB-4873-9-A14-B629-C9660082.png) let the swing creak, slow and steady, as her eyes traced the cracks in the pavement—counting them like a spell. Like maybe if she hit the right number, everything would line back up.

She didn’t hear his footsteps. Just felt them.

That shift in the air. That pull in her chest that only ever meant him.

Caleb stood at the bottom of the steps, hands in his jacket pockets, shoulders slightly hunched—not like he was cold, but like he didn’t want to take up too much space. Like he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask what he came here to ask.

Alice didn’t say anything. Not right away.

She just looked at him.

Really looked.

He’d been in the mess with her. Not from the outside. With her. Elbow-deep in the curse, the blood, the fear. And still—he showed up. Still—he looked at her like she was worth showing up for.

She pushed gently off the swing and stood, the boards creaking beneath her. Walked down the steps until there was just enough space between them to breathe—but not enough to hide.

Then she nodded once. Small. Certain.

Like a signal flare in the dark.

Yeah. She was glad he came.

Even if they didn’t say anything at all.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb didn’t move at first.

Didn’t speak.

Didn’t trust his voice not to crack open the fragile quiet between them, that soft bubble of stillness that felt more honest than words ever could.

Because she looked like how he felt.

Bare. Worn down at the edges. Holding it together with sheer will and a tired kind of grace. And God, he didn’t know how to fix any of it. But he didn’t come to fix. He came to stay.

So he nodded back.

A mirror to hers.

Then he stepped forward—slow, careful—until the space between them folded in like the last page of a letter. Not touching, not yet. Just close enough for her to know he would if she needed.

“You shouldn’t be out here alone,” he said, finally, voice low and quiet like the street was listening. “Not with everything the way it is.”

But he knew she needed the air. Knew she’d take silence over sympathy, the swing over a therapist’s couch. He got it. Maybe too much.

He looked down at her bare feet. At the smudge of dirt on her heel. At the tension in her shoulders that hadn’t eased in days.

“I brought the flashlight,” he added, softer now. A little smile at the corner of his mouth. “Just in case.”

Because sometimes monsters were real.

And sometimes the only thing you could do was bring a damn light.

He waited then. Gave her the choice. To turn back toward the porch. To reach for his hand. To tell him to sit and stay awhile or keep walking.

Whatever she needed—he’d be that.

He just hoped he was still something she could need.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae didn’t move at first either.

Didn’t rush to fill the space his voice had left. She just let it sit there between them—tender, careful, real.

Her eyes flicked toward the street. Quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made her itch under her skin, like the silence was hiding something.

“This is Sunnyvale,” she said finally, voice dry with something that wasn’t quite sarcasm but wasn’t far off. “Bad things don’t happen on this side of town, remember?”

She said it like a joke.

But it wasn’t.

They both knew better now.

Her gaze dropped to his hand, fingers still curled loose at his side. He hadn’t tried to touch her. Hadn’t pushed. Just waited.

That mattered more than he probably realized.

She turned, heading back toward the porch with slow, deliberate steps. The swing creaked as she settled into it again, tugging one knee up, letting her heel rest against the seat. She glanced back at him, then patted the space beside her.

“Come on,” she said softly, with a hint of tired warmth. “Might as well sit before one of my neighbors thinks you’re here to rob the place.”

The joke landed better this time—lighter, a flicker of something like peace tugging at the corner of her mouth.

She didn’t look at him as he stepped up, but she felt the shift when he lowered himself beside her.

Close.

Still not touching.

But close enough to remind her she wasn’t alone in this. Not tonight.

Maybe not ever.

The swing creaked beneath their weight, settling into a slow, lazy sway. The kind that didn’t ask anything of them. Just moved. Just was.

Alice Mae stared out at the street. At the glow of porch lights and the way the breeze pushed a soda can across the curb like even it didn’t know where to go.

She pulled the sleeves of his t-shirt down over her hands, twisting the fabric once, then again. Her voice came quiet—almost cautious, like she wasn’t sure if the question would land right.

“How are you doing?”

She didn’t look at him.

Not yet.

“Like—actually.”

The words felt strange, almost out of place in the dark. Too normal. Too soft. But that was the thing about surviving—when it wasn’t life or death, sometimes you forgot how to just talk.

“We’ve been running for so long,” she added, “I don’t even know when the last real conversation was. Like, one that didn’t involve maps or blood or someone screaming in the distance.”

She glanced at him then, the porch light catching the edges of her cheekbone, the faint purple under her eyes.

“I miss that,” she admitted. “Normal. You and me, just… talking. No curses. No countdowns.”

Her foot nudged the porch gently, pushing the swing back into rhythm.

“I’m not saying we go back to pretending,” she said. “I just wanna know if you’re still in there. If you’re still you.”

A pause.

Then, with a wry little smile:

“Even if ‘you’ is still scared of my mom and refuses to sit on the good couch.”

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb let out a quiet breath that might’ve been a laugh.

Might’ve been relief.

God, she had no idea what it did to him—hearing her talk like that. Not like she was about to break, or bite someone’s head off, or bolt into the woods with nothing but a flashlight and pure rage. But like Alice. His Alice. The girl who made fun of his music taste, who knew exactly how to beat him at cards, who used to throw popcorn at his head during horror movies and call him dramatic.

He missed her, too.

And maybe that was what wrecked him the most.

He leaned forward slightly, elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together like he was bracing himself for something heavy. His eyes stayed fixed on the sidewalk—on that dented soda can skittering across the street like even it was lost.

Then he shrugged.

“I’m still here,” he said. “Mostly.”

He glanced over, and there was a softness in his expression she rarely got to see unless everything else had gone quiet. A kind of honesty that stripped away all the bravado and left just… Caleb.

“But yeah,” he added, voice lower now. “I think about that a lot. How fast everything flipped. One second we’re fighting over who gets aux in my car, next second I’m scraping blood off your boots in the back of a gas station.”

His mouth tugged into a crooked, rueful grin.

“I miss it too. Being normal. You giving me shit for being scared of your mom.” He leaned a little closer, just enough for his shoulder to brush hers. Just for a second. “Still am, by the way. That woman could take down a demon with a spatula and a disapproving glare.”

He paused, letting the swing carry them a few inches forward and back.

Then, quieter:
“I think I’m scared I won’t get it back. That I already lost the version of me who wasn’t... this.” He gestured vaguely—at the dark, the street, the ghosts. “And I don’t know what I’m supposed to be now. I mean, I’m still into sports, still make the same dumb jokes, still listen to that one song you hate just to piss you off—but it all feels… heavier. Like I’ve gotta carry it different now.”

He looked at her then, really looked.

“And I guess I’m just hoping… if I am different, I’m still somebody you’d want to sit next to.”

His voice didn’t crack, but it got close.

And if his hand slipped just a little closer on the swing’s worn wooden slats, he didn’t call attention to it. Didn’t push.

Just waited.

Because even now—especially now—he knew the only way through this was together. And he’d rather sit in the dark with her than pretend to be okay anywhere else.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae let the silence stretch for a second after he finished. Not because she didn’t know what to say—but because it felt sacred, somehow. Like interrupting too quickly would cheapen it.

So she just watched him.

The way his shoulders curled forward like the weight he was carrying didn’t quite know where to land. The way he looked at her like maybe she was the last piece of something solid in a world that wouldn’t stop shifting under his feet.

She reached for his hand without thinking.

No drama. No hesitation. Just there.

Her fingers slid into his, sure and steady, and she held on like it was a promise.

“I’m not the same either,” she said, her voice soft but not small. “And honestly? I don’t think I want to be.”

Her thumb brushed across his knuckles once, slow.

“I used to think if I could just survive all of this, I could go back. But I don’t think there is a going back. Not really. Not for you. Not for me.”

She looked out at the street, at the same dented can he’d been staring at—now motionless against the curb. Like it had finally given up trying to roll.

“But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to keep going forward. With you.”

She turned back to him then, expression open, eyes clearer than they’d been in days.

“You’re still you, Caleb. Maybe a little more cracked around the edges. But so am I. That’s what makes this real.”

A pause, her hand tightening just slightly in his.

“And yeah. I still wanna sit next to you.”

Her smile ghosted into something a little wry. A little familiar.

“Especially if it means I get to keep reminding you how terrible your taste in music is.”

The porch swing creaked gently beneath them, but she didn’t let go. Didn’t shift away.

She just leaned in—shoulder to shoulder now—and let the weight be shared.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb didn’t say anything right away.

He didn’t need to.

Because for the first time in what felt like forever, he didn’t feel like he had to hold his breath.

He turned his hand in hers, lacing their fingers tighter, grounding himself in the warmth of her grip. Letting it tether him to the moment. To her. To now.

His head tilted just enough to brush her temple with his shoulder, a breath of contact that said I’m here. I heard you. Me too.

Then—because she’d expect it, and because maybe he needed to say it more than she needed to hear it—he murmured:

“You’re lucky you’re cute. Otherwise I’d be offended.”

The smile that pulled across his mouth was small, tired, but real. He let his head fall back against the swing, gaze tilted toward the night sky that peeked out between the porch beams. A few stars, barely visible through the haze of Sunnyvale’s polished glow. The air smelled like distant rain and jasmine, like the kind of summer night that lulled you into thinking everything was fine.

“I don’t know what happens next,” he said, voice low, almost more for himself than her. “But if I’m walking into it cracked and cursed and half-shattered… I’d rather do it with you.”

And then?

He didn’t say another word.

Because that was when the air changed.

Not in a poetic way. Not in a metaphor.

Really changed.

The wind stilled.

The porch light flickered.

And somewhere, just past the curb where that soda can had stopped rolling—

A figure stood.

Tall.

Still.

Wrong.

The shadows warped around them like the night itself didn’t want to touch them. A flash of red glinted from the blade at their side. The mask caught the porch light just long enough for Alice Mae to see it—the crude, jagged edge of something that was never meant to look human.

Her hand clenched tighter in Caleb’s.

And he froze.

No sound. No breath. No motion.

Like if he didn’t move, maybe it wouldn’t be real.

But it was.

The Nightwing killer had found them.

And Caleb—still cracked, still himself—didn’t say a thing.

He just stood when she did.

Ready.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae’s heart didn’t race.

Not yet.

It slowed.

A sharp, chilling stillness settled in her chest—bone-deep and familiar. The kind that only came when something real was watching you. Something that didn’t blink. Didn’t breathe.

Her grip on Caleb’s hand tightened, their fingers laced like armor.

She didn’t look at him.

Didn’t need to.

She could feel him standing beside her, could feel the shift in him—from soft to steel. From porch swing quiet to fight-or-flight tension. The air had changed. Dense. Pressurized. Like the night itself was holding its breath.

She stood, slow and sure, bare feet planting against the porch boards.

The swing creaked behind her and went still.

Her eyes didn’t leave the figure across the street.

The mask was wrong. Too smooth in some places, too jagged in others. It caught the porch light in flashes—just enough for her to see what was waiting underneath. The glint of the axe. The soaked, torn flannel. The hulking frame of something once human, now just… hunger.

“Caleb,” she said, her voice low, even.

Not fear. Not panic.

Just fact.

“That’s him.”

A beat.

“Tommy Slater.”

She let the name settle. Let the weight of it crawl down her spine like ice.

“The Nightwing Killer.”

The one who tore through campers like they were paper. The one with the axe. The one who didn’t stop.

She swallowed hard, jaw set.

He was watching them.

Waiting.

And she knew what happened next if they hesitated.

Her hand squeezed Caleb’s like a command.

“Get inside.”

Still, he didn’t move.

So she looked at him, eyes fierce.

“I mean it. Go.”

And this time—he did.

He bolted for the door, and she followed fast behind, feet slapping against wood, porch light strobing behind them as if the house itself knew what was coming.

She crossed the threshold right behind him and threw her weight into the door, slamming it shut with a jarring bang that rattled the frame. She flicked the deadbolt with shaking fingers, chest heaving as the porch fell silent again.

Too silent.

Until—

CRACK.

The door shuddered violently.

A second later, the blade of an axe split through the wood—splinters flying, the jagged steel glinting like it had waited for this moment.

“Go, go, go!” she yelled, already pushing Caleb toward the kitchen with both hands. “Back door—now!”

He didn’t argue.

They tore through the hallway, the house narrowing around them in flashes of lamplight and shadow. Alice ducked low, snatching a pair of sneakers from the floor near the coat rack and tucking them beneath her arm as she ran. The thud of footsteps—not theirs—rumbled through the floorboards behind them.

The back door loomed ahead.

She could already see the moonlight spilling through the glass.

Almost there.

Almost out.

And with every step, every breath, every scream caught in her throat—

Alice Mae wasn’t just surviving anymore.

She was fighting.

[Caleb Larson]

Caleb didn’t even remember standing up.

One second he was on that swing, soaking in the softness of her voice, the warmth of her hand, the way she leaned in like maybe—just maybe—they’d earned a sliver of peace.

The next?

He felt it.

That ripple in the night. That pressure drop in the air. Like the whole world hit pause and then rewound just enough to whisper: run.

And when she said his name—when she said that’s him—
everything else dropped out.

His body went cold, fast. Not numb, not frozen. Just focused.

He didn’t question it. Didn’t ask if she was sure.

She was. He knew it. Knew it the same way you know when lightning’s about to strike.

Tommy. Slater.

Axe. Flannel. Blood that never dried.

And Alice? Barefoot. Terrified but steady. Still trying to protect him.

“Get inside.”

She’d said it like a command. Like she thought he might hesitate.

But he didn’t.

Not because he was afraid.

Because he needed to get her safe.

He moved fast, sneakers hitting the porch hard as he grabbed the door and slammed it open with enough force to bounce off the wall. She was right behind him—he heard her, felt the heat of her breath on his neck, the panic rising behind them like a tidal wave.

The slam of the door. The lock clicking home.

And then—
CRACK.

The sound of that axe hitting the wood tore through him like a thunderclap.

Splinters flew. The blade punched through, glinting in the porch light.

And Alice? Alice shoved him like she meant it. Like she wasn’t about to let either of them die on her damn welcome mat.

“Back door—now!”

He ran.

Because of course he did.

Because he had shoes on and she didn’t and his blood was already sprinting three beats ahead of his brain. His shoulder hit the corner of the hallway, but he didn’t slow—just grabbed Alice’s arm when she snagged her sneakers and hauled her forward, hand locked around hers like a lifeline.

The house groaned behind them.

Footsteps. Heavy. Too heavy.

He heard the door frame splinter.

Felt it like a punch in his spine.

“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” he muttered, more to the world than her, like if he just said it enough times the universe might give them a damn break.

The kitchen opened up ahead, the back door glowing silver in the moonlight like some kind of promise. One more hallway. One more second.

His grip on her hand never wavered.

Not when she stumbled. Not when he heard the axe again. Not when the shadow behind them moved too fast to be human.

He wasn’t gonna let her fall.

Not now.

Not ever.

[Alice Mae Williams]

The screen door slammed behind them with a metallic snap as Alice Mae shoved it open and burst onto the back steps, her hand still clenched in Caleb’s like the only thing keeping her upright was the anchor of him.

The night air hit her like a wave—thick and humid, still clinging to summer like it didn’t want to let go. Her lungs burned. Her feet stung against the gravel and broken twigs scattered across the backyard. But none of it mattered.

They had to move.

She could hear the slam of the front door giving way. The heavy, brutal footfalls inside. No voice. No scream. Just presence.

The kind that didn’t need to shout to kill.

“Fence—go!” she hissed, already lunging toward it, a rusted chain-link wall that bordered the back edge of the yard, barely holding back the tangle of woods beyond.

Caleb reached it first.

Didn’t hesitate.

He turned, braced one hand against the fence, the other reaching for her like he knew she wouldn’t make it on her own—not barefoot, not like this. She didn’t argue. Didn’t flinch. Just planted one hand in his and the other on the warm, rusted metal, letting him boost her with a rough grunt of effort.

She scrambled awkwardly, one sneaker tucked under her arm, the other still clutched in her hand, legs flailing as she swung herself over the top.

She hit the ground on the other side, hard—too hard.

Her bare foot landed on something sharp, a thick branch buried in overgrown grass. It rolled under her, and with a sickening pop, her ankle twisted out from under her.

Pain exploded through her leg.

She went down.

Hard.

One of the sneakers flew from her grip as she cried out and hit the dirt, scraping her palms and biting back a scream.

But she didn’t get time to process it.

Because Caleb vaulted the fence behind her in one smooth motion—and landed just in time to see her not standing.

She was trying. God, she was trying to stand, to force weight onto the ankle that already felt wrong, loose and sharp and not hers. Her teeth clenched hard enough to ache, and her hand braced against a tree trunk, but her leg buckled again beneath her.

“Shit,” she hissed, breathless, panicked. “Caleb, I—”

She didn’t finish.

Didn’t have to.

He was already moving.

No hesitation.

His arms hooked under her thighs and back in one motion, lifting her like it was instinct—because it was.

“Don’t—” she started, weakly pushing against his chest. “I can run, just—give me a sec—”

But she didn’t fight him.

Because behind them, she could hear it.

The sound of crashing brush. Metal dragging. Something ancient and wrong tearing through the yard like the fence meant nothing.

Alice clenched her fists into the fabric of Caleb’s shirt, her head pressed against his shoulder as he ran, the rhythm of his heartbeat pounding against her ear.

They tore into the woods—him carrying her, her clutching the remaining sneaker tight against her ribs, teeth gritted through the pain and the fear.

Because yeah, she was hurt.

But she wasn’t helpless.

Not while he was still running.

Not while they had each other.

[Caleb Larson]

He didn’t think.

Didn’t calculate.

Didn’t do the whole “what’s the plan” routine he’d once prided himself on during game days and group projects and every other moment where being the guy who had it together actually mattered.

This wasn’t that.

This was now.

Alice went down hard. The sound of her body hitting the dirt was a gut punch—shallow, sharp, final in the worst way.

He was over the fence in a flash, barely registering the sting of chain-link scraping his palms. She was already trying to get up, teeth clenched like she could will her ankle into submission.

“Caleb, I—”

Nope.

No time for that.

He didn’t ask. Didn’t check. Didn’t waste a breath.

He scooped her up like every horror movie he’d ever mocked had just become a manual for survival. One arm under her knees, the other around her back, her heart hammering wild against his chest.

“Don’t—” she tried, pushing at him like she still had something to prove.

But her voice broke. Not with fear. With fury. At the situation. At her body. At him for not being the one who fell, probably.

Still—she didn’t fight him.

Because they both heard it.

That sound.

The drag of the axe across gravel. The snap of a branch too thick to break under anything human. The kind of sound that chased you into your nightmares and didn’t leave when the sun came up.

His grip tightened around her.

And he ran.

Not a stumble. Not a second thought.

He tore through the woods like the trees didn’t matter. Like the branches ripping at his sleeves and the roots trying to trip him were background noise to the singular, blaring alarm in his head:

Get her out. Get her safe.

She was clutching his shirt, her breath hot against his neck, that damn sneaker still wedged between them like it mattered. Like she was still fighting, even now.

Good.

He needed that.

Because he could handle pain. Could take a hit, make a plan, throw a punch if it came to it. But if she stopped fighting?

That would break him.

“Almost there,” he said, mostly to her, partly to himself, like saying it would make it true. “Just hold on, okay?”

He didn’t know where there was.

But he’d carry her every goddamn step if he had to.

Because she wasn’t just Alice Mae anymore.

She was his to protect.

And whatever monster was breathing down their necks?

It could go through him first.

[Alice Mae Williams]

Alice Mae didn’t know how long they’d been running.

Time didn’t work right when your body was screaming and your brain was stuck between fight and don’t you dare faint. The trees blurred past in streaks of green and shadow, moonlight flickering like a dying lightbulb through the canopy overhead.

She should’ve been thinking.

About the pain. The curse. The fact that the Nightwing Killer was following them with an axe and the patience of something that enjoyed the wait.

But all she could think about was him.

Caleb.

His arms around her. Tight. Unshaking. The smell of soap and sweat and blood—that grounding mix of now. His heartbeat against her ribs like a war drum that refused to miss a beat.

She wanted to scream.

Not from fear. Not even from the pain in her ankle, though it was sharp and hot and unforgiving. She wanted to scream because it wasn’t fair.

She was supposed to protect him too.

And now she was this—dead weight, sneakers half-lost, breath catching in her throat like even her lungs had given up on her.

But he never slowed.

Not once.

Even when her voice cracked out his name. Even when she tried to push against his chest again—not to stop him, not really, just to feel something other than helplessness—he didn’t falter.

He just kept going.

Because that’s what Caleb Larson did.

He didn’t back down. He didn’t break. He didn’t leave.

And god, that made her chest hurt more than her leg.

She tightened her grip on him.

No more trying to get free. No more wasting energy trying to prove she could walk.

He knew she could. He also knew she didn’t have to. Not this time.

The trees began to break, just ahead.

She could see light—warm, flickering, low. A porch light. Maybe two. A house tucked at the edge of the woods. Safety, or the illusion of it. Either way, it was something.

Her head dropped against his shoulder, her voice a rasp now.

“Please tell me you’re not about to die carrying me like some kind of final girl fantasy.”

He huffed a breath—something between a laugh and a sob—and that was enough.

She didn’t need a speech.

Didn’t need promises.

He was still holding her.

Still running.

And as long as he didn’t let go, she’d survive this.

Even if the monster was still behind them.

Even if the blood never stopped.

Even if the world broke again and again and again.

She’d make it.

Because he hadn’t dropped her yet.
And she wasn’t planning on letting go.

She didn’t remember when the trees ended.

Only that suddenly there were streetlights again. Sidewalks. A coffee shop they used to skip class to walk to. The low hum of a passing car. A string of fairy lights still lit over the bakery window, like the town was dressing itself up to feel less haunted.

Caleb carried her straight down Main Street like it wasn’t the most insane thing to ever happen here—like he hadn’t just run for miles with her in his arms, covered in dirt, blood, and fear. He was shaking. She could feel it in the way his arms tensed around her, the ragged drag of every breath he pulled in.

Sunnyvale didn’t notice.

Or it pretended not to.

A couple crossed the street, slowed when they saw them, then kept going. A woman sitting on a bench outside the florist did a double take. Someone on a bike nearly stopped, then pedaled faster instead.

No one asked if they were okay.

No one offered help.

Because things like this didn’t happen here.

Caleb lowered her gently onto a bench beneath a flickering antique lamppost, the wood cool under her legs, her ankle screaming the second it dropped below her knee.

Alice let out a shaky breath and finally looked up.

People were still looking.

Not rushing over. Not dialing phones. Just staring.

Like they didn’t know if she was real—or if acknowledging her would make it real for them, too.

She blinked hard, jaw clenched, her voice thin and furious when it finally came out.

“Call Max.”

Caleb didn’t move at first.

So she grabbed his wrist.

Her hand was still shaking, but her grip was solid.

“I’m serious. Call Max. Right now.”

Because something was wrong. Worse than wrong.

Tommy Slater had come into Sunnyvale.

Had crossed into the town they were told was untouchable. Protected. Immune.

He hadn’t cared.

He’d come for them anyway.

And no one around them—not a single person on this picture-perfect street—knew what that meant.

But Max would.

She had to.

Because if this was happening here?

Everything had changed.

[Caleb Larson]

He couldn’t stop shaking.

Couldn’t tell if it was from the running, the adrenaline, or the weight of what he’d just carried—who he’d just carried—through the woods like the whole goddamn world was on fire behind them. Probably all of it. Probably more.

His arms felt like they were still holding her, even after he set her down. Muscles twitching. Hands clenched so tight his fingers ached. His lungs burned, throat raw, heart pounding so loud it was almost disorienting. Like his body hadn’t caught up to the fact that they’d made it.

Made it where, though?

Sunnyvale wasn’t supposed to feel like this.

Not under these streetlights. Not in this quiet, glowing downtown. Not with Alice bleeding on a bench under a lamppost that flickered like something out of a horror movie parody.

He looked around, expecting—hoping—someone would move.

Help. Ask. See them.

But they didn’t.

They just watched.

Blank stares. Shrinking glances. Pretending it was someone else’s nightmare bleeding out under a light dusting of fairy lights.

And Caleb?

He wanted to scream.

Because Alice was right. This wasn’t supposed to happen here. Not in their town. Not in her town. The curse didn’t come with cobblestone sidewalks and overpriced cupcakes and garden benches with commemorative plaques.

It stayed in Shadyside. It was supposed to stay in Shadyside.

But now?

Now Tommy Slater had crossed the line.

And everything they’d ever been told—about the boundary, the safety, the lie of the zip code—was crumbling.

“Alice—” he started, his voice hoarse, already digging into his jacket for his phone. He could barely feel his fingers. They weren’t listening to him.

But she was.

She grabbed his wrist—grabbed it—with a kind of strength that didn’t come from muscles. It came from will. From survival. From the girl who’d just limped through hell and still had the clarity to say what needed to be said.

“Call Max. Right now.”

And he did.

He didn’t hesitate.

Because if Alice Mae—sharp, stubborn, saw-through-everything Alice—sounded scared? Then it was already worse than bad.

His thumb hovered just a second too long on Max’s contact before he hit Call. The ring buzzed in his ear, and he looked around again—really looked.

At the couple pretending not to see them.

At the kid biking faster, like if he didn’t look back, it wouldn’t matter.

At the town that told them this wasn’t possible.

Caleb turned his back on all of them.

Kneeling in front of Alice, he curled one hand around her uninjured ankle, grounding her, grounding himself as the phone rang.

And rang.

And rang.

Please, Max. Pick up.

Because the curse didn’t just knock tonight.

It kicked the fucking door in.