ELISA'S POV.
I stepped out of Festus’ house and immediately felt the chill of the night air crawl over my skin. The darkness of the woods closed in around me, and a twinge of fear ran through me. I had been so caught up in talking with Festus that I hadn’t even noticed how late it was. Now, walking under the shadowed trees, the weight of my mistake pressed down on my chest.
Stupid. So stupid, I scolded myself. Why did I stay so long? Why did I let myself get carried away? And it’s not like I got any real answers anyway—just more questions.
I quickened my pace, my shoes crunching against the dry leaves scattered over the forest floor. My heart raced as I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling gnawing at the edges of my mind. Every shadow seemed darker than the last; every rustle of leaves
