This is my first novel and I am hoping to improve as I write more. Please give me suggestions and feedback.
1
Craig suddenly appeared in the middle of dinner and grabbed his son. Mark was caught off guard and didn't understand what was happening. As he was pulled away, Mark could see the fear in his father's eyes, a sight he had never witnessed before. This filled him with a sense of confusion and dread.
"What's happening, Dad?"
Before he could get an answer, his mother whisked him away down the hallway.
She led Mark to the hatch that led to the root cellar. The steep, rickety stairs creaked under their weight as they made their way down and Mark could feel his heart pounding in his chest.
Once they reached the cellar, his mother ushered Mark into a cabinet that Craig had built last winter.
Her hands shook as she pushed him in. "Stay here and be quiet, no matter what you hear," she whispered urgently, her eyes filling with tears.
Mark felt a lump form in his throat as he realized how scared his mother was. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew he had to do as he was told.
He nodded silently.
She cupped his cheek, planted a final kiss on his forehead, and then closed the cabinet door.
And that was the last time he saw his parents alive.
As the door closed shut, he was plunged into darkness. It was cramped and he had to crouch to fit inside. The air was stale and musty, and he could smell the earth and the dampness. He couldn't hear anything except the sound of his own breathing and his heart pounding in his chest. He wondered what was happening, and why they had to hide in this dark and cramped space.
He hugged his knees and tried to make himself as small as possible. His mind raced with questions and fears, but he pushed them aside and focused on being quiet and staying hidden. He knew that something was happening, something dangerous, and he didn't want to do anything that would threaten their safety.
Suddenly, a harsh voice broke through the silence, causing Mark's heart to skip a beat. "We have ways to make you talk, Craig," the voice spat out. A loud crash echoed through the room, followed by the sound of his mother's screams, sounding even more distressed than before.
"Tell us where you hid him, now, or we'll hurt her again!"
His mother's cries tore through him, igniting a nauseating dread.
The voice of another person spoke up, sounding older and more menacing. It didn't sound angry, yet it sent shivers down Mark's spine.
"We don't have time. Hurry up."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Mark felt as if he was listening to a man surrounded by monsters.
"Don't bother lying to us, Encante," the voice said with a sneer. "Your fellow magi told us all about the pretty little runt you have. You really thought you could hide him from us."
He heard his mother's voice. "You guys must be really scared, huh?"
Suddenly, there was a sharp slapping sound, followed by a whimper from her. Mark's heart sank at the sound of his mother's pain.
The atmosphere in the small root cellar became suffocatingly tense as the intruders' threats grew more menacing. Mark's heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to stay as still and silent as possible, praying.
But their luck ran out when one of the intruders growled, "We don't have time for this. Just kill them both and let's get out of here."
Mark's blood ran cold at the words, and he felt a sickening sense of dread settle in his stomach. He couldn't believe this was happening - that their lives were being threatened like this. He wanted to scream and fight back.
He listened intently as he heard the sound of two loud bangs, followed by a sudden silence. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he felt as though he was holding his breath. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. For a few moments, there was complete silence, and Mark felt as though he was the only person left in the world. Then he heard the sound of the intruders leaving. He could hear their footsteps growing fainter and fainter until they disappeared entirely.
He slowly opened the cabinet door and stepped out, his heart racing with fear and confusion. He goes up to the living room. The moment he stepped into the living room, the sight that greeted him was nothing short of a nightmare.
His parents lay motionless on the ground, their lifeless eyes staring blankly ahead. Blood pooled around them, seeping into the floorboards. Nausea washed over him, and he stumbled backwards, tripping over a chair and landing hard on the ground.
Tears streamed down his face as he crawled over to his parents, hoping against hope that they were just unconscious. But they were gone.
He sat there, in shock and disbelief, for what felt like hours. He couldn't believe that his parents were dead, that his whole world had been ripped apart in a matter of moments. His mind raced with questions - who were those people, and why did they do this? Why did they kill his parents?
Just then Lida arrived at the scene, panting and out of breath. She had been searching for Mark and found him standing in the middle of the living room, staring blankly at his parents' lifeless bodies.
"Oh my god, Mark. What happened? Are you okay?"
Mark turned to her, tears streaming down his face. He could barely bring himself to speak, but he managed to choke out the words. "They're gone, Lida. They killed them."
The weight of his words hung in the air, a suffocating fog of tragedy. Just as they were trying to navigate this new, nightmarish reality, a soft creak echoed from the doorway. Both heads swiveled in unison to find an intruder materializing on the threshold.
Adrenaline surged through Mark's veins, but it was as if his limbs were made of lead. He was a child who had just seen the pillars of his world crumble; what was he supposed to do now?
As the intruder stepped into the room, Lida quickly grabbed a nearby vase and hurled it at him, hoping to buy them some time. But the intruder dodged it with ease and lunged towards them with his knife.
Without a moment's hesitation, Lida extended her hand and chanted a spell under her breath. A blast of energy shot out of her palm, hitting the intruder squarely in the chest. He stumbled back, gasping for air, but quickly recovered and charged towards them again.
Lida knew she had to act fast. She concentrated all her power and summoned a fierce whirlwind that engulfed the intruder, lifting him off his feet and slamming him against the wall with a sickening thud.
The intruder lay motionless on the ground, blood trickling from his nose and ears. Lida knew she had killed him, but she didn't feel any remorse. It was either him or them, and she had chosen to protect herself and Mark.
Mark stared at her. "How did you do........?"
"I'll explain later," Lida said, her eyes scanning the room for any other threats. "Right now, we need to leave. We can't stay here any longer."
After 2 days.....
Lida sprinted down the labyrinthine alley, each twist and turn guided by memories that cut through the enveloping darkness. She clutched the boy tightly to her chest, aware that he was too heavy to carry for long. However, she needed to flee and hide while she still had the chance. As she ran, Mark wept quietly in her arms, confused about what was happening.
Her lungs were burning as she reached the end of the path, and she was forced to lower Mark to the ground. "Shhhh.....be quiet," she whispered, and they both stood motionless, listening to the sounds of the night. Lida focused her thoughts, attempting to cast a spell that would conceal them from their pursuers. The spell was complex, draining, and as she felt the last vestiges of her energy siphon away, her knee buckled, bringing her crashing down to the ground.
"Mark, we have to go now," Lida said as she pulled him up from the ground.
The two of them dashed towards the forest, with Lida struggling to keep her footing as exhaustion began to set in. The path twisted and turned, and her legs ached from the strain of carrying him, but she refused to stop. Eventually, the roars and the sound of battle faded away, leaving them alone in the darkness.
Just when Lida thought they might have a chance, she felt a vice-like grip clamp down on her shoulder. Before she could even process the danger, she was yanked backward with such force that her feet flew out from under her. She hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, a sharp cry of pain escaping her lips as she made contact with earth.
A brutal kick to her abdomen left Lida gasping for air, each breath a ragged struggle.
She noticed a huge frame over her, breathing heavily with anger. He spat out curses and insults, his eyes narrowed into slits. Lida tried to scramble to her feet, but he was too quick, pushing her down again.
"You think you can elude us, little witch? You're only digging your own grave."
Lida's voice was a low growl, tinged with defiance. "I won't let you lay a finger on him."
His lips twisted into a sadistic grin. "Oh, we know all about your precious charge. He's the linchpin, the key to everything. And now that we have him, you're expendable."
Despair clawed at Lida, but she fought it back. She had failed to protect Mark, but she wasn't about to surrender. "You'll never get away with this," she hissed.
His laughter was a chilling echo in the night air. "We already have," he gloated, before delivering a vicious kick to Mark, eliciting a sharp cry from the boy.
Lida's eyes ignited with a fury that could scorch the earth. "Don't you dare touch him!" she roared.
"Oh, I plan to do much more than that. But first, you."
As the pursuer raised his knife, Lida's heart sank. She knew it was all over for them. But suddenly, his head exploded into a gory mess. Blood and brains splattered all over her and she gasped in shock and horror.
She turned her head to see Mark with his hands shining brightly. He had a look of fear on his face.
"Mark, what have you done?"
