When Riley was done, she held the lighter up, tears streaming down her cheeks. They deserved this, didn't they? They made her heart ache so badly that she once thought about ending it all after this.
But she stopped. No matter how poorly they treated her, no matter how foolish they made her feel all these years, burning them down wouldn't ease her pain. It wouldn't fix what they broke inside her.
She told herself she wasn't a murderer. Riley shook her head and walked back to her car, her heart heavy like a stone in her chest. This was the saddest day of her life, and she knew it.
Looking around, she noticed his Ferrari parked beside the garden. Scott adored that car more than anything. If something happened to it, he would lose his mind.
Her eyes darted around until she found a stick lying by the driveway. She picked it up, her lips curling into a painful smile as she walked toward the car.
"What the hell are you doing with that?" Scott's voice came from his bedroom window. He had no idea what was about to happen would break his heart too.
Without a second thought, Riley lifted the stick and smashed the glass window of the car. The sound of shattering glass filled the air, followed by Scott's frantic scream.
"Riley! Stop!" he shouted in disbelief. But she didn't stop. When she went for the second window, panic took over him. He rushed to stop her, but it was too late.
Riley was fast with whatever she was doing. The car was a complete mess by the time she was done.
When Scott finally rushed downstairs, it was already too late. His face went pale with horror as he watched his fiancée drive away, a wild, broken smile on her face.
She had just ruined his life in one single moment. The car wasn't even fully paid for yet. Now, it was destroyed, and he had no idea how he was supposed to get the money to fix or replace it—especially now that he was no longer part of her world, no longer entitled to even a piece of her property.
*****
It all started years ago, when she believed their feelings were mutual. Riley had loved him from childhood, ever since they grew up in the same neighborhood.
Her father's status had improved over the years, and she had moved to a different part of Mistvale, where the elite lived. But she had never forgotten Scott.
Her best friend Angela always teased her, asking what she saw in him. To Angela, he was no good match for Riley.
But Riley saw something different. Scott had never given her a reason to panic or to think he would betray her.
And yet, both he and Betty had turned her world upside down this morning. They had given her enemies a reason to rejoice.
She had expected any thing from Betty. They were cousins, but had never liked each other because of the differences in their families' status.
Betty's father had never taken life seriously. He was a gambler who could not save a dime. His mistakes had cost his family a lot, and instead of learning from it, he had blamed Riley's parents.
That had caused a rift between Riley and her cousin, one that only grew worse with time. Betty's attitude had been cruel and unnecessary. She was the most frustrating person to be around.
The phone rang again, the seventh time, and Riley knew she had to pick up. It had to be Angela or her parents. They must have found out the truth about her job.
She slowed down and took the phone. A strange number flashed on the screen. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she swiped to answer. A deep, masculine voice came through. "Is this Riley Stones, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stones?"
Riley's heart skipped. "Yes… this is she. Who is this?"
"I don't think that matters right now," the man said, his voice steady. "There's been a fatal accident on the highway…"
"I… I don't work with the hospital anymore," Riley said, reaching to end the call. "You should call 911 instead. Bye, mister…"
"No. Don't hang up," he interrupted, letting out a heavy sigh. "Your family… they were in a car accident coming back from the mall. No one survived… not even the truck that hit them."
Riley slammed on the brakes. Her body jerked forward and her head nearly hit the steering wheel. Those words… they couldn't be real.
"Miss Riley… are you okay?" The caller's voice stayed gentle, worried, searching for a sign of life in her words.
She couldn't speak. Her lips parted, but nothing came out. Her heart pounded in her chest as her mind tried and failed to process the news.
Her family… gone? All of them? Was this some sick joke?
Her hands shook as she ended the call. She tried both her parents' numbers. Switched off. Panic clawed higher.
Just as she reached for her friend's number, a message popped up from her neighbor. "Have you heard the news?"
"No… no," Riley cried as she drove, turning onto the path that led deep into the woods. Her hands gripped the wheel tightly, her mind spinning with thoughts she couldn't control. Today was not supposed to happen. What had she just heard?
Her family… they were all gone? Just like that? No warning. No chance to say goodbye. All four of them, wiped from the world in a single moment.
If life wanted to punish her, it could hit her directly. But why them? Why her family? Why the people who had given her life meaning, the ones she shared every laugh, every hope, every secret with? How could she go on without them?
Her phone buzzed. She looked down, her vision blurred by tears. The notification confirmed it: her family had been in a fatal accident. They were gone.
Riley did not slow down. She did not see the road. Time seemed to stretch, and then, suddenly, the car slammed into a giant tree. Pain exploded in her forehead as it hit the steering wheel. She gasped, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the emptiness gnawing at her heart.
Smoke curled from the front of the car. Riley stumbled out, clutching herself as grief swallowed her. "God, if you really exist then why? If there is any supernatural being watching then why me? I saved lives every day and never took any on purpose, so why my family?"
She fell to the ground, not caring that her arm and forehead were bleeding. She let out a loud cry of pain but it did nothing to ease the storm inside her.
"Did I truly deserve this pain?" she cried, her face covered with tears, blood and sweat. "I will not wish this on my worse enemy. Let me die. I want to die."
The woods fell silent except for her voice. Never in her life had she thought a day would come when she would even think about ending her life, but here she was, crushed under a pain she could not understand.
Her phone rang from inside the car. She did not want to stand up. She did not want to hear any voice, but she knew this was not the time to shut the world out. She had to bury her family before leaving this world. It was the last respect she could give them.
Riley forced herself to stand and walked to the car. She picked up the phone. The screen was cracked but it still worked. It was Angela calling.
She answered, leaning weakly against the damaged car. "My baby girl. I heard what happened but I wanted to confirm everything before telling you..."
"I know about the accident," Riley whispered as her voice shook in pain. "I lost them all."
"I feel your pain, Riley. I truly do," her friend said, and Riley could hear she had been crying too. "But your mom needs a blood transfusion. It is urgent."
"My mom?"
"Yes, Riley. She is the only one that survived."
"My mom survived?" Riley still could not believe it. Did she hear the news wrongly at first? Her mom survived? Someone from her family was still alive and here she was, ready to give up on herself.
"I will pick you up so we can go to the hospital," her friend told her. "Send me your location."
Riley nodded and ended the call. She shared her location quickly before looking around. Her heart jumped when she saw the black Hitchcock bird sitting right where she had been crying. It was not there a moment ago, so where did it come from?
But this was the woods. Anything could appear here. It was not her concern right now.
Riley rushed through the woods, her legs weak but moving. She kept going until she reached the roadside, waiting for her friend to pick her up.
******
The tears and blood of the chosenone sank into the ground where she had fallen. It moved fast, like something alive, slipping through the soil until it touched his lips.
The earth shivered. The ground cracked open as the air shifted. The sky turned dark without warning. A thick fog rushed through the woods, swallowing everything in seconds while the deep rumble of the earthquake rolled across the land.
The grave had been made to be the deepest ever known to man. It was created to keep the creature buried forever, to make sure it never rose again. But this morning, it opened on its own, and the fog poured out from its heart. Deep inside the grave lay a pale, lifeless body of a man.
No one could see his full features yet. His hands and legs were crossed as he lay on his back, untouched for centuries.
The creature tasted the mix of blood and tears on his lips. It was the first time in ages he had felt anything. The taste cut through the silence inside him and sent a sharp signal through every frozen part of his body. His eyes snapped open.
Those who knew him. Those who once served him. They all knew what this meant.
The devil had awoken.