During Samantha's senior year at Cain University!
(Timeline is towards the end of Fallen Crest Forever.)
Originally published as part of the USA Today bestselling anthology Eye Candy, Fallen Crest Nightmare brings readers the characters—and the scares—in this companion novella to Tijan’s New York Times bestselling world! This novella also includes a never before published bonus scene from this Halloween tale.
The characters of the popular Fallen Crest series are back together for a night of mischief!
Sam, Mason, and the rest of the gang enter a Halloween-themed weekend with pumpkin carving, a girls’ night out, and a terrifying haunted house, but the weekend takes a turn into something far more sinister….
I couldn’t--another gut-wrenching scream. This one wasn’t from Heather. It was me, and that voice, that person who was in the back of my mind pulled away from me. It wasn’t safe to be in my body right now, and as I crumpled to the floor, still screaming, knowing I would hurt my vocal chords from the octave of screaming I was doing--I pulled away. I passed Mason, who sprinted behind me, his hand automatically reaching to comfort me, but also to steady himself.
I was floating backwards.
Away from them.
Up the stairs.
Through the house.
Out the front door.
Past Mason’s Escalade.
All the way down the street.
And then I heard that voice in my head again, but it wasn’t Taylor’s and it wasn’t mine anymore. It wasn’t sad, or soothing, or laughing. It was someone else’s and he said, “Come back to me, Samantha.”
I was floating backwards.
Away from them.
Up the stairs.
Through the house.
Out the front door.
Past Mason’s Escalade.
All the way down the street.
And then I heard that voice in my head again, but it wasn’t Taylor’s and it wasn’t mine anymore. It wasn’t sad, or soothing, or laughing. It was someone else’s and he said, “Come back to me, Samantha.”
His eyes skimmed over my costume, then Heather’s. “Uh. Do I ask what you guys are?”
I snorted. “Not the time for that.”
“Okay.” He nodded, then his hand dropped from his neck. “Oh. Hey. Where’s Taylor?”
“My body’s temperature dropped two degrees. My blood was ice-cold again. “What do you mean?” I felt a lump form in my throat, and keep growing. I knew. I so knew what he was going to say, and I had known it from the beginning.
Something happened to Taylor.
He spoke, and a buzz started in my ears. His words sounded like they were coming from a distance. “She said she was with you guys today. She didn’t come to the party tonight?”
I saw Heather gasp. I didn’t hear it.
Her mouth dropped open. Her eyes shot to mine, and the small amount of color she’d gotten back drained once again from her face.
Something had happened to Taylor.
The alarms were blaring in my head, but I coughed, forced that fucking lump away, and managed, “Uh. I’ll give her a call once we get home.”
We couldn’t panic.
Not yet.
I had to get back to the house. I’d heard that ringtone. I’d rip the fucking house apart if need be.
I snorted. “Not the time for that.”
“Okay.” He nodded, then his hand dropped from his neck. “Oh. Hey. Where’s Taylor?”
“My body’s temperature dropped two degrees. My blood was ice-cold again. “What do you mean?” I felt a lump form in my throat, and keep growing. I knew. I so knew what he was going to say, and I had known it from the beginning.
Something happened to Taylor.
He spoke, and a buzz started in my ears. His words sounded like they were coming from a distance. “She said she was with you guys today. She didn’t come to the party tonight?”
I saw Heather gasp. I didn’t hear it.
Her mouth dropped open. Her eyes shot to mine, and the small amount of color she’d gotten back drained once again from her face.
Something had happened to Taylor.
The alarms were blaring in my head, but I coughed, forced that fucking lump away, and managed, “Uh. I’ll give her a call once we get home.”
We couldn’t panic.
Not yet.
I had to get back to the house. I’d heard that ringtone. I’d rip the fucking house apart if need be.