The Runaway: A Stray Souls Story, Entry #10

Date: [06/24/2013]

It’s been thirteen years since I escaped the clutches of Aspen Falls, but the memories and scars are like permanent tattoos on my brain. The Inner Circle’s shadow still lurks in the corners of my mind, but tonight, there’s a glimmer of relief because I’ve finally made up my mind about what to do.

For the longest time, I was living life on the edge, dodging close calls and near-misses, always one step ahead but never truly free. Those night terrors that started haunting me after my escape? They’re still around, vivid nightmares teaming up with haunting screams. Whispers in the dark have stuck to me like glue, turning every moment into a creep-fest and robbing me of my sleep. It was during those dark hours of despair that I found the guts to face my deepest fear. So, I started writing it all down…

I sat there solo in that dim room, the air so tense you could cut it with a knife. With shaky hands, I began to spill everything I could remember onto the pages. As the words flowed, an odd calm washed over me. It felt like laying out their secrets, sharing my own truth, somehow put up a shield against the supernatural nightmare that had been haunting me for ages.

I like to think my words acted like an anchor, a reminder of the strength inside me. But even now, I’m on high alert. The cult’s influence knows no bounds, and I’m just a tiny speck in their twisted plan.

Time’s gone by, and I feel, well, as “safe” as one can in my shoes. Lately, this urge to spill my story has been growing. I spent so long convinced I couldn’t tell a soul, scared they’d accidentally summon the Inner Circle to my doorstep. Funny how time changes things, huh? The need to share what I’ve been through is starting to outweigh any fears.

I’m still going to be super careful. Sharing face-to-face has its own risks. So, for starters, I’m thinking of spilling it all anonymously on some shady corner of the internet, like a message board.

Let’s see if that helps…