The Witches Next Door... 🧙‍♀️

I froze, my heart slamming against my chest. The voice was unmistakable—one of the Buajis. The grip on my shoulder tightened, ice-cold fingers digging into my skin. I wanted to scream, to run, but my body refused to move.

"Let go of me!" I managed to choke out, my voice trembling with fear.

But the hand didn't budge. Instead, a faint chuckle rose from behind me, low and menacing. I could feel the presence of both Buajis now, their eyes watching me from the shadows. The faintest glow of their figures outlined in the dim light, their ancient, weathered faces twisted into unsettling grins.

"You should've listened," one of them whispered, her breath hot on my ear. "You should've stayed away."

My pulse quickened, panic threatening to overtake me. I wrenched my body free from their grip, stumbling back, but the ground beneath me seemed to shift, as if the very earth was pulling me down. I looked frantically around, searching for anything that could save me.

Then, I saw it—a flicker of light in the distance. It was the streetlamp near my building, just a few meters away. Without thinking, I turned and bolted toward it, my legs aching, my breath ragged in my throat.

I heard them behind me, their footsteps slow and deliberate, a rhythmic echo that seemed to grow louder with every passing second. The Buajis weren’t chasing me—they were walking toward me, letting the fear sink in, letting the tension build.

I reached the streetlamp, my hands trembling as I gripped its metal pole. For a moment, I thought I had escaped, that I was safe. But the feeling of their presence still hung heavy in the air, like a dark cloud, suffocating and relentless.

Then, the voice came again, this time not from behind me, but from all around. "You cannot escape what you are destined for," it whispered. "This is your home now, beta. You belong to us."

The ground beneath me trembled, and I felt a pull, like invisible strings latching onto me, tugging me toward the darkness of their house. Desperation surged within me. I couldn't go back there. I couldn’t.

But the pull grew stronger, as if the very universe was conspiring against me. My vision blurred, my legs gave way, and I collapsed to the ground, my head spinning.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back at the Buajis' doorstep, as if no time had passed at all. The door was wide open, waiting.

"Welcome home, beta," they said, their voices intertwining, chilling me to the bone.

I tried to scream, but no sound came out. They stepped forward, their hands reaching toward me, and I could feel the ancient power of their touch seep into my very soul.

There was no escape.

To Be Continued...