#Chapter 86: Darkness Before The Dawn

My head swam, and my heart pounded in my chest as I stumbled through the garden, the night air cold against my skin. The effects of whatever potion Ava had forced down my throat were taking hold fast, and I felt like I was moving through thick fog. It was so hard for me to move, to stand, to know what was happening. My legs felt like they were moving through a pool of honey. Why couldn’t I move right? Why couldn’t I think straight? What was going on? Panic gripped me as I tried to stay upright, my vision blurring at the edges. “Monica!” I called out, my voice trembling, barely above a whisper. “Anyone…?” Silence was my only answer, broken only by the sound of my own ragged breathing. I could hear faint laughter from the party in the distance, but it felt a million miles away. Ava’s laughter still echoed in my ears, her taunts replaying in my mind. “You should be scared, Ella.” Ava had said. But what did she mean? She’d forced this aphrodisiac potion down my throat for a reas