PROLOGUE- HELL'S PROMISE - V

The sound of someone walking up the stairs wakes me from my already waning state of rest. Turning my head to the door, I see it still closed. Somewhat reassured, I let myself roll back over when I notice those footsteps start moving down the hall toward me and Chloe's room. Stopping just outside the door. I sit up in bed, unsure if I should announce that I had heard them coming. It has to be mom right? How could it not be? I mean, there's no one else living here right now. I take a deep breath and clutch the blanket tight.

The sound of the doorknob being grabbed tight sends my mind into a frenzy. I'm just being paranoid, I know that, but surely mom would have said something by now right? The doorknob begins to turn, gently as my heart starts to throb. God, just get this over with. The door is pushed open, and standing there, with her back pointed to us, is mom. I feel my heart start to relax for just a moment. A smile forms on my face, even though, it is weird she isn't looking at us. I guess she may not want us to see a pimple or something? Most be a girl thing.

"Mom?" I ask. In response, I get a gentle chuckle, before I watch her grab ahold of her head and...twist...it...the sound of her spine struggling against the movement before finally snapping and cracking and pulling on the connected nerves and veins till they're shreds makes my whole body tense up. I feel my mouth starting to fall open as my mother's empty eye sockets, save for disturbing fingers gently poking out as if to peer at us, bore into me, while her smile keeps me frozen.

"Wrong, you fucking dirty little brat." The voice coming from her mouth is so familiar it makes me wanna cry. Him. It's him, and now he's back to kill me. I wanna scream but my body works faster than the thought that I even should. I grab the book and go to shake awake Chloe before pulling her out of bed as our mother's body comes stumbling forward with a knife I hadn't seen yet. I scream, charging ahead and slamming into the bastard's belly, making him winded as me and the waking Chloe. The sound of it chasing us as I bring us down stairs is enough to flat out terrify me. I don't wanna die I don't wanna die damnit damnit!

I force myself to get into the storage closet. Carefully shutting the door so he can't know which area we're in. I hear the sounds of his racing footsteps turn to walking ones as he begins moving around just outside. Chloe has her mouth covered to avoid making any noise while that ass is still out there. I hold my breath, backing away from the door/ Maybe he'll think we snuck out or something? Oh that would be so perfect. As I imagine the scenario, I feel the book in my hand start to softly vibrate.

I open it up to see what's going on. To my surprise, new words have appeared. Rather than just the simple date from before, an entire sentence is waiting there for me. 

August 2nd. I offer my power to  Chris and Chloe Hendricks. Do they accept?

...

Walking through the downstairs, the possessed body was starting to feel tingly. Something was fighting back. Not the woman's soul, no, that had left already. The body smiled. The other piece laughed gently as the rest of the soul fought for control.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me, you battered and tore up your family, but you can't bear to see them die? What a worthless joke. Tell me, did choking the life out of your own wife change your mind-" The body's hand grasps tight around the neck, squeezing tight. The voice is choked, before chuckling. "How fun. I was right to choose you at the gate. Letting you just be punished would have been such a waste!" The other hand comes up and pulls away the first, before snapping that wrist. "There we go, that solves that problem, doesn't it?"

Turning its attention to the bathroom, the thing kicks the door in, finding no one inside. It clicks its tongue before moving further into the house.

...

"Do they accept?" What the hell? I gulp. Staring down at the page, I watch in real time as a little box forms on the page, with the words BLEED HERE being written under it. I feel my skin starting to crawl. What the hell kind of book did I get my hands on. Chloe seems just as horrified as me, her entire self shivering. The sounds of doors being broken coming from beyond our door isn't helping the situation. I grit my teeth. Is this thing really gonna help us? No, what other choices do we have? It's not like we have an actual fighting chance physically. Do we just...hope for the best? It seems like that's the case. With a shivering breath, I look over at Chloe who seems to be giving a look like I'm insane for even considering this. The sound of that thing moving closer to our hideout seems to be all the convincing she needs though, looking around and finding dad's old pocket knife.

We desperately make cuts on our hands and bleed over the specified spot when the door starts to bang. Shit, we're too late! I grab Chloe and move her behind me as I notice more words forming on the book's first page. FIRE'S FALLING ARROW- DRAW THE INCANTATION ON YOURSELF TO CAST. The door begins to quiver once more. I desperately squeeze on my wound, bleeding into my other hand before drawing out what I guessed was the incantation (a funny looking symbol that was created next to the words. The door finally gives, and the thing that took over our mom stands just before us, ready to plunge it's filthy knife into one of us. I hold up the hand I drew on and silently pray to god this works.

"FIRE'S FALLING ARROW!"