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    Breathe
    Breathe
    Breathe
    Ebook73 pages54 minutes

    Breathe

    By Dax Varley

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Hayden McKaley sneaks out past bedtime, never expecting the worst. She wakes the next morning in a strange house, her ankles and wrists bound.

    Her captor—a man wearing a Yoda mask—is mourning his son, a boy so fixated on Hayden he'd created an art journal of his obsession. But this diary holds more than flattering sketches and endearing love poems. It tells of a boy's bent mind, his appetite for self-injury, and an addiction to playing The Game.

    Now his grieving father seeks revenge.

    The man's vengeance is simple—agony and pain. Can Hayden unmask the beast and escape his endless torture? Or will she end up like his son?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDax Varley
    Release dateFeb 17, 2019
    ISBN9781386457596
    Breathe

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      Book preview

      Breathe - Dax Varley

      BREATHE

      DAX VARLEY

      Also by Dax Varley

      Sleepy Hollow

      Return to Sleepy Hollow

      Bleed

      Sinful

      Spellbound and Determined

      Nightmare House

      Lost Girl

      Second Sight

      Never miss another new book!

      Follow me on Bookbub

      for notices about new releases.

      ––––––––

      Connect with the author:

      Facebook

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      DaxVarley.com

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1

      Chapter 2

      Day One

      Chapter 3

      Chapter 4

      Chapter 5

      Chapter 6

      Chapter 7

      Chapter 8

      Day Two

      Chapter 9

      Chapter 10

      Chapter 11

      Chapter 12

      Chapter 13

      Day Three

      Chapter 14

      Chapter 15

      Chapter 16

      Chapter 17

      Chapter 18

      Chapter 19

      Alternate Ending #1

      Alternate Ending #2

      About the Author

      Chapter 1

      Can you hear me, Hayden?

      Dr. Taylor’s voice always sounds deep and calm, like Professor Snape’s, but today it’s especially soothing. Yes, I answer.

      Good. Just relax. Ignore all else and listen only to my voice.

      That’s easy. It’s so hypnotic I float.

      "Now, Hayden, let’s again go over that night."

      I panic, feeling his voice fade.

      Hayden, he says with urgency, stay with me.

      I have no choice. It’s impossible to resist his command.

      Relax, he says again. Just breathe, I tell myself. But I find that I can’t.

      We need to discuss that night.

      No, I blurt.

      Hayden, he says, his voice pure honey, keep in mind, if you cooperate, this could be our last session.

      If only that were true. Do you swear?

      I swear. If you tell me what I need to know, there’ll be no reason for you to come back.

      I feel light again, even though it’s a promise he’s made before. Maybe this time.

      Now, he says gently, start at the beginning, and, hopefully, today, you can make it to the end.

      Agitation ripples through me. Easy, he says. I’ll be here with you every step of the way. Okay?

      Okay.

      Now, tell me what happened. From the beginning.

      The beginning? Oh yeah, the text from Sarah...

      Chapter 2

      We’re going to the midnight showing of Brain Damage. Meet me at the AMC at 10:30. I want to beat the crowd. And don’t you dare wuss out on me. Wuss out? Like that would happen. I’d been counting down to that movie for weeks. I didn’t think I’d be seeing it so soon though.

      I texted back: I’ll be there, so don’t you wuss out.

      Her: No way.

      I dropped my phone on the bed and planned it out. I couldn’t just waltz out on a Thursday night—a school night—or Dad would pop a vein. But it’s not like I hadn’t snuck out before. I changed out of my sleep sweats, reapplied my makeup, and turned on the white noise machine to fool the folks. In the darkness of my room, I raised the window and crept out.

      I drove to the AMC in record time, but holy crap! Was this a movie or Mardi Gras? I’d seen fewer people at airports. Given no choice, I parked way out in Egypt and killed the engine. So much for beating the crowd. Where are you? I texted to Sarah before getting out.

      Where are you? she texted back.

      I gave her the precise location, which felt closer to the highway than the theater. Stay there. I’ll come find your car.

      What about tickets?

      Got them.

      Yes! I waited, the seconds ticking. Seconds that turned into minutes.

      Where are you? I typed again. Where are you? she returned. I don’t see your car. I’m parked next to a blue Subaru. Another minute fell away.

      My phone dinged. I still don’t see you. Can you get out and wave your arms. Jesus, we could’ve found each other faster in the crowded theater. K. I opened the door, stepped out, and slammed it shut. Just then, someone came from behind, wrapped an arm around my neck, and squeezed. What the... At first I thought it was Sarah trying to scare me. No. Too strong and masculine. I clutched at the arm, fighting back. That was when the person jabbed a needle in my neck. The prick of it burned like a wasp sting, then heat trickled through my veins. I kicked out...

      Once...

      Twice...

      Then the parking lot melted away.

      DAY ONE

      Chapter 3

      My eyelids slowly lifted. I blinked, trying to focus. My head throbbed and my stomach protested. Where am I? When the daze cleared from my groggy brain, I remembered. The parking lot.

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