# Chapter 255:

# Chapter 255:
Melinda's POV

Michael and I locked eyes, the decision made in an instant. We needed to run.

We burst from our hiding spot, sprinting in the opposite direction from the Strays. The sudden movement triggered immediate howls behind us – they'd spotted us. Michael's hand gripped mine tightly as we wove between trees, branches whipping past our faces.

"Don't look back!" Michael shouted, pulling me forward with supernatural speed.

But I could hear them gaining – the thundering of paws, snapping jaws, and feral growls growing louder with each passing second. My lungs burned, legs screaming in protest as we pushed deeper into the darkening forest.

Then I felt it – something inside me shifting, awakening. A strange energy pulsed through my veins, gathering in my chest like a ball of lightning. The sensation was foreign yet somehow familiar, as if I'd always had this power dormant within me.

A flash of lightning split the sky overhead, illuminating the forest in stark white for a split second. In that same moment, I felt an answering spark inside me, electricity seeming to course through my body.

"Michael..." I gasped, stumbling slightly.

"Keep going!" he urged, his eyes wide with fear – not for himself, but for me.

But the energy was building, demanding release. I couldn't outrun it or the creatures behind us. Something inside told me I didn't need to.

I stopped abruptly, yanking Michael to a halt beside me.

"Melinda, what are you—"

I turned to face our pursuers, feeling Michael tense beside me, ready to defend us to the death. The Strays were closing in, barely twenty yards away now, their misshapen forms grotesque in the fading light.

I took a deep breath and focused inward, seeking that core of energy I'd felt moments before. It responded instantly, rushing up to meet my call, expanding outward from my chest through my limbs. I concentrated harder, channeling it through my entire being.

The world around me seemed to fade away – Michael's worried voice, the Strays' growls, the rustle of leaves – all of it disappearing into a strange, profound silence.

When I opened my eyes, the scene before me had transformed.

The Strays stood frozen in place, as if someone had pressed pause on a movie. The leader – the one with the intelligent orange eyes – was caught mid-stride, one paw lifted awkwardly. Another had its jaws open in a silent snarl, saliva suspended in droplets before its teeth. None of them moved. They simply... stopped.

"What the..." Michael's voice broke the silence, thick with disbelief. He stepped forward, waving a hand in front of the nearest Stray's unblinking eyes. The creature merely blinked mechanically, otherwise remaining perfectly still.

I stared at my hands, then back at the Strays, feeling simultaneously powerful and terrified. "I... I don't know what I just did."

I approached the leader cautiously, its orange eyes following my movement while the rest of its body remained frozen. I passed my hand in front of its face, and its eyes tracked me, but nothing else responded.

"Melinda," Michael whispered, his voice a mix of awe and concern. "How did you do that?"

I shook my head, still stunned by what had happened. "I don't know. I just... felt this energy inside me, and then..." I gestured helplessly at the stationary creatures.

We backed away slowly, neither of us willing to test how long this strange effect might last. Once we were a safe distance from the frozen Strays, Michael grabbed my hand and we continued forward at a fast walk.

"Have you ever done anything like that before?" he asked, glancing back over his shoulder every few seconds.

"Never," I replied. "I knew I had... something. But not this."

As we moved through the forest, the light faded further, leaving us in near darkness. Michael's enhanced vision guided us forward while my mind raced with questions. What exactly had I done to those Strays? How long would they remain frozen? And most importantly – could I do it again if needed?

After about forty minutes of walking, we reached the edge of the forest. In the distance, illuminated by perimeter lights, stood the Lancaster mansion. Even from here, I could see it was essentially a fortress – an elegant stone structure surrounded by high walls and multiple guard posts.

"We need to find a way in," Michael murmured, pulling me behind a large oak tree at the forest's edge.

We moved along the treeline, circling toward where Michael remembered a side entrance from his previous visit. But as we got closer, my heart sank. The mansion's security had clearly been doubled since our last escape. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter in pairs, and even the side entrance Michael had mentioned was now heavily monitored.

"Damn it," Michael hissed as we crouched behind a cluster of bushes. "There's no way in."

I bit my lip, watching the methodical movements of the guards. If not for the light rain and growing darkness, we would have been spotted already. The wet leaves provided cover for our sounds, but approaching the house seemed impossible.

"We could wait," I suggested, "see if there's a shift change or something."

Michael nodded, and we settled into our hiding spot, watching for any pattern or weakness in the security. The rain intensified slightly, providing additional cover but also making us increasingly uncomfortable as we huddled together, clothes gradually soaking through.

After what felt like hours, we observed a guard rotation, but it offered no opportunity – the replacements arrived before the previous guards left their posts. There wasn't a single moment when any entrance was unobserved.

"This is impossible," I whispered, my voice tight with frustration. "And if the outside is this secure, I can only imagine what it's like inside."

"We could try," he admitted reluctantly. "There's a small chance they've been ordered to bring us in rather than... well, kill us. It might get us inside, at least."

He hesitated, and I could sense there was something else bothering him.

"They'll search us, take anything we might use as weapons," he continued, voice dropping even lower. "And..."

His voice trailed off, but I understood his concern. I hadn't brought much in terms of weapons – what good would ordinary weapons do against someone like Selena anyway? Then I remembered something – before we buried Richard, Matthew had slipped something to Michael. Something small that Michael had quickly pocketed. Whatever it was, he clearly didn't want to lose it.

"Either way is risky," Michael added, eyeing the guards' weapons. "For all we know, their orders are to shoot us on sight."

I nodded, knowing he was probably right. Well, to shoot him on sight. Me, they'd keep alive – my death would mean Selena's death, and she wouldn't risk that. But I couldn't let them hurt Michael.

My teeth worried at my lower lip as I considered our limited options.

Then, without fully understanding why, I stood up.

Michael's hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. "Melinda!" he hissed. "What are you doing?!"

I looked down at him, a strange calm washing over me. "Trust me," I said softly.

Something inside me – perhaps the same energy I'd felt earlier – told me this was the right move. Despite Michael's attempt to pull me back, I gently extracted myself from his grip and stepped out from behind the bushes.

The open ground between the forest and the mansion felt impossibly vast as I began walking forward, rain glistening on my hair and clothes. I sensed Michael behind me, following reluctantly, ready to protect me at any cost.

It didn't take long for the guards to notice us. Shouts rang out, flashlight beams cutting through the rain to find us. I kept walking steadily, focusing on the energy building inside me again, that core of power expanding with each step.

"Stop where you are!" a guard shouted, raising his weapon.

Several guards ran toward us, guns trained on our approaching figures. I continued forward, the energy inside me growing stronger, more insistent.

"Hands up! Now!" another guard demanded.

"Melinda!" Michael shouted, suddenly bursting past me to place himself between me and the guards, arms spread wide to shield me with his body.

The guards immediately shifted their aim to Michael. "Get down on the ground! Both of you!" one yelled, his finger visibly tightening on the trigger.

I closed my eyes, concentrating on the power building inside me, blocking out the shouts and threats. The energy swelled, filling every part of me until I felt I might burst with it.

Then, just as before, the world fell silent.

I opened my eyes to find the guards frozen in place, just like the Strays had been. One guard's arm hung awkwardly in mid-air, his weapon seemingly too heavy for his suddenly non-responsive muscles. The others stood like statues, eyes wide and staring, bodies locked in position.

Michael slowly lowered his arms, turning to look at me with an expression of utter amazement.

"You did it again," he whispered. "How are you doing this?"

I shook my head, equally astonished. "I don't know."

I walked up to the nearest guard and waved my hand in front of his face. His eyes blinked mechanically, but otherwise, he remained immobile.

I didn't know how long this effect would last, but I knew we had just been given an opportunity – perhaps our only chance to enter the mansion and find Selena.

"Come on," I said to Michael, my voice steadier than I felt. "Let's go while we can."