My lungs are burning as we race through the dark woods, the full moon illuminating a narrow path ahead. Axel's grip on my hand is like a vise, pulling me along at a frantic pace.
I can hear Cassie and Jim crashing through the underbrush behind us, getting closer with every second.
We burst into a clearing and I see it - the old stone well I used to play by as a child. Without hesitation, Axel and I sprint across the open ground. We reach the well and he lifts me onto the crumbling stone ledge. I grip the edges, peering down into the inky blackness below.
Axel braces himself against the side of the well, ready to climb in after me. But before he can, Cassie and Jim erupt from the trees, eyes wild.
"You're not getting away!" Cassie shrieks. "Give me the book!"
I clutch the book to my ch
