Dawn of Eve by MJ Howson (best ereader for students .txt) 📕

the bedroom doorframe shattered, causing Dawn to scream. The door whipped open. Jacob’s foot wavered as he lowered his leg to the ground and entered the room.

“Stay away!” Dawn yelled, tightening her arms around Eve. “Get out of here!”

Jacob remained silent, his chest heaving as he breathed. His hair, tattered and sloppy, dangled in front of his eyes. He walked to Dawn and grabbed the doll with one hand, using another to pin Dawn in place.

“Stop!” Dawn cried out. She tried to stand up and run, but Jacob was too strong, keeping her pressed into her bed. As she felt Eve slip from her grasp, Dawn screamed, “No!”

Jacob yanked the doll free, causing the bow to be ripped from the doll’s hair. He then walked to the terrace and opened the door.

“Stop!” Dawn jumped from her bed and began pummeling Jacob’s back and shoulders. “What are you doing?”

“Something I should have done a long time ago.”

Jacob stepped out onto the patio. The blood-red LED lighting from the top of the Spire hummed far above the penthouse. Everything on the terrace glowed from the pulsating light. Jacob crossed the patio carrying Eve upside down by her leg. Eve’s eyes snapped closed. He walked to the edge of the balcony and raised the doll.

“Stop!” Dawn screamed. “Please! I beg you!”

Jacob stood there in the blackness of the night. Every few seconds, his face would glow crimson, his scar remaining black like his eyes. The overhead light would soon dim, and Jacob would briefly fade into the shadows.

“Tell me what to do,” Dawn said as she cautiously stepped outside. The wind slammed against her, almost pushing her back into her bedroom. She gripped the doorframe as she tried to calm herself. Seeing Eve so close to the railing caused her heart to nearly stop. “I’ll do anything, Jacob. Anything to save my baby.”

“Your baby?” Jacob glanced at Eve and then back to Dawn. He wiggled the doll back and forth. “This here is your baby?”

“Yes.” Dawn took another guarded step onto the terrace.

A scowl spread across Jacob’s face, adding to the look of disgust already there. The red light from above faded to black. The light soon returned, showing Jacob’s arm extended over the railing. Eve was now dangling upside down with nothing below her. Jacob smiled a twisted grin and said, “You’ll thank me tomorrow. Trust me.”

Eve’s eyes snapped open. Dawn watched in horror as Jacob let go of Eve. Dawn felt like she was back in her nightmare, where the world around her moved in slow motion. Suddenly, Eve vanished–lost in the blackness of the night.

“No!” Dawn cried, her scream echoing in the night. She rushed to the railing and looked over the edge. The cold wind cut across her skin like tiny razors, sending her long black and white hair whipping sideways. Tears fell down her face blurring her vision as she realized Eve was gone.

Jacob walked past Dawn and into the bedroom. She followed him but stopped beside her bed, her body shaking as shock consumed her. Jacob headed to the hallway, completely unfazed by what he’d done. Dawn, drowning in disbelief, fell to her knees and howled, “You killed my baby!”

Thirty Eight

Scarred

The hallway outside the door to Jacob’s apartment felt cold and damp. Jacob stood there, staring at his keys as he tried to collect his thoughts. He rarely second-guessed the choices he made, no matter how big or small. In his mind, mistakes were never regretted, but rather lessons learned. He’d gone to Dawn’s to see if they had a future together. What happened at the Spire had him a bit stunned. Seeing Dawn interact with Eve as if it were her baby still sickened him. Throwing that doll from the balcony may have been unplanned, but it was the best way to end things with her. Jacob knew there was no way he could ever be with Dawn. That door was now closed. He had to move forward.

Once inside, Jacob looked around the small, simply furnished, dimly lit apartment and sighed. He couldn’t help but compare it to Dawn’s extravagant penthouse. Jacob reminded himself that even this dumpy place would no longer be his home much longer. He tore his jacket off and flung it onto the couch.

The thermostat in the hallway showed the temperature set to sixty-eight degrees. Jacob frowned and bumped it up to seventy-five. He noticed flashes of light coming from beneath Sean’s bedroom door. Jacob went to the kitchen, unbuttoned his shirt, and yanked the bottom free from his jeans. An open, empty box of pizza sat atop the stove, filling the room with the scent of garlic and pepperoni. A bottle of Patron Silver waited in the shadows beneath the kitchen cabinets. Jacob grabbed the tequila, twisted the cap off, and took a chug. The burn from the alcohol warmed his chest.

“What the fuck do I do now?” Jacob said.

Part of him wanted to smash the bottle in anger. Instead, he took another swig and walked over to Sean’s door. Jacob flung the door open to find Sean in his usual spot, flat on his stomach playing X-Box. The small television at the foot of the bed showed some type of sci-fi game. Sean’s headphones, clipped tightly to his head, made his roommate oblivious to Jacob’s entrance. Jacob knelt on the bed and yanked the earphones from Sean’s head.

“Hey!” Sean yelled, pausing his game. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Someone could rob this place, and you’d have no idea what was happening.”

Jacob flopped on the bed beside Sean and took another swig of tequila. He ran his thumb along the lip of the bottle, replaying his encounter with Dawn.

“Why are you back?” Sean asked. He tossed his controller and headphones aside and sat back next to Jacob. “Did your old lady reject you again?”

“Enough, Sean.” Jacob held the open bottle to the scar on his lip, slowly and methodically rubbing the rim against the old