Troubling Texts

Lola Evans caught London hunched over that phone. She snatched it before the girl could blink and scrolled through messages that burned—straps, orders, someone telling London to kneel. The zip ties sat in the kitchen drawer. Lola grabbed them. London squawked and tried to pull away, but Lola moved faster, looping the plastic around slender wrists and yanking until it clicked tight. London’s protests turned breathless, skin flushing pink above the ties. Footsteps in the hall—Kody. The blonde stepped in, saw her sister bound to the chair, and laughed like the whole thing was some midnight dare. She circled London, tapping those bound ankles with her toe, pushing just to watch the younger girl squirm. Then came the knock. Heavy. Two beats. Lola froze, eyes on the door. Kody’s grin slipped. London stopped breathing. Whatever waited on the other side had already changed the rules, and none of them could call it a joke anymore.