Ryan stirred himself awake from the depths of an uncomfortable sleep, his body aching and his mind foggy. His stomach growled angrily, a sharp reminder that he hadn’t eaten all day. Weakly, he reached for his phone on the bedside table, intending to check the time before heading downstairs to make himself something to eat.

  His eyes widened as he stared at the screen. **9 p.m.**

  “No,” Ryan muttered in disbelief. He sat up abruptly, blinking, hoping it was some sort of mistake or a cruel joke his exhausted brain was playing on him. But no. It was real. He had slept through the entire day. He could barely believe it.

  His heart sank. How had nobody called him or woken him up? Surely, one of the maids could’ve knocked on his door, or someone could’ve at least checked if he was still in the house. But deep down, Ryan knew the truth. They didn’t care about him. To the Hargrave family, he was invisible—an unwanted burden they simply tolerated.

  “Fuck,” Ryan whispered to himself, rubbing his face in frustration. He could already picture the fallout waiting for him tomorrow. His punishment would be severe. Harold would find some way to humiliate him in front of everyone, maybe even in front of Amanda, if she bothered to show any interest. He couldn’t shake the gnawing dread that settled in his stomach, but for now, there was one thing he needed to take care of.

  Food.

  Ryan’s body felt weak and drained, but he forced himself to get up and put on some clothes. His thoughts raced as he shuffled down the hallway, heading towards the kitchen. He was so lost in his own mind, preparing himself for the inevitable storm to come, that at first, he didn’t notice the muffled voices coming from Marcus’s room.

  As he passed the door, something about the tone of the conversation made him pause. It wasn’t the usual banter or idle chatter he’d come to expect from the family. This was something different. Something darker.

  Ryan’s brow furrowed as he approached the door more quietly, holding his breath as he pressed his ear against it. Inside, he could clearly make out Marcus’s deep voice, along with Harold’s gruff tone, but there was someone else in the room, someone whose voice he couldn’t quite place.

  "Tonight, everything has to be perfect,” Harold said, his voice low and commanding. “It’s the full moon, and if we don’t follow through with the ritual, the curse will continue to linger.”

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Ryan’s heart began to pound in his chest. **Ritual? Curse?** What were they talking about? He leaned in closer, straining to hear every word.

  “Relax, Dad,” Marcus’s voice chimed in, more casual but no less eerie. “We’ve done this before. It’s not like it’s our first sacrifice.”

  Sacrifice? Ryan felt his blood run cold. His stomach churned, and a wave of nausea washed over him. What were they planning? He had always known the Hargraves were strange, even cruel, but this... this was something else entirely.

  “I don’t care how many times we’ve done it,” Harold snapped. “We can’t afford any mistakes tonight. If we don’t deliver, everything we’ve built, everything our family stands for, could crumble.”

  The third voice, unfamiliar and raspy, spoke up next. “And you’re sure he won’t suspect anything? The son-in-law... Ryan, was it? He’s been living in your house for years. He must know something by now.”

  Ryan’s heart almost stopped. They were talking about him.

  Harold let out a dismissive laugh. “Ryan? He’s too stupid to figure anything out. The fool doesn’t even realize we’ve been using him as part of the ritual all along.”

  Marcus chuckled darkly. “Besides, the bastard’s too busy begging for scraps of affection from Amanda to pay attention to anything important. He’s useless. That’s why he was the perfect pawn.”

  Ryan’s chest tightened. His breath came in short, panicked bursts. **Using him? As part of the ritual?** None of it made any sense. He had never suspected anything like this was happening. Was this some kind of cult? Was there truly a curse tied to the Hargrave family?

  The whispers continued, but Ryan couldn’t bear to listen any longer. His head spun with the horrifying realization that he had been nothing more than a tool for these people—a pawn in their twisted games. He had thought that his mistreatment had been because they didn’t respect him, because they saw him as inferior. But this... this was something far more sinister.

  His mind raced, struggling to piece together the fragments of information he had overheard. Harold had mentioned the full moon—tonight. Whatever they were planning, it was going to happen soon. And if he stayed, there was no telling what would happen to him.

  Ryan slowly backed away from Marcus’s door, careful not to make any noise. He had to get out of there, had to escape before they realized he knew too much. His legs felt like jelly as he made his way down the stairs, his mind frantically trying to come up with a plan.

  He couldn’t confront them, not now. He wasn’t sure what they were capable of, but he knew he was in danger. They had been using him for years, and the thought of what they might do to him if they found out he knew the truth sent a shiver down his spine.

  As Ryan reached the kitchen, he glanced around, the usual sight of the cold, sterile room now making him feel more isolated than ever. He was hungry, but food was the last thing on his mind. He had to figure out what was going on. He had to find out what Harold and Marcus were planning and how he fit into their twisted scheme.

  But most of all, he had to survive.

  The house felt even more oppressive now, the walls closing in on him as he hurried to his room, his mind racing with thoughts of escape. But there was nowhere to go. He had no money, no connections outside of the Hargrave family. They had made sure of that.

  The whispers from earlier replayed in his head, over and over, as he lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. What kind of ritual required a sacrifice? What curse were they talking about? And what role had he unknowingly played in all of this?

  Ryan knew one thing for certain—tonight was only the beginning. Whatever the Hargraves had planned, it was far from over. And he was right in the middle of it.

  The full moon loomed overhead, casting an eerie glow through the window, as Ryan’s mind spiraled deeper into fear and confusion. What did the Hargraves want from him? And how far were they willing to go to protect their secrets?