Tempest
By DocPaul
Author’s email: DocPaul2002@yahoo.ca
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: none,
Disclaimers: The concepts and names of Michael Guerin
and Maria DeLuca are the same, but the characters belong to me. I give them
life, more life than
Warnings: This is not canon, so if you expect it,
don’t. Things change. People change. It happens. This is an alternative
universe.
Summary: A
Halloween adventure between a fraternity and its sister sorority leads a group
of scavenger hunters on a road rally on a dark night in a storm. Caught in the
storm, they find more in a house then they were expecting.
Author’s note: A nice piece of Halloween fluff. Special
thanks to Gabriela for betaing this story for me and Margo! It is so nice to
have some help. This story was written as a Halloween challenge among the RCWW,
so thanks for the inspiration girls.
Tempest
Michael
leaned on the horn one more time.
It
was late, and the skies were threatening. Cursing his good nature, he rolled his
eyes as his two brothers, the twins, exited the convenience store loaded down in
junk food, along with one of their fraternity pledge brothers, and three
sorority pledges.
“God,
save me.” Michael mumbled under his breath.
“Mikey!
Man, get us some beer!” Max pleaded as they piled into Michael’s antiquated
VW van.
“Get
your asses in here, and no. I told you, legal drinking age is twenty-one, and
that wouldn’t be you.” Michael looked back as the six youths scrambled to
get inside. None of them were a day over nineteen. First year college students,
all pledging to a fraternity or sorority, they were trapped in Rush frenzy. It
was a joint Halloween road rally scavenger hunt between the Phi Delta and the
Omega Chi.
The
scary youths were in the back of the van going through their junk food,
giggling, and scanning a scavenger hunt list. The van remained parked.
Kyle
hit Max, and Max hit Kyle. The twins were talking to each other in their own
special physical way. Finally, Kyle spoke, having lost the punching match with
his twin. “Mikey, aren’t we going? We’ll lose time if we just sit here.”
Michael
swallowed a need to hit his steering wheel. “Yeah, leaving would be good. We
can get this over so I can dump off your asses at the dorms.” Michael turned
in his seat. “Don’t you think one of you need to be in the navigator seat,
and tell me where the hell to go?”
The
girls giggled, three of them talking among themselves as their driver exploded
in irritation. Wow. He was so hot! An older man. The three sorority girls
whispered together, hardly taking their eyes off Michael. He was tall. He was
sexy, made even more so by the sulky look in his golden brown eyes. Isabel
thought his lips were too full for a man, but Liz disagreed. She told her
sorority pledge sisters what she heard about men with full lips, and their
abilities. Tess hadn’t been able to take her eyes off his mouth since, or his
hands, or his…
Kyle
scrambled into the seat next to Michael taking the clue list with him. The
others in the back turned on flashlights as they tried to decipher the next set
of directions.
Michael’s
phone rang. Ignoring the youths, he answered.
“Mom.”
Michael listened for a moment. “No, they’re here with me. Yeah. Still. I
don’t know!” Michael turned to address his brothers. “Mom wants to know if
you…all of you would like to stop at the house for a snack before returning to
the dorms.”
The
six looked at each other and all agreed loudly.
“Think
that’s a yes, Mom.” Michael turned away from six good reasons never to
reproduce. “Look, Mom. If I cart their asses…um persons home, could you or
Dad shuttle them back to the dorms? I’ve got some things I need to actually
get done tonight.”
Michael
listened, sighing as his mother went through a long list of reasons why Michael
needed to do this. It all came down to his van. He had the space to fit all of
the punks.
“Yeah,
whatever. No. No, I said I would do it! Yeah. What? No. No, really…” Michael
looked in the rearview mirror as the heads bobbed talking among themselves. “I
said I didn’t mind doing it. Okay, yeah. Bye Mom.”
Michael
disconnected his phone. Rubbing his eyes, he hated his life. The squealing from
the back made him amend that thought. No, he hated his brothers. He knew. He
just knew that year, when he was six, and his parents arrived with two
squalling, kicking, bundles of flowing poop, his nice easy life was over. Being
the older brother to twins was like a damn curse.
The
whooping noise from the back made him hopeful that the future of
“Mikey,
we got the next place! Take off west, go two miles, first left, then another
three miles, and it’s on the right!” Max said enthusiastically. “Liz
figured it out!”
“Brilliant.”
Michael said pulling out of the gas station. “While the group of you are back
there whooping it up, take up a collections of your pennies. You owe me ten for
gas, and I expect you to pay.”
They
ignored him. Typical.
“Gosh,
you’re so smart, Liz.” Max said shyly praising the young girl. Liz blushed.
Michael groaned keeping his eyes on the road. The sooner he located their damn
destinations, the sooner he got rid of them.
“It
was easy, Max. The clue about bells and whistles, and getting into a hole…that
has to be the miniature golf course just outside town.”
“
Tess
frowned at the clue next to the destination. “Did anyone figure out the item
we have to find when we get there?”
They
all read the clue. Michael swallowed even more irritation as they not only read
the clue a few hundred times, but they discussed it to sheer boredom.
“Oh
for god’s sake! It’s a damn ball from the place!”
Tess
reread the clue. “That’s right! Thank you, Mikey. You’re really smart.”
Tess moved closer to the two front seats. Kyle frowned looking at his older
brother, and then at Tess who was staring at Michael. Hey, this was not cool.
His dippy older brother making eyes at his future girl.
Michael’s
cell rang again, as they reached the miniature golf course. Answering it, he
watched as the group disembarked to run around the place. They were arguing over
the color of ball to take while two other students joined them. Their arms were
stamped by the girl and boy that manned the miniature golf stop, as their time
was recorded on a card.
“Yeah!”
Michael barked into his phone.
“Mikey?”
Michael rolled his eyes. Great. His life just took a turn for the worse. “Are
you okay? You sound…irritated.”
“I
am irritated.” Michael said staring out the front window of his van, watching
his charges. “Why you calling, Dolce?”
“I…”
The woman paused on the other end. “I think we should talk, you know.”
“Nothing
to talk about.”
“Mikey,
you can’t just throw away two years together. Granted, I admit this is my
fault, but…”
“Big
of you!” Michael let his anger come through. “I didn’t throw away two
years! That was you, Dolce.” Swearing under his breath, he chastised himself.
He was going to remain calm. Indifferent. He didn’t care.
“Michael…”
The
hell he didn’t care! “What the fuck do you want from me? I come home to find
you giving it up for some other guy in my own damn bed! I think we can say, this
is over.”
“We
were having problems. I got…I…it was a mistake, okay?”
Michael
refrained from the urge to slam his phone against something hard. “No, it
wasn’t a mistake, Dolce. It was a release.” Michael saw the monsters heading
back to the van.
“I
still love you, and…”
“Yeah,
well don’t.” Michael disconnected frowning at the low battery indicator.
Good. He didn’t want her calling him all night anyway.
***
The
next stop was an old fashion diner outside of town. The group went in for ice
cream and to discretely steal a sundae glass, after their arms were stamped and
their official card signed noting their time.
“Hey
can I get a coffee?” Michael asked the waitress behind the counter.
“Here
or to go?”
Michael
looked at the group, sighing, he sat his ass down. “Here I guess.”
Isabel
looked over at Max and Kyle’s older brother. “Why doesn’t your brother
join us?”
Max
shrugged. “He’s antisocial. His girlfriend and him just broke up.”
“Oh?”
Tess turned in her seat to get a better look. “Wow, so he must be pretty
crushed.”
Kyle’s
eyes darkened at Tess’s interest in Mike. “More like pissed. She was
stooping one of his best buds in his bed.”
“No!”
Isabel’s interest peaked. “Really. And he like walked in on that?”
Max
joined in, smiling deep into Liz’s deep brown eyes. “Not only walked in, but
tossed both of them out, hardly with any clothes on. I think he’s more upset
over losing his friend, than the chick. They were pretty hot and heavy when they
got together two years ago, but lately…”
Kyle,
still pissed at Tess’s interest in Michael, added his comments. “Dolce was
really hot! She is tall, thin, with a wicked body, and this really beautiful
auburn hair. Mikey really pulls in some major spankable talent. He likes his
women ultra sexy, sophisticated, and worldly…if you know what I mean.”
Tess
frowned unhappily, twisting a blonde curl. “Do you think they will make up?”
Max
snorted. “Not a chance in hell! Mikey is one unforgiving bastard.” Max hit
his twin. “Remember that time we borrowed his bike?”
“Hell
yeah! I still have skin off my back from his tongue lashing. Why do you think
he’s driving?” Kyle told the others. “He wouldn’t lend us his damn van.
He said he rather be impaled and eviscerated than allow either of us to drive
any of his rides. Mom heard, so she made him drive us instead.”
“This
whole no cars for Freshmen rule really sucks,” said Alex. It was his first
input in the discussion. He was a quiet young man, but his eyes were intense and
alert, ever watchful. It took all his concentration to avoid looking at
Isabel…staring at her. Sucking on his milkshake, he watched Max and Liz
staring at each other. He…he didn’t want that. What if he stared at Isabel
like Max stared at Liz, and she thought he was a freak?
Alex
sighed. Looking around, he ordered another milkshake, extra chocolate. He was
doomed.
Michael
looked at his watch, wincing. He did have a life. Ordering a coffee to go, he
glanced outside. “Sonnabitch.” Michael quickly walked over to the booth with
the others. “Hey, it’s starting to rain. We need to get going.”
“What’s
the big deal, Mikey?” Max asked. “It’s just a little rain.”
“Little
rain or not. You still have what? Three more stops? My van’s heater doesn’t
work so great, and it’s getting cold out. If it ices up, I won’t be able to
keep the ice off my windshield. So let’s go!”
The
next two stops were interminable. This was never going to end. Michael groaned
as they tried to figure out the last clue. “Can you get this figured out? My
windshield is icing up.” Michael got out of the van and quickly scraped the
windows, swearing as the rain drenched his clothing. The rain was cold. Almost
slipping as he got back inside, he cranked up his heater which made it barely
warm.
“I’ve
got it,” said Alex. “It’s the huge house on the hill, just outside of
town!”
“The
haunted house?” Isabel said with a shaking in her voice.
“Cool!”
said Max and Kyle at the same time.
Michael
swore again. He was going to have to clean up his language after tonight.
Pulling out, he headed for the large Mansion on the hill. It was as far as he
knew deserted. They were probably going to get in trouble. Best to get it over
with, and get home.
The
trip up the hill was hard. The van sputtered along the way, and the ice was
making driving hard. The wind increased. The driving freezing rain was becoming
hazardous.
Stopping
in front of the mansion, everyone bailed out. Michael turned off the van, going
to the back. He grabbed his tools. Opening the hood, he stared into his engine.
Water had blown up into his engine. His carburetor was flooded with water. The
wetness was making it hard to get a real spark between the spark plugs. Pulling
the distributor cap, he frowned at the wet plugs. The water had frozen. Taking
out the part and plugs, Michael took it inside to see if he could dry it, get it
unfrozen.
The
six were inside talking to another couple. The sorority sister, Courtney was
reassuring the group that everything was okay. She clocked them in and stamped
their arms.
“All
you have left is to solve the last clue item.”
Jesse
entered the room. “The storm is looking bad. I think we need to get someone to
come pick us up,” he told Courtney.
Michael
came into the room. “You don’t have a car?”
“No.
We wanted people to find this place with no hints. A car might have given it
away. We’re supposed to stay here until the game was over, then the house was
sending a car for us.”
Michael
sat the carburetor and plugs on a
side table. “What about a phone? Can’t you call?”
“No.
We didn’t realize that the phone lines aren’t hooked up and neither of us
brought a cell phone.”
Michael
looked at Kyle. “Go into the van, get my cell phone.” Kyle nodded rushing
outside in the rain. Michael sighed blowing out air heavily. “My van isn’t
working. I need to unfreeze this part, and dry it. If no one comes before I get
it finished, I’ll take you back.” Michael looked around the large room.
“Are we going to get into trouble for being here?”
Jesse
passed Michael a towel. “No. We’re cool. The management company watching the
house gave us permission. One of the owners of the company is an alumni. We have
to return anything we take, and not damage anything.”
Michael
nodded wiping water from his face. He used the towel on the part. Kyle came back
handing him his cell phone. Michael tossed him the towel.
“Crap.”
Michael tossed his cell phone on the table. “It’s dead. My battery was
low.” Michael looked at Jesse. “Where is the kitchen? I need some newspapers
or something. I need to take this apart so it can be dried.”
“I’ll
show you.”
Michael
looked at his brothers and their friends. “I suggest you find this last item,
because when I get this done, we’re out of here.”
“Liz,
you got the list?” Max asked. He recognized that look in his older brother’s
eye. Michael’s tolerance for bullshit had hit critical level.
“Yeah.”
Liz smoothed out the paper. “I chime, and shine, a spectrum of light…what am
I?”
“Chimes?”
Alex frowned. “Sounds like a musical instrument.”
Isabel
smiled at Alex. “It does. Why don’t we split up, look around, and bring back
anything that can apply?”
“I’m
with Liz,” said Max quickly.
“Tess,”
called Kyle.
Isabel
lifted her brow at Alex. “That leaves you with me! Let’s go find it.”
Courtney
stopped them. “I need you to be careful in the house. It has a strange
history.”
Isabel
stopped, she put her hands on her waist. “What do you mean…strange?”
Courtney
smiled, her eyes turning to the two taller men as they reentered the room, her
eyes devouring Michael. “Word is that the place is haunted. I guess the old
man that lived here was brutally murdered by an intruder over three years
ago.”
Michael
rolled his eyes, going to retrieve his part. Spooks and goblins, anything to add
to the suspense.
Jesse
sat on the edge of the sofa. “The house went to his only child, a daughter.
She moved here from
Courtney
smiled as the six pledges moved closer getting into the story.
“What
was he looking for?” Liz asked, her eyes open wide.
“Jewels.
Priceless, or so the rumor goes. Guess the old man didn’t believe in banks and
having cash. He converted his money to gems, diamonds and emeralds.” Jesse
leaned forward putting his elbows on his knees. “The killer keeps coming back,
trying to find them. Some think he fixed the daughter and granddaughter’s car,
the brakes. He wanted them out of the way.”
Tess
cleared her throat. “Why do you think the old man is still here?”
“That
is the interesting part,” said Courtney. “This house has sounds, doors that
never stay open. Doors that lock themselves. So be careful when you’re
wandering around, because you can get stuck in the house.”
“Cool!”
said Kyle and Max.
Michael
made a snorting noise under his breath. Figures they would get excited.
“Let’s
go!” Kyle grabbed Tess’s hand. The three couples rushed off to find their
missing item, and to enjoy the spooky ambience of the house.
“Great,
I’ll never get them out of here now.” Michael looked at Jesse. “How much
of that story was true?”
Jesse
smiled huge. “That’s the beauty of it. All of it was true. Nothing like a
creaky old house on all hallows eve, huh?”
“Great.”
Michael took a screwdriver out of his tool kit.
Courtney
licked her lips looking at the older man. “Do I know you?”
“Nope.”
Michael kept working.
“You
look familiar. I’ve seen you around campus, but you’re no duffus pledge.”
“Hardly.”
Michael took the separate pieces and laid them out. “I’m in graduate school,
engineering. I defend my masters this spring.”
Jesse
was impressed. He was in his senior year. “I can’t wait to graduate.”
“Yeah,
you feel that way about the graduate program too, once you’ve been in it
awhile.” Michael finished wiping off the pieces, slowly putting them back
together. “I think I’ll go try this out.”
“So,
you got a girlfriend?” Courtney smiled. “What’s your name?”
“Michael.
Michael Guerin.” Michael stood up taking the part.
“So
Mikey G, about that girlfriend…”
Michael
finally looked at the young girl. “How old are you?”
“How
old are you? Twenty-five or six?”
“One
of those.”
“Twenty-one.
That makes me legal.”
“Interesting.”
Michael looked at Jesse gesturing for them to leave.
“That
girlfriend…”
Michael
looked at Courtney. “Definitely. I definitely have a girlfriend. And…the
name is Michael. Not Mikey G.”
Jesse
laughed shaking his head, following Michael outside. “Masterful. Courtney
means no harm.”
“Yeah.
I’m sure, but I’m not in the market for another girlfriend.” Michael
looked upstairs when he heard screaming and laughter. “Let’s get this fixed,
and get out of here.”
Jesse
and Michael struggled in the rain, both of them soaked straight through. Michael
got the carburetor installed. He and Jesse sat in the van as Michael tried to
start it. The van sputtered, but refused to turn over.
“Dammit!”
Michael hit the steering wheel. “My life can’t keep sucking like this.”
“It’s
the rain. You dried it, but it got wet again coming outside.”
Michael
sighed heavily. “Let’s try drying it again, then wait for the rain to
subside before putting it back in.”
Jesse
and Michael struggled through the rain. Entering the main foyer, they dripped
everywhere. Jesse shut the front door just as the lights went off.
Michael
heard screaming. The kids upstairs, frightened by the unexpected loss of light
screamed in fright. The screams were followed by laughter, and nervous giggling.
“It’s
probably a fuse,” Jesse told Michael. “It blew already twice tonight. I know
where it’s at.”
“I’ll
wait here.”
Courtney
came out of the main sitting room. “Did the fuse go again?”
“Obviously,”
Michael said dryly.
“Hey,
Mikey,” came Max’s voice from the dark upstairs. “What’s up?”
“The
fuse blew. They’re fixing it now. Why don’t you guys come downstairs, just
be careful on the stairs.”
The
group slowly descended the stairs. Michael looked at Courtney. “Is there a
room where we can build a fire? My clothes and Jesse’s are wet, and I need to
dry this part.”
“The
den has one.” Courtney went and opened a door. The small crowd of pledges
huddled close to Michael’s broad back, crowding him.
Michael
went to start a fire. There was a portrait above the fireplace. A picture of an
older woman with a younger beautiful blonde woman, they were sitting close, both
smiling demurely. The entire room sighed in relief when the fire caught, the
room already warming. Michael stood holding his frozen hands out in front of the
fire. He was not only cold. He was soaked straight through.
Max
saw a light from the other room. “Hey, I think he got the fuse changed. The
lights are on in the other room.”
Relieved,
Michael reached for the lamp on the table. He was wet. There was a short.
Michael’s hand touched the short as he turned on the lamp. A surge of
electricity moved through his body.
He
never heard the scream or his brothers calling his name as he hit the floor.
***
The
hand moved over Michael’s face. It was a gentle touch. Blinking, he could see
the flickering of the firelight on the ceiling. It was a nice ceiling with hand
carved inlaid ceiling tiles.
“Are
you okay?” A soft voice asked him.
Michael
nodded, not sure he could talk yet.
Michael
turned to stare at a young woman. Beautiful. She was utterly beautiful staring
at him with emerald green eyes. It was her mouth, full and bee-stung that held
his attention. She was the young woman in the portrait.
“What
are you doing in my house?” She helped Michael to sit up. Michael’s hand
picked up one of hers from where it rest on his chest. Warm, her touch was warm.
Confused,
he looked around. The room was warm and different. It felt lived in. The fire
was flickering, and there was candles lit around the room. The young woman
frowned at him, her hand still in his.
“You
shouldn’t be here. You don’t belong here.”
“Who
are you?”
“Maria.
I’m Maria DeLuca.” Her green eyes wandered over his face.
***
“Oh
god!” Jesse entered the room just as Michael hit the ground. Rushing to his
side, he and the others gathered around the unconscious man. “He got an
electrical shock.”
“Is
he dead?” Max’s eyes were big in his face. Kyle moved close to his brother,
both of them kneeling next to their older brother.
Jesse
checked Michael’s pulse. Putting his head down, he listened for Michael’s
breathing. “He’s alive. His pulse, it’s weak. He’s barely breathing.”
Jesse looked at the twins. “He needs help.”
***
“You
shouldn’t be here,” she told him again.
“I
know. I’m sorry. It was just a stupid game.” Michael could hear voices.
Frowning, he looked around the room. It was different, so different. Warm.
Inviting. “I hear voices.”
“It
is the others. Maybe you should return to them?” she suggested.
“No
hurry.” Michael stared into her eyes. They were lovely. She was beautiful. His
eyes moved over her face to rest on her lips. Unconsciously, he licked his own
lips breathing out a sigh.
“You’re
staring.”
“Sorry.”
“Are
you,” she asked softly.
“No,”
he said in an equally soft voice. “Not in the least.”
Maria
leaned closer to him, her mouth coming closer, almost touching his. “Then
don’t apologize,” she ordered him, her command a part of his own breath.
She
didn’t need guile or clever seduction. She was only asking for honesty.
Michael smiled slightly. He almost forgot how to do that lately. Maria. She was
a fresh breath. Her eyes clear and honest, her face open, and her hands warm and
inviting. Michael decided to kiss her, his mouth moving to breach the small
space separating. He could feel the brush of lips, when there came a loud noise.
Maria
gasped suddenly standing.
Michael
frowned. “What is it?”
“The
door!” Maria reached down. “Someone is at the door.” She turned
quickly her hand offered to him. “We must go!”
“Go?”
Maria
nodded, her hand in his pulling him to his feet. “Yes…the doors…”
Suddenly
the room exploded in a burst of sound, a banging like a kettle drum in his head.
Michael’s hands went over his ears, covering. His eyes closed in pain as he
bent over. The sound was around them. It was in his head.
“Maria…”
Her
hands found his shoulders, and she led him away, from the room. Michael
couldn’t see where they were going, he merely followed. The beating was
louder. His head was going to explode.
With
tears streaming down his face, they stopped, both panting in pain and fear.
“Who is playing those drums?”
Maria
wheezed next to him. “Those aren’t drums,” she panted, her breath catching
in her throat. “Footsteps. They are coming closer! We must go!”
“Footsteps?”
What the hell? Michael looked behind him, but he was unable to focus. The room
seemed blurry. Fear, he could taste it in his mouth. A banging came again. This
was different. “Maria…”
“Knocking!
Someone’s at the door!” Maria stood, her body circling in fear. She looked
up. “Oh god! They opened a door.”
Michael
tried to move, but his body felt anchored, too heavy to wade through the
molasses pulling at his legs. He was drowning in it. Suddenly, her arms moved
around his body, and she pulled him into her. Their eyes meeting as she softly
kissed his mouth.
“Don’t
worry, I’ll help you.” Her brilliantly alive green eyes were the last thing
he saw as darkness moved over him.
***
“Oh
god, Michael!” Max’s voice rose in concern. They were trapped in a storm, in
a house with no phones, and the only vehicle was out of commission. Max stared
at the carburetor and plugs.
Jesse
looked at the others. “We need to get him comfortable. His skin is wet and
cold. I…I don’t know how long he can survive without treatment.”
Isabel
was holding onto Alex’s hand in fear, her eyes never leaving the older man’s
face. He was so still. Then she saw it. His eyes flickered.
“He’s
waking up! I saw his eyes move.”
Jesse
and Courtney both looked down at the same time. Michael was utterly still. Jesse
shook his head.
“He’s
still out.”
“I
saw a bathroom upstairs,” Alex offered. “There might be a first aid kit in
there.”
Jesse
recognized the signs. The younger kids were feeling helpless. They wanted to
help. “Go, upstairs and check the rooms. See if you can find a first aid kit,
or anything to help. Blankets. He’s cold. We need to warm him.”
Max,
Kyle and Alex all three nodded. Taking their partners they left the room. Kyle
paused at the door, suddenly afraid to take his eyes off his older brother. What
if he died before he came back?
“Kyle?”
Tess said quietly to him. “We need to find blankets. He’s cold.”
Kyle’s
eyes moved from his brother to the small blonde girl at his side. His misery was
a bleak storm in his eyes. Gulping hard, swallowing a need to cry, he nodded
letting her lead him out of the room and upstairs.
Jesse
glanced over at Courtney. “How long before the house sends us a car?”
“It
should be soon. The weather is terrible.” Courtney wrung her hands. “What
should we do?”
Jesse
wasn’t sure. “Look, go get his cell phone from the other room. I’ll go
outside and look in the van to see if he has a charger there. If we can charge
the phone, we can call for help.”
Courtney
and Jesse left Michael in the den alone. They barely exited the room when the
door slammed shut.
“What
the hell?” Jesse turned and tried to reenter the room. The door was locked.
Banging on it, he tried to turn the handle, but it refused to turn.
“Oh
god! He’s in there alone.”
Jesse
heard Courtney. Michael was in there alone.
***
Surfacing,
Michael’s eyes fluttered again. The room was shadowed with a soft flicker of
light. His head still hurt. His chest hurt. Bad.
“Shh.
It’s okay.”
Michael
turned to see Maria. She was wearing a silky thin slip, kneeling on the bed
beside him.
“Where…”
“My
special room. I locked the door. We’ll be safe here. As long as the door stays
closed, no one can enter.”
“Who?”
Michael was confused.
“The
voices and the Others.” Maria’s head tilted. “They are looking for
you…your people want you back.” Biting her lip she looked down at him. “Do
you want me to bring them to you?”
Michael
glanced down at his body. “Where are my clothes?”
“I
took them off.” Maria smiled slightly, moving closer to him. “They were wet.
I hung them beside the fire to dry.”
Michael
glanced over at the lit fireplace. His clothes were draped over chairs. “Thank
you.”
“Here.
Drink this.” Maria helped him. “You’re weak.”
“My
chest hurts. My head.” Michael sputtered as the liquid burned going down his
throat. It was alcoholic. Hard with an edge. “What is that?”
“Scotch.
Neat.” Maria sat back on her heels nursing the glass. Downing the drink, she
turned the glass upside down. Empty. “My grandfather has quite a stock
collection of some of the finest malt beverages known to man. It burns on the
way down, but it sure warms the blood.”
“You
warm the blood,” Michael said softly.
Maria
blushed, laughing lightly. “I’m not even going to pretend not to have heard
you.” She leaned over him, her one hand stroking his cheek liking the brush of
his light whiskers against her skin. “Can I keep you?” She asked softly.
“Yes.”
Michael said, not caring what it meant. It was warm. She was warm. The way she
looked at him made him feel alive.
“Good.
Then can I know your name? I can’t very well call you ‘hey you’ for all
eternity.”
“Eternity?”
Michael stared in her eyes. She was serious. “It’s Michael. I’m Michael
Guerin.” Licking his lips, his heart was thudding in his chest. “Eternity?
Is that how long you’re going to keep me?”
Maria’s
hand moved up his chest. “I’d like to. I’ve been so lonely. There are only
the voices at times and the Others banging on the door. I’m afraid.”
“Of
what?”
“Doors.
I use to open them, but some of the places pulled at me, like a bog. Drowning me
until I almost couldn’t get free. I couldn’t find the door where I belong.
Then I found here…my house. This is someplace I know. Someplace I feel safe,
so I stayed.”
“What
happened?”
Maria
closed her eyes looking down at the bed. “An accident. My mother died. I
watched as she died. I couldn’t stay.” A small sob escaped her. “I
couldn’t imagine living without her. She’s all I had in the world…without
her, I’m alone.” Maria looked at him finally, a tear rolled down her cheek.
“I had to get out of there. I had to.”
Michael
took her hand in his. If he lost his parents, he wasn’t sure how he would take
it. He complained about his brothers, but he loved them despite everything.
“I’m sorry.”
Maria
kissed his cheek. “It’s okay. I’m okay now that you came.” She stretched
out beside him, her small hand resting on his chest. “You feel so warm. It
gets cold here, and I lose myself, feel myself pulled apart.” Maria looked up
at him. “Will you anchor me? Call to me if I go astray?”
“Call
to you?”
Maria
nodded, her eyes closing. “If I could have something to guide me, I could
always find my way home. I would follow your voice.”
Michael
glanced down as she suddenly was asleep next to him, curled into his side, her
hand in his trustingly. Raising it to his mouth, he kissed her hand placing it
on his chest. “I promise to call to you if you get lost. I promise.”
***
Tess
grabbed a few blankets she found in a linen closet. Rejoining Kyle, she waited
as he searched the drawers for anything helpful.
“Did
you find anything?” Kyle didn’t seem to hear her. Tess frowned. She was use
to Kyle hanging on her every syllable, but now he was distracted. “Kyle?”
“What?”
His brown eyes looked over at Tess, frowning. “No. Nothing. Let’s go take
the blankets down to Michael.” Kyle went for the door. It was shut. They had
left it open. Pulling on the door, he couldn’t get it open.
“Is
it locked? Check the lock.”
“There
is no lock!” Kyle tried again. It refused to budge. Hitting the door hard with
his hand, he yelled. “Sonnabitch! Get us out of here! Max!”
Tess
joined him. She banged on the door as well. Together they tried to get
someone’s attention. Suddenly, they heard a swooshing noise, and the banging
of footsteps running in the hall. They were loud, almost coming from the very
walls. Both Kyle and Tess stepped back, afraid as the door under their hands
moved, buckled, and then bang.
“What
the hell!” Kyle started at the closed door as Tess huddled up against his
side.
***
Maria
opened her eyes, staring into the golden brown of Michael’s. “Michael,”
she breathed, smiling slightly.
“Hey,
you looked tired.”
“I
don’t sleep…it was nice to finally rest.” Maria sat up a little. Closing
her eyes, she listened to the sounds of the house. “They are trying to get to
you.”
“Who?”
“The
Others.” Maria’s hand tightened on his. “I can’t let them take you. Stay
with me.”
“Okay.”
Michael smirked. “The Others include my pain in the ass twin brothers, then I
much rather stay here with you.”
The
smile moved off her face as her face became very serious. “Michael, the Others
aren’t your brothers or friends. They are the Others. They’re at the door.
We can’t let them in, not until we can help you.”
“What?”
Michael tried to sit up, but Maria put her hand on his chest holding him down.
“No!
You have limited reserved energy. You must not expend it. I can only hold them
back so long.”
“How
do you know about the Others?”
Maria’s
eyes darkened in fear. “They’ve been chasing me for so long. I’ve stayed
safe behind closed door, but they sometimes bang so hard, I’m afraid they will
break the door.”
“Where
am I, Maria?”
She
sighed. “With me,” she said with a slight smile.
“Maria?”
“They
locked you away, so your friends can’t get to you. If you weaken, they will
come for you.” Maria leaned down kissing him. “It is best that you stay with
me until you’re stronger.”
“How
long?”
“I
don’t know.” Maria shook her head. Time? It meant nothing to her. “Trust
me, I’ll protect you.”
***
“Kyle!”
Max banged on the door from the other side. He could hear his brother. “Kyle,
can you hear me?”
“Max…”
Kyle’s voice came from under the door. “Max, run! They’re coming again!”
Max
glanced at Liz, who shrugged. Who? Who was coming?
“Kyle?
Who is coming, Kyle?”
Liz
felt it first. A cold chill ran down her spine, as the air in the hall became
artic. She could see her breath.
“Um,
Max?” Liz grabbed at his arm. “Max…”
The
hall exploded in sound. Liz screamed. Max moved away from the door, his eyes
moving down the hallway at the sounds of running feet, heavy pounding feet
running towards them.
“Max!”
“I
know!” He turned, grabbing Liz’s hand, they ran. The sound moving with them,
in the walls, pounding. Liz screamed again as something grabbed at her.
***
Jesse
and Courtney were still downstairs trying to open the door to the den, to get to
Michael when they heard the screams and the running feet. Looking up the
staircase, they shared a look. Jesse and Courtney moved up the stairs hugging
the wall, trying to get to the others.
***
Alex
went to the window of the third floor room. Isabel joined him. The house, it was
huge. A large mansion with a main house and two wings facing each other across
an open courtyard, patio and swimming area. Alex frowned at the movement of
light through the other wing.
“Isabel,
can you see that?”
Isabel
moved closer to his side, unhappy with being away from the others. The wind was
howling outside as a sheet of icy rain pelted the window. Staring through the
pane, she watched as lights moved along the second floor, one light on, then
off, as the next room’s light went on.
“What
are they doing?”
Alex
shook his head. “Searching the rooms?”
Isabel’s
eyes narrowed. “Alex, who can move from room to room that quickly?”
Alex
felt it. The hush of sound before a loud boom. His hand going to Isabel’s,
clasping her hand tightly, he pulled her from the room. As they hurried, they
could see the door of the room they were in slowly closing.
“Alex!”
He
saw it too. Reaching for the door, it suddenly jumped from his hand, slamming
shut. Alex hit it hard with his hand. Reaching to the light switch beside the
door, he turned on a light. The room was bright behind them. Turning, they saw
why.
Mirrors.
Everywhere
there were mirrors.
Out
of the corner of his eye, he saw something in the reflection move. Something
dark. His hand found Isabel’s again, he leaned into her.
“Iz,
we’re not alone,” he whispered.
***
“I’m
tired.”
“I
know.” Maria’s hand moved over his cheek. Leaning down, she kissed his mouth
gently. “You need food. Wait here.”
Michael
grabbed her hand before she could slide off the bed. “Where are you going?”
“I’ll
be back. I promise.” Her hand moved over his face. “Sleep.”
Michael
didn’t remember sleeping, but one moment he was talking to her, the next he
was waking up.
The
room was lit with candles, the fireplace was warm, and there was food. He was no
longer on the bed, but in a makeshift bed in front of the fireplace. Blinking,
confused, he watched as she lowered herself next to him placing a tray on the
floor next to him.
“How?”
“My
special room, here I’m in control.” She shrugged. “No one can enter unless
I let them. You’re safe here.”
“Safe?”
Maria
poured some coffee. “Yes, from the Others.”
“The
Others?”
“You
don’t want to know.” Maria helped him to drink. “This will keep you warm.
I added extra sugar.”
“I
hate sweet coffee.”
“Me
too, but the sugar will give you something.”
Maria’s
head turned. She frowned. “Someone left a door open. I have to go. I have to
go close it.”
“Maria…”
Michael struggled to sit up. Maria put her hand on his chest holding him still.
“Maria, what do you mean?”
“The
Others…they are searching for you. They sense your weakness. A door was opened
letting them in.”
“Maria…”
She
kissed him. Her mouth touched his gently at first, and then again with passion.
Breathing deeply, she rested her head against his.
“I…you
need to rest.” Before he could comment, she was gone. Looking around confused,
he couldn’t remember her leaving. Rubbing his chest, he drank his hot coffee.
After a few sips, he was too tired to continue.
***
“C’mon,”
said Jesse leading Courtney up the stairs. The stairs underfoot seemed to shake,
breaking under his feet. Jesse’s hand hurt as Courtney’s hand tightened on
his. Staring at his feet, he frowned at the stairs. They were there, still and
unaltered. Shaking his head to clear it, Jesse continued hearing the running of
feet overhead. Climbing the stairs quickly to the landing, he stopped at the top
looking down the hall. No one was there.
Before
he could step out a strong wind rushed passed. The temperature in the hall
dropped. Afraid, Jesse’s breath came out in a pant, the air cold in front of
his mouth leaving a cold cloud. Courtney was killing his hand.
There
was a scream to the left. He tried to go, but Courtney was holding him back.
“Dammit,
Courtney…”
Jesse
turned to talk to the girl, but she wasn’t there. Staring at his hand, it was
clenched in pain. Whose hand was he holding? There was no one there.
***
“Alex?”
The door, they hadn’t noticed it before, but it was a mirror as well. With the
light on, they stood there staring at themselves. Isabel looked around the room.
It
was large, cut into mini rooms with columns, covered in mirrors. The floor was
ornate with inlaid tile. The room was a playroom for children. The walls were in
fantastical colors and scenes of a carnival, the floor a road, open for small
feet to follow like stones in a path.
Isabel
blinked. The room felt like it was revolving. Her hands clutched at Alex’s
arm. “Alex? What did you see?”
“Something
dark.” Alex squinted at the bright light, the brightness of the colors, and at
the movement in the mirrors. It was them, and then it wasn’t. The room was
large, made larger by the mirrors, the reflections moving into eternity.
“Stay
here, Iz.”
“Alex…”
Alex
put her hand on the door. “Stay beside the door. I’ll check the room.”
“Alex,
I don’t think…”
Alex
sighed. Stopping to hear her, he calmly framed her face with his hands and made
her look at him. “Stay here in case the door opens. If it does, you go through
it immediately. Do not wait for me. Do you understand?”
“Alex,
I can’t…”
“Yes,
you can. You go through the door, don’t look back. Go down the stairs to the
first level. Find the others.” Alex saw the doubt and hesitation in her eyes.
“Do you understand, Iz?”
She
nodded. Alex sighed in relief turning to go farther into the room. Isabel pulled
him back with a hand on his arm. She kissed him.
Alex
stood stunned.
“That
was for luck,” she said shyly. Alex smiled to himself as he moved off into the
room.
Some
of the mirrors were tinted. Alex could hear steps to his right. Peering through
the mirror, he saw himself a hundred times getting smaller. Then a dark blurb
appeared behind him. Turning swiftly, he looked behind him. Nothing was there.
His feet hesitantly moving him into the room.
Something
walked there. Something walked alone.
Moving
around a column, he saw more mirrors with cherubs and fairies. Their usually
happy faces were stretched and grotesque in the reflection. Alex circled
quickly. This house was bad…born bad, of that he was sure.
“Isabel?
Are you okay?” There was no answer. “Isabel?”
Alex
backtracked to where he left Isabel. For a room that should have limits, he
couldn’t find the door. The mirrors were moving into each other, overlapping,
so that he couldn’t discern where he started. The door, it had to have a
doorknob.
“Isabel?”
Alex
banged on the mirrors, slowly moving around the room, searching for the
beginning. He glanced to the side, and saw a black image moving towards him,
then in a blink, it was gone. Suddenly, he saw her.
Isabel?
A
blonde woman, slightly older than Isabel. Her shoulder length hair was
fluttering as if there was a breeze. Alex moved towards the reflection, afraid
to turn to see if there was a woman. He was afraid to lose her reflection. She
slowly turned, her green eyes holding his brown. She pointed to a wall.
Alex
glanced at it, and back at the woman. She made a gesture with both hands, as if
pushing. Alex couldn’t figure it out. He thought to speak to the woman, she
shook her head, when suddenly a hush rushed in the room like a cold breeze
pushing ahead of a large boom, the sonic silence reverberating as a harsh noise
exploded in his ears.
The
mirrors cracked, and then shattered, blowing out. Alex watched her image shatter
and fall to the ground in a heap as a spray of glass showered him. Alex huddled,
ducking away from the flying glass.
Breathing
hard in a panic, he lifted his head to see the room still intact. No glass. All
the mirrors were pristine. Looking down, Alex saw a piece of glass imbedded in
his arm. Pulling it free, he wiped off the blood. Looking up slowly, he saw the
panel she had gestured to. Putting his hands on the mirror panel, he pushed. It
moved beneath his hands. It was a door opening into another room.
Glancing
back at the brilliantly light room, Alex steadied his nerves entering the other
room. He needed to find Isabel. She was alone.
***
Liz
screamed. She could feel something grabbing at her. A hand gripped at her waist,
then an arm encircled her. She could feel a pull at her center, pulling her
back, away from Max.
“Max!”
Max
turned, seeing Liz as she was being pulled by something unknown. He held onto
her hands refusing to let her go.
“Liz,
oh god! Liz!”
“Don’t
let go! For god’s sake, don’t let go.”
“I
won’t.”
Max
moved forward. He pulled her into him, his arms going around her center.
Suddenly the pressure pulling at Liz let go, Max and Liz falling from the
pressure they had asserted to get free. They hit the floor hard. Max scrambled
backwards with Liz still in his arms. Regaining his feet, he reached for her
pulling her to her feet. They ran.
The
loud pounding steps chased them, the sound pulsing in their ears so loud, Liz
couldn’t hear her own screams.
***
“Max!”
Kyle could hear his brother and Liz. He could hear Liz’s scream.
Tess
joined him at the door. They banged on the door hard, both of them yelling.
“Max!”
Kyle hit the door, standing back he kicked the door. “I hate this place!”
Kyle’s heart was pounding hard in his chest, hurting as the breath caught in
his throat. His brothers. Oh god. His brothers.
“Kyle…”
Kyle
circled the room. The lights flickered, and then went out. He took the
flashlight out of his back pocket, the light moving over the room. There was
another door.
Rushing
to the other door, he tried it. The doorknob turned. Tess followed, frowning at
how quiet Kyle was. His anxiety was in the lines of his back.
“Kyle?”
“Not
now, Tess. I have to find a way to my brothers.” Kyle swore when he entered
the bathroom. There was another door. The bathroom was a shared one with another
room. Maybe…
“Sonnabitch!”
Kyle kicked at the door. It was closed. It wouldn’t budge. Exiting the
bathroom, he circled the room in irritation. He and Tess both stopped when there
was a banging noise above them followed by the sound of something being dragged.
Doors started shaking including the one in their room.
The
doors shuttered as a force pulled on them, the shaking increasing. Tess put
hands over her ears as the sounds of slamming doors sounded throughout the
house. She bit her lip to hold in the scream.
“I
can’t be trapped in here! I have to get to my brothers.” Kyle moved his
hands through his hair.
“Kyle…”
Tess held onto his arm.
Kyle
stared at the window. He rushed to it, looking outside and to the side. The
winds were high and cold icy rain pelted the window.
“There
is a trellis!” Kyle tried the window. It opened. Leaning out, his hand reached
for the trellis.
“Kyle,
god! What are you doing?”
“I’m
going out the window!”
“You’ll
get killed.” Tess looked down at the ground. They were high off the ground.
“We’re on the second floor!”
“I’m
climbing down.” Kyle jumped up into the window, moving out on the ledge. It
was icy. Kyle looked back at Tess. “Stay here! I’ll come back for you. Just
stay here!”
“Kyle…don’t.”
Kyle
moved along the ledge holding on to the side of the window. His foot slipped.
“Kyle!”
Tess leaned out to catch him her one hand grabbing his wrist.
Kyle’s
other hand found the ledge on the way down. Tess held him with the other hand.
His hand joining the other on the ledge. The wind was blowing at his body.
Moving slowly along the ledge, he gauged the distance to the trellis. Swinging,
he concentrated waiting for the maximum swing to let go.
“Kyle…”
Tess couldn’t watch. She covered her eyes with her hands. Kyle swung reaching
out to catch at the boards of the trellis swearing as the old vines’ thorns
tore into his hand. Holding on by one hand, he grabbed on panting hard.
Tess
couldn’t believe it. He made it.
The
door behind her banged. Turning, she stared at it in fear. She could see the
wood buckling. Screaming, she scrambled into the window, crouching on the sill.
“Kyle!”
“Tess…no!
What are you doing?”
“Coming
with you!”
“Tess…”
Before Kyle could tell her what to do she jumped towards him.
Swearing,
Kyle reached out a hand barely grabbing hers before she fell. His one hand was
holding them to the trellis, her body weighing on his arm. Tess screamed as she
swung by Kyle’s arm, her other hand stretching for the trellis.
Sighing
in relief, both Kyle and Tess hugged the trellis once Tess reached it. They both
rested panting against the wall of the house some eighteen feet off the ground,
the icy rain beating on them. Tess shivered as her clothing became drenched.
“Are
we okay,” she asked.
Kyle
gulped hard. “Yeah. Give a moment and then we can climb down.”
“Okay.”
They lay against the wall, Kyle shielding the worse of the rain from Tess’s
smaller body.
Kyle
heard it first. Tess closed her eyes in fear.
“Kyle?
What was that?”
“Oh
damn!” Kyle never got a chance to respond before the trellis collapsed under
both their feet, yelling as they fell to the ground.
“Ugh!”
Kyle hit first with Tess landing on top of him.
“Kyle…uh…,”
gasped Tess, breathing hard once she recaptured her breath. “You still want to
rest?”
“Ouch!”
Kyle rolled pushing Tess off him. He slowly regained his footing, reaching down
to give her a hand up. “C’mon. Let’s get back inside.”
Tess
held back. “I don’t know, Kyle. I don’t want to go back in there.”
“My
brothers are in there!”
“You’re
right. I’m sorry. The others are in there. We can’t leave them.” Tess
followed him as he walked around to the front door. She barely made a few steps
when something seized her.
***
“You’re
back.” Michael said as his hand went through the silky blonde tresses resting
on his chest.
“Yes.”
Maria snuggled up close, listening to his heartbeat.
“Where
did you go?”
“Around.”
Maria lifted up to look into his eyes. She smiled. “Did anyone ever tell you
that you have the warmest golden brown eyes?”
Michael
actually felt heat move up his neck at her regard. “No,” he whispered.
“It
reminds me of the smoky warm color of a good malted scotch whiskey.” Maria’s
mouth touched his, her breath on his lips. “They make me feel that warm too.
The same warmth you get when you drink aged scotch straight down.”
“I
like cognac.”
Maria
kissed him softly again, her mouth brushing seductively against his. “I like
cognac too.” Her hand moved over his skin brushing him softly. “I like
holding the glass in my hands to warm the liquor so the first aroma is
released.”
“The
Angel’s share,” Michael said, a smile pulled at his mouth.
“Yes.”
Maria kissed him again, more passionately this time. Michael moaned his hand
going behind her neck under her hair to hold her mouth to his kiss. Maria licked
her lips as she stared down at him. “I never asked.”
“If
you could kiss me?”
Maria
laughed softly. “No. I would do that regardless. I don’t believe in self
denial.”
Michael
liked that answer. “What did you not ask me?”
“If
you have a girlfriend. I really shouldn’t kiss you if you do.”
“Rest
easy. I don’t. I recently find myself freed of such impediments.” Michael
searched her beautiful face. She looked so young, and yet, there was something
older about her…something closer to his age. She still had the softness of
youth on her face, but there was a wealth of age in her eyes. “How about you?
Any jealous boyfriends coming to gun for me?”
“Hardly.
My last boyfriend and I split on very unhappy terms. It had something to do with
jello, his
“It
didn’t work out?”
“Oh,
that is a huge understatement.” Maria smiled, a dimple on her cheek deepening.
“I’ve taken it as a blessing.” Michael lifted an inquisitive brow. Maria
searched his face, her mouth brushing his again. “It’s left me free to do
this.” She kissed him again.
Michael’s
eyes closed as he rested. He was tired. His hands ran through her hair. “What
do you do?”
“I’m
a student. Or I was. I took a year off to be with my mom when my grandfather
died. I’m going to
“Rhodes
Scholar?”
“How
did you guess?”
Michael
shrugged. “You look intelligent.”
Maria
snorted. “I’m not. Not really. Literature is my thing. I love it. The
written word is so seductive, don’t you think?”
“I
can definitely learn to like it.” Michael suggested.
“What
do you do?” Maria asked. “Not literature?”
“Engineering.
I’m almost through my masters work. I defend this Spring. I’m already
accepted in a PhD program.”
“And
after that?”
Michael
laughed. No one ever bothered to ask him what his plans were exactly. “I want
to work for NASA designing for them.”
“Astronaut?”
Michael
laughed. “Nope. Toolist. I build things.”
“Good
with your hands?”
“Extraordinarily.”
Michael said smirking.
“Oh!”
Maria breathed out heavily. “I would so love to make you prove that, but I
fear I will have to send you back soon.”
“Send
me back?” Michael frowned. “I thought you were going to keep me for
eternity.”
Maria
sat up, her hand moving up his chest. “I want to, I really do. Your heartbeat
is irregular and you’re weak. I fear that your time is short.”
Michael
looked around the room. “Where am I?”
“Where
you’re supposed to be…sort of.” God, he was so gorgeous. Maria sighed
hearing the slamming doors. “I brought you to my special place. They can’t
find you here.”
“Your
special place? This is your room?”
“Yes,
and no. Everyone has a special place that they create…a place that is
comfortable and safe. No one can enter unless they let them. If I left you
there, the Others would’ve found you already. They can’t reach you here. I
control the door here.”
“I
can hear voices.”
“The
Others are searching for you. They are moving through the house. Your friends
can’t see them, but they can feel them…hear them.”
“Will
they hurt them?” Michael asked suddenly worried about his younger brothers.
“Oh
no! They can’t. They can only hurt you.”
“And
you?”
Maria
smiled. “No. They look for me in the wrong place. Here I am safe. I told you,
I’m lost.”
Michael
picked up her hand kissing the back of it. “I would find you.”
“My
hero.”
Michael
searched her face. “I thought that is what you are. My hero.”
***
Max
and Liz ran, their steps stumbling along the way as they kept turning to look
behind them. They missed what was in front of them coming at a face pace until
Liz and Isabel ran into each other.
They
both screamed in fright.
“Isabel!”
Liz hugged her friend hard.
“Liz!”
Max
forced Isabel to look at him. “Isabel, where is Alex?”
Isabel
was crying. “He…he forced me to leave him! We got trapped in this room full
of mirrors. He made me promise to leave if the door opened.” Isabel looked at
Max in misery. “I left him!”
The
pounding started up again, they all looked down the hall. Max reached down and
yanked both girls to their feet. “Show me!”
Isabel
nodded heading for the stairs that led to the third floor upstairs. Max and Liz
followed. They came to the third floor that was strangely quiet.
Max
worried about Kyle and Alex, he looked down the hall. He couldn’t even think
about Michael. “Isabel, which door?”
Isabel
wiped a shaking hand across her face removing tears. “I don’t know! I came
out. I was scared. I ran.”
Max
could understand that. He moved up the hall banging on doors calling for Alex.
Liz and Isabel joined him working the rooms opposite down the hall. They might
be moving the wrong way. There were two wings.
“Alex!”
They called.
***
Alex
moved into the new room. The door closed behind him. His hand moved along the
wall until he found a light switch. Flipping the switch, he stared at the large
room. It was the nursery. The children’s room was attached to the mirrored
playroom.
Moving
through the room, he stumbled on a toy on the floor. Picking it up, he sat it on
a table, moving around it. A stuffed clown in a chair stared at him. Alex
couldn’t take his eyes off the clown. He hated them.
Reaching
the door, he turned the doorknob swearing. Closing his eyes he prayed it would
open. The door wouldn’t open. Pulling hard, the door moved under his hand.
Stepping
into the hall, he breathed a sigh of relief. Running down the hall, he called to
Isabel.
“Isabel!”
He
heard his name being called in the distance. The other wing. It was Max’s
voice. Rushing, following the calling of his name, Alex hurried wanting off the
floor.
“Max!”
The
girls and Max heard Alex’s voice. Turning, they saw him running from the other
wing. They rushed to join him. The four of them hugged each other, all talking
at the same time.
“Max,
where is Kyle?”
Max
shook his head. He had no idea. He had two brothers that he was worried about.
“We need to go check on Michael. What if he’s dead?”
Alex
held Max’s arm hard. “Don’t even think it! C’mon.”
They
heard their names called. Looking over the banister to the lower level they saw
Jesse looking up at them. Rushing down the stairs, they went to join him. On the
second level they all stood uncertain whether they should go downstairs or
search for Kyle and Tess.
“Michael?”
Max asked Jesse.
“He’s
alone. Trapped in the den. We couldn’t get the door open.”
“Where
is Courtney?” Liz asked.
Jesse
shook his head. “I don’t know! We were coming up the stairs. She was holding
my hand, and the next thing I knew she was gone.” Jesse felt stupid, but he
held out his hand. It was still shaking. “She wasn’t there, but something
was still holding my hand.”
Liz
and Isabel looked at each other, not happy with that news.
The
loud banging started at the base of the stairs on the main floor. The entire
group looked down the stairs in horror. They could hear it coming…up the
stairs.
“Oh
my god!” screamed Isabel. “It’s coming back!”
They
all pushed each other back as they scrambled away.
“Follow
me!” Jesse told them. “There is back stairs leading to the kitchen!”
***
“Argh!!”
Tess screamed, her entire body jumping.
She
and Courtney stood facing each other, both shaking, both screaming. Kyle between
them stopping their screams.
“Jesus!
Stop!” Kyle wiped the cold water from his eyes. He looked at Courtney.
“Don’t ever do that again!”
“Sorry!”
Courtney held her hand to her chest, the beating of her heart loud and hard in
her chest. “I was trapped outside. I was so glad to see you. I didn’t
think.”
Kyle,
Tess and Courtney hurried to get out of the rain.
“What
are you doing outside?” Kyle asked.
“I…I
was with Jesse. We got locked out of the den, and we heard screams and running
upstairs. We went up the stairs, but I heard a knock on the front door. I
quickly went downstairs. There was no one at the door. I stepped outside to look
both ways in case it was another group in the rally or from the house. I left
the door open, but when I turned around…”
“Let
me guess,” said Tess. “The door was shut and you couldn’t open it.”
“Right.”
Kyle
frowned. “What do you mean you got locked out of the den? Where is Michael?”
“In
the den. Jesse was going to check to see if Michael had a cell phone charger in
the van, and I went to get the cell phone when the door slammed shut.”
Tess
held on to Kyle’s arm like a lifeline. “I really hate this house.”
Courtney
lifted a hand to point at the road. “Lights! I think it’s a car!”
Kyle
and Tess followed Courtney’s gesture. They ran down the stairs of the front
steps to the road in case the car was traveling down the road, and not coming up
the drive. Courtney ran with them.
The
car saw them and screeched to a stop, it’s wheels sliding on the ice. A boy
from the fraternity got out of the driver’s side, he swore at them.
“Dude!
Not cool. You could’ve caused me to crash.”
“Phil!”
Courtney rushed to the boy’s side. “God! Thank you!” She kissed him.
“Tell me you’ve got a cell phone.”
“Yeah,
sure.” Phil handed over his phone. Kyle grabbed it quickly dialing the
emergency assistance number telling the operator that his brother electrocuted
himself. “What’s going on?” Phil asked.
“We
can’t get into the house,” Tess told him. “The others are trapped
inside.”
“Get
in!” They jumped into the car as he drove them back to the house. When they
stopped in front of the house, the front door stood open. Kyle, Tess, and
Courtney got out of the car staring at the open door.
***
Maria
moved off of him. She was resting on his chest. Sitting up, she looked at him
gently.
“What?”
asked Michael.
“It’s
time. You don’t belong here.”
“Maria…”
Michael wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to leave her. “What about you? I
don’t want to leave you alone.”
“That’s
okay. I’m use to it.” Maria moved his hair off his face. “I would’ve
liked to have kept you for all eternity, but I would rather think of you
alive…working for NASA.”
“Maria,
don’t.” Michael said. It was time.
“A
door just opened. They’re here for you.” Maria leaned down kissing him. She
whispered against his lips, “I could’ve loved you.” Placing her hand on
his chest, she kissed him again.
Michael
saw her one last time before a bright light engulfed him. His chest hurt, and he
could feel his breath pulled from his throat.
***
“Clear!”
The
monitor made a noise as a fatal v-tach suddenly altered.
“He’s
back! I’ve got a normal sinus rhythm.”
The
group stood back across the room watching the paramedics work. When Kyle, Tess
and Courtney came in through the door, the others came running into the main
foyer from the kitchen. They could hear the emergency sirens in the distance.
They worked on Michael for almost ten minutes. His heartbeat had an irregular
rhythm.
Kyle
and Max gave a sigh of relief when Michael’s heart reverted to a normal beat.
The paramedics moved quickly to transport him to the hospital. The twins came to
stand beside their older brother as he was loaded on the gurney. Michael
blinked, his eyes confused. The paramedic was putting an oxygen mask on Michael.
He stopped them. He looked at his brothers and said one word.
“Maria.”
***
“Mr.
Guerin?”
Michael
looked at the hospital door in confusion. His mind was still muddled, caught in
a dream that made no sense. He had been down only twenty minutes, but all those
involved swore it felt like hours trapped in that house.
Michael
sat himself up. He was still weak.
“Yes?”
“I’m
Steven Richards. My company manages the mansion on the hill, the one where
you…”
“The
DeLuca place?” Michael sat up in interest.
“Yes.”
The man seemed uncomfortable. “I feel bad that I offered the place to the
fraternity house now. I never expected anyone to get hurt there.” The man was
sweating. Michael Guerin had a nice claim to sue his company.
“It’s
okay. It was an accident.” Michael closed his eyes.
“When
are they releasing you?”
“Day
after tomorrow…maybe. My heart keeps going into an irregular rhythm. I have to
hold a normal beat for a day before they will take me off the monitors.”
Mr.
Richards noted the wires attached to Michael’s chest and the monitors around
his room. “I am truly sorry about the entire event.”
Michael
shrugged. “Yeah, well it was the perfect house for a Halloween thing. Nothing
like a nice haunted house to add to the ambience.” Michael smirked as he lay
back exhausted. “My brothers can’t stop talking about it. Them and their
friends, now that it is over, can’t stop telling the story.”
“Haunted?”
Mr. Richards sat closer. “The DeLuca place isn’t haunted.”
“According
to my brothers and their friends it is. They think it was the old man DeLuca’s
spirit and his killer searching for the DeLuca gems.”
“DeLuca
gems?” Mr. Richards laughed. “Oh god! Is that hokey old story still going
around?”
“So
it’s not true?”
“No.
Old man DeLuca was an investment broker. He loved stocks and bonds, the markets.
He would never let his money sit.”
“So
he wasn’t murdered.”
“Heart
attack. The gardener broke into the house when the old man didn’t answer his
knock. Over the last few years, it got a little twisted.”
“So
the gardener becomes the burglar and the money…gems.”
“Yes.”
Michael
smiled. “I won’t tell my brothers. It would ruin their story.” Michael was
afraid to ask. “And the car accident with the old man’s daughter and
granddaughter?”
“It
was a tragic accident. A trucker had fallen asleep at the wheel.”
“That
happened when?”
“Almost
three years ago. They had moved into the house after the old man died, and
almost six months later the accident happened. It was such a tragedy.”
“Right,”
said Michael distractedly.
Mr.
Richards looked at the younger man’s tired face. Standing up, he shook
Michael’s hand again. “Well, I just wanted to check on you. I’ll leave you
to rest.” Michael nodded. “Would you let me know if you need anything?”
Mr. Richards left his card with Michael.
After
he left, Michael closed his eyes. She was dead.
***
Michael
sighed putting down his book. Turning off the game, he went to answer his door.
God, it was probably his brothers again, or his parents. Since he was released
from the hospital, they were always underfoot.
“Yeah?”
Michael froze in the doorway. It wasn’t the twins or his parents. “What are
you doing here, Dolce?”
“I…”
The woman stared at him, her eyes moving over his face. “Can I come in?”
Michael
scratched his brow. “Sure.” He moved out of the way to let her in.
Dolce
glance up at him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.
Fine. Wait here. I’ll be right back.” Michael left her in the living room as
he went to find what he was looking for. Michael came back with a cardboard box.
“Here are some of your things. I know you didn’t get a chance that last time
to pack your shit.”
Dolce
rubbed her face. “Can we talk about this?”
“What’s
to talk about?”
“You
almost died!”
Michael
shrugged. “So I’ve been told. I held on for twenty minutes. I’m told it
was a miracle.”
“I…”
Dolce wavered under his emotionless stare. “Can we try again? I don’t…I
can’t imagine you dead, and all this stuff between us.” Dolce’s voice
lowered. “I miss you. I miss us.”
Michael
stood there, unable to feel anything. He knew what she wanted from him. Two
years was a huge investment in another person, but somehow in twenty minutes, he
had felt he lived an entire other life. Opening the door, he pushed the box of
her stuff in her hands.
“Sorry.
Strange as it might seem, I changed. I didn’t even realize that I didn’t
love you, but now I do.” Michael looked at her bleakly. “There is someone
else.”
“Someone
else? It’s only been a little over a week. How…”
“I
wish I could explain it. I just know that she’s all I think about, all I
want.” Michael opened the door and waited for his ex-girlfriend to leave.
“What’s
her name?”
“Maria.”
Michael said quietly. He watched Dolce walk away. “She saved my life,” he
said to himself. “She hid me from the Others…from death.”
***
“Are
you sure this is okay?” Michael asked.
“Sure.”
Steven Richards opened the DeLuca house. “You want me to come in with you?”
“No.
That’s okay.”
He
stopped Michael before he entered. “Look, I know I told you that the house
isn’t haunted. It’s not, but I should warn you that none of the doors ever
stay open. I think they’re all hung off centered, so they naturally close.”
“Right.”
Michael went inside.
He
knew why they closed. Maria’s spirit kept them close to keep the Others from
entering.
He
stood in the silent house. Walking into the den, he stood in front of the
fireplace staring at the picture of her and her mother. He couldn’t feel the
warmth. He couldn’t feel her.
“I
thought it was a dream. I remember looking at your picture before I tried to
turn on the light. It was possible that I imagined it all.” Michael told the
picture. Rubbing his face, he shook his head. “I’m insane. Standing in an
empty house talking to the painting of a girl that died almost three years
ago.”
Michael
sat down, his eyes never leaving the painting. “I have to believe you’re
here somewhere, waiting for me to save you like you saved me. I have to
believe.”
Michael
looked at the piece of paper he had been holding in his hand. Steven had given
him the address to where the DeLuca family plots were. He had to know. He had
looked up the accident. Now he needed closure. He kept looking for her around
every corner.
***
Walking
through the cemetery, he could feel Steven’s eyes on his back. The man thought
he was deranged. Moving towards the DeLuca crypt and family plots, his hands
were pushed in the front pockets of his jeans. It was cold. The wind was from
the north, and there was a crisp feel of electricity in the air and the smell of
rain.
He
found Amy and her father’s plot. Staring at the date of her death, he could
imagine how horrible it would be to watch his parents die. No wonder she ran.
Michael frowned. Moving through the area, he searched every tombstone.
Running
back to the car, he shook his head.
“Where
is she?”
“What?”
Steven almost groaned. Damn, since the accident, Michael Guerin was acting
bizarre. He could almost taste the problems this could cause. Everyday, it
seemed the Guerin family had a better claim to sue his company.
“Maria
DeLuca! Why isn’t she buried next to her mom?”
Steven
could believe it. The young man was unhinged. “She is our client. She’s not
buried in the family plot yet, because she’s not dead.”
Michael’s
hand grabbed the edge of the car door, the light fading from his sight, as he
felt weak and dizzy. “Take me to her,” he said hoarsely.
***
Pinehurst
was a special convalesce home. According to Steven, Maria DeLuca had been
transferred there after the accident almost three years ago. Michael listened as
Steven drove there telling him Maria’s history.
She
had sustained a head injury in the accident. The trauma was great enough that
she had to go to surgery. Once surgery was over, her body returned to normal
with the exception of consciousness. She never woke up. She had been on the
operating table, barely hanging on when her mother died in the ER.
“So
she’s in a coma?”
“No,”
Steven said taking the turn, “that’s the thing. She has excellent brain
function, responds to light and sensation. She’s not in a coma…or at least a
special type of coma. Best they can explain it is that she is asleep.”
Michael
stared out the window. She couldn’t wake. She couldn’t wake, because that
elusive spirit that made a person who they were saw her mother die. She ran.
When she tried to find herself again, they had moved her from the hospital to
Pinehurst. She got lost. She couldn’t find herself, opening doors, alone and
afraid until she found her home. There she stayed.
“Michael…she’s
been asleep a long time. Don’t get your hopes up.”
“I
won’t.”
Michael
waited while Steven talked to administration. Finally, he was cleared to see
her. Standing outside the door, he took a deep breath, concentrating on taking a
step forward.
He
stood in the doorway in shock. It was her. It was Maria.
It
was her, and it was not.
She
looked so small and pale in the bed. He couldn’t see the brilliant green of
her eyes, but he knew they would be green. Her blonde hair was stringy and
unkempt, hanging limp against her head. Her face was pale and waned. There were
deep dark rings shadowing her eyes. It was her mouth that held his attention.
That
was the only part of her that looked alive. Her mouth was red and full, as
beautiful as he remembered.
Entering
the room, he hesitated at her bed staring at her. Lowering into a chair at her
bedside, he pulled it closer to the bed. Picking up her hand, he stared at the
slender length. Three years of waiting for a way home had cost her a lot. She
was slowly losing a battle with her healthy. Eventually, the Others would find
her.
“Maria?”
Michael
cleared his throat. Tightening his hand on hers, he lifted it to his mouth
kissing it, then cupping it between his two larger hands.
“You
told me that you were lost, that there was nothing for you to follow home.”
Michael’s eyes never left her face. “You told me that you would follow my
voice, that you would come to me.” Lowering his head to their joint hands, he
closed his eyes. He was so damn tired. Since he came to back in that house, he
couldn’t rest, couldn’t sleep. She had kept him awake…the thought of her.
“I’m
your anchor, Maria. You said you could follow my voice home. I’m asking you to
leave that safe room in your mind, and hear my voice. Let it guide you back to
yourself.” Michael rubbed his head against their hands. “Come home, Beauty.
You won’t be alone, I swear. It’s time to wake up. You’ve been gone too
long. It doesn’t do any good to hid away from life.”
He
waited, but she didn’t stir. Michael could feel a pervasive despair.
“Maria,” he pleaded.
Her
hand tightened in his. Michael lifted his head, his eyes meeting the green of
hers. She wouldn’t remember him. She couldn’t. It had been a dream.
“Michael,”
she said hoarsely, her throat dry and low from disuse.
“Oh,
thank god!” Michael lowered his head to her side, almost too tired to hold
himself upright any longer.
Maria’s
hand weakly stroked the back of his neck. He glanced up at her.
“You’re
tired. You need to rest. It’s okay to rest now.”
Michael
could hear the nursing staff moving around them in excitement of her waking
state. Yes. He could finally rest. Somehow, by saving him, she found a way to
save herself. Closing his eyes, he sighed in relief that he hadn’t failed her.
***
Michael
closed another cardboard box, his hand pushing the tape firmly across the flaps.
He took his marker writing a word on the box. The kitchen was finally done.
“Okay…”
Michael looked around in irritation. “Max! Kyle! Get your asses in here!”
“Oh,
he bellows!” Max told Kyle.
“Geez,
he sounds like a moose.”
“Shut
up and get in here.” Michael picked up the box adding it to the others.
“What?”
The twins said together. They were both holding an unopened beer. Michael
reached over and took the beers from them.
“No
drinking.”
“Ahhh…”
Michael
interrupted them before they could whine. “You got all the information,
right?” Michael looked at his brothers in irritation. “Max?”
“Yeah,
yeah! I wrote it on Kyle’s back in marker.” Max hit his twin. “Show him
your back, bro!”
Kyle
scratched his eyebrow a replica of his older brother. “I…um, it sort of
washed off in the shower last night.”
“Damn!
I told you not to shower!”
“Hey,
Tess was coming over. I was all sweaty from basketball.”
“Wimp,”
Max said to his brother.
“Oh…”
Kyle hacked. “Like if Liz was coming over, you wouldn’t be soaking your damn
head?”
“Enough!”
Michael rubbed his face. He handed a piece of paper over to Kyle. “Here is the
information, in written form. The packers arrive on Thursday. Be sure to be here
watching them pack up the entire house. Do not leave anything behind. The
cleaning company is due on Friday to clean, and then I need you to turn the keys
over to the management company…to Steven on Friday after the cleaners
leave.”
Max
frowned. “Man, Mickey. We told you that you don’t have to close up your
house. We would housesit for you.” Max hit Kyle. “Wouldn’t we, Kyle?”
“Yeah.
We love your house. All close to the University. Serious party house.” Max hit
Kyle harder.
“Yeah,”
Michael said rolling his eyes. “Exactly the reason I am shutting it up for the
next year or two.” Michael glanced over at the door and smiled. Smirking, he
looked at his brothers. “There is one thing.”
The
twins held their breath.
Michael
held up the keys to his van. “I won’t be needing the van while I’m in
England. Someone needs to keep it running.”
Kyle
grabbed the keys doing a little dance as Max tried to get them from him.
“Michael…”
A soft voiced called to him.
Michael
glanced at the door again glancing at his watch. She was right. It was late.
“We’ve got to go or we’ll miss our flight.” Michael hit his brothers on
their shoulders pushing them towards the door. “Let’s go. You are driving
us.”
Michael
put his arm around his wife’s shoulder pulling her into his side. Kissing her
forehead, he waited until his brothers walked through the door. Maria smiled at
her brother-in-laws. Married only a week, she was more than happy to take off to
England for the next year or two with Michael. She was finally continuing her
school work, and Michael applied to an Engineering position there as well.
“Hey,
Maria, maybe we could watch the mansion?” Kyle suggested. Kyle looked at the
look on his older brother’s face. “Or not,” he sighed.
Michael
and Maria got into the back of the van, sitting on the bench seat. Michael
pulled Maria onto his lap. The twins were standing in front of the van arguing
over who should drive.
“Man,
I should drive! I know the airport much better than you!”
Kyle
jingled the keys. “Possession is ownership. I drive!”
Michael
yelled at them. “Get your asses in the damn van!” The two scrambled into the
front seats still grumbling. “God, Maria. Are you changing your mind about
staying married to me yet?”
Maria
laughed. They married on Halloween, a year after they met. Kissing him, she
stroked his face. “Don’t be silly. You’re taking me away from them for a
year or two, how perfect could you be?”
Max
glanced back making a groaning noise. “Oh god! They’re kissing again.”
“Shut
up and keep you damn eyes on the road,” Michael growled.
“I’m
not driving…Kyle is, and…”
“Max,”
warned Michael.
“Fine.”
Max sniffed. “I thought getting married would make him nicer.” Kyle
snickered at that thought.
Maria
thought Michael was nice enough. Framing his face, she kissed his lips gently.
“Can I keep you?” she whispered.
“For
eternity?” he asked.
“For
eternity.”
The
End.
~Happy
Halloween.~