She liked that they were falling into a routine. She spent a good portion of her time in her wheelchair and she learned not to begrudge that fact. She used her crutches to get about when she wanted to go outside or upstairs. She found a happy mix and knew that time would allow her to rely on her legs more. She would just have to let time pass.
They’d been there five days before Andrew made the announcement that he was heading into town.
“Do you want to come with me?” He looked at her closely, searching her face for the usual traces of unhappiness that had lingered there over the past few months. But she just smiled.
“No, I think I’m quite happy here.” She glanced down at the book in her lap. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed reading this much. “Do you think you’ll be long?”
“Oh, no more than an hour I would guess. We’re in desperate need of groceries.”
She laughed at that. “Well we didn’t exactly pack a lot.”
“And I forgot to stop before we got here.” He grinned sheepishly.
“Well off you go then.” She playfully waved him away. “And pick out something good for supper. Oh, and grab some jam!” She called after him and could hear his laughter from down the hall.
It was a good sound, laughter. It hadn’t been something that had filled their home a great deal lately. She was glad to have it back.
Her accident had taken so much away from them. It had stolen more than just her ability to walk. It had taken happiness. It had taken laughter. It had risked her marriage for a short period of time. But here they were, still as strong as ever, laughing again, smiling again.
Laura debated spending her morning in the kitchen, seated at the breakfast nook with her book and tea, but the idea seemed too confining. So she started the long journey to the living room.
It wouldn’t have been so difficult, but she’d left her chair in the living room the night before, favouring her crutches for the journey to the stairs. She’d managed to get up them in half the time last night and she was still proud of that. But her legs were stiff this morning, and the trip to the living room was slow and it meant abandoning what was left of her tea.
She tucked her book into the waist of her trousers because she could think of nowhere else to store it. She grabbed her crutches and slowly got up from the table.
Her legs wobbled beneath her for a moment and she had to wonder if they would give out from underneath her. She drew in a breath, waited for them to steady, and was grateful when they did.
She hadn’t been in the house by herself before now. The realization sank in as she made her way from the kitchen to the living room. She wasn’t certain why the thought resounded so thoroughly with her at that moment. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been alone in a building before. She’d spent countless days and nights alone in their condo. But there was something about being alone in this house that resonated with her as being different.
She felt the chill run up her spin and chuckled at her silliness. There was no reason to feel uneasy in the house just because Andrew had left. She’d never been the helpless woman in need of a male protector. She could handle being alone in a house by.
Then why did she suddenly feel like she shouldn’t be there alone? Why was the chill that had run up her spine not going away despite the humid summer air? Why were goose bumps rising on her arms despite the exertion of walking into the living room?
She paused in the entrance to the living room, the sense of unease filling her to the point that she wasn’t certain she even wanted to sit in the room any longer. She glanced around the space. It looked perfectly tame. It looked serene, but she felt this undercurrent.
It was strange that she hadn’t felt it earlier. She hadn’t sensed it at all when Andrew had been there. But standing in that doorway she felt like she needed to be out of the house. She felt like something was telling her to leave. And no part of her wanted to enter the living room.
The chill ran up her spin again as her unease grew. Her eyes scanned the emptiness searching for a cause, searching for an explanation.
She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm her nerves.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered but she turned away from the room nevertheless. She couldn’t help herself.
Perhaps she would go outside. The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, and she’d been meaning to try out that bench outside. It seemed like the perfect day to enjoy it. And she was looking for an excuse. She was looking for any reason to get out of the house.
She glanced behind her as she made her way to the front door. She knew it was silly, but she felt like someone was watching her. She couldn’t shake the feeling of uncertainty that had overcome her.
She scanned the hallway, her eyes drifting up the stairs to the darkness above. She knew that she was alone in the house. Logic told her that she was being childish for being afraid of shadows, but suddenly she wanted the open air and the sunlight more than ever.
She cursed the fact that getting to the doorway took her several minutes. With every step the feeling of being watching simply increased. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Her heart began to race as she struggled to increase her pace despite her physical limitation. Her legs trembled beneath her from the effort.
She felt ridiculous, fleeing from an empty house, but that thought could barely penetrate the fear that clouded her mind, the need to escape, the need for open air and sunshine.
The door was mere steps away. She was almost there. She hastened through the last steps. Her arms ached. Her legs ached. She could barely balance herself on her one crutch as she reached for the door handle.
“Laura…” the voice drifted through the house to her and she froze where she was, her hand clasped around the knob.
“Laura…”
No, she would not turn around she told herself, even as she felt her head turning in the direction of the voice. It had come from somewhere behind her. Her heart was in her throat. Her palm was sweating on the handle. Yet she still scanned the room behind her for the source of the voice.
Nothing. No one.
She turned the knob and stepped into the sunlight. She smiled up at the sun, feeling the fear and unease slip away. She chuckled at her foolishness as she stepped away from the door.
And as the door swung closed behind her, she saw nothing of the figure standing at the top of the staircase, looking down at her, smiling.
Chapter 3
Neighbours
* * *
The sun was exactly what she had needed. It took her longer than she wanted to get across the lawn and down to the pond. Her legs were weak from her hasty retreat to the door. Her arms felt like rubber from holding her up. And for what? What had she been running from?
It all felt so ridiculous now that she was sitting in the sun by the water. She sat on the bench with her legs stretched out, her crutches resting beside her, and her book open in her lap. She hadn’t managed to read a word yet. Her mind was still lingering over what had just happened.
Had it all been a figment of her imagination? She’d always been a creative individual, but she’d never been one to have her imagination run away on her.
She thought of the pain medications she was on. Dr Sinclair had warned her that hallucinations were a side effect, but she’d been on them for some time now. It would be quite odd for things to start up at this late stage. So what had it been?
She glanced back towards the house, which looked welcoming in the midday sun. The windowpanes glistened and the gardens were in full bloom. It looked as inviting as it had on the first day she had arrived at the house. Clearly she had been imagining things. That was really the only possibility that made sense.
She turned back to the pond in time to see movement on the rise. A single figure was cresting the hill and coming towards her. As the distance between them closed she realized it was a man who walked towards her. He looked to be in his early thirties, the same age as her hu
sband.
She waved a hand in greeting, her arm feeling heavy as she lifted it and placed a welcoming smile on her face as he came within earshot.
“Hello! This is a pleasant surprise.” She looked up at him as he stopped several paces away from her.
He cast a weary glance at the house. “I’m Peter Leeson, your neighbour for the time being.” He gave a small smile. “I figured it was only proper to come by and say hello now that you’ve had a few days to settle in.”
“Well that’s kind of you.” She looked back towards the house, a small frown pulling at her mouth. “My husband isn’t here right now, but you’re welcome to sit with me for a while. I’d love to know what it’s like to live here.”
Peter pulled his bottom lip between his teeth and seemed to consider the proposal. His eyes kept drifting towards the house like it might possibly change if he didn’t keep an eye on it. She found this behaviour odd, but everyone was entitled to their eccentricities.
He didn’t reply for several moments, his eyes staying on the house and his hands finding homes in his pockets. Finally, he rocked back on his heels and turned his gaze towards her.
“How long do you plan on staying here?”
Her brow creased in confusion and without realizing it she glanced down at her legs. “I think Andrew, my husband that is, rented it for the month.” She tilted her head in question. “Why do you ask?”
“Just curious,” he evaded. He didn’t move to sit with her on the bench nor did he move from his spot several paces from her. It was as though there was some line he was unwilling to cross. It was as though he was unwilling to get too close to the house.
“Are you sure you won’t join me?” She patted her hand on the large amount of space available on the bench beside her.
He shook his head, again his eyes darting towards the house. “I’m fine right here, thank you.” He forced his attention back to her, this time his attention wandered to the crutches. “It’s a long way to go on those.”
She glanced over at them and chuckled. “I know, but I needed the fresh air. I needed to get out of the house.”
“Why?”
Her brow creased again. “Well I had an accident, so I’ve been inside a lot.”
“No, why did you need to get out of THAT house?” He pointed for emphasis.
Did he know something that she didn’t about the house? What was he trying to get at? “Whatever do you mean?”
“Oh, I probably shouldn’t even be asking about it.” He shook his head and sent the house another look like it was a snake about to rear back its head and sink its poisonous fangs into him.
“Do you know something about that house, Peter?” She waited until his eyes met hers again. “Do you know something that I should know? Something bad?”
“I – ” he stopped as a car pulled into the drive.
Laura glanced over and wanted to smile as she saw Andrew get out of the car. Instead she felt the frown pull at her mouth and the familiar irritation fill her. He really did have the worst timing.
Her gaze returned to Peter and she knew by the look on his face that whatever he’d been about to tell her was gone now. The conversation was over. She couldn’t decide if she was more irritated with Andrew for his bad timing or their new neighbour for his extreme vagueness.
“Look who managed to make it outside.” Andrew smiled as he made his way over to them. He leaned down to give his wife a kiss on the cheek before walking over to Peter to shake his hand. “I’m Andrew Knight, Laura’s husband.”
“Peter Leeson. I live just over the rise. I figured it was about time I came over and said hello.” He gave a tight smile.
“Well that’s just lovely.” He looked back over at his wife. “Why don’t you join us back inside for some tea? I’d love to know more about you and this area. We’re going to be here for a while and I would hate to feel like a tourist the entire while.”
Peter looked visibly ill at the notion of going inside the house and even took a step in retreat at the mention of it. “No, no, no, I’m just fine.” He held his hands up as if to ward off the very concept. “I have to get back anyway.” He took another step in retreat.
“Are you certain?” Andrew frowned.
“Oh yes, quite certain.”
They watched him go, quite hastily, back over the rise. Andrew glanced towards his wife, brows raised. “He’s an odd fellow, isn’t he?”
“Yes, quite odd indeed.”
Laura watched him disappear in the distance and wondered what he’d been about to say to her. She was certain now that she’d likely never know. What bothered her was the thought that it was something important. He’d looked as though he was about to tell her something important, something she should know.
This seemed to be her luck lately. The wrong place at the wrong time kind of luck, bad timing ultimately. It was following her, it seemed, and not even her vacation to the countryside was letting her escape it. She was afraid she would have to accept it as her way of life.
“Help me to my feet, darling?” She held up her hands for him. “I’m afraid I’ve quite overdone it today.”
“I leave you alone for a few hours,” he chastised but it was all in good fun.
“You never know what will happen when you leave a woman alone.” She got her crutches underneath her and, with his assistance, started back to the house.
Her mind now completely consumed with discussions of supper and tea. She didn’t even hesitate to walk back through the front door.
Chapter 4
Nightmares
* * *
The room was completely dark. Not the comfortable dark of a room at night, but the inky darkness that seemed to suck all the light away from it, should it try to appear. It was quiet. Unnaturally quiet in the room that was too dark for comfort. The air held a staleness to it, with just a hint of moisture.
She couldn’t tell where she was, only that the chills that ran up her spine were oddly familiar. She knew that she didn’t want to be in this room. She knew that she shouldn’t be in this room.
She tried to take a step backwards, tried to retreat from her current situation even though she did not know where the exit was. Her legs would not move. She tried again, but her ankles remained firmly together, her feet stuck in place.
She glanced down in confusion and felt the room tilt on its axis. She wasn’t glancing down, but looking up rather, at her feet bound together. The rope cutting into her ankles as they were the only part of her available to support her weight.
Her arms, which she had held close to her sides moments ago, dropped down to dangle above her head, gravity pulling them as she could no longer find the strength to hold them up.
What was this? Where was she? How had she come to be hung upside down in this dark abyss?
Her mind swirled with questions as her body dangled, as the ropes cut further into her ankles, as she felt the blood begin to run down her calves from the damage they caused.
She drew in a breath to scream but no sound came out. Her voice froze in her throat. The sound blocked as if some invisible force gagged her into silence. She choked back her scream to have it turn into a sob.
The laughter floated to her from the darkness, a disembodied sound that made the fear bubble up in her throat and choke her like her scream. The coppery taste of it, like blood on her tongue. Her heart raced and she struggled further against the bindings.
She tried to scream again, tried to speak, tried to move. All without avail. The ropes cut further into her ankles, the blood continued to run down her legs, and her arms swayed below her head. She was silent.
The laughter continued. Slow, steady, and coming from nowhere at all.
Then silence.
She wasn’t certain what was worse. The all-encompassing silence or the disembodied laughter.
She looked at her feet again. Perhaps she could reach up and untie herself. She went to lift her arms only to discover they too were tied. They were secured
to iron loops, bolted to the concrete floor.
She yanked at her wrists but it just caused her body to sway, resulting in more strain on her ankles. The rope burned into her wrists. The rope burned into her ankles.
The growling increased, joined by the slow clicking of nails on the concrete floor.
She fought to scream. She fought to escape. All she did was cause herself more harm. The rope securing her hands turned red with her blood.
The clicking increased. The growling increased. The laughter returned.
She closed her eyes. Hoping that the darkness of her eyelids would be better than the darkness around her. The light sucking darkness filled with noises that made her heart want to pound from her chest.
She squeezed her eyes closed and felt the hot breath on her arms. She felt the wetness as something licked the blood from her wrists. She heard the growl once more and braced herself.
There was no way she was ready for what could happen next, as she opened her eyes and started into the red orbs across from her. As she opened her eyes, and screamed, the sound finally leaving her throat.
As she opened her eyes and sat bolt upright in bed.
Andrew woke with a start at the sound of her scream. It ripped through his subconscious and brought him from sleep instantly. His eyes went to her, sitting upright in bed, her eyes staring blindly before her, and her hands shaking. Even in the dim light of the room he could tell that she was pale.
“Laura?” His voice was hesitant as he held out a hand to touch her arm.
She jolted at the contact, turning wide eyes to stare at him in the dim room. She blinked owlishly, her eyes not quite registering that he was sitting next to her.
He reached over and switched on the bedside lamp, bringing light to the room. He watched her squeeze her eyes shut and shake her head as though trying to bring herself back to reality. When she opened them again, he saw that she saw him now. He saw that she had returned from whatever dark place she’d been to.
Haunted Happenings Page 2
