Victoria House (Haunted Hearts Series Book 2)
Page 28
“What’s wrong?” He turned to glance behind him and suddenly released her. “What the he—”
The mass shimmered, and then the fuzzy, not quite in focus, figure of a man emerged and moved toward them. The apparition’s eyes glowed and seemed to stare right into Cherish’s soul.
“Run little girl.” The message the apparition sent zoomed through her mind, although she couldn’t audibly hear his words.
Before she could respond or even process what was happening, the apparition had enveloped Zach. Terror seized Cherish’s insides. She screamed and backed up a step. Zach’s face seemed to melt and shift, sliding into features that looked nothing like him. Hysteria welled inside her. She’s seen that face before, but where?
Zach’s body arched and rose from the ground until he brushed the ceiling. When the apparition separated from Zach, he fell to the floor with a hard thud and the unmistakable crack of breaking bones met her ears.
Once again, she heard the apparition in her head if not in her ears. “You’d better run now.”
She didn’t hesitate this time. She turned and bolted toward the Ashley Ridge trail only a few yards away. Once her feet hit the path, she headed not toward Zach’s car, but toward the nearest house. It would do her no good to try to use his car. He still held the keys. Her best bet was to run for Laurel Heights and see if old lady Celeste Standridge would help her out.
It seemed ages before she finally banged on the old lady’s back door. Breathless from her frantic run along the ridge trail, she bent over to catch her breath. She relaxed a little, relieved that she had been able to get away and get help. She’d beg the old lady to let her use the phone. After a long moment, the door creaked open and she straightened just as a man grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her into the house.