The Edge of Eternity

by Amanda Stevens

It did a little. “Anyone I know?”

  “No.” She plowed her fingers through the water. “We met in college, like you and Paul.”

  “What happened?”

  She shrugged. “It didn’t work out. We wanted different things out of life, so we went our separate ways. We still keep in touch, though. Christmas cards, the occasional phone call.”

  “Does he live in Seattle?”

  She gave Elizabeth a sly look. “I didn’t say it was a he, now did I?”

  Elizabeth tried to hide her shock. “No, I just assumed…”

  Frankie laughed. “I’m teasing you. His name is Nathan Grandholme. He’s an attorney in Portland. Last I heard, he and his wife are expecting their third child. Three kids…” She shuddered. “Can you imagine?”

  Elizabeth said nothing.

  “Oh, Lizzy, I’m sorry,” Frankie said in horror. “God, that was thoughtless of me. I was only referring to my own lack of maternal instincts. I didn’t stop to think…”

  “It’s okay,” Elizabeth said quietly. “You don’t have to keep walking on eggshells around me.”

  “I know that.” Frankie sighed. “And anyway, this conversation is getting way too maudlin. You know what we need?” she said with forced brightness. “That drink I promised you. How about some wine?” She climbed out of the pool and reached for her robe.

  “No, wait,” Elizabeth said. “I can’t stay much longer.”

  Frankie glanced over her shoulder as she slipped on the robe and belted it around her waist. “Just one drink, Lizzy. Come on. For old times’ sake.”

  “All right, just one,” Elizabeth relented. “But make it quick, okay? I really do have to get back to the cottage and finish packing.”

  “I’ll be back in a flash.”

  Frankie gave a quick wave over her shoulder as she disappeared down the path toward the hotel.

  Elizabeth sank back into the water and closed her eyes. The peacefulness of the place was lost on her now. The conversation with Frankie had left her oddly unset tled. She would never have guessed that her friend was envious of her relationship with Paul. Frankie didn’t even like Paul. Or at least, that was certainly the way it seemed lately. She’d gone out of her way to make Elizabeth aware of her husband’s alleged transgressions, and now Elizabeth suddenly had to wonder about Frankie’s motives.

  “Elizabeth…”

  Her whispered name sent a chill spiraling through her. Elizabeth’s heart started to pound as she sat up in the water and glanced around.

  No one was there.

  “Elizabeth…” The whisper came again and again, hanging on the mist like an echo.

  “Elizabeth…”

  Scrambling out of the pool, she grabbed her robe and wrapped it tightly around her. She couldn’t see him yet, but she knew he was there, hiding in the mist. Waiting, watching…

  “Elizabeth…”

  Her heart hammered against her chest as she turned to follow Frankie up the path to the hotel. But a movement in the pool caught her eye, and everything inside her stilled.

  She didn’t want to look, but she couldn’t help herself. Stepping near the edge, she glanced down. She could see nothing through the thick cloud of steam, but she heard a faint sound, a ripple, as if someone had skipped a stone across the surface.

  And then the vapor melted away, and Elizabeth found herself staring into crystal clear water. There was something just below the surface. She couldn’t quite see…

  It was a child, she realized in horror.

  A child underneath the surface of the water.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The boy appeared to be standing on the bottom of the pool, reaching up to her. He had dark hair, dark eyes and pale, translucent skin.

  He wasn’t real. Elizabeth knew that. He couldn’t be real. Her son was dead. She couldn’t be seeing him…and yet he was there, just below the surface of the water.

  She blinked.

  He was still there.

  He opened his mouth and bubbles floated to the surface.

  Elizabeth screamed as she fell to her knees and plunged her hands into the water. “Oh, my God…”

  She tried to grab his hand, but as she leaned forward, she lost her balance and tumbled into the water. Her head hit the rocky ledge, and her skull exploded with pain. She must have blacked out for a split second, because when she came to her senses, she was lying on the bottom of the pool.

  A scream rushed to her throat as she tried to stand up. The sash of her robe had somehow gotten wrapped around her throat and become tangled beneath the ledge.

  Terror sliced like a razor through Elizabeth as she tore at the belt. When she couldn’t get it loose, she tried to slip out of the robe, but the fabric was like a dead weight, holding her just beneath the surface.

  She struggled for what seemed an eternity, but no matter how hard she fought, she couldn’t free herself. Her muscles weakened as her lungs screamed in agony.

  After a moment the pain went away and a feeling of well-being came over her. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the lethargy that tugged at her consciousness.

  She heard her name called as if from a great distance, and then someone grabbed her arms and yanked her to the surface.

  The moment the cold mist hit her face, Elizabeth sputtered and gulped in air as her rescuer hauled her out of the water. They both collapsed on the soggy ground, Elizabeth on her back and Frankie on her knees, hovering over her.

  “Lizzy…are you all right?” she gasped.

  Elizabeth rolled to her side and coughed up water. After a moment, when she finally had her lungs cleared, she tried to sit up.

  Frankie had her hand over her mouth, watching her. “Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God,” she kept whispering.

  “I’m okay,” Elizabeth finally managed as she massaged her throat.

  Frankie closed her eyes, as if to say a quick prayer. “What happened? When I saw you under the water like that, I thought…oh, God, never mind what I thought. I’m just glad you’re okay—”

  “Did you see him?” Elizabeth bolted upright and glanced around. “Did you?”

  Frankie still seemed to be in shock. Strands of dark hair were plastered to the side of her face, and she was shivering uncontrollably. “See who? Who are you talking about?”

  Now it was Elizabeth who started to tremble. “He was here, Frankie. He kept calling my name. He made me think Damon was in the water and then he trapped me. He tried to kill me.”

  “Damon? Oh, Lizzy, no…” Frankie placed her hands on Elizabeth’s shoulders. “Listen to me. There was no one here with you. Do you hear me? You were alone. You must have fallen and hit your head. I think we need to get you to a doctor.”

  Elizabeth clung to her. “I don’t need a doctor. I need…Paul. I want to see Paul.”

  Something flashed in Frankie’s eyes. “Okay, just calm down. I’ll find him for you. But first let’s get you back to the cottage. We’ll both freeze to death if we don’t get out of these wet clothes.”

  A FEW MINUTES LATER they were back at the cottage. Elizabeth found a dry robe for Frankie and then went back into her room to change while Frankie made tea.

  “Careful, it’s hot,” she warned as she handed Elizabeth a cup. They both sat down on the couch.

  “Did you call Paul?” Elizabeth asked anxiously. A knock sounded on the door at that moment, and she let out a breath of relief. “That must be him. He probably forgot his key.”

  Frankie set aside her cup and went to let him in. The murmur of low voices drifted back from the doorway before Frankie finally reappeared with Dr. Summers.

  Elizabeth stared at her therapist in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

  “I called him,” Frankie confessed. “I thought you needed to see…a doctor.”

  “A psychiatrist, you mean,” Elizabeth said with a frown.

  “I’m also an M.D.,” Dr. Summers reminded her. “Frankie said you fell at one of the pools and hit your head. Maybe I’d better have a look
.” He came over and sat down beside Elizabeth on the couch.

  “I’m fine,” she insisted. “It’s not my head I’m worried about.”

  “I’d still like to take a look anyway.” He probed the back of her head gently. “Hmm, there’s a bump all right. I doubt it’s anything too serious, but you could have a mild concussion. Have you experienced any dizziness or disorientation?”

  “No.”

  “Yes,” Frankie corrected her. Her gaze collided with Elizabeth’s. “I’m sorry, Lizzy, but you were extremely disoriented when I pulled you out of the pool.” She paused and bit her lip. “She thought someone tried to kill her.”

  Dr. Summers studied Elizabeth. “Is that true?”

  She sighed. “What’s the point of telling you what really happened when you aren’t going to believe a word I say?”

  Dr. Summers turned to Frankie. “Could you give us a moment?”

  She gave Elizabeth a worried glance. “Sure. As long as you’re going to be with her. I’ll go back to my room and change. But if you need me, you know where to find me.” She hesitated for another moment, then turned and walked out of the room.

  When they heard the door close behind her, Dr. Summers said softly, “So why don’t you tell me what happened?” When Elizabeth didn’t respond, he gave her a prompt. “Who do you think tried to kill you?”

  She closed her eyes briefly. “Roland Latimer. The man I told you about last night.”

  “The ghost, you mean.”

  She nodded.

  “Why do you think he wanted to kill you?”

  She answered automatically. “So that we can be together.”

  “Ah.” Dr. Summers thought about that for a moment.

  Elizabeth flashed him an angry look. “What’s the diagnosis? Are you ready to call the men in white coats to come and take me back to the psych ward?”

  “I don’t think that’ll be necessary,” he said with a smile. “It’s possible that what you’re experiencing is a reoccurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by your decision to divorce Paul. Nightmares, feelings of estrangement and detachment, even hallucinations are all classic symptoms of PTSD.”

  “I know that. I’ve gone through all that before, remember? It’s different this time.”

  “How?”

  Before she could respond, the door opened and Paul walked in. His gaze went from Elizabeth to Dr. Summers, then back to Elizabeth. “What’s going on?”

  Dr. Summers stood. “Elizabeth is fine now, but she had an accident earlier.”

  “An accident? Are you all right?” Paul said in consternation. “What happened?”

  “Didn’t Frankie call you?” she asked with a frown.

  “I haven’t talked to Frankie since last night.” He hurried over and sat down beside her. “Are you sure you’re okay? What happened?”

  When Elizabeth hesitated, he glanced up at Dr. Summers. “For God’s sake, would someone please tell me what’s going on here?”

  “Elizabeth fell at one of the pools and hit her head. Frankie found her underneath the water.”

  Shock registered on Paul’s face. “Underneath…oh, my God.”

  Elizabeth turned. “It’s not what you think. I didn’t…it wasn’t on purpose, I swear.”

  Paul took her hand and squeezed it, but his face had gone deathly pale. “What were you doing at the pools? I thought you were going to spend the afternoon packing.”

  “I was. But Frankie called and wanted to meet, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to sound her out about an audit. When she left to get us a drink, I…slipped and fell. She called Dr. Summers because she thought I needed medical attention.”

  “She has a bump on the back of her head,” Dr. Summers confirmed. “But as I told her earlier, I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. However, I recommend that she rest quietly for the next several hours. It’s possible she could have a mild concussion.”

  “Shouldn’t we get her to a hospital?” Paul said worriedly.

  “I don’t think a hospital visit is necessary,” Dr. Summers said. “Just keep a close eye on her for the rest of the day. If she experiences any dizziness or disorientation or if you have a hard time waking her, then take her in as quickly as possible. There’s a clinic in the nearest town, I believe. Or you can always call my room. I’m not checking out until tomorrow.”

  “We were planning on driving back to Seattle this afternoon,” Paul said.

  Dr. Summers frowned. “I wouldn’t advise it. If Elizabeth were to experience problems on the road, you could be miles away from the nearest medical facility. At least here you’ll have the clinic nearby.”

  “I suppose another day won’t matter,” Paul murmured.

  Dr. Summers glanced down at Elizabeth. “You’ll call my office when you do get back to the city?”

  She nodded.

  “Good. I’ll leave you two alone for now, but if you need me for any reason, don’t hesitate to call.” He started for the door. “Paul, a word, please?”

  Paul got up and walked him to the door.

  Elizabeth could hear them talking, but she couldn’t make out their conversation. She had a feeling, though, that Dr. Summers was filling Paul in on everything she’d told him.

  When he came back into the room, his expression was troubled. “Can I get you anything? More tea?”

  “No, I’m fine.”

  “Are you in pain? Do you need an aspirin?”

  Her chin trembled as she gazed up at him. “All I need is for someone to believe me.”

  He came back over to the couch and sat down beside her. “I want to believe you, Elizabeth.” He took her hand. “You have to know that.”

  “But you can’t.”

  He gave a helpless shrug. “I don’t believe in ghosts. I’m sorry. There has to be a logical explanation for all this. I still say someone is trying to frighten you.”

  “Not someone. Roland Latimer. And he’s trying to do more than frighten me.” She clutched Paul’s hand. “He was there. I heard him. And before you say anything, I know he’s dead. He died seventy years ago in the fire. But I also know what I saw. I know what I heard. I know what I feel.”

  Paul sighed. “Okay. Just tell me everything that happened. Maybe if we go over it enough, we can start to make sense of it.”

  She nodded. “After Frankie left, I heard him calling to me. He kept whispering my name. And then I saw Damon in the water.”

  Paul flinched.

  Elizabeth put trembling fingertips to her mouth. “He was reaching up to me, Paul. I knew he wasn’t real, but I had to touch him. I had to make sure. Can you understand that?”

  Paul glanced away. “Yes,” he said hoarsely.

  “I tried to take his hand, but I fell into the pool. I guess I must have blacked out for a moment, because when I came to, the belt of my robe was around my throat. He’d trapped me beneath the water.”

  Pain flashed across Paul’s face. “It couldn’t have been Damon. Even if it were somehow possible for him to come back, he would never hurt you. He adored you.”

  Elizabeth’s eyes filled with tears. “I know that. I know it wasn’t him. It was Roland Latimer. He’s somehow using Damon to…stay connected to me.”

  “Elizabeth, my God, think about what you’re saying,” Paul said harshly.

  She jerked her hand from his and stood. “I know how all this sounds, Paul. Roland Latimer is dead and ghosts don’t exit. I know all that. But he was there. He was in the pool with me. He was in my room last night and the night before. I can’t always see him, but I know he’s always there. And he won’t rest until…”

  Paul rose slowly. “Until what, Elizabeth?”

  “Until I’m dead, too,” she whispered.

  ELIZABETH BARELY TOUCHED her dinner that night, and even though she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep, she decided to turn in early. She dug a book out of her suitcase and settled down in bed, preparing to spend a long, restless night.

  Paul
came to her door to say good-night. “I’ll stretch out on the couch,” he said uneasily. “That way, if you need anything, all you have to do is call out.” He walked over and checked the lock on the French doors, then pulled the drapes closed.

  “Paul?”

  He turned.

  Elizabeth closed her book and laid it aside. “About what I said earlier…I know you don’t believe me. I can’t blame you for that. But I want you to know that…I’m not going off the deep end again. It’s different this time. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I’m not crazy.”

  He came over to her bedside, his face tense as he stood staring down at her. “I don’t think you’re crazy, Elizabeth. I can’t pretend to understand any of this….” He shrugged helplessly. “I’m not predisposed to look for a supernatural answer. That’s not the way I’m wired. But I have to admit there’s something about this place that’s getting to me, too. I’m wondering now if we should have left earlier, as we planned.”

  “It wouldn’t make any difference,” she told him softly.

  He frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “It’s not this place that’s haunted. It’s…me.”

  “Don’t talk like that.” Paul took her hand and drew it to his lips. “Everything will be okay once we get back to Seattle. You’ll see.”

  “I wish I could believe you.” She couldn’t seem to stop trembling. “I’m scared, Paul. Not just for me but for you. I think the only way he can get to me is if…he somehow keeps us apart. I’m terrified of what he might do.”

  “Then we’ll just have to stay together, won’t we?” Paul sat down on the bed. “We’re getting the hell out of here first thing in the morning. I’m not letting you out of my sight until we’re miles away from this place. I’ll even sit over there in that chair until the sun comes up.”

  “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I want to.”

  “No, I mean…” Elizabeth hesitated. “You don’t have to sleep in the chair or on the couch just to be near me.”

  He threaded his fingers through hers. “I’d do anything for you. Don’t you know that by now?”

  A lump rose in her throat. “I think I’m finally beginning to.” She scooted over in bed and turned back the covers. “What I meant was…the couch is probably not all that comfortable. And I know that chair isn’t. After last night, it seems silly that we can’t share the same bed.”