by G. F. Frost
“I think the little pizza place in town delivers,” he said as he closed the refrigerator door.
“That’ll be fine, but I am fine, Theo. I can make us something,” Massey said.
“No, no, pizza sounds good tonight,” he replied.
Theo ordered pizza and Massey sat beside him on the sofa watching all his silly programs. She glanced over at the leather diary sitting on the ottoman. She wanted to tell him about her dream. She felt sad that it might upset him. She looked up at the picture on the mantel and wished that she knew what it all meant. Sleeping was something Massey dreaded tonight. She’d try to stay up as long as possible; she didn’t want to have any more dreams, nightmares.
“Mister Comeaux, the jeweler, called me today. The appraisers from Sotheby’s will be coming in next week to look at our jewelry. He sent them pictures and said they would be very interested in selling it for us in a special auction if we want. Christies responded too. We’ll have to meet with them when they arrive in New Orleans,” Theo said as he rubbed Massey’s leg.
“That’s exciting,” she said with a smile. “I took a nap today and had a really bad dream. It scared me so badly that I think that’s what made me faint.”
A serious expression came over Theo’s face.
“What was the dream about?” he asked.
Massey looked down at his hand on her leg. He had stopped rubbing it and was looking intently at her. She began telling him about the horrifying details of her dream. She tried to describe every part of it, shivering as she remembered the end just before she awoke. He never took his eyes off her as he shook his head and stood up. She could tell that he was upset.
“If I hadn’t invested so damn much money in this place, I’d just put it back on the market. You’ve had nightmares ever since we moved in, and I’ve seen and done things that I would have never imagined. I’m going to get Father Patrick to come back over, and we’re going to call the damn ghost busters if we have to, but something’s going to give. And, it won’t be me,” he said angrily.
Massey didn’t know what to say. She didn’t see this side of Theo very much at all. It took a lot to push him to show anger. A part of her wished she hadn’t told him, but she felt that she didn’t need to keep anything from him any longer. She didn’t have anything to lose at this point, she hoped.
Theo answered the door and paid the pizza delivery boy. He didn’t seem to enjoy the meal at all, but Massey gobbled up two pieces before she knew it. It tasted good to her, and she was happy that she hadn’t had to cook. She tried to make small talk as they sat in front of the fire eating off the coffee table. Theo was pleasant enough, but she could tell he was disturbed, she did almost all of the talking.
After they’d eaten most of the pizza, Massey got up and took the box to the kitchen. She decided to offer Theo some wine to help settle his nerves a bit. They weren’t really wine drinkers, but there were always bottles of good wine in the house for guests. She poured them both a glass in two of her favorite wine glasses and took them in to the parlor. Theo was flipping through the channels when she lowered the glass over his shoulder. He looked up at her and didn’t say a word as he took the glass.
Massey didn’t want to watch the programs at all tonight, but she didn’t want to go upstairs to take her bath, she didn’t want to be alone. Deciding to take a long walk on the grounds with Jenkins, she walked into the foyer and put on a warm jacket and Theo’s rubber boots. Theo looked back at her and the dog.
“Don’t walk too far. You might get dizzy or something,” he said.
Massey nodded. She noticed him taking the bottle of wine from the coffee table and filling his glass again. As she watched, she hoped it would put him in better spirits, so to speak.
* * * *
As soon as Massey closed the door, Theo took his cell phone from his pocket and looked for Father Patrick’s number. He wanted to give him a call. Nothing upset Theo more than something or someone doing something to hurt Massey or Sadie. His girls were his life, and with or without Father Patrick’s help, he was going to protect Massey.
He didn’t waste any time calling Father Patrick. The time for being a rational man and making rational decisions was long passed, and he was determined to do everything in his power to put an end to the events going on around him, or die trying. Father Patrick could tell Theo was near the end of his rope by his tone during the conversation. The priest told him that they would get together after the evening prayer service and discuss everything. Somehow, Theo didn’t feel assured by the conversation, but it didn’t bother him, he knew that with or without Father Patrick, he was going to get to the bottom of the disturbances once and for all.
While Massey walked around the yard and out near the end of the farmland to get a breath of fresh air, Theo went into his study, sat down and leaned back into the leather chair. He wanted to be alone a while to think everything over. He remembered every dream his wife had described to him, and he thought about the remarkable and frightening sights and sounds he and Father Patrick had witnessed. His ability to rationalize did not apply any more, as much as he wanted to be able to explain it all, Theo knew it was all bigger than that. He leaned further back into the chair and looked up at the ceiling thinking that perhaps he could only conquer some things in life through acceptance. It was a hard pill for him to swallow.
* * * *
Massey was surprised that the television in the parlor wasn’t blaring when she came into the house. Jenkins ran into the large room and looked around. He ran past her and headed for the kitchen. As she followed him, she passed the study and noticed the light on. Theo was still leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed when she walked in. He looked solemn and worried, but he opened his eyes and gave a small smile when he heard her footsteps approach.
“How are you feeling?” Theo asked as she walked into the room.
“I’m fine. You’re not watching your programs? Massey asked curiously.
“I’m about to, just had to make a call,” Theo said as he stood and walked towards his wife.
Placing his arm around her, he ushered her into the parlor, Jenkins close at their heels. Massey lay down on the sofa placing her head in Theo’s lap. She readied herself for an evening of news or reality shows, but he placed the remote on her belly and laid his head back against the sofa cushion. Massey turned to him confused.
“What’s this?” she asked as she picked up the remote control.
“I thought you might want to watch something for a change. I guess I tend to hog the television from time to time.”
“I should faint more often,” she said with a smile.
Theo rubbed his hand briskly across the top of her head, mussing her hair.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I have enough to worry about.”
Massey had a feeling she knew what he meant, but she didn’t question him. She knew he was concerned about her fainting spell, and she was beginning to wish that she hadn’t’ told him about the latest nightmare. Pushing the button on the remote control, she turned on her side and flipped through the channels. She flipped past the cooking channels and other channels that interested her until she settled on the History Channel, which she knew would not run Theo out of the room.
It happened to be a program on Hitler, and Theo raised his head off the cushion to watch. They didn’t say another word to one another until the commercial came on, then Theo asked her if she wanted to choose a piece of jewelry from the items in the deposit box to give to Sadie as a special Christmas gift. She sat up and looked at him. She thought it was one of the most wonderful ideas he had ever come up with. He smiled as she looked at him, he knew what she was thinking, and he felt a little proud of thinking of it.
“She would absolutely love it, honey!” Massey exclaimed. “Sometimes you just amaze me, why didn’t I think of that?”
“You would have sooner or later.” Theo replied. “Why don’t you go into town tomorrow and look through the pieces and pick one
out. You’ll know exactly which one she’d love to have. I’d have no clue.”
Massey smiled and nodded. She leaned over and gave him a huge kiss. As she was about to lie back down, the doorbell rang. She looked at Theo curiously.
“I called Father Patrick to come over, I thought he and I needed to sit down together and talk a few things over,” he said as he rose to answer the door.
Massey stood up and followed him to the door. Father Patrick looked as handsome as any movie star in the golden light from the porch lanterns, which reflected in his blue eyes. The serious look on Father Patrick’s face turned into a smile as his glance moved from Theo to her. Massey returned the smile and reached for his coat as he stepped into the house. Just as she was about to ask Theo what they were up to, he spoke.
“Honey, why don’t you go on up and get your bath and get ready for bed? You’ve had a pretty trying day, and you need to get a good night’s sleep,” Theo said.
Massey looked at him wanting to ask questions, but she could tell by the expression on his face that he was in one of his rare “serious moods,” and she knew that those were the times to leave things alone and not question him. She didn’t like the feeling that he was leaving her out of anything between Father Patrick and himself. She knew that it all had something to do with the recent happenings at the house, and she felt that she had a right to know what was going on, but she’d have to be patient for once in her life and question Theo about it after Father Patrick had gone.
“I don’t want to go to bed. I don’t want to go to bed alone, I mean, the dreams,” she said hoping he would let her in on everything.
“You don’t have to go to sleep. Just get a warm bath and lie upstairs in the bed with a book or watch television until I come up.” Theo’s voice sounded a bit sterner.
“Maybe Father Patrick would like some tea or something,” Massey said as she glared at her husband.
Father Patrick looked at Theo. He could feel the tension between the two. He felt uneasy as Massey stood waiting for him to reply.
“I’m fine, Massey. You really need to rest. Theo told me that you fainted today, and I agree with him, we have a few things to discuss.” Father Patrick felt a twinge of guilt as he spoke.
Massey felt as if he was sending a scolded child to her room. She could feel the blood rushing into her cheeks as she turned and gave Theo a look that let him know she wasn’t happy. Father Patrick watched as Theo bent to kiss her head, and she turned away walking towards the stairs. The priest’s heart began to beat a little faster as he looked at her. He could tell that she wasn’t happy with him either.
“Good night, Father,” she said as she peered into his deep blue eyes.
“Good night, rest well,” he replied.
Jenkins wanted to stay downstairs with the men, but Massey called to him as she reached the top of the stairs. The dog looked at the two men and hesitantly made his way to her side. Massey slammed the bedroom door as she walked through. She went into the bathroom and began to fill the tub. As she was undressing, she began to talk to Jenkins in a low tone.
“They’ve just been placed at the top of my shit list,” she said angrily.
Jenkins looked up at her and turned his head to one side.
“I don’t like being treated like this. This is my house too, and I have just as much right as anyone to know what is going on. There should not be any secrets between those two. Tomorrow, I’m going to tell them both just what I think about the whole situation. If they think they can get away with this, they are sadly mistaken. I will not be treated like a child!” Massey said a bit louder as she looked down at the yawning dog.
She climbed into the hot bath and laid her head back trying to imagine what the men could be discussing that would exclude her. She could not remember a single incident when Theo had ever left her out of the loop, anytime. She wanted to finish the bath and march back downstairs to confront the two of them, but she knew from Theo’s tone and mood that this was one time she’d better do what he said.
By the time she had gotten out of the tub, Theo was coming into the bedroom with a cup in his hand. Massey stood in front of the bathroom mirror rubbing moisturizer on her face as he walked into the bathroom. She didn’t turn towards him, but looked at his reflection in the mirror.
“What’s that?” she asked coyly.
“Here, take one of my sleeping pills,” Theo said as he reached his hand towards her.
Massey turned to him with a confused look on her face. She glanced down at his open hand. A small blue pill lay in it, and a cup of water was in the other. He pushed it towards her.
“I don’t need a sleeping pill. What’s wrong with you?” she asked angrily.
“I think it will help you sleep through the night without dreaming, and you’ve had a stressful day. I want you to take it, honey,” he said as he pushed it closer.
Massey looked down at the pill again and shook her head.
“Take it!” Theo said sternly.
Massey flinched and looked up at her husband. He had a forceful look in his eyes that she had only seen once in her life before. It had been when Sadie was caught smoking with some girls in her high school parking lot. She knew that look meant one thing, “do what I say, and do it now, or else.” She reached down, picked the pill out of his hand, and placed it on her tongue. He handed her the cup of cold water, and she took it swallowing the pill along with a large sip of the liquid as she looked up at him nervously. He took the cup from her and kissed her cheek.
“I’m just thinking of you, baby. Don’t be mad at me. You’ll be glad you took it after a good night’s sleep. I’ll be up here later. Get some rest,” he said trying to force a smile in her direction.
She stood silently watching as Theo left the room closing the door behind him. She never doubted that anything and everything he did was with her best interests in mind, but he was scaring her. She didn’t know why he was being so secretive and demanding tonight, but she knew it must be something important for him to treat her this way. She walked to the bedroom window and looked out into the cemetery trying to make sense of it all.
The sleeping pills didn’t waste any time doing their job. Massey tried to read a bit more in Marie’s diary, but soon felt her eyelids becoming droopy as the words on the pages became blurred. She had to put the diary down and close her eyes.
Only moments after drifting away into that land of peace and rest, she heard a familiar sound, the voice so recognizable. It was the lovely voice of Marie singing her favorite tune. Massey felt her body bobbing weightlessly as the singing would change from words to humming. It carried her into a deeper realm of unconsciousness, into a deeper place than she had ever been.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sometimes darkness is soothing and welcoming like the arms of a lover wrapping around you and forcing out the world, and tonight the darkness in Massey’s dream was just that. She struggled to find Marie through the blackness, but could hear only the faint sweet voice in the distance.
Massey let herself sink into the abyss of sleep land, listening to Marie’s voice as its gentle, rhythmic tones drew her deeper and deeper into warm slumber. She wondered where the visions were tonight, there was no Joseph, no baby, no Lovesong House. As she drifted away into her drug-induced, solemn sleep, she wondered about it all.
Somewhere in the middle of her slumber, came the sound of the bedroom door opening. She raised her head and opened her eyes, but could not see in the blackness of the room. She could hear Jenkins stirring as his paws clicked the wooden floor beyond the rug. It was Theo at the door. She laid her head back on the soft pillow as she heard the dog make his way to the door and beyond, then came the creaking of the hinges and the snap of the metal as it closed. The heavy paws thumped down the polished wood of the staircase behind Theo’s familiar footsteps. Massey wanted to get up and follow them, but the drug wanted her to sleep, and the drug got its way.
Once again, she drifted off to the sound of the mu
sic, but it was not Marie’s lovely and familiar tune, it was the sound of distant drums. The beating was coming from far away, slow and constant like the sound of marching soldiers through a battlefield. Low and slow at first and then gradually evolving into a pattern of heavy quickening beats, the kind of music that is alluring and hypnotic, almost seductive. Massey felt an overwhelming sensation to follow the sounds as they tempted her towards them. She strained to see through the fogginess of her sleep, but nothing was there, only the sound.
* * * *
As Massey slept, Theo and Father Patrick sat together at the kitchen table. Before them lay stacks of papers and books and pictures, all the information concerning the house and its history. They each held a handful of papers, reading silently to themselves. Jenkins sat at Theo’s feet with his large head on Theo’s knees. The men were searching.
“Maybe it has something to do with the land,” Theo said as he laid the stack of papers on the table.
Father Patrick looked at Theo questioningly.
“I mean, I saw a program with Massey about an Indian burial ground at some haunted location,” Theo said.
Father Patrick shrugged.
The two men sat quietly once again, raffling through the mountain of information as the winter winds began to stir beyond the kitchen windows. As they read, the front door began to rattle and then shake. They both lifted their heads and looked down the foyer towards the noise. The sound became louder and the two noticed the coffee cups on the table begin to quiver. They could feel a rumbling under their feet. Theo stood up instantly and pushed back his chair.
“What is that, do you feel it?” he asked.
Father Patrick nodded as he sat, quietly listening.
As Theo stepped back away from the table, a loud rumbling sound came from beneath them. Then, the entire floor began to quiver and bounce as if something was forcing it from beneath them. Theo tried to run into the foyer but the movement of the floorboards caused him to lose his footing and fall. The front and back doors to the house began to open and close, slamming with such force that he was afraid the glass would shatter. Jenkins ran cowering into the pantry as Father Patrick made his way to Theo.
