by Crymsyn Hart
“Okay. I’m coming out. But you have to tell me where you live so I can take you home.” Sighing, she decided it was best to leave the room in case maybe there was something going on. When she got to the door, it slammed shut. Panic enveloped her. She grabbed hold of the doorknob and pulled. It was jammed the way it had been the night before. She pounded on the wood.
“Hello. Little girl, can you open the door please?” Natalie tried the knob again. It turned in her hand as if the child on the other side was trying to help. Please, please, please. This can’t be happening to me. No one is going to find me in here. I can’t spend the night in here.
The walls started to close in on her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. I’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. There has to be a way out of here. The knob stopped twisting. She inhaled again and forced herself to relax.
Natalie looked around and noticed pinpoints of light coming through the cracks in the foundation. The harder she looked the more she noticed an outline of another door. A wave of relief washed over her. The door was the same size and on the other side of the fireplace. She couldn’t find a knob or a keyhole. She pounded on it in several places and pushed on the wood. Nothing was giving.
“Just fucking wonderful.”
Natalie headed back to the other door and battered on it again. This time the doorknob didn’t move. After trying for another few minutes and screaming for help, her voice was raw. She slumped down on the remnants of an old chair and covered her face with her hands.
Her stomach grumbled. Her throat was dry. A shuffling noise started in the corner closer to the stairs. She looked up in that direction. The noise stopped. The stairs creaked above her as if someone was walking on them. A door slammed somewhere up stairs. Heavy, fast footfalls of someone running sounded in the hallway above her. She heard lighthearted giggles upstairs. They were the same she had heard from the little girl earlier.
“Come on guys. This isn’t funny. Scare the new woman in town. Ha ha. Now let me out.”
No one answered her.
Natalie beat on the door again until her fists hurt. Coldness took over the room until she shivered. The feeling someone’s eyes were on her back increased. The heaviness of the stare that she was being scrutinized was getting stronger.
She checked the corners and no one was there. Natalie grabbed the doll and hugged it to her chest finding a little comfort in that. A tear slipped from her cheek. Her mental walls began to crack, and she was slipping back into the scared woman she had been during the last few weeks of her marriage, after she’d been discharged from the hospital, when she thought every night she was going to die.
Her ex had come home drunk and raving about something, so he had flung her into the closet and locked the door. She screamed and kicked at the door to get out, but it was useless. He was the only one with the key. She had lost a couple of fingernails that night and rubbed the skin raw on her hands from pounding so hard on the door.
She got up and began to pace the small room. The pinholes of light were not so bright anymore. The sun was setting. Her stomach gurgled. This is it. I’m getting out of here.
Glancing around, she saw the heavy pieces of the old chairs. She lifted an arm and took a couple of swings at the pile of bricks. The bricks didn’t move. When she examined the wood, it had a few nicks in it. I’ll break the door down if I have to.
For good measure, she tried the knob one more time. It turned, but the door didn’t budge. She took one swing at the panel and felt the recoil along her arm. It jarred her bones and rattled her teeth. Natalie staggered backward and got a better grip on the club. She took aim and swung. Before the arm hit the wood, it opened. On the other side was a man dressed in cowboy hat, ragged jeans, worn in cowboy boots and a flannel shirt.
“Whoa there.” He put his hand up and stepped out of the way.
“Oh shit!” She wasn’t able to stop the momentum of the swing. She stumbled toward the door and lost her footing. Dropping the arm of the chair, she staggered over the raised step, right into the cowboy’s waiting arms.
Chapter Three
Natalie’s body pressed up against his. She inhaled the deep aroma of his sweat, grass, and horses. The warmth of his flesh seeped into her palm.
His body was hard, and he held her so close she could see the small freckles that dotted his forehead and around his eyes. His deep, sapphire eyes were the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Staring into them, she found the world fell away. A tugging started on her soul she couldn’t explain. It ran deep through her and almost pulled a moan from her lips.
But besides that, a deep sense of calm washed over her. It was so strong, all her cares in the world washed away. She pushed that off and focused on the rest of his beautiful face. His eyebrows were golden brown. It made her wonder what color his hair was under his hat. His mouth was full with a firm jaw. She grabbed his shoulder and felt the muscles underneath.
Wow this guy’s a hunk, that’s for sure. Wonder what he would be like in bed. What am I thinking? Although it would be nice to be with someone after my lonely two year stint. But there’s something about him, I can’t put my finger on. Almost if I’ve known him all my life.
“Are you okay?” she asked him.
His smile widened. “Haven’t been any better than this in a long time. Although, I reckon you want me to let go of you.”
She glanced down and saw his hands were on her hips, and they had ventured no lower. Natalie took in a deep breath, feeling the rising lust in her. She might not want a relationship, but a tumble in the hay with him might be good. Pushing the thought aside because it would only lead to trouble, she met his gaze again. He gave her a dazzling, innocent smile. Placing one hand on his chest, she slowly righted herself and was able to stand. The room began to spin. He caught her arm and led her over to the stairs.
“Thanks. Can you get me some water in the kitchen, please? There’s a couple of bottles in the ice chest.”
“Sure thing.”
He left, and she covered her head with her hands. A headache was forming behind her eyes. Her vision was going blurry, too. She didn’t need a migraine right now. They hit her when she was under extreme stress. The headaches had only starting occurring after her brush with death. She’d never had them in the past. She placed her hand on the wall and tried to stand, but the world pitched to the side. She stumbled. Her savior’s hand caught and guided her back down.
“Ease up. I got your water. What else do you need?”
She pointed to the living room. “In the corner. Brown purse second pocket on the front. I need the pills inside there.”
“Okay. One second.”
Her hands trembled while she twisted off the water bottle’s cap. The pounding in her head was getting harder. Her stomach turned with nausea.
In the background, she heard the cowboy rustling around for her medicine. His hurried footsteps rushed back toward her. He took her hand, unfurled her fingers, and placed the bottle in her palm.
“Are you going to be okay?”
She nodded. “Ask me again in twenty minutes. Just have to take a pill, and it will help with the migraine.” She kept her head down and fumbled with the top of the bottle. Her fingers groped the lid, but she wasn’t able to get it open. Without a good hold, she flung the bottle across the room. “Shit!”
“Calm down.” He left her side and then after a moment, she felt something small put into her hand.
A sense of relief washed over her when she took the pill and a sip of water. The liquid helped soothe her throat. Sitting with her head down, all she could do was wait until the medicine kicked in.
The heat of the man’s body pressed against her. Knowing he was there helped a little, but she couldn’t focus on that. He seemed to be a gentleman, but that didn’t mean she trusted him even if he was dashing.
The hammering in her head eventually began to dissipate. Each thud of her heart was another beat on her skull, but was lessening the longer she waited. The na
usea passed. She counted her heartbeats until she felt safe to open her eyes.
When she did, the room wasn’t going dark the way it had been before. After a moment of blinking and focusing on the door, she looked at her rescuer. A smile of relief turned the corners of her lips. “Thank you for helping me. I was stuck in that room. And for sticking around through that.”
“It wasn’t a problem. I had to be sure you were okay. What were you doing in there anyway?”
“I was checking it out. The room was locked and then it wasn’t. I wanted to see what was in it. There was this little girl, and she didn’t want me to go in there, but with it being a new house and all, I wanted to see what was hidden in the nooks. Then I couldn’t get out. Thank you so much for rescuing me.”
He smiled. “I heard you yelling from outside.”
“Outside? Wow. I guess I was screaming pretty loud.”
“I have good hearing.”
“Are you with the landscaping guys?”
“Landscaping?”
“Yeah, the ones working on the trees and the grounds.”
“Oh no! I was walking on a trail, and I heard you. I didn’t realize that the house had been sold. It’s been vacant so long. It’s good someone bought it. Maybe it’ll change the feel of the place.”
She looked at him, puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Old stories about this place pepper the community. I’m surprised you haven’t heard them.”
She got up slowly and stretched. “I haven’t. The realtor wasn’t too thrilled that I wanted to buy it, but I saw the house’s potential. Something about it just pulled me in. What are some of the stories?”
“Have you seen the lights on the mountain yet?”
She shrugged. “I saw some balls of light floating among the trees but figured it was gas or ball lightning. Are they ghosts or something?” She walked into the kitchen and grabbed another bottle of water. She offered it to the man, but he shook his head.
“No, thank you. Yes. The legends say they are the ghosts of the people that were murdered along the trail. Others say it is the Native Americans who died here fighting for their land. This house used to be a stop along the stagecoach route back in the day. The owner would take in people to sleep for the night. There used to be an old barn back in the brambles where some of the men would sleep, too. You can see the foundation if you walk back there.”
She took a sip of water, not sure she liked what she was hearing. Local lore was always great to hear, but it didn’t brighten her mood when it came to spirits that she just wanted to forget. Maybe I should keep an open mind considering the little girl that I saw. But there has to be a rational explanation for that, too. The same with the door slamming. It wasn’t like something or someone was trying to keep me in that room. Was it? “Huh. That’s interesting. I didn’t catch your name. I’m Natalie Bear.” She stuck her hand out.
The man smiled. It brightened his face. Her body leaned closer to him. She was surprised at the automatic reaction. Heat flushed her cheeks when she realized she was attracted to him. Physical attraction was never a good thing. That’s what got her involved with Michael. I can’t jump ahead of myself again.
“I’m Dustin Carin. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Are you hungry? I can’t cook at the moment, but I was going to have something delivered. I’m afraid all I have is a pizza menu.”
“No. I’m fine thanks. I appreciate the offer, but I really should be going. I just wanted to be sure you were okay. If I were you, I wouldn’t head back into the room.”
“At least until I can get the door fixed anyway.”
At that moment, she heard pounding footsteps rushing down the hall toward them. They stopped. Natalie expected that little girl to come barreling into the kitchen, but nothing happened. The footsteps went back down the hall and then up the stairs. She could hear them clomping in the bedrooms above her head. She placed her water on the counter and rushed upstairs. Dustin grabbed her arm.
“Just let her be.”
“Excuse me? Please get your hand off me! Are you in on this, too? Maybe you were the one who was blocking the door. Then to make yourself look like a hero, you waited for me to panic so you could save me.” She wrenched her arm from his grasp.
Marching upstairs, she listened to the footsteps coming from the last bedroom at the end of the hall. The one she hadn’t gone into yet.
“Okay, little girl. I’m done with you playing around. I’m coming in there and you had better explain yourself.” Natalie turned the handle on the door and threw it open expecting to find the child running around.
However, all she found was an empty room with grime on the floor. Faint sunlight filtered through the windows. On the dust covered floor were small, perfectly shaped shoeprints. She stepped all the way in to the room and glanced at the floor, but there were no footprints leading to the closet. And when she opened the door nothing was inside except dust bunnies and an old box on the top shelf. She went to reach for it when she heard girlish giggling around her.
Spinning around, she saw Dustin in the doorway. “I told you to just let her be. She won’t hurt you.”
Natalie crossed her arms over her chest. “You know more than what you’re telling me. What the hell is going on? That little girl should be in this room, but she’s nowhere to be found. People don’t just appear and then disappear and leave prints in the dust.”
“No they don’t. The little girl’s name is Jeannie. She died here when she was nine. This was her bedroom. The other rooms were used for the boarders. She won’t hurt you. She’s just glad to have someone in the house again. She’s been lonely.”
“And you know this how?”
“Hello, Ms. Natalie, are you home?” Someone knocked on the door and called from downstairs.
She shook her head in disgust and pushed past Dustin. Heading downstairs, she saw Jarvis standing in the living room. He gave her an uneasy smile when he saw her. “I’m here. I thought you’d left for the day when I didn’t hear the chainsaw anymore.”
“I went through the trees no problem. I had to load some of the wood to bring it to the dump. Some of the smaller branches and stuff. I left most of it. Figured you might need some firewood in case you don’t get your heat workin’ in time. You got enough there to last you a couple of winters. I can come back and chop it for you as a side job.”
She sighed. “Ahh yeah. That sounds great. We’ll work out payment later, okay?”
The floor creaked above her. She glanced upstairs and expected to see Dustin come down, but he didn’t. Probably some backwoods psychic who thinks he can dupe the new chick into paying for his crystal ball. God, I’m such an idiot. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
He glanced around and started to fidget with a hole in his t-shirt. “Sure thing.”
“Are there any rumors around town about this place being haunted?”
He ran his hand through his hair and glanced at the floor. “Ahh, ma’am. I wouldn’t know anythin’ about that. Look, if that’s it, I really gotta be gettin’ on home.” He turned when she reached out and touched his shoulder. He jumped away from her. “Don’t do that.”
“Well, I’m sorry, but I really need to know. Please tell me something. Am I the joke of the town because I bought a haunted house?”
His expression fell. “No. It’s nothin’ like that. Many people are glad that this place is goin’ to have someone livin’ in it. It’s a nice old place. Many of us as kids used to come up here and sneak in to see if the stories were true. Look, I don’t want to be speakin’ ill of the dead or anythin’ but this whole area is said to be cursed. Any person or animal killed on the land is trapped here. It was taken from the Native Americans, and they were all massacred back in the woods there by the old stage coach trail. They hover where they were killed on the mountain in the forms of balls of light. This place was near the trail so people used to stay here back in the old days. A nice old family used to live here until the fa
ther went crazy and killed his wife, daughter, and all their guests. He burned down the barn with the horses in it. Their son was coming home from out west and saw the blaze.”
“What happened to the son?” Natalie asked, intrigued by the tale.
Jarvis shoved his hands in his pockets and glance down. “Stories say that he raced into the house to find his father completely insane and about to kill his sister. They got into a fight and he stabbed his father, buried him somewhere in the house. He was badly wounded in the fight. The neighbors saw the fire and rushed over. They found him, but he ended up dyin’ later. It’s said he watches over the place. But you know how people say things. I’m sure all the yarns people tell are just hogwash. Have a good night.”
“Yeah. Night.” Natalie watched him walk into the kitchen and then heard the door shut. Gotta love local lore. She and rubbed her hands over her arms to ward off the sudden chill. Heading upstairs, she went into the back bedroom.
“Dustin, about before. You—” When she got into the room, there was no one there. The closet door was closed and the doll she had left in the small room under the stairs was leaning against the door. What the hell? She spun around and began looking through the other bedrooms. Each was empty. I couldn’t have missed him if he came down the stairs. I was standing right at the bottom. “Dustin, you here? Come on. This isn’t funny.”
She stood at the top of the stairs and another bedroom door down the hall screeched open. A shadow darted through the opening. Natalie raced after it.
When she got to the door, she saw stairs leading up to an attic. They were in another bedroom but she had thought it was a closet. She could barely see. Cobwebs brushed her face. What she could make out were lots of places to hide. Old furniture and trunks were hidden under the eaves for her to explore. I wonder what all is up here?
“Dustin, are you here? Quit being an ass and come downstairs. Please.”
No one answered her. She listened for any sound. A feeling of dread washed over her the longer she stood in the attic. She didn’t think he was up there, but if that were the case, then where was he? He wasn’t upstairs because she had checked everywhere, and he didn’t come downstairs. He couldn’t have gone out a window because there’s no first story roof for him to jump down onto.
