Granger came to his senses as he rolled off Eliza. “We’ve got to get out of here,” he mumbled. “Where’s Robert? Rachel?”
They crawled on the floor to where Robert was still trying to extinguish the flames on Rachel’s clothing. The acrid odor of burned hair filled the room. Rachel was screaming and twisting under him. Eliza could see small glowing specks where flame continued to eat at her hair; much of it was gone, and bare skin exposed on her skull. Rachel was slapping at her head repeatedly, trying to put it out.
Granger and Eliza knelt and assisted Robert, trying to smother the remaining flames. As they helped, Robert quickly removed his jacket and used it to eliminate the rest of the fire. Eliza looked over her shoulder as she worked, worried that Tena or the flames might be sneaking up behind them.
“Come on!” Granger said. “We’ve got to get her out of here!”
Robert reached under Rachel and lifted her. Rachel became silent; Eliza could tell she had passed out. They ran to the door just as another gigantic billow of flame erupted mid-air and raced toward them. Granger had the door open quickly, and they all hurried out, Eliza pulling the door closed behind her, feeling the heat of the flame.
Once they reached the front lawn Robert set Rachel down on the grass. Smoke rose from her body.
“Is she alive?” Eliza asked, as Robert checked her.
“She’s alive,” he confirmed. “But these burns are bad. We’ve got to get her to a hospital.”
“There’s one not more than a half mile from here,” Granger said. “Let’s get her into the car and we’ll drive her there. It’ll be faster than an ambulance.”
Robert lifted Rachel once again, and they made their way out the metal gate and to Granger’s Fiat, where Robert lifted Rachel into the back seat and slid in next to her. Eliza sat in the front passenger seat, and Granger sped off.
●
It was hours before staff would let Eliza see Rachel. Robert and Granger had left to bring back food when the nurse finally allowed her into Rachel’s room.
She entered the hospital room and saw Rachel on the bed, her head coated with thick layers of a shiny salve. Eliza felt tears forming in her eyes.
“You’ve only got a moment, hon,” the nurse said, lightly touching Eliza’s arm. “We’re going to set up an oxygen tent in a few minutes, and you’ll have to leave for that.”
“Is she awake?” Eliza asked.
“She’s been given a medication for the pain,” the nurse replied, “and she might be a little out of it, so don’t expect her to respond.”
“Of course,” Eliza replied, and walked closer to the bed. She wanted to take Rachel’s hand, which appeared fine, but she was worried about causing her friend any undue pain.
“Rachel?” Eliza asked, looking down. They had cut away Rachel’s remaining hair. Under the gel she could see large red patches of skin, some very dark.
“Eliza?” Rachel moaned. “Are you there?”
Eliza saw Rachel turn her eyes, but not her head. She moved so that Rachel could see her better without having to adjust.
“I’m here,” she said. “I’m so sorry. We’re all so, so sorry.”
“You’ll talk to Lois for me?” Rachel asked. “I don’t think I’ll be making my shift today.”
Eliza laughed a little, an uncontrollable release from the horror she felt. “Of course, I’ll let her know everything. And I’ll cover for you. I’ll pick up shifts if need be.”
Rachel smiled. The nurse reappeared along with two men who wheeled a cart into the room.
“I have to go, but I’ll come back,” Eliza said.
“Eliza,” Rachel said. “I shouldn’t have encouraged you. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about.”
“I’ll be very sorry if you die in that place,” Rachel replied, “which is what will happen if you don’t stop.”
“Excuse me,” the nurse said. “We need to get started. Would you step out, please?”
Eliza nodded. “I’ll come back soon,” she said to Rachel, and turned to leave the room.
She found Granger and Robert in the waiting area, arriving with bags of food.
“You just missed her,” Eliza said. “They let me in to see her for a moment.”
“How is she?” Robert asked.
Eliza burst into tears. Robert set the food down and went to her, steering her to a chair. He took her hands and held them until she gained control and could speak.
“She looks horrible,” Eliza said, wiping at her nose. “Her hair is gone. You can see the burns under this gel they had all over her head.”
“It’s OK,” Robert said. “She’s in good hands. They’re going to help her.”
“She told me to stop,” Eliza said. “She’s worried that if we keep up with Pitmon House, I’ll die. Tell me she’s not right.”
She felt Robert squeeze her hand. “I can’t say one way or the other,” he said.
“We know Pitmon House is dangerous,” Granger replied. “My leg, now Rachel. It could get worse.”
“Did you see the eyes?” Eliza said. “The red eyes in the fog?”
“No,” Robert replied. “I didn’t. Did you, Dad?”
“No,” Granger replied. “I reached a point in the trance where everything just came to a stop, and I couldn’t go forward or back. You pulling me from the chair broke that, and woke me up.”
“And saved your life,” Robert added. “You’d be in one of these hospital rooms right now if she hadn’t done it.”
“The flames shot out of a black cloud that came from upstairs,” Eliza said. “There was a set of red eyes inside it. The fire flickered at first, like whatever was inside the fog was trying to light something.”
“And this was completely separate from the woman you saw?” Robert asked.
“Separate, but not entirely,” Eliza said. “I got the feeling they were working as a team. The woman was distracting me while the black fog moved in. They knew what the other was doing.”
“The woman was Tena,” Granger said. “She showed up because we tried to contact her.”
“She was pissed,” Eliza said. “Very angry.”
“And then the black cloud attacked,” Robert said. “Do you think that was Dominic?”
“Your guess is as good as mine,” Eliza said.
“Working together,” Granger replied. “I’ve rarely seen ghosts behave that way.”
“They don’t work in tandem?” Eliza asked.
“Not usually,” Granger replied. “Most ghosts are very self-centered, focused only on their own situation. There had to be a very strong bond between the two of them for it to carry on like this, after death.”
“What now?” Robert asked. “It’s your call, Eliza.”
“Yes,” Granger said. “We can try again. We could go back to Agnes; she was fairly benign, and we could try a different approach.”
“It’s up to you,” Robert said. She felt him squeeze her hand again.
“I need to think,” Eliza said. “I need to get back to Spring Green and explain things to work, and try to smooth things over with Rachel’s boss.”
She stood, contemplating the things Rachel had said in the hospital room. “I don’t know when I’ll be able to try again,” she said to them. “I appreciate all your help, but maybe this needs to stop.”
Robert smiled at her as he released her hand. “We’re here if you need us.”
Granger reached into a bag and pulled out a sandwich. “Take this,” he said, handing it to her. “For the road. We’ll drive you to your car.”
“Thanks,” she said, not taking the sandwich. “I thought I was hungry, but I’m not.”
They walked out of the waiting area, and as Eliza followed Granger and Robert to the car, she mused how much she’d been inside a hospital lately. It reminded her of the time she spent with her father in the hospital a few years ago.
It wasn’t something she missed.
Chapter Fourteen
As Eliza let her feet slide from under the comforter, hitting the cold rug, she reached over to the alarm clock and turned it off. The sun was up, and she needed to be into work early, since she had agreed to pick up the slack from Rachel’s shift. Last night she’d stayed late, completing an inventory that Lois insisted had to be finished that evening. The events of the past two days were wearing on her, and she felt anything but refreshed.
She stumbled to the shower and got inside, hoping the water would wake her up. It half worked. She had spent a restless night in bed, finding sleep difficult, trying to decide what to do. As she wiped the fog from the mirror, she tried to wipe the fog from her mind and resume her contemplation. She picked up the hair straightener and looked at it; normally she plugged it in before she got into the shower, so it would be nice and hot by the time she got out, but she’d forgotten this morning, and the irons were cold. Feeling like a robot set on auto, she plugged it in, waiting for it to warm up.
Looking in the mirror at herself, she could tell things were wearing on her. There were bags under her eyes, and her hair already wanted to go wild.
Why do I do this? she wondered, looking down at the little light on the handle of the appliance. She remembered all the nice things her father used to say about her hair when it was freshly straightened; how it was so much prettier and attractive.
Attractive to who? she wondered.
She looked in the mirror. Could there have been some other way for things to play out yesterday? If she had been more aware of the danger, or of how things worked in the River, perhaps she could have spared Rachel the agony she was now experiencing. Had her father taken the time to teach her the things she needed to know when he was alive, her friend might not be in the hospital right now.
She unplugged the straightener from the wall and tossed the cord to the vanity. I’m not doing this anymore, she thought.
She put on her clothes, feeling her hair begin to move as it dried. By the time she reached work, she knew what it would look like, and she didn’t care.
She considered calling the hospitals to check in on Shane and Rachel, but decided instead to call from work, where she could get away with letting them pay the long distance.
Lois was concerned about Rachel but just as worried about the coverage, and seemed grateful when Eliza offered to pick up work. Lois also said she’d be bringing in her niece to help out, just until Rachel could come back. Eliza suspected Lois had been looking for a way to get her niece a job for months. She worried the niece might not leave when Rachel was capable of returning. For now, she was grateful Lois wasn’t outright firing Rachel, so she didn’t say anything, but she hoped Rachel could recover quickly, so the niece didn’t become ensconced.
She made her phone calls during a break at work. Rachel was resting and showing promising signs. There was no change with Shane, although the nurse mentioned that a hospital administrator wanted to discuss insurance and billing with her.
She went to the employee restroom before returning to the shift. It reeked of an artificial deodorizer. As she washed her hands, she looked up into the mirror once again. Her hair had now completely dried and it swirled around her head chaotically, as it had always done since she was a little girl when she didn’t take the time to straighten it. It was a dramatic change for her co-workers, and she knew Lois wanted to say something to her about it, but didn’t for some reason. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she thought about Granger and Robert.
She knew she’d have to make a decision: either drop things altogether, as Rachel had suggested, or keep going and try to find some way to help Shane.
Both in the hospital, both unable to help themselves, she thought. It’s just me, alone in this silent, smelly bathroom, trying to come to terms with myself.
What would my father say? she wondered as she looked at her hair, its wild look slowly growing on her, slowly becoming OK. Knowing how he avoided talking about the River, he’d probably agree with Rachel and tell me to stop.
She turned from the mirror, and went to make a quick phone call before returning to the gift shop, informing Granger and Robert she’d be there by seven.
●
Climbing the second story staircase in the dark was unnerving, and Eliza felt their group was a little less powerful without Rachel. She knew Granger and Robert were experienced, but Rachel had been the anchor she’d been using to feel solid about what they were doing, and with her gone, she felt a little adrift.
Robert seemed to sense her unease and was saying all the right things. She appreciated his thoughtfulness, and marveled at how different he was than any of the men she had dated. Still, all the nice thoughts and queries as to her comfort didn’t ease the dread she felt as they crested the top of the staircase and she looked down the dark hallway of the second floor, her flashlight unable to reach the wall at the far end, the faint yellow pattern of the flashlight lens wiping weakly over the images of the artwork.
They opened the door to Agnes’ room and stepped inside.
“Remember,” Granger said, “we want to get as much info from her as we can before she completes her cycle.”
“Got it,” Robert replied. He paused, taking a deep breath. “Agnes! We want to talk to you again!”
A couple of seconds passed. Eliza saw Robert suck in his stomach and take a step back. “She groped you again?”
Robert smiled, a little embarrassed. “She’s rarin’ to go.”
They dropped into the River. Agnes was hovering next to Robert. She was much better defined this time, the white wisps so numerous inside her frame she almost appeared as a solid being.
Agnes, Robert said, moving again as her hands went for his crotch. Please!
Just a little fun, Agnes replied, slowly turning to look at the others. Oh, we have an audience!
You remember my friends, Robert said. They were here with me last time.
No, Agnes replied, I don’t remember. She moved at him again, and he took a step back.
We met with Tena, Robert said, trying to distract her.
It worked. Agnes stopped her pursuit and looked confused. Met with her? How?
We summoned her, Robert said. We wanted to talk to her.
Agnes pulled back from Robert. Why are the handsome ones always so stupid? Why would you do that?
We wanted to talk to Kendall, but he didn’t respond, Robert replied. So we tried to talk to Tena.
What a mistake! Agnes said, her voice tinged with pity. Tena used to be a normal person, when she first moved in with Kendall. It was Dominic that changed her. She let him. They became sick perverts together, doing horrible things.
I want to ask you about Kendall, Robert said. What business was he in, do you know?
The kind that loses money! Agnes replied. The kind that sails on a sea of red ink!
Do you know if he was involved with music machines? Robert asked.
Those stupid contraptions! Agnes said. What a child he was! Playing with toys. No wonder his wife treated him like a common cuckold! Can you imagine a grown man, tinkering with such stupid things!
Did he have any of them here? Robert asked. In his room, maybe?
When he and Tena moved in, he had many of them, Agnes replied. Too many. Marvin said…
Agnes’ eyes began to bulge, and her white hands rose to her throat, grabbing at it as she struggled to breathe. Her tongue extended from her mouth and she began to fall to one side, when her image froze in place for a few seconds before fading away.
Damn, Robert said. She cycles fast.
They dropped from the River.
“We know she doesn’t start up again right away,” Granger said. “How long did we wait last time, when she didn’t return? Ten, fifteen minutes?”
“About that,” Eliza replied, walking to the bed and sitting on the mattress. “We should wait as long as we can and try again.”
“There’s no guarantee she’ll cycle after fifteen minutes,” Robert said, “or an hour for that matt
er. We don’t know what her timeframe is. Last time we came back a day later. It might take 24 hours for all we know.”
“I have to work tomorrow,” Eliza said. “If we don’t reach her tonight before I have to leave, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow night. That’s too long.”
“So, do you think we’re better off waiting here in her room,” Granger asked, “or downstairs? Going downstairs means moving through the second floor again, going down and coming back up.”
Robert sat next to her on the bed. “What do you think?”
“I think we should stay here and try again in twenty minutes,” Eliza said. “And try every five minutes after that until we reach her. I’d rather wait here until midnight if we have to. This room feels safer to me than out in the hallway. Perhaps Tena and Dominic still consider this Agnes’ room, and allow her privacy.”
“Let’s hope,” Granger said, sitting on the other end of the bed. “It’s 8:30 now. I’ll set my watch for 8:50.”
“She keeps mentioning Marvin,” Eliza said, thinking through the interaction with the ghost. “What did Reid say about Marvin?”
“That he was the administrator; something like that,” Robert replied. “I could ask her again.”
“Just don’t let her get off on a tangent,” Granger replied. “Cut her off and move on to the important stuff. She’ll go on and on about how perverted Tena and Dominic were if you let her.”
“And this cuckold thing,” Eliza said. “What does that mean, exactly?”
“Not polite conversation,” Granger replied.
“I’m a grown woman, Granger,” Eliza said. “Just tell me.”
“A cuckold is a man whose wife sleeps around,” Granger replied, “and he knows about it. He either allows it, or likes it. There’s usually a humiliation aspect involved. Not that I would know much about such things, of course.”
“No, of course not,” Eliza replied. “Agnes said Tena and Dominic would have sex in front of Kendall? Did I hear that right?”
“That’s what she said,” Granger replied, “the last time we were here.”
“Twisted,” Eliza said. “And you think Kendall liked it?”
The Haunting of Pitmon House Page 15
