“I passed out from exhaustion.” I couldn’t tell him what I saw. Those images made me hate him.
“You really don’t remember what you can do.” He frowned.
“I don’t know anything.” I held my head.
“You don’t just see things, you feel them.” He walked closer to me. I stood perfectly still; afraid that any movement would break the pieces I was finally putting together.
“Electricity,” I breathed.
“You have felt it.” He ran his fingers up my arms. “Your eyes turn this beautiful shade of light blue.” His lips kissed my eyelids as his hands held my head.
“No one has said anything about them before.”
“Caleb’s been lying to you all along.” His eyes strengthened his words, but this felt too easy. I couldn’t ignore what I saw when we touched.
“Who says I should believe you? You haven’t been up front with me either.”
“We allowed you time to roam the house this morning. I’m sure you’ve had your own suspicions. We knew you needed to see them without his interference.”
“And Caroline?”
“She is one of us.” He nodded.
“Then I know I can’t trust you.” I broke from his hold and hurried through the house and up to my room. Before I could shut the door, he was behind me locking us in the room together.
“After all I’ve told you, you still don’t believe me?” He pushed me against the door.
“I did not give you permission to come in here.”
“I need you to understand that you can trust us.” He pressed against me, forcing my face up.
“You’re scaring me,” my voice shook.
“No.” He backed away from me.
“I think you’d better leave.” I distanced myself from him.
“I want you to trust me, all of us.”
I stood with my arms folded.
“The hall you aren’t allowed to go down…You’ll find some answers there and when you do, you’ll have Caroline to thank for that.” Seth left me to my thoughts.
The Colony is my home? Caleb is a kidnapper? I have followers? I’m a Vatic? I will be thanking Caroline? Yep, this was not how I saw my day going.
Chapter 10
The Gift
I tried to piece everything together. The ocean of thoughts flooding over me included new and old, confusing me more. If I didn’t stop and walk through his crap one step at a time, my head was going to end up in fragments on the floor.
I could accept the name Seth called me, a Vatic. My Pulls were the only thing I knew to be real. Even if I couldn’t understand them, I trusted them. If there was a name for a person like me, at least I knew I didn’t need that straight jacket.
Simplicity at its best brought me the comfort of feeling like home. Dinner around a table, without the fancy service or eighteen utensils for a meal gave me a sense a family unlike anything I felt with Caleb and Caroline. If this was the life at the Colony, I understood why this Colony was so tempting. However I did not, understand the man followers.
I couldn’t say I was completely against the idea that I was a prisoner here and Caleb my captor. While there were days I felt like one, this was the safest place for me, I didn’t always feel like it was my home.
No, I was still waiting for my head to explode. When I wanted answers to my missing years, I didn’t expect to get more answers from the creepy twins than from Caleb. Why couldn’t he make this easy? Why couldn’t he give me what I needed so I could be eternally grateful and we could be happy together as the twins, Seth and Caroline, lie miserably together…far, far, far away?
They were providing me with a golden bridge to more answers…or more questions. Now that I was getting somewhere, did I really want to stop? All I ever wanted was answers. Silver platter. Silver. Platter.
I wanted to avoid another altercation with Seth, alone in my room, and I wanted to know more. I had to give Seth a little rope, if for nothing else, but to hang himself with. If Caroline was wrong, I wouldn’t have to give her another chance.
The guards were stationed at the bottom of the stairs, allowing me free access to the halls on the second floor. I walked down the connecting hall and stopped just in front of the dark hallway with a large CAUTION X blocking it off. Maybe I would have listened better if there were big flashing lights, and a song that played DO NOT ENTER on repeat.
Entering the forbidden hall, I reminded myself how right I was about Seth. No one can tell me otherwise, especially after the little stunt he pulled in my room. I was still shaking.
Along the hall, each blue door mimicked the next, closed and locked with gold knobs. Plaques next to each door read empty, empty, Library, Billiard Room. I strolled without intrusion down the deserted hall. I hadn’t quite understood its secrecy until I read the plaque next to the door at the end of the hall: Eva’s Gift Room.
I paused in front of the door, which stood parallel to my room. A single light shined over the door as if placing it under a spotlight. The invisible construction didn’t prevent me from making it to the end of the hall. There was no turning back now that I made it this far. I tried the handle with ease, reminding myself there was no turning back.
I took each step into the room with caution. Like many rooms in the house, the lights turned on automatically. I stood in awe for a moment. The pretty things in the room took me aback. The tiny globe, the first to open the dark cloud upon this house, was the center of the large and perfectly placed display.
I must admit, I doubted Caleb and the stories of the crazed danger looming beyond the gates. I wasn’t ready to go on blind faith. As I looked around at the gifts, I lost count. They were handled with great care.
Under the globe sat another reminder of denial surrounded by a clear cube, a glass rose. The date attached to the gift matched another day of weirdness in the house. It was a few days into Caroline’s leave; Caleb was in and out of my room every five minutes. Nothing was said, just in and out.
The priceless gifts weren’t very threatening, I wasn’t oozing puss from my ears or losing teeth in sets. It was an opposite feeling in this room. I felt a sense of calm, a sense of me.
I ignored the No Touch Policy, curtsying as I held the tiny glass slipper. A cool breeze swept leaves across my feet and the smell of turkey passed under my nose. I put the slipper back in its place, removing the leaves from my feet and oven roasted goodness from my nose.
I spun the miniature Ferris wheel gently as the sounds of the seats clicked, clicked, clicked. Images of myself riding to the top flashed in front of me. I inched closer, nearly feeling the moon with the tips of my fingers. I stretched out, the seat rocking as I tried so hard to grab hold of it.
Click Click Click
My hands started to shake and my eyes glued shut. The thickness of his hand wrapped in mine eased my racing heart. His weight settled the rocking cart allowing me to balance myself, and reach farther out towards the moon. Before I could grab for the railing, I lost my footing and tumbled out of the cart.
I could feel the tug of my arm, the stranger’s hand in mine holding me in midair, hoisting me back into the cart. His face is shadowed, but the way I felt wrapped in his arms…He’s the one. He was the man with the awakening touch. I shook out of my surreal trance, and I was back in the room of gifts.
I felt different in the room. I felt special in this room. I enjoyed the abundance of gifts knowing they were for me. I didn’t understand what I was supposed to fear. Even when I asked, Caleb was vague. Seth said I would find answers here and I would have Caroline to thank for it.
I wasn’t shaking in my cotton socks yet.
These were very nice things. I didn’t see danger in this room. I didn’t see a need for the little green men downstairs. I saw someone who cared, who missed me. I didn’t see this kind of affection anywhere else on the grounds.
I wandered the room and stopped to look at another item I didn’t recognize. The date was odd. The small parchment tag noted a da
te that hadn’t passed. I flipped each tag within reach. Each date confirmed my reason for panic. My safe place faded.
I stopped at the item unlike any other, the old vintage bat leaning against the wall. It didn’t fit with the other gifts in the room. I picked it up looking for another tag.
Hatred fueled the first swing.
“Why do you keep lying to me?!”
Glass shattered.
“Just stop lying to me!”
Shards of crystal flew towards my face.
“I can’t take it anymore!”
Displays fell to the floor.
“AHHHHHHH!”
I barely heard their footsteps as they entered the room. My focus and hearing returned slowly.
“I’ll take the bat,” Seth spoke calmly ducking in front of me.
I dropped the bat as the wake of my hatred submerged into itself. Seth removed the bat from my hands and guided me out of the mess I made. The pieces of what was left of the beautiful gifts filled me with regret. My special place was gone. My Ferris wheel ride was split in half, the rose was unrecognizable. I couldn’t explain what I had done.
“Ms. Eva, are you okay?” Thomas asked helping me to the end of the hall.
“Could we sit, please?” my voice was weak.
My legs were like jelly, my arms heavy. We stopped at the top of the stairs and waited for the others to surround us. They overwhelmed me with concern as Mitchell arrived with a first aid kit.
“This may hurt, Ma’am. I apologize in advance,” his accent was thicker than Seth’s. He was the soldier who taps when he’s nervous.
“Thank you for the warning.” He began with my arms, each cut stung as he dabbed them with pads soaked in alcohol.
“This one will need stitches,” he said regretfully.
“Go for it.” I showed little fear.
They didn’t judge, but rather cared I was hurt, worried now I knew another truth that put me in more danger.
“At least you know now what he’s been hiding from you. If only that was it. I just wish you could go home now.” Jake was a blunt fellow. I don’t think he realized what he was saying.
“We will discuss all of that later. Right now, we just need to get Ms. Eva cleaned up,” Thomas said.
Mitchell finished tending to my wounds. I grew weaker as they tried to cheer me up with talk of the generous dinner we’d have tomorrow, if I was up for it.
“All right, let’s get you to your room. I’ll be back with further instructions,” Seth announced to the men.
He babied me with each step, even as I insisted I could walk just fine on my own, he coddled me still. We arrived in my room, which was lit only by the fireplace.
“I’ll leave you to clean up while I brief the men, but I won’t be long.” Seth watched me closely.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I showed him out of the room.
I was far too distracted by the stitch across my face and an abundance of fake gifts for future days to care about Seth’s coddling. As much as I wanted her to be wrong, Caroline was right about the room. But why was everyone playing along? Why only now is it that I’m getting answers at all? Does Caleb even work in security? Did he even go on a business trip?
I couldn’t explain what came over me when I grabbed that vintage bat. Like the Ferris wheel or quilt, I could feel the very presence of the object in the moment, but nothing like my Pulls. No, these were something different. Could they be my memories? But that bat had a lot of hatred in it. I didn’t feel any love, and because of that bat, my means of feeling special were destroyed.
Even if they were fake, I still felt special.
I wiped away my tears at the knocking sound and Seth’s sudden entrance into my room, without waiting for a proper response.
“Are you okay?” He sat next to me on my bed.
I unfolded my legs and hung them over the edge.
“Perfectly okay.” I smiled still wiping away tears with my sleeve.
“Come here.” It was an awkward hug, and one I found difficult to return. He still made me uneasy.
“Thank you, I’d just like to get some rest.” And process all of this.
“I’d hate to leave you alone. I want to help. I’m a mighty good listener,” desperation oozed from his voice.
“I’m sure you are, but I’m afraid if I started talking, I wouldn’t be able to stop.” I looked down.
“Let it out.” He still managed to keep one hand on me.
“Not sure it would help.”
“But I know what will.” He pulled me to my feet.
He stood closer to me than anyone really should to another person without permission. He lifted me onto his feet, tightening his grip around my waist. I grew increasingly uncomfortable and wanted to gain a few hundred pounds with the hopes he’d break his back.
He pulled my right arm into his left and proceeded to mimic a ballroom dance. He glided with little effort. He’s done this before. A twirl around my bed, a step or two towards the fire place, a dip too close to the heat, and a pause while he stared into my eyes; it all was a bit unnerving.
He held my face until I looked at him. “You really are beautiful, and during your Pulls, your eyes are indescribable.” He played with the word Pulls.
“So, I do call them Pulls.”
“I want to share a secret of mine with you. After all, I know so many secrets about you.”
“You’ve told me so much today. I’ve gotten so much to take in already.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overwhelm you.”
We continued to dance around the room; my bare feet felt helpless standing on his steel toe boots.
“No. I’m glad someone finally gave me something. It hasn’t been much fun with the empty noggin.” I was trying to be kind.
“It’s been my pleasure. I wish we could do more for you. I just hate keeping you in the dark.”
“I couldn’t ask for anything more.” His hands cradled my butt. “Well, I feel better now. You probably have a lot to do.”
He pulled me closer, his lips brushing my ears. Flashes of shards of glass and crystal scraping across my arm tightened my jaw leaving the possibility that I would have no teeth left.
“We are making the arrangements for your departure.”
“When?” Darkness flooded my vision.
“Tomorrow.”
“I will explain everything to Caleb when he gets back. You will all be in the clear. We don’t need to rush.”
“No, we will have you removed before he arrives.” He was in a near panic.
“Believe me, whatever the reason Caleb is keeping me here, he won’t hurt me.”
“We can’t be sure of that. You’ve never done anything to anger him.”
“The party, even when he’s upset he’s not really mad. I mean he brought me up here and………” I stopped.
Seth’s feet weren’t moving. The imaginary music no longer played. Our dance was over.
“And what?” His head cocked to the side and although his lips were still curled in a smile, his eyes were frightening.
I shivered. I didn’t know why I thought I was making the situation any better. I wanted to stay and confront Caleb, but I had no reason to comfort him. After all of this, I still cared for him. And even after all of this, I still didn’t trust Caroline or Seth. There was always that ugly feeling when I thought about them or had to be around them. If this didn’t make that ugly pit in my stomach go away, I don’t think anything would.
“I don’t know.”
“You do. You came up here and what?”
“It was nothing.” The pain from his hand squeezing mine registered on a delay. I was still, afraid to move.
“It was something for you to think Caleb would tolerate your actions tonight.”
The bone snapping in my hand was enough for me to cave. “We kissed, but I pushed him off.” I fell to the ground following Seth’s release. I cradled my hand unsure of how to explain this away.
The cras
hing of my lamps against the walls startled me. I crawled towards the door trying to stay out of view as he stomped through the room finding every breakable and shattering them.
“How many times?” He pulled me to my feet by my hair.
“What?”
Pieces of the picture frames from the fireplace mantle cut into my feet as he repeated his question, “How many times did you and Caleb…”
“We’ve only kissed the one time.” Even I didn’t believe me, but I needed it to be true.
“You’re lying!” He pulled my hair tighter.
“You kissed me,” I pointed out.
“You’re comparing me to him?” I could hear the hurt in his voice.
“No, but I pushed him away.”
“You stopped me, shockingly I may add.”
“Why did you kiss me?” I tried to distract him. He was becoming irrational.
“Eva, I’m in love with you.” He released my hair.
The pain shooting in my hand begged to differ.
“Say something.” He pulled me into his arms.
I couldn’t respond. How was I supposed to respond to that?
“I don’t know what you want me to say.”
He kissed me, squeezing my face, forcing the tiny cuts to hurt. It was brief. He pulled away as if succeeding in something, but this time was unlike outside in the yard. I slapped him across his face with my good hand. He kissed me again, harder. Maliciously, he pushed me backwards and I landed unguided on the desk.
His face pushed against me as I pushed against his chest. His hands moved around my body with a sense of randomness and urgency. His hands weren’t kind, but vicious as he tore at my skin with his nails. A gentle caress left soreness under my skin.
I was fighting a brick wall, a man made of stone. My thoughts were scattered by his actions, my body flailing for release. Then my knee met him in his groin, rejecting him once more.
Seth slide down the front of my body, shrinking to his knees. I struggled to unlock the door with my one good hand trying to remember when he locked it. The panic flooding my chest made it harder to breathe as the sudden force of his hand around the back of my neck pulled me back to the ground.
Without Knowing (When You Wake Book 1) Page 13
