Wyndham Hall

by Midge Cline

  “That box looks heavy, why don’t you let me take that for you?” His voice breathy and uneven.

  “I - I.” She stammered, “I've got it, thanks.” She backed farther into the large open room, silently wishing she had opened the bay doors, so she would not feel so isolated.

  “You look very pretty today, I have been watching you. You like that I watch you, don’t you?” He said, his voice causing her skin to crawl.

  “I believe you are supposed to be at the tower, with your crew.” Tate Brooks’ deep, firm voice held a shard of steel as he spoke from the other side of the room. “You will get back there. Now.” Tate’s breathing was easy, calm, rhythmic as he spoke, but there was no missing the dangerous meaning behind his simple words.

  “Right, I just thought the lass might need help with the heavy crate.” Wyatt stammered.

  “If Miss Morgan needs any assistance,” Tate spoke each of his next words with clear meaning, “she has plenty of people watching her, at all times.”

  Bob Wyatt swallowed loudly as he backed out of the doorway. Tate and Binne’s eyes met with understanding. They put the crate away in silence and went off to find Nigel.

  “I cannot apologize enough, I can assure you that Mr. Wyatt has been transferred back to the yard, he will not be coming back to this site” Logan Alexander said, remorse rampant on his face.

  “See that he doesn’t” Tate kept his voice calm, which made it much scarier than if he had yelled.

  “I don’t have the words to express how angry I am.” Logan said, “I will be terminating him by the end of the week.” Logan advised. “I have a rule, I never fire a man when I am angry, so I always take 48 hours to think it through before I fire someone, but I do not see another avenue on this one.”

  “I expect you will do the right thing, Logan, I've never known you to do otherwise.” Tate said. “But I must tell you, I called Albert and let him know about the incident. Since no harm was done, the most he can do is keep an eye on Wyatt and believe me he will do his best to keep tabs on him. So, you might expect some calls.”

  Tate clapped a hand on Logan’s shoulder as they walked back to the tower.

  “Now, let’s get that trap door open.” He said casually.

  ****

  Bonnie muttered softly to herself as she stacked meat and cheese on thick slabs of bread, she involuntarily started when Gwynn spoke as she entered the room.

  “Lost in thought?” Gwynn smiled. “All I said was ‘what is for lunch?’ and you about shed your skin.”

  “I’m sorry, how is Binne? I just...” Bonnie blinked back tears.

  “She and Colt are taking their frustrations out on video zombies, they are ‘simply starving!’, or so they say. I have been sent to forage for food and drink.” Gwynn drew her friend into a close embrace. “Colt has not left her side since Tate brought her in. I think it likely that they will be inseparable the remainder of the day. Not at all surprising, considering the morning they had.”

  “Well, I made Binne her favorite, thick sourdough bread, mayo, peppers, pickles, tomatoes, corned beef and pastrami. I gave them sides of melon and grapes. And Pickles. I think some cookies would be nice as well.” Bonnie broke from the hug and raced around the kitchen in a frenzy. “Soda? No, juice. No, Soda.”

  “Bonnie! Stop!” Gwynn said sharply. “Come, sit, talk to me.”

  Bonnie sat reluctantly near the window and gazed out.

  “We are all here, so close. No one should have been able to get that close to her. Or Colt either for that matter. I am crazy mad about Binne, I think she is an amazing girl. I just feel as if we failed her.” She said.

  “Bonnie, trust me when I tell you that Binne is fine. The leering old fool will not be allowed back on the property. And to be honest, if Tate had not been there, Binne would have probably broken the creep in half. She has been in Krav Maga, Muay Thai, Tai chi and Taekwondo since she was 3. She is very capable of taking care of herself.” Gwynn assured the woman, and herself. “She is fine now, we have not failed her, not a one of us.” Gwynn rose from the table and grabbed two sodas from the fridge and placed them on a tray with the plated sandwiches and fruit. “I will take these to the hungry teens, then I am heading to the tower to see what they found under the trap door. Shall I collect you on my way through?”

  “No thank you, but spare me no details, I want to make something special for dinner tonight. Something you will love.” Bonnie said with a smile.

  ****

  Bonnie slit the boneless, skinless chicken breast to form a pocket for the mushrooms, seasonings and cheese, wrapped the breast in long rashers of bacon and secured them with toothpicks. She placed it gently on a platter, sprinkled the top with a lemon pepper blend and began the process again with another chicken breast. She then cut onions, peppers, mushrooms and pineapple and slipped them on to long bamboo skewer. She husked long ears of corn, coated the cobs in a thick layer of peppered butter and cayenne powder before enclosing them in foil. Bonnie then checked the cheesecakes she had made, finding them cooled enough, she topped them with strawberries and blueberries and slipped them back into the fridge. Her work completed she poured herself a cup of tea and sat at the window, the newspaper with the daily crossword and a pencil sitting before her. The sound of footsteps pulled her attention from the news article. She looked up, saw no one, and continued to read her paper. A few moments later she heard footfall once again. She realized it was the sound of heavy steps, someone was running up the stairs from the basement. Bonnie ran to the basement door and pressed her body against it, whatever force was on the other side paid her no heed as the door pushed open against her, the surprising thrust threw her off balance and Bonnie Brooks hit the kitchen floor with a painful thump. Bonnie lay in terror as she heard the steps cross the kitchen floor and watched a chair slide out from under the table. Click tap click tap the teaspoon in her cup stirred itself around in a circle.

  “Ya just wanted a cuppa?” Bonnie admonished once she found her voice. The terror slipping away in a moment of humility. “Well ya could have asked and avoided all this. Must be an Englishman, damn fond of their tea they are.”

  ****

  “Nice shot! You took that zombie’s head clear off!” Colt cheered. “Let’s head down to the burned-out plains and see if we can find the parts to that gun you want.”

  “Your mom makes the best lunches ever!” Binne said as she stuffed the last bite into her mouth.

  “Yeah, she goes all out when she is feeling emotional. Right now, I expect she is worried about you, and feeling guilty about having not protected you from Wyatt.” Colt explained as he threw a grape into his mouth.

  “What! That is ridiculous, how could she expect to protect someone from an unpredictable act of another? That is silly.” Binne shook her head. “Besides, he was creepy, but he didn’t touch me, or hurt me in any way. Just acted creepy.”

  “It is the way she functions,” Colt looked at the floor while he spoke. “To be honest, I am feeling like I failed you myself, not been there for you when you needed me.”

  “Colt Brooks, you listen to me right now. I may only be 14 years old, but I am not some pansy. I can handle this, I assure you. My parents worry, like normal parents, but instead of relying on themselves to protect me at all times, they made sure I knew how to protect myself.” She placed her hand on his arm and smiled up at him. “I understand the need to protect the people you care about, I feel that about all of you too.”

  Colt inhaled deeply and placed a crooked finger under Binne’s chin to lift her eyes to meet his. “You take care of us, we will take care of you, it is the Irish way.” He smiled softly then casually turned back to the video game.

  ****

  Pippa and Dexter had set up 7 cameras throughout the Hall, each one with a monitor set up in the parlor on the main floor. Pippa had adjusted the color and contrast on each monitor, then sat before them with her laptop, setting up the audio recordings to correspond with each. She looked up at the
monitors to see Alex walk past the front entry of the Hall. She watched as he spoke with Nigel briefly and then made his way back toward the tower.

  “Grab the handheld camera and the audio recorder,” Dexter said as he came into the room grabbing the EMF recording device. “We are about to open the trap door in the tower and I want to record every second of it.” He raced out of the room, not bothering to look back to see if she was following. Neither noticed the pale, translucent shape racing along the hallway on the monitor. Nor the dark shadow that chased it.

  The Tower was a frenzy of activity, workmen rushed around to clear debris from near the trap door, Nigel and Tate strapped on headlamps, and Gwynn checked her video recorder batteries. Pippa and Dexter entered with the additional equipment and they opened the heavy oak and metal trap door.

  As they lifted the door they saw a wide set of decaying stone steps, leading downward to the darkness. In the glow of the headlamps they made their way down the steps.

  “What was that? 10 or 12 steps?” Dexter asked as they reached the dirt floor below.

  “It was 13.” Seriah whispered through the dust mask Nigel had insisted they all wear. “13 steps into hell.”

  “That would be a great name for a horror flick.” Pippa said without humor.

  “Jesus.” Gwynn said with horror as she used her light to illuminate the nearly 30-foot round chamber. The stone walls were damp and grey in appearance, and smell.

  Dexter slowly moved his light along the floor, scattered remnants of child sized manacles littered among metal bits and pieces of rusted chains in the dirt.

  “I think there were people shackled and imprisoned in here.” He stated the obvious.

  “Children.” Pippa whispered.

  They listened with intent to the sound of their own breathing as it mingled with the resonance of a slow rhythmic drip from somewhere in the darkness, along with the sound of scurrying little feet as the resident rodents ran to hide in safety from the unwelcome intruders.

  The chamber had no natural light, no windows, no ventilation of any kind, and the air proved it with an overpowering smell of rot, dust and decay. The light caught the dust in the air as it struggled to settle back into its home on the floor, where it had lain undisturbed for centuries. The heavy air was oppressive, bringing a sense of darkness to the souls of those who entered.

  Nigel and Dexter walked around a large stone slab in the center, Nigel guessed it to be about 5 feet long and 2 feet wide, ‘child sized’. There were chains attached to the ‘head’ and ‘foot’ of the slab. Nigel wiped a thick layer of dust from the top, exposing dark stains that had seeped into the stone itself. A cold shudder ran down Nigel’s spine as anger and disgust filled his throat.

  Gwynn moved her camera light to the ceiling to find rusted and broken chains suspended from hooks, and hooks suspended from chains. The air seemed to morph, to change to something slightly more sinister as the chains began to sway, gently at first, then quickly picking up speed and momentum as they spun lashing out at the visitors. The sound of metal cutting the air, of metal hitting metal filled the space. A yell of pain escaped Tate’s lips as a chain struck the back of his head and dropped him to his knees in pain. Dexter and Nigel raced to his side in a blink.

  “Everyone. Back up slowly to the stairs, do not take your eyes off the room!” Dexter said with a calm he did not feel.

  The air changed again, not just sinister now, but malevolent, icy and electric as Seriah called out.

  “Look!” Seriah pointed to a glowing light form manifesting itself against the farthest wall. The light shifted and slowly formed the shape of a small boy, transparent enough to see the stone wall beyond him. His frail, thin form clad only in a pair of ragged and torn breeches. Blood red lash marks bright against his pale white ‘flesh’ on his arms, legs and chest. The child reached his arms out toward the group, his mouth opened, releasing what appeared to be a swarm of flies, which turned instantly to vapor as soon as they had escaped the ghost child’s mouth. The small form emitted a huge roar and a deep bellow. “Go! He comes!” It warned. The voice a high shrill of fear and anger.

  “No.” Seriah said in her best ‘Auntie’ voice. “He does not come, you are safe. We are here to help you. To help you be free.”

  Pippa’s body suddenly shook, Gwynn grabbed her and kept her from falling to the floor. The voice that came from her, was not her own.

  “He comes for the children.” The words came from Pippa in a force, layers of voices talking at once, all of them filled with the youthful fear of tortured children. Pippa’s body trembled as if she was having a seizure and then went suddenly limp. At that instant that air changed once more, almost lighter, as the childlike form faded away. Dexter lifted Pippa into his arms and then over his shoulder to carry her up the steps and out of the imposing dungeon, the others gathered his and Pippa’s equipment and followed with haste. Slamming the trap door shut behind them as the faint screams of tortured children chased them into the light.

  ****

  Pippa leaned her back against the tree as she sat with her feet trailing into the cool pond waters. The cashmere poncho wrapped around her like a protective shield. She had spent the morning being questioned and pampered by the others, she was used to being pampered, but for once in her life, she did not appreciate it.

  Pippa was pulled out of her reverie when she felt the weight of Alex McHenry as he lowered his body onto the grass beside her. She felt the instant warmth as he placed a mug of hot tea in her hands. She smiled her thanks and looked back at the water without a word.

  “It is pretty, the way the light reflects off the water.” He noted.

  “Yes.” she said softly. She looked at him sharply. “Aren't you supposed to be working?” She nodded toward direction of the tower.

  “Law and Logan, both say I get a lunch break every day.” He smiled as he pulled his lunch box from beside him. Pippa watched as he spread a bandana out on the grass, on which he placed a shiny green apple, a small bag of carrots cut into sticks, and two sandwiches wrapped in cellophane. A large thermos emerged from somewhere in the depths of the box. “Lemonade. My mum makes the best. She learned how when she was a girl, not too sweet, not too tart, just perfect.” He nudged her shoulder with his, “as you can see I have an extra sandwich.”

  “Did your mum make that too?” She asked with a lifted eyebrow,

  “I said my mum made the best lemonade, I didn’t say she made this. This crap comes from a powder mix at the store. It is nasty.” He said with a sly grin causing an involuntary laugh to escape her lips.

  “I’ve been watching you these past couple of weeks, I have to say, you are not looking yourself. You look decidedly different.” He said, her eyes widened, and her lips parted to protest. “I mean seriously, your hair is a mess, you have no make-up on, sweats and a t-shirt instead of your usual upscale fashions. “He paused, allowing his gaze to travel from her bare, wet feet to her tousled hair. “I like it, quite an improvement.”

  “An improvement?” She stammered, feeling anger slip into her.

  “Yeah, you are beautiful, no surprise there, you know you are, that is why you pile on the make-up and spend all that time on your hair.” He explained. “What you don’t seem to know is that without all that, you are exquisite.”

  Pippa felt the anger subside as he spoke. Her body relaxed for the first time since the events of the morning.

  “Thank you, I think.” She said with a laugh. “I do not feel exquisite.” She admitted.

  “How do you feel?” He asked, a softness in his voice propelling her to make confessions from the depths of her soul.

  “I feel,” she hesitated before closing her eyes. “Invaded.” She said simply. “I feel as if the me that I have always been has been taken over by something real. I know that does not make sense. But, to me it does. I have spent my entire life being told to dress and act a certain way, as it befits others to see me. As my birth rank demands to be seen by others. I have stud
ied what I was told to study. Learned what I was told to learn. Said the words I was taught were appropriate for a girl of my ‘breeding.’ Suddenly I feel, ‘real’.”

  Alex moved a stray blonde hair from her paler than normal face. He let his hand trail down to find a comforting space on her back as she spoke.

  “I feel as if I have been blind my entire life, and only now I can see clearly.” She said to the air as her eyes followed a bird swooping over the pond. “There are people, children who have been targeted by adults for as long as time can remember. They need someone to stand up for them, to protect them, I feel like I am maybe supposed to be that advocate, but I have no idea how.”

  Pippa inhaled deeply as she absently reached over and took a piece of the apple Alex had sliced with his pocket knife.

  “Tell me what happened.” He prompted cautiously.

  “We were in that damn dungeon,” she said after a long moment. “I could hear them, the children. There were so many of them. Weeping, screaming in pain, voices full of an intense fear like I have never known.” She took a half of a sandwich and ate as she spoke. “So young, deserving of protection. I could feel their vulnerability, their pain. Not just the emotional pain either, I could feel the burning pain on my flesh. Then my body just stopped being my own to control. There were so many in here with me, for just that moment.” She said this with so much fear that Alex put an arm around her, pulling her to his chest silently. “They were so scared, but they all wanted the same thing, to get us out of there before the bad came back. To protect us, as they had not been protected.” Her eyes filled with tears as heart wrenching emotion ran down her cheeks, leaving a moist trail on her flesh. “I don’t know how to help them.”

  “Maybe you can help them, maybe not. But I know you can help others, kids today need that help, before it is too late for them.” He suggested. Pippa looked at him with a new understanding.

  “You are right, if there is anything I can do to keep history from continuing the cycle of abuse and hatred, then I should do it.” She said with confidence, then smiled at him, “How did you get so smart?”