Page 34 of The Curse of Redwood

“Whatdidhappen last time? Every ghost in the whole mansion seemed to appear at once.”

“It’s because of the curse,” Z explained, grabbing my hand. He led me through an arched doorway and into a much brighter room. The curtains on the many windows were opened, letting daylight spill in.

“Really?”

“Yes.” He let go of my hand and sat in a high-back chair. “Have a seat.”

I took the chair beside him and glanced around. We were in a parlor, a place where at one time people of high-standing probably met for tea or drinks. I could even imagine the clink of glasses and the low murmuring of voices. Though faint, the smell of cigars even lingered in the air.

“I’m shocked you aren’t bursting with more questions,” Z said, crossing one leg over the other. “I’ve mentioned the curse at Redwood, a topic you’ve been all too eager to learn about, and your lips are sealed.”

“Oh, I have questions.” I put my hands in my lap, feeling sort of awkward at the fanciness of the place. He belonged in this setting, someone proper and old-fashioned. It was me who didn’t fit in. “I’m just trying to be patient.”

He chuckled. “You amuse me, Carter.”

I noted he was more relaxed than usual as we spoke. Did the daylight play a role in that? Maybe the other ghosts couldn’t show themselves during the day.

Not able to keep my mouth shut a moment longer, I said, “Tell me about the curse. What’s the significance of midnight?”

“Midnight is when the curse came into being so long ago,” he said. “Every spirit in this house is at their strongest at that time because of it. They relive the moment the curse claimed them.”

“Like the little girl who was decapitated?” I asked, shuddering at the memory of her head coming clean off her shoulders.

Z nodded. “If you keep coming around, that won’t be the worst thing you see. I can guarantee it.”

“What about you?” I asked, as the realization hit. “When the ghosts were appearing and replaying their deaths, you carried me to the gates and made sure I was safe. You weren’t affected by it.”

“That’s because the curse never took me,” Z explained, standing from the chair and blinking over to the window. “My death was no one’s fault but my own.”

“What does that mean?” I asked, staring at the back of his head. “I’m even more confused now than I was before.”

“That’s enough questions for today.” Z put his hands behind his back and turned around to me. He had put his guard up.

“I have one more, then I’ll stop.”

He cut his eyes at me. “Very well.”

I almost asked him about the blond man I’d seen in my dream to see if he knew who it was, but I stopped before I did. It had only been a nightmare. He wasn’t real.

“Carter?” Z said my name with a sigh. “What is your question? I grow restless waiting for your mind to come back down from the clouds.”

“You said you love to read. Have you ever readDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? My friend let me borrow the book, and I’ve read some of it. Not too bad so far.”

The former tension left his shoulders, however a strange look appeared in his eyes. “I’ve read it. It’s one of my favorites, actually.”

“Why do you like it so much?”

“A friend asked me that very same question once before.” A sad smile touched his lips before he went over to the fireplace. He rested a hand on the mantel, staring at a small clock covered in dust. “I felt a connection to the story, as strange as it may sound to you.”

“Um. Yeah.” I went over to stand beside him. “Hella strange. What drew you to it?”

“The idea of people having a dual nature,” he said, shifting his gaze to me. “The man everyone sees isn’t quite the man he is on the inside. We all have darkness inside us, Carter. And some people feed that darkness.”

“Did you feed yours?”

“I tried not to,” he softly said. “I truly did.”

A sound from outside the mansion drew our attention. My first thought was that William was playing more games. But then I saw three teenagers pass by the window. They had their hoods up and kept checking over their shoulders. One had a crow bar.