Page 76 of The Curse of Redwood

***

“Is he dead this time, Mr. Warren?”

“No. I… I don’t know what is wrong with him.”

Even though I heard them, my body wouldn’t respond when I tried to open my eyes. My limbs felt so heavy, like when you’re swimming and feel so weightless, but then you get out of the water and your muscles weigh a ton.

“He looks pretty dead to me, sir.”

Something cold poked my cheek.

“Don’t do that, William. Let him rest.”

“But he’s not as fun when he’s resting,” William whined. “I wanna play.”

“Go play with Rose.”

“If I must.”

A stretch of silence passed after that. Funny how I thought about swimming earlier. I felt like I was drowning now. I imagined myself floating in a deep sea, stretching my arm toward the sun reflecting through the water above me. I fought to reach the surface, the light, but something was pulling me down to the murky depths.

And then there was a voice.

“Why didn’t you listen to me? Why didn’t I force you to stay away?” Cold touched my lips before I was gently pulled to rest against something cool. “I fear this place has claimed you at last, my little dove. I’m sorry. So very sorry. I would ask for your forgiveness, yet I do not deserve it.”

“Zeke?” I managed to ask, finally pulling myself out of the numbing depths. Though they were heavy like the rest of my body, I opened my lids to look at him. No tears were in his eyes, but I suspected if it was possible for ghosts to cry, I would’ve seen them.

Relief crossed his face. “You frightened me.”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know.” He kissed my temple before trailing kisses down my cheek and to my lips. He held me tighter. “You became disoriented before screaming and convulsing on the floor. Then, you lost consciousness like the time in the sunroom.”

My memory was fuzzy. I glanced around the room, seeing an oil lamp burning on the bedside table. Then, I looked at the window. It was dark outside. I was inside the mansion at night. I should’ve been scared, but I was too exhausted.

“I saw someone,” I suddenly said, remembering the menacing face. “He reached for me. When he grabbed my arm, I felt nothing but pain. Fear.”

“Where did you see him?”

I swallowed, trembling at the memory. “In my mind.”

“Here.” Zeke held up the necklace. “You threw it off earlier. It’s supposed to protect you, correct?”

As the stone touched my palm, I growled and knocked it away from me. I then stared at my hand in shock. “I… I didn’t mean to do that.”

Zeke looked puzzled as he grabbed the necklace. He turned the stone between his fingers before handing it to me again.

“Get that away!” I shouted, slapping it out of his hand. The voice that had come from me didn’t even sound like mine. It had been deeper and consumed with hatred. Freaked out, I slid off the bed and paced.

“You should lie back down.”

“Something’s wrong with me, Zeke.” I wrapped my arms around myself. “I don’t feel right. It’s like there’s something moving through my veins.” I started hyperventilating and fell to my knees, hugging my torso even tighter. As if it would create a shield to protect me. “Help me. Please.”

Zeke appeared beside me, his face a mask of fear and concern. “You need to leave the mansion. Whatever has a hold on you will grow weaker outside the walls.”

An unseen force slammed into me.

I flew backward on the floor and arched my back, unable to control my actions. A scream tore through my throat and tears welled in my eyes. Something was taking me over. That prodding from earlier continued beneath my skin, and I shivered at an irrepressible chill. Then, I went slack, feeling weaker than I ever had. My eyes closed.