Who's Afraid of the Dark? - The Second Part of Chapter 3
Continued from part 3.
Tiny spots of light filtered through my eyelids and onto my eyes, when I opened them I told myself that I would not see the obsolete destruction that I had last night. Alas I was wrong. In my line of vision was a turned over antique oak table, a smashed grandfather clock and many other homely comforts distorted.
Suddenly I remembered that I had not been alone; there had been myself, the monster and baby Ric! I looked around the room, frantically searching for Ric. I couldn't have lost him, not as well as mother and nanny. He was nowhere in sight. I tried upstairs and to my intense relief baby Ric was stood in the foot of his cot with his hands on the bars looking straight at me.
"How did you get here?" I asked him, picking him up and taking him out of his cot.
Knock knock!
The sound made me jump; someone was knocking at the door. That was rare now that mother had vanished. I walked down the stairs cautiously; some of them were missing big chunks from where the monster had bitten them.
"Hello Alba, how are you and little Ric today?" it was Father Thomas, the reverend at the old church in the middle of town.
"Fine, thank you," I answered slowly "Is there something I can help you with? Would you like to come in?"
"No," Father Thomas peered in to the house behind me "But you could help me with one thing?" it was more of a question than a statement.
"Of course, anything," well I couldn't exactly say no to the town reverend.
"Wonderful, this is James, he has just moved to town with his parents but they have had to go away on business meetings and have left James alone, I know that your mother has gone somewhere and that you are alone and thought that you could both do with the company,"
Great the reverend was playing matchmaker with me and the new town creep, and he did look like a creep. James was tall and looked lanky but I knew that a lot of lanky guys had hidden muscle; he also had shaggy, shoulder length, almost black hair. He wore black combats and a leather jacket. Altogether he looked just like a crazy psychopath.
"I'm fine honestly, I really don't need anyone watching over me," I said as politely as I could without sounding soft.
"I realize that having a strange boy in your house whilst you are alone is a little daunting but I think it might be best for the both of you, therefore I will leave James here now and bring his belongings over later." And I realized that was the end of the argument. James was staying with me. There was nothing to be done about it.
Father Thomas promptly turned away and walked down the drive, I didn't know what it was about James, he just had an air that made me not want to trust him.
"I think we should have some ground rules seen as how I have been forced house you for the next- wait how long are you staying?"
"A month," he answered, he had a smooth voice, well as far as voice smoothness went, like velvet swirling around in the air, barely audible.
"Right for the next mon-! MONTH!" I had only just processed what James had said. He was staying with me until his parents came back from their business trip, surely they wouldn't leave James here for that long,they wouldn't would they?
"Well that's how long my folks are away for." again I got the intense feeling that was the end of the conversation.
"Hey wait what about the ground rules!" I shouted after James as he walked to the back of my house and towards the stairs as if he already knew where they were. He stood just looking up at the broken mahogany banister that used to be attached to the wall but was now hanging over the edge what was left of the spiral staircase that led from the ground floor to the first floor. The beautiful mahogany banister had been destroyed in the attack. James quickly returned his attention towards me.
"I'll take the room in the far west wing, the west guest room, I'll stick to my room apart from meal times, I'll cook four times a week, do my own washing and not bother you unless I'm dying. That sound okay to you?" he said silkily. I had to admit it did sound good and I would only cook three times a week. I would only have to do my own and Baby Ric's washing and I wouldn't have to put up with his snide comments. James hadn't waited for my answer he, all I could see of him now was the end of his coat disappearing behind the corner.
The thought hit me just after James had gone beyond hearing range.
"Wait my room is right next door to the West Guest room!" I screamed after him, it was too late and James probably wouldn't have taken any notice anyway. I would have to deal with James' room being right next to mine. After all I couldn't have everything my own way could I? Wait of course I could, it was my house!
I made an executive decision to simply ask James if he would move room, maybe to the east wing, so I moved up as silently as I could the demolished stairs to the room next to mine. I t had the same heavy, oak doors as my room only my door had tiny ivory roses climbing up each side of them. I knocked, tentatively, and when no one answered the door I decided it might be best to merely try the door. It was open. I had barely stuck my head around the door when an arm pulled me inside. Of course it was James' arm that had nearly yanked my shoulder out of its socket in a futile attempt to drag me inside the room. I dug my heels into the carpet and refused to move. James stood face to face with me, he was so tall, about 6 foot 6 inches. I hardly came up to his shoulder, I had always been tall for my age, I was 5 foot 6 inches, but stood next to James I looked like a three year old. This made me think he was at least two years older than me which would put him at least nineteen. Actually when I saw him up close he did look around about twenty. And his eyes, so deep almost endless, a velvety chocolate color that could easily be mistaken to be black, looking into them I felt as if at any minute I could fall right down and down and down and never stop falling.
"Either come in or go away," his voice dropping dangerously low, his eyes lost all the warmth that came with the deep chocolate color, piercing me like daggers.
"I just came to say-" I started.
"I know what you came to say, I'm not moving rooms,"
"But you have to!"
"Why?" damn it I didn't count on him asking why.
"GGGGRRRRR!" I shouted at him before swiftly turning my back to him. I felt him step closer to me, heat radiated from his body to mine.
"I think we need to talk, I have some things I need to tell you if I'm staying here." he finished walking back into his room, leaving the door wide open. He clearly expected me to follow. Arrogant pig. Yet I couldn't help but follow. The room was decorated exactly as it had been before but it felt as if the room had a different atmosphere when James was standing in it.
"What?" I asked, I had left the door open in case he said something that made me want to run away but James quickly foiled that plan, he shut the door silently.
"Okay this is your house but I have put it in incredible danger by being here," James looked at me all the warmth that his eyes had the ability to hold was there and I realized he regarded me with a certain fondness. "First of all my parents aren't at business meetings, they're dead. Second, I'm not normal, I have, let's call it a disability. Third, you have to do whatever I say, when I say, it is incredibly important if you want to live and Fourth, you need to look after Baby Ric because at the minute he is downstairs alone with the door unlocked. Anyone could get in." he made me sound so careless to have left Ric alone.
"Oh, let me go get him, I'll be back in two seconds!" I was all flustered, my carelessness didn't go unnoticed. I turned to leave but James' hand caught hold of mine. I felt a bolt of electricity run up my arm.
"He'll be okay for another minute, sit." he beckoned to the end of his bed and I sat obediently, cursing myself for doing everything he said.
"How old are you?" I blurted out before thinking.
"Ha, such forwardness, I'm twenty two," he continued to chuckle.
Suddenly I remembered that I had not been alone; there had been myself, the monster and baby Ric! I looked around the room, frantically searching for Ric. I couldn't have lost him, not as well as mother and nanny. He was nowhere in sight. I tried upstairs and to my intense relief baby Ric was stood in the foot of his cot with his hands on the bars looking straight at me.
"How did you get here?" I asked him, picking him up and taking him out of his cot.
Knock knock!
The sound made me jump; someone was knocking at the door. That was rare now that mother had vanished. I walked down the stairs cautiously; some of them were missing big chunks from where the monster had bitten them.
"Hello Alba, how are you and little Ric today?" it was Father Thomas, the reverend at the old church in the middle of town.
"Fine, thank you," I answered slowly "Is there something I can help you with? Would you like to come in?"
"No," Father Thomas peered in to the house behind me "But you could help me with one thing?" it was more of a question than a statement.
"Of course, anything," well I couldn't exactly say no to the town reverend.
"Wonderful, this is James, he has just moved to town with his parents but they have had to go away on business meetings and have left James alone, I know that your mother has gone somewhere and that you are alone and thought that you could both do with the company,"
Great the reverend was playing matchmaker with me and the new town creep, and he did look like a creep. James was tall and looked lanky but I knew that a lot of lanky guys had hidden muscle; he also had shaggy, shoulder length, almost black hair. He wore black combats and a leather jacket. Altogether he looked just like a crazy psychopath.
"I'm fine honestly, I really don't need anyone watching over me," I said as politely as I could without sounding soft.
"I realize that having a strange boy in your house whilst you are alone is a little daunting but I think it might be best for the both of you, therefore I will leave James here now and bring his belongings over later." And I realized that was the end of the argument. James was staying with me. There was nothing to be done about it.
Father Thomas promptly turned away and walked down the drive, I didn't know what it was about James, he just had an air that made me not want to trust him.
"I think we should have some ground rules seen as how I have been forced house you for the next- wait how long are you staying?"
"A month," he answered, he had a smooth voice, well as far as voice smoothness went, like velvet swirling around in the air, barely audible.
"Right for the next mon-! MONTH!" I had only just processed what James had said. He was staying with me until his parents came back from their business trip, surely they wouldn't leave James here for that long,they wouldn't would they?
"Well that's how long my folks are away for." again I got the intense feeling that was the end of the conversation.
"Hey wait what about the ground rules!" I shouted after James as he walked to the back of my house and towards the stairs as if he already knew where they were. He stood just looking up at the broken mahogany banister that used to be attached to the wall but was now hanging over the edge what was left of the spiral staircase that led from the ground floor to the first floor. The beautiful mahogany banister had been destroyed in the attack. James quickly returned his attention towards me.
"I'll take the room in the far west wing, the west guest room, I'll stick to my room apart from meal times, I'll cook four times a week, do my own washing and not bother you unless I'm dying. That sound okay to you?" he said silkily. I had to admit it did sound good and I would only cook three times a week. I would only have to do my own and Baby Ric's washing and I wouldn't have to put up with his snide comments. James hadn't waited for my answer he, all I could see of him now was the end of his coat disappearing behind the corner.
The thought hit me just after James had gone beyond hearing range.
"Wait my room is right next door to the West Guest room!" I screamed after him, it was too late and James probably wouldn't have taken any notice anyway. I would have to deal with James' room being right next to mine. After all I couldn't have everything my own way could I? Wait of course I could, it was my house!
I made an executive decision to simply ask James if he would move room, maybe to the east wing, so I moved up as silently as I could the demolished stairs to the room next to mine. I t had the same heavy, oak doors as my room only my door had tiny ivory roses climbing up each side of them. I knocked, tentatively, and when no one answered the door I decided it might be best to merely try the door. It was open. I had barely stuck my head around the door when an arm pulled me inside. Of course it was James' arm that had nearly yanked my shoulder out of its socket in a futile attempt to drag me inside the room. I dug my heels into the carpet and refused to move. James stood face to face with me, he was so tall, about 6 foot 6 inches. I hardly came up to his shoulder, I had always been tall for my age, I was 5 foot 6 inches, but stood next to James I looked like a three year old. This made me think he was at least two years older than me which would put him at least nineteen. Actually when I saw him up close he did look around about twenty. And his eyes, so deep almost endless, a velvety chocolate color that could easily be mistaken to be black, looking into them I felt as if at any minute I could fall right down and down and down and never stop falling.
"Either come in or go away," his voice dropping dangerously low, his eyes lost all the warmth that came with the deep chocolate color, piercing me like daggers.
"I just came to say-" I started.
"I know what you came to say, I'm not moving rooms,"
"But you have to!"
"Why?" damn it I didn't count on him asking why.
"GGGGRRRRR!" I shouted at him before swiftly turning my back to him. I felt him step closer to me, heat radiated from his body to mine.
"I think we need to talk, I have some things I need to tell you if I'm staying here." he finished walking back into his room, leaving the door wide open. He clearly expected me to follow. Arrogant pig. Yet I couldn't help but follow. The room was decorated exactly as it had been before but it felt as if the room had a different atmosphere when James was standing in it.
"What?" I asked, I had left the door open in case he said something that made me want to run away but James quickly foiled that plan, he shut the door silently.
"Okay this is your house but I have put it in incredible danger by being here," James looked at me all the warmth that his eyes had the ability to hold was there and I realized he regarded me with a certain fondness. "First of all my parents aren't at business meetings, they're dead. Second, I'm not normal, I have, let's call it a disability. Third, you have to do whatever I say, when I say, it is incredibly important if you want to live and Fourth, you need to look after Baby Ric because at the minute he is downstairs alone with the door unlocked. Anyone could get in." he made me sound so careless to have left Ric alone.
"Oh, let me go get him, I'll be back in two seconds!" I was all flustered, my carelessness didn't go unnoticed. I turned to leave but James' hand caught hold of mine. I felt a bolt of electricity run up my arm.
"He'll be okay for another minute, sit." he beckoned to the end of his bed and I sat obediently, cursing myself for doing everything he said.
"How old are you?" I blurted out before thinking.
"Ha, such forwardness, I'm twenty two," he continued to chuckle.
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