by BL Maxwell
He smiled at me and leaned over to kiss me on the cheek.
“You missed.” I put my hand to his cheek and guided his lips to mine. I realized I could kiss him forever and never get tired of it. I moved my arm around his shoulder and hugged him closer to me. “I could kiss you all night.”
He smiled at that. “Okay, not that I’d mind kissing all night but maybe we do that after we leave here.” He winked. “We should probably get to work on these recordings. Do you want to look at the same floors you were watching before? Or do you want to watch something else?”
“Let’s see what’s going on downstairs,” I suggested. Instead of us both looking at different views, we both scanned through the recording of the front door and then up the staircase. We fast-forwarded through several minutes of footage and still it seemed like nothing had happened downstairs.
“Maybe there’s only activity on some of the floors? But why would that be? It seems like there would be something happening everywhere in the house.” He was thinking out loud, trying to make some sense of this, but really there might be no explanation. Things might just happen when they happen.
“Hey, stop.”
Jason looked over at me and blinked. “What is it? Did you see something?”
“I’m not sure. Go back a bit.” He started rewinding while both of us watched the screen expectantly. When we realized what we were doing, we both looked at each other and laughed.
We studied the screen again. And I saw it. It was so faint it was easy to miss. But at the top of the stairs there was a slight quiver in the view, then slowly there appeared to be a little girl standing at the banister. She had long brown braids on both sides of her head that reached nearly to her waist. She seemed to be about six, and was wearing an old fashioned dress that went below her knees. She didn’t look as solid as the three people in the hall had, and she was only there for maybe a minute. Then she turned in the direction of the hallway like someone had called her and disappeared.
“Wow, this place just keeps on giving,” Jason mumbled.
I turned to him and started laughing. “God, it really does. At least this one was harmless.”
“That’s true. That really was crazy earlier. What do you think about going down there again tomorrow?”
The thought terrified me, but I’d be strong for Jason. “Once the sun comes up I don’t mind. But I won’t go in there again when it’s dark. It seemed to know we’d have a hard time getting out of there without the flashlight, and I won’t give it another chance to hurt either of us. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m okay, and I agree. I don’t want to go down there in the dark again either. It’s so strange that I still don’t have any memory of going in there.”
“It was like she was controlling you; she seemed to make you just stand there. You could have really been hurt if glass or chairs started flying around.” I grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed it gently. “I’d never have forgiven myself if you’d been hurt and I wasn’t able to get you out of that basement.”
“Then we both agree, no more going in the basement at night, only during the day. I wish I could remember it, remember any of it. Maybe it could help us understand just exactly what was going on.”
I yawned and stretched. “What time is it?”
“Close to midnight. Should we try to get some sleep so we can get up early in the morning?”
“That sounds good. I’m beat. I think all the excitement has worn me out.”
Jason jumped up to grab the other sleeping bag. Then he looked at the two beds. The other one had all the equipment on it.
“Don’t worry about it, we can both sleep on this bed,” I offered.
“Are you sure? You don’t have to. I don’t mind moving the equipment to the floor.”
“No, really. I’ll sleep better if I know you’re close. I probably won’t be able to relax enough to sleep if I try to sleep alone.”
“I promise I’ll protect you.” He smiled then got busy unzipping the second sleeping bag and making up the bed for the two of us.
“I’m holding you to that.”
Chapter Eleven
We both hurried to get ready for bed. There was no running water in the house, so we used bottled water to brush our teeth and wash our faces. Both of us had brought sweatpants and warm shirts to sleep in. There was no power, so the house was cold, probably colder than it was outside. Or at least it felt like it was.
“I’m so glad we brought warm clothes. It’s really cold in here,” I said as I tucked the jeans and shirt I’d been wearing into my duffle bag.
“It’s a little foggy out, so that’s not helping either,” Jason said from the window. He was looking out, and I wondered how much he could see in the dark. I didn’t think there were any houses close enough to lend any light, but I wasn’t sure.
“Come on, let’s get warmed up.” I waggled my eyebrows as I jumped into the bed, and a big cloud of dust immediately surrounded me.
Jason instantly busted up. “I can’t believe you just did that.” He was now bent over laughing. And then I sneezed . . . the mother of all sneezes. I thought for sure he was going to tear something in his stomach for how hard he was laughing, all at my expense.
I hopped out of bed and went to my bag to grab some tissues. After blowing my nose, then blowing it again, I walked back and sat very carefully on the edge of the bed. It was time to be serious now. I slid over, making room for Jason next to me.
That seemed to bring him back to his senses. He hurried over to the bed before remembering that it was better to approach cautiously and slowly sat on the edge. I held open the top bag for him to slide in, and he did so as quickly as he could without stirring up the dust again.
He rolled onto his side to face me. “Hi.”
He was such a loveable dork. How was he still single? Lucky me.
He grinned then took my hand and held it to his chest. “I’m so glad you’re here with me,” he whispered while looking deep into my eyes.
I smiled back, I couldn’t help it. “I’m glad too.”
We kept a small lantern on so we could still see, since the room was so dark. I just hoped neither of us had to use the bathroom before morning because there was no way I was going outside the room by myself.
We both snuggled close, but I pulled him still closer to me. He leaned his forehead against mine before kissing me slowly and making me want more. He whispered my name. “I’m so glad you came here with me and that I finally got the balls to tell you the truth.” I brushed my thumb against his cheek and kissed him until we were both breathless. Lying next to him like this was so different than the many times we’d shared a bed as kids. There was a promise of more, that maybe we could be more than just friends. Before too long, with the warmth of being so close and the complete quiet of the house, we were both asleep.
I slept peacefully for a while, and then I started dreaming.
I had that sense of dread you get in dreams where you know something has either already happened or is going to happen soon and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.
In the dream we were in the house, only it wasn’t in ruins like it was now. It was the beautiful maintained mansion it had once been. We were here to stay the weekend and enjoy the local flavor. We walked out of our shared room and down the hall together. I glanced over at Jason to see him wearing dark woolen pants and a long-sleeved white shirt with a tapestry-patterned vest covering it. There was a pocket watch with a long golden chain in his vest pocket. He wore a bowler-type hat that seemed normal to me and odd all at the same time.
We passed a mirror at the end of the hall, and I stopped for a second to take in my appearance. I was dressed in clothing very similar to what Jason wore except I had no hat and my hair was slicked back off my face. I had on a button-up shirt and a jacket that matched the striped pants I wore.
“Come, Wade, we can’t keep the lady of the house waiting. They serve dinner promptly at six, let’s not tar
ry.” He smiled at me and brushed his fingers over my hand briefly. Then we continued down the hall to the top of the staircase.
We were staying on the same floor in my dream, perhaps even the same room. Though it was hard to tell with how different it looked in both scenarios. We started down the stairs side by side and reached the bottom together.
“Just over here.” Jason motioned to the left of the stairs. I soon realized there was a dining room there. Set up for what seemed like a very formal dinner.
“Is this what we’re attending?”
“Yes, don’t you remember? Mrs. Chalmers, that wonderful woman we met yesterday in Placerville, invited us to come and stay here for the weekend. She wanted to show us their wine-making operation. I think she’s hoping we can convince your father to start selling it in his restaurant.” He smiled briefly at me before looking around the room, searching for the very woman he talked about.
“There she is. I didn’t see her at first.” He led me over to a table where an older woman sat with another woman and an even older man. Jason bowed slightly to her and took her hand. “Hello again. I hope we’re not too late.” he said, as he removed his hat.
She looked up at Jason, who still held her hand in his. “No dear, not at all. Come, let’s go somewhere we can talk privately.” With that she stood and led us to a small office in the back of the house.
“Now, gentlemen, how are you enjoying your stay at The Vineyard House? I hope you’ve found the accommodations to your liking?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I answered. “This is beautiful. Quite an impressive operation you have here.”
She turned to me and smiled. “I’m sure you know why I wanted to meet with you. I wanted to see if your father would be interested in selling my wine at his restaurant. I could give him a very fair price if he would be amenable to an arrangement.”
“I would be more than happy to speak to him for you, ma’am. I’m sure he’ll be as impressed as we have been with your beautiful home. Jason and I are looking forward to learning more about your winery and perhaps sampling some of your fine vintages.”
“Oh yes, of course, of course. I merely wanted to show you some hospitality and give you some bottles of our finest wines to take back for him to sample for himself.
“Come, I’ll show you to your table and you can enjoy the evening meal with the rest of the guests we currently have staying. We rent out rooms, you see. So many people are here searching for their fortune in gold and there are not many places for them to stay. We serve as sort of an unofficial hotel around here.” She smiled at that and led us to a small table for two. “Here we are. You two gentlemen enjoy your meal, and tomorrow I’ll show you around the property.” We both bowed slightly, and Jason tipped his hat to her as she made her way to another table to mingle with other guests.
“This it quite nice considering it’s in the middle of nowhere out here,” Jason whispered his comment.
“I agree. It’s very modern and very convenient for the people that are here working.”
He smiled over at me, that look of longing once again coloring his features. I wanted to reach out and squeeze his hand just to reassure him. But I couldn’t risk such a thing out here in the middle of the gold rush.
“Did you hear that?” Jason scanned the room like he was searching for something.
“Hear what?”
“I thought I heard someone calling out. That can’t be right. I would have sworn I heard someone yelling for help.”
No one else in the room seemed to notice anything amiss. “Are you certain that’s what you heard? Maybe it was someone working outside?”
“I don’t think so. Shall we investigate?” he said, pushing his chair back from the table and rising. “I would have sworn it came from outside the window that was closest to our table.”
“If you’re sure. Come, let’s see what we can find out.”
We walked out the front door and to the side of the house, just below the window. I could barely make out the outline of a door that looked more like it belonged on a jail cell. Then I heard it. A woeful moaning, someone calling out for help. He sounded like he was so weak that he was barely able to form the words. Why were we the only ones able to hear him? There were many people staying here. Did they just ignore him, or did they simply not hear him? It didn’t matter. We were here and we’d heard him. We would help.
Jason walked over to the gate and yanked on it, but it didn’t budge. It seemed it was locked. I walked over for a closer look and peered into the basement to see what I could see in the dim light. “Hello? Is anyone down here? We heard you calling out. Do you need assistance, sir?”
At first there was no answer. Jason and I stood stock-still and listened intently, hoping he’d answer us. We both edged closer and peered into the dark space, straining to see why this man was in this space to begin with. Then he screamed. A high-pitched, horrible scream that made both of us jerk away from the bars and cover our ears—I startled awake.
I knew immediately it had been a dream, but it still unnerved me. I was already leery of that basement, and I didn’t need one more reason to want to stay away from it. I sprang up and sat on the edge of the bed, scrubbing my hands over my face to try to chase away the last remnants of the dream. I slowly slid my hand across the bed, searching for Jason, but felt only the cold sleeping bag.
I jumped out of bed and walked around in a circle, thinking I just hadn’t seen him. But no, he wasn’t in the room. How long had he been gone? I hadn’t heard him leave or felt him get out of bed. Surely I would have felt that. I looked over at the laptops and started checking screen-to-screen looking for him. He couldn’t have left the house. No way would he have left me here, would he?
I looked at all the top levels of the house and didn’t see him. I checked the feed that was coming from this floor, then finally the basement. I held my breath while I watched. Hoping I was wrong and he’d just gone out to the car for something he’d forgotten.
Then I saw him. He was just standing there, not moving. He still had on what he’d slept in. His hair was mussed like he’d woken up and just wandered down to the basement without a thought. He still didn’t move, didn’t seem to be doing anything at all.
I hurried and put my clothes and shoes on. I needed to get down there as fast as I could, but with all the glass on the floor there was no way I was going shoeless. I hoped he’d been awake enough to think of that too. I grabbed a flashlight and rushed out the door, not caring that I was leaving the only place I felt safe in this whole house.
Something was wrong. I wasn’t sure what, but I needed to get to him and make sure he was okay. I practically ran down the stairs, dodging random debris as I went. When I got to the front door, I flung it open and ran full out around the side of the house.
The iron door was once again pulled open, same as the wooden inner door. I walked over and slowly peered inside. It was so completely dark in the basement it seemed like no light could ever penetrate the blackness, which made me even more afraid to be there.
“Jason? You down here?” I called out to him as I turned on the flashlight, but he either didn’t hear me or he couldn’t answer. I stopped and listened, hoping I would hear him move so I could figure out where he was. I swept the beam of light around the area but didn’t see him.
“Jason? Come on, man, don’t do this, please,” I begged as I strained to listen for anything to confirm that he was down there.
Then finally I heard something, a slight scrape. Like a foot moving on a dusty, debris-covered floor. Without thinking about it, I headed in the direction of the sound. I held the flashlight out in front of me the whole time. Hoping the first thing I saw was Jason, not something or someone else.
I was about halfway across the basement when I saw him. “Oh thank god! Jason, are you okay? I was so wor—” I stopped when I got to him and reached for his arm. He was so cold. He had on warm enough clothes, but I could feel the cold leeching through the fabric of his shirt
. I grabbed his arm hard and tried turned him to face me, suddenly full of rage that he would lead me down here.
“Jason! Look at me.” I tried again to make him face me, but he held firm. Like he was frozen in place and nothing was going to move him. I slowly walked around him so I could see his face clearly. I shined the light on him then jumped back so fast I nearly dropped the flashlight.
His face was ghostly white, like all the blood had drained out of it, and he seemed paralyzed mid-scream. Something had frightened him so bad that he was completely shocked, unable to move. I waved my hand in front of his face, but he didn’t react.
“Jason? What’s going on? Are you hurt?” Still he didn’t respond. My hands absently moved up and down his arms looking for injuries. I had no idea what to do to help him. One thing I knew for sure was that I needed to get him out of here, the sooner the better. I grabbed his hand and shook it, hoping that would get his attention, but he still didn’t respond.
He still had the same expression frozen on his face; he hadn’t even blinked. Then once again the tinkling of glass started and the room began to feel charged. I knew we needed to get the hell out of there, and it had to be now. Without thinking, I slapped Jason hard across the face.
He blinked then, and his hand flew up to his cheek. “Wade? What the fuck?”
“Jason, come on; we have to get out of here.” I grabbed his hand and pulled, and this time he followed.
“Ow, there’s glass all over the floor. Where are my shoes?”
“Keep moving. Your shoes are probably in the room. I don’t know why you’d leave the room without them, I have no idea why you came down here at all.” I was shouting now, desperate to get out before all hell broke loose.
We made our way outside with no issue. Jason limped over to a large rock and sat down. He pulled his foot up to look at it, and I shone the flashlight on it. His foot was bleeding in multiple spots. None of the cuts were too deep, but I was willing to guess there were numerous shards of glass embedded in both feet.