Dark Secrets: A Paranormal Romance Anthology

by Colleen Gleason

  Rose was lying on her bed, soft words coming from her lips. Alix couldn’t hear what she was saying, but it sounded as if she were having a conversation. Rose would whisper, then a brief silence would follow, and then she would say something again. Alix could see her daughter, lying there with her kitty in her arms, as she evidently spoke with an imaginary friend.

  At least, that’s what Alix would have believed before, but she kept hearing whispers that didn’t belong to her daughter. It was very strange. Just as she moved to open the door, the panel suddenly slammed in her face, smacking her in the forehead and catching the fingers of her right hand. Alix shrieked as she fell back and ended up falling on her bottom.

  That brought Sean thundering from his bedroom. The boy was in the hallway, looking at his mother as the woman gasped and held the fingers on her right hand. As she tried to get up, something unseen and violent slammed her back down again, this time smacking her head against the wall. Alix went out like a light.

  * * *

  Alix awoke to distant sounds of a police radio. Her head was killing her and she was half in and half out of consciousness even as she tried to sit up. Gentle hands pushed her back down again.

  “Take it easy, honey,” Cord said softly. “Everything’s okay. We’re going to take good care of you.”

  Alix struggled to open her eyes; everything was rocking around so she just closed them again. “What…?” She put her hand to her head only to realize there was a blood pressure cuff on her arm. Forcing her eyes open, she peered at the cuff. “What’s going on? What in the world happened?”

  “Mom?” Sean was standing by her feet, his young face full of terror. “Are you okay?”

  Alix blinked, looking at her frightened son, who was holding Rose in his arms. She looked at her blood pressure cuff again and, disoriented, yanked the cuff off and struggled to sit up. The more the paramedics tried to push her down, the more she fought them until Cord finally called his guys off and just let her sit up. Dizzy and bewildered, Alix leaned against the wall. Her hands were on her head.

  “What happened?” she asked anyone who could answer her. She looked at Cord, crouched a foot or so away from her. He looked frightened and concerned. “What are you doing here?”

  Cord was calm, gentle. “Sean called Kyle and Kyle called me,” he explained. “He said you hit your head and knocked yourself out, so we came over to take a look and found you unconscious. Do you remember what happened, honey?”

  Alix had no idea what he was talking about. She looked around at all the firemen in her upper hallway, with their gear and blaring radios, and became even more confused.

  “You rolled on me?” She was genuinely surprised.

  “Code Three. You’re damn right I did.”

  “But why did you do that? I… I’m fine.”

  “Do you remember what happened?”

  “No,” she said before he even finished his question. “I… I don’t have any idea. Oh… wait a minute….”

  She suddenly looked up at Rose and Sean, but she was mostly looking at Rose. Her eyes widened as her memory began to return. “I heard Rosie in her room and when I went to look, something….”

  She froze, realizing there were about six guys standing around listening to her. She remembered very well what happened now but she didn’t want to sound like a lunatic. Maybe she was mistaken. Maybe she had just dreamed the whole thing. In any case, she was suddenly very afraid and very confused. She looked at Cord.

  “I’m okay,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry you had to come all the way over here.”

  He was very gentle with her. “You’ve got a big bump on the back of your head,” he said. “I would feel much better if you’d let us take you to get looked at.”

  She shook her head, nauseous with the motion. “I’m fine, really. I don’t need to get looked at. I just need to go back to bed.”

  “Feel the back of your head.”

  Reluctantly, she did. There was a bump the size of a walnut on the back of her skull. Cord watched her face as she inspected the lump.

  “Now,” his voice was very soft. “If I had a lump like that, what would you tell me?”

  Her lips twisted wryly. “To go to the hospital.”

  He just lifted his eyebrows at her and she dropped her hand, feeling a little more oriented but uncertain and rather ill. Moreover, the memories of what had happened were very strong now. She glanced at the firemen standing around, staring at her.

  “Can… can you please tell them to go back to the truck?” she whispered. “I… I need to talk to you. Alone.”

  “Not unless you agree to go to the hospital and get looked at.”

  She frowned, pouting, but didn’t fight him on it. She knew, deep down, he was right. So she nodded reluctantly and he sent the guys who manned the rig back down to the truck, but told the paramedics to meet him downstairs with a gurney because he would bring her downstairs himself. Everyone cleared out.

  With only the sounds of the firemen downstairs and their crackling radios, Alix faced Cord, having no idea why she suddenly felt very scared. Perhaps it was because either option was scary – if she had only imagined the event or if it had really happened. Either way, she’d ended up with a big bump on her head. Her hand found its way to the lump again, fingering it.

  “I’m not sure if I was dreaming or not,” she said quietly. “I got up to go to the bathroom and heard those whispers again. Remember? The ones I heard a few weeks ago and you said it was probably someone’s television up real loud?”

  He nodded. “I remember.”

  She sighed faintly and dropped her hand from her head again because the bump really hurt. “I followed the sounds and heard them coming from Rosie’s room,” she whispered. “The door was cracked open so I peeked in but didn’t see anything. Then the door slammed in my face and smashed my fingers. When I tried to get up again… I don’t remember anything after that.”

  “That’s because you slammed back into the wall,” Sean said. The adults looked at him, noting his wide-eyed expression. “I saw it; she tried to get up but something slammed her back into the wall and knocked her out.”

  Cord’s brow furrowed as he stood up, focused on the young man. “What slammed her back?”

  Sean shook his head. “I didn’t see anything,” he said, sounding rather apprehensive. “It was… was like wind or something. It just blew her down.”

  Cord looked both serious and confused as he returned his attention to Alix. “You got blown down?”

  Alix didn’t have any idea why she teared up. She was exhausted, her head hurt, and she just wanted to go back to bed. Her face crumpled and she looked at her lap, hiding her face from the kids so they wouldn’t be frightened that she was crying. Cord put his hand on her arm, squeezing it, as Rose slithered down from her brother’s embrace and climbed onto her mother’s lap.

  “Mommy,” she said as she put her little hands on her mom. “Are you okay?”

  Alix wiped at her face, trying to compose herself. “I’m fine, baby. I’m just tired.”

  “The sad girl is afraid she’s going to get a spanking now.”

  Alix didn’t know why she paid closer attention to Rose’s imaginary friend, but she did. Things were odd enough that she was coming to think maybe there was something to this sad girl who seemed to follow Rose around, stealing stuffed animals and demanding ponies. It had never occurred to her that it might be something more than Rose’s imagination.

  “Why?” she asked reluctantly. “What… what did the sad girl do?”

  “She pushed you.”

  “She did?”

  “When you were at my door.”

  Apprehension began to creep over Alix. “Why did she push me?”

  “Because she was afraid.”

  Alix paused, thinking of her next question because she felt rather foolish indulging in a four year old’s fantasies. But given what just happened and the anxiety she was feeling, she was thinking she needed to.
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br />   “Rosie,” she began carefully. “Who is this sad girl? Does she have a name?”

  Rose nodded, without hesitation, but she was finding more interest toying with her mother’s necklace. “Mer-cy,” she enunciated each syllable. “Mommy, can I have some cookies?”

  Alix ignored the cookie request. “What else did Mercy say about me? Why is she afraid of me?”

  Rose still had one hand on the necklace as she pointed at Cord. “Him,” she said without interest. “She says you do bad things with him and he’s scary. She says you take your clothes off and roll around. I told her that he’s my friend but she’s afraid.”

  Shocked, Alix couldn’t help the hand that flew up to cover her agape mouth. “Afraid of Cord?”

  Rose was growing squirmy and goofy, too much stimulation in the middle of the night. She bounced around on her mother’s lap as she spoke. “Wi-ga,” she said as she bounced, being silly. “Goody Good, Goody Good, ’ere snake and bird could,” Rose continued. “She teached me that song. Mommy, I’m hungry. Can I have cookies?”

  Alix looked into her daughter’s big gray eyes before turning her astonished attention to Cord. She had no idea what to say as he met her gaze, steadily. Cord, however, could see the fear and apprehension in her eyes so he reached out and pulled Rose up from her lap, handing her back over to Sean.

  “Come on, Dr. Hendry.” He reached down and scooped Alix up from the floor, holding her against his big chest. “Let’s go get you looked at.”

  Alix resisted. “But I can’t….”

  “You promised,” he said sternly as he moved for the stairs, looking back over his shoulder at the kids. “Sean, where’s Hester?”

  Sean was following with Rose in his arms. “She’s not here.”

  “It’s her night off,” Alix put in, her arms around Cord’s neck as he began to descend the stairs.

  “Then get Rosie back to bed,” Cord was speaking to Sean. “I’ll bring your mom back in a little while.”

  Alix looked over Cord’s shoulder at her children standing at the top of the stairs. “Go ahead,” she told the boy. “I’ll be back in a little while. Make sure the house is locked up.”

  Sean did as he was told. Alix, however, proved to be a rotten patient and did not do as she was told. She didn’t want to sit on the gurney. Instead, she snuggled up to Cord and ignored the paramedics, so Cord climbed into the back of the ambulance with her in his arms and held her in his lap the entire way to the hospital.

  The long night stretched into a long morning.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Alix had a mild concussion and was sent home to rest. In addition to her four days off, she was given three more to recover, which Alix thought was great considering all of the renovations going on at the house. She felt as if she could really start getting some things done around the house that she hadn’t been able to get to since she moved in. Cord, however, had other ideas.

  Since she had been up all night, Cord sent the kids off to the mall, including Rose, so the house would be quiet enough for her to sleep. He had been up all night, too. So he got into bed with her once the kids had taken off for the pancake house, but they didn’t do a whole lot of sleeping until it was nearly noon. Cord couldn’t keep his hands to himself and Alix naturally succumbed, even with her headache. Exhausted, they finally fell asleep as clouds began to roll in from the east.

  A nasty thunderclap jolted Alix awake. Wrapped up in Cord’s big arms, she listened to the rain come down and the thunder roll over the steady rise and fall of his snoring. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was a little past two in the afternoon and suspected the kids would be back at some point soon. Snuggling back against Cord, his arms tightened around her in his sleep and he stopped snoring briefly before resuming. Had Alix not been so exhausted, the snoring would have bothered her but, in a strange way, she found it comforting. She knew she could get used to it.

  Her eyes were just starting to close when she heard something other than the rain or thunder. Her eyes popped open as she listened, carefully, for what she thought was a whispered word. It was more of a hiss, really, but she lifted her head, listening, as the rain poured down. She was just lowering her head back to the pillow when she heard it again. This time, she shook Cord awake gently.

  He inhaled deeply, yawning, as he pulled her tightly against him and snuggled into her back. Alix patted his arm to get his attention.

  “Cord,” she hissed. “Wake up.”

  His face was pressed into her naked back. “I’m awake.”

  “I’m hearing those whispers again.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment, nor did he move. Then, his head came up, the blue eyes sleepy.

  “Whispering?” he repeated.

  Alix nodded and tossed off the covers, going in search of her clothing. Cord was afforded an unobstructed view of her delicious naked body as she went to her dresser and unloaded a pair of sweats and a tank top. He folded an enormous arm behind his head, watching her with pleasure, when he suddenly heard the whispering, too.

  His smile vanished and he sat up like a shot. “What in the hell was that?”

  Alix was already heading to the door. “I’m going to go see.”

  He leapt out of bed, finding his pants at the end of the mattress “Hold on,” he told her. “I’m coming. Just hold on.”

  Alix stood at the door that led into the main hallway, listening, while Cord pulled on his briefs and his jeans. As his white t-shirt went over his head, he headed over to her.

  “Okay,” he whispered, opening her bedroom door. “Let’s go.”

  Alix was more frightened than she cared to admit. The last time she heard whispering, she’d gotten knocked on her ass, so she held tight to Cord’s hand as they carefully made their way down the hall. They could hear more whispering now, but it was more like a softly uttered cadence or song. It sounded so strange, as if the song were being sung underwater, for it had that echoing, gurgling effect. The closer they drew to Rose’s room, where the sounds were coming from, the more frightened Alix became. When they came to the door, they paused to listen.

  The whispering was steady now, but it was more than whispering. As they listened, they realized it was singing. Words became clear.

  “Goody Good, Goody Good, ’ere snake and bird could,” went the small, childlike voice.

  Alix’s eyes were huge, shocked at what she was hearing, but Cord wasn’t showing much of a reaction. He opened the door and pushed straight into the room.

  Rose’s room was empty. The bed was made and there were toys on the ground, including her beloved kitty, but it was completely empty. Still holding on to Alix, Cord made his way into the room, looking around to see if he could spy the source of the noise. When he turned to look at Alix, he could see how terrified she was and he put his hands on her arms, rubbing them comfortingly.

  “I don’t see anything,” he said. “Does she have any radios or maybe a CD player that could have been playing?”

  Alix shook her head, looking around fearfully. “She doesn’t own a radio or CD player,” she said. “Why is it so cold in here?”

  Cord shook his head as the thunder rolled outside. “I have no idea,” he said. “I’ll check….”

  The bedroom door slammed so hard that the entire house shook, causing Alix to throw her arms around Cord and practically jump on him. He held her tightly, startled.

  “Holy Cow,” he exclaimed. “This place has a hell of a draft. Is that what happened to you earlier? You said the door slammed on you.”

  Alix was holding him with a death grip. “That’s exactly what happened,” she replied. She was trembling. “Cord, there’s no draft in this house that’s going to slam a door like that.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean… oh, I don’t know what I mean. I want out of here. I’m moving Rosie into another room.”

  He pulled her towards the door. When he put his hand on the knob, it was like ice. In fact, it was so cold that he j
erked his hand away, peering closely at the old iron knob.

  “What’s wrong?” Alix demanded.

  He shook his head and grasped the knob again. “Nothing.”

  He put his hand on the knob again but it wouldn’t turn. In fact, the entire door was stuck solid and he let go of Alix as he tried to get a better grip on the door. For as big and as strong as he was, he couldn’t get the door to budge. As Alix stood there and watched, increasingly apprehensive, something blew cold and hard into her left ear.

  “Rose,” it hissed.

  Alix shrieked and bolted, her hand on her ear as she plowed in to Cord. Cord grabbed her just about the time the door flew open again, only this time, it opened inward and smacked Cord in the shoulder. He grabbed the door and Alix, with a frown on his face.

  “What in the…?”

  Alix ran past him, out of the room. He eyed the door that had been dead-stuck before following Alix out of the room.

  “Alix?” he called as he tried to follow her path. “Honey, where are you?”

  He could hear her shrieking. Following the sounds, her found her all huddled up on her bed. She was freaked out; he could see it. So he sat down on the bed next to her and pulled her into his big, comforting arms.

  “It’s okay,” he said as he held her tightly, his mouth against her head. “It was just a big draft.”

  She shook her head, so hard that he had to pull his face away or get bumped. “Something whispered in my ear,” she said. “It said ‘Rose’.”

  He looked at her. “Honey, big old houses like this are very drafty, and probably this one more than most because of the state it’s in. You’ve got the place all torn apart, so there are going to be drafts. That just the way they are.”

  She clung to him. “You heard the singing,” she insisted. “That wasn’t a draft.”

  He sighed. “Honey, there’s got to be a logical explanation.”

  “There is.” She lifted her head, looking at him with a wild-eyed expression. “This house is haunted!”

  He resisted the urge to smile, suspecting it wouldn’t be well met. “There are no such things as ghosts,” he said patiently. “There’s a reasonable explanation for everything.”