by Jane Toombs
"Why didn't you tell your father about him before. Or me?"
"I did tell mother what he said about her and how he played with knives he called athames, but she just laughed. Then he--he--" Samara couldn't go on.
Vera put her arm around Samara. "You're brother was mentally ill. Remember that."
"He wasn't so bad before he found that book of Tabitha's. He always made me do what he said. I didn't mind so much, not until after Mother..." her words trailed off and she looked into Vera's eyes. "Did he tell you he killed her?"
Vera nodded.
"I didn't believe him at first, not till he showed me Diablo’s head. One of his knives was gone, too, so I knew it was true. He'd made me go up in that room before he--before it happened. I hated it in there. He showed me a place you can hide if you scrunch up behind the picture over the altar, the one that's covered with the red cloth. He told me he hid there to watch Mother with--with the men. He hid in there again after he killed her and no one found him."
Feeling Samara trembling, Vera said, "You don't have to tell me any more."
"But I do. I have to get it all out. Sergei laughed when he told me how they came and took Mother out and left the door open. While they were gone, he slipped down the stairs and no one ever knew he was there. Then he said Johanna would be next 'cause she'd grow up to be just like Mother if she wasn't stopped. He said I was like him so I didn't have to worry."
Samara's face was white with strain and fatigue, Her eyes had back circles underneath. "I thought no one would believe me if I told. Daddy liked Sergei best--everyone did. He told me he had lots of fun fooling people. Anyway, I'd already tried to tell Mother and she laughed. But then he killed her."
"He didn't kill your mother because you'd told her," Vera said reassuringly. "He had other reasons, not rational ones, but, because his mind was awry, he believed they were."
"You have a cut on your throat. I'm sorry I didn't warn you. I knew he was mad at you 'cause you told Daddy to send me away to boarding school. Sergei said we had to stay together forever."
"I wasn't badly hurt," Vera said, knowing she'd never forget the horror of it. "None of this is your fault."
"Yes it is. I should have been braver. I should have told. But Sergei used to lock me in his room with him and talk to me, stare at me and talk until I felt sleepy and then I couldn't concentrate."
Hypnotism, Vera thought, horrified. No wonder he'd been able to control his twin.
"What will happen now?" Samara asked plaintively.
Vera pulled her close, "Don't worry. You did the best you could and you saved Johanna. You've been very brave."
"But Sergei--Sergei's dead," Samara wailed, collapsing against Vera.
Better dead than locked away for the rest of his life, Vera told herself as she tried to soothe the girl.
"Aunt Adele is right," Samara sobbed. "There's a curse on Hallow House.” Her words barely intelligible, she choked out, “First there were Tabitha and Celia, then M-Mother and--and Sergei. Who’ll be next?"
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Toombs, the Viking from her past and their calico grandcat, Kinko, live on the south shore of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula wilderness. Here they enjoy refreshing Springs, beautiful Summers, colorful Falls and tolerate miserable Winters. Jane is edging toward ninety with her published books and has over twenty-five novellas and short stories to her credit. She’s been published in every genre except men’s action and erotica, but paranormal is her favorite. She’s a member of a closed twelve author promo group called Jewels Of The Quill, where she’s “Dame Turquoise”
Ten Past Midnight
Six stories and three poems on the dark side of paranormal. Everything from ghouls to the heart-eating Egyptian beast who decides one's fate. Even the touches of romance are definitely different. But what traveler can expect the norm when on the wrong side of midnight? Ten past midnight All's not well. Every road leads right To hell..
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