Joseph did know the way. They had intersected their original path.
“Yes, I know the way now,” he answered.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Brenda awoke on a leather couch in the great room where she had spent an hour answering Deputy Roger’s questions the night before. The deputy had searched the house and found no evidence of foul play, Terry and Abby had simply vanished. She had promised to return in the morning with additional help, and gave Brenda her cell number in case Terry and Abby showed up during the night.
Brenda walked into the kitchen and noticed movement through the back windows. Abby and a man were driving towards the lodge. She ran into the great room and pulled her cell phone from her purse.
“Hello,” she heard on the other end. “This is Ima Rogers.”
“Deputy Rogers this is Brenda. Abby is back.”
“Is she okay?” Ima asked.
“I don’t know yet. I can see her coming from the woods,” Brenda answered.
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” Ima said and hung up.
Brenda saw them headed towards the drive at a high rate of speed. She ran out the front door to meet them, and found them parked next to Terry’s truck. Abby and the man lifted something into the back of the Jeep. Brenda called out as she crossed the gravel drive.
“Abby, what happened?” Brenda asked.
Abby turned and looked at Brenda. It took a moment for Abby to comprehend that she was actually there.
Finally Abby choked out, “Terry is hurt.”
Brenda ran up to the back hatch of the truck, Terry was wrapped in a blood soaked blanket and looked pale. Abby and the man appeared dazed and exhausted.
“Where are the keys? I can drive,” Brenda said.
“On the table by the front door,” Abby’s answered in a weak voice.
Brenda dashed into the lodge and came back with the keys. They climbed into the truck and Brenda accelerated down the driveway.
“Which way?” Brenda asked.
“I will show you the way,” Joseph answered, pointing to the south.
When they reached the emergency entrance for the South Ridge Medical Center, Brenda and Joseph rushed in to find help. Within moments, two orderlies and a nurse burst through the door wheeling a gurney. They removed the blanket to assess the extent of Terry’s injuries. The team stabilized his damaged leg and rushed him directly into surgery.
Joseph, Brenda and Abby sat in the waiting room.
“Abby, what happened?” Brenda asked.
All Abby could say was, “It was horrible. It was horrible.”
She started crying and Brenda leaned in to comfort her.
“Maybe we can discuss the details later?” Joseph asked. “The important thing is Terry is safe now.”
“Okay,” Brenda said.
A phone rang and they all jumped, Brenda fumbled in her pocket and answered it.
“Hello,” she said into the phone. “Yes Deputy Rogers I found them. Terry is injured. We took him to South Ridge Medical Center. Okay, we will see you when you get here.”
Twenty minutes later Ima Rogers hurried through the doors of the waiting room. She walked over to greet them and noticed that Joseph Wood was with them. He was known as a hermit and she had never actually spoken to him.
“Mrs. James, could I have a word with you?” Ima asked.
“Deputy Rogers, may I?” Joseph gestured to an examination room.
Ima followed Joseph into the room and he closed the door behind them.
“She is in shock, deputy,” Joseph said glancing through the window at Abby.
Ima gathered her thoughts then pulled out a pad of paper and a pen and said, “Ok, why don’t you tell me what happened?”
Joseph relayed the story in its entirety. Ima, who had been writing the details, closed her pad and threw it on the table.
“You are telling me a witch attacked Mr. James?” Ima said exasperated.
“We cannot be sure until Terry wakes, but yes, I believe that is what happened,” Joseph answered.
Ima left the room without saying a word, and then walked back over to Abby.
“Mrs. James, I am happy you are all safe. I’ll stop back this evening to check on you.” She put on her deputy’s hat and left.
Brenda walked into the hallway. Machines hummed softly in the quiet hospital. The sounds were comforting to her because they masked the whispers in the hallway. She looked at her watch, picked up her cell phone and dialed.
“Hello,” Donald answered.
“Donald it’s me, Brenda.”
“Brenda, have you heard anything?” Donald asked.
“Yes, I found them. We are at the hospital.”
“What happened?”
“We don’t know yet,” Brenda answered. “When will you be here?”
“In a few hours, I just picked up my rental car.”
Dr. Avery Jacobs came in to the waiting room and approached Abby.
“Mrs. James, your husband is doing well,” Dr. Jacobs said. “We operated on his leg. He sustained both a broken fibula and tibia. We inserted a titanium rod in his leg to stabilize the bones. We also treated him for severe hypothermia and dehydration. He has a long recovery ahead of him, but all in all he is doing remarkably well.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Abby said with tears running down her face.
“He is heavily sedated. I recommend you go home and get some rest and come see him this evening,” Dr. Jacobs said.
“That sounds like good advice,” Brenda said. “Come on, Abby.” Brenda gently took her hand.
“Excuse me for a moment,” Joseph said.
He walked into a hallway, located Terry’s room and slipped inside. He arranged a mix of herbs into a protective circle under the bed and placed the medallion from the ATV in the middle. Closing the door behind him, he returned to the waiting room and helped Brenda get Abby to the parking lot and into the truck.
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
When they approached the turn off to the lodge, Joseph said, “Brenda can you keep driving? I plan to stay at the lodge tonight but need to pick up a few things.”
“Sure,” Brenda replied. “Just tell me when to turn.”
Brenda followed Joseph’s instructions, turned onto the dirt road and pulled to a stop in front of his cabin.
“I will only be a few minutes,” Joseph said.
He got out and walked into the unlocked front door of the cabin. Abby was asleep in the back seat. Brenda opened her window and let cool air wash over her. The whispers were there but quieter during the daytime. After a few minutes, Joseph came back with his arms loaded.
“Brenda, could you open the hatch?” Joseph asked.
She got out and did so. He organized clothing, a polished wooden box and a leather satchel in the back of the truck.
She drove them back to the lodge and found Donald’s burgundy rental car parked in the driveway. Joseph gathered his items from the back and walked towards the lodge. Brenda woke Abby and helped her out of the back seat.
Entering the lodge, Joseph said, “I will start a fire and find something for us to eat. Brenda, can you get Abby up to bed by yourself?”
“Sure,” Brenda answered.
There was no sign of Donald, other than a plaid suitcase sitting on the floor of the foyer. Brenda helped Abby up the carved staircase and down the hall to her bedroom. The carvings that covered the hallway walls were less noticeable during the daytime, but Brenda recognized many of them. They were protective symbols.
Abby changed clothes and slid into bed.
“Try to get some sleep Abby,” Brenda said.
Brenda examined the medallion by Abby’s bedside. The dense metal was heavy and etched with an intricate design. She put the medallion down and walked into the hallway, closing the door behind her. She ran her fingers across the markings on the wall reveling in the calmness of the place, then walked downstairs and into the kitchen where Joseph was stirring a pot on a cast iron stove.
“Soup okay?” he asked.
“Sounds great,” Brenda answered.
Joseph looked at Brenda while they ate. She was young but also old, surrounded by the trail of the living mixed with the trail of the dead. Brenda was a seer and maybe more. She appeared frail but had been strengthened by her experiences, having endured much for someone so young.
“You are probably wondering what happened out there?” Joseph said gesturing to the back windows of the lodge.
“Yes, and about this place,” Brenda answered.
Joseph explained the events in detail, needing Brenda to understand what they had encountered. He described the horrific things they had witnessed and explained the nature of the area. She had visited places where images and sounds leaked through, but this was something much larger and more dangerous.
“What about this house? Why is it so … quiet?” Brenda asked.
“Because it is a fortress,” Joseph answered. “Built to shield its inhabitants from the outside. Your uncle was a collector and became increasingly fascinated by protective objects. This place is full of them. You can see for yourself.” Joseph gestured around the room.
Brenda never really knew her uncle Ted.
“What happened to him?” she asked.
“The coroner ruled it a heart attack but didn’t order an autopsy. If he had, he would have discovered that Ted’s heart was missing,” Joseph answered.
“What?” Brenda exclaimed.
“The Raven Mocker. It took Ted’s heart and consumed it.”
Brenda sat silently absorbing what Joseph had described to her.
“Hello?”
Brenda rose and found Donald standing in the front doorway. He closed the door behind him and walked into the great room.
“It’s been a long time,” he said with a smile.
“Yes, it has. I’m really glad you’re here,” she answered. “Come in and sit. There is a lot to catch you up on.”
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
Abby woke in the dark room. She dressed and walked down the hallway that overlooked the sprawling great room and found Brenda unpacking in a small guest room.
“Hello,” Abby said slowly.
“Oh, Abby. Are you feeling better?” Brenda asked walking over to hug her.
“Yes, I needed to sleep,” she answered.
She still looked tired, her hair was disheveled and dark circles lined her eyes.
“Why don’t you come downstairs? I’ll fix you something to eat,” Brenda asked.
“No. I need to see Terry,” Abby answered.
“Okay, I’ll drive you over to the hospital.”
Brenda placed the clothes she was folding on the bed and walked Abby downstairs. Joseph slept on the couch with a book on his chest.
“Joseph?” Brenda said gently shaking his shoulder.
Joseph awoke with a start and the book fell on the floor. Out of it fell numerous hand-drawn symbols similar to the wall carvings throughout the lodge. Brenda kneeled to pick up the pages and handed them back to Joseph.
“Sorry Joseph. I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m taking Abby to the hospital to see Terry. Do you want to go along?” she asked.
“Yes of course. Just give me a moment to gather my things.”
“Okay, let me find Donald to see if he would like to join us,” Brenda said.
The four of them got into Brenda’s car and drove to the hospital. She turned the radio to an oldies station to quiet the sounds only she could hear. They arrived in the near empty parking lot a few minutes before visiting hours ended, the floors had just been cleaned and the smell of bleach hung in the air. After signing in, a nurse showed them to Terry’s room.
“He’s still out, but I’m sure he will appreciate all the visitors,” the nurse said with a smile. “A deputy arrived a few minutes ago. She is in with him now.”
Ima sat in a chair beside Terry’s bed and stood as they entered.
“Good evening,” she said and nodded.
Abby took Terry’s hand, a monitor beeped in rhythm with his heartbeat as he lay sedated. A nurse entered the room and bumped into a tray, spilling a pitcher of water. The water ran across the floor and under the bed.
“Oh, my,” she said. “Let me get someone to clean that up. I am so sorry.”
Joseph checked the protective circle under Terry’s bed and found the water had washed it away. A tree crashed through the window as he reached for his bag. Shattered glass flew across the room knocking Abby to the floor. She scrambled across the room trying to get to her feet. The tree hung across Terry’s bed and was wedged against the inside of the door. Hospital staff pounded outside trying to enter the room.
Abby made it across the floor with her hands punctured by broken glass. Mist spiraled up the trunk of the tree and along its branches, then twirled and formed into a blackened corpse with a skeletal frame. Wet clumps of gray hair hung across its face and jagged teeth lined black lips.
Joseph stepped forward and raised the medallion over his head. “Raven Mocker, cease!” He yelled.
The creature ignored Joseph’s command, dropped off the branch and landed on Terry. Joseph struggled to fight through the tangled mass of branches as the creature ripped open Terry’s gown. With a quick thrust, its claw punctured Terry’s chest and then emerged with his glistening heart. The electronic monitor’s alarm sounded as his heartbeat was lost.
Abby’s screams filled the air and gunshots rang out. Ima’s first shot hit a branch but the next three hit their mark, each with a sickening wet thud. Unaffected, the creature devoured Terry’s heart and licked away the blood. It ran a claw across his chest and sealed the jagged wound. The beast then changed into a black bird, flew out the broken window and disappeared into the night sky.
They stood stunned as hospital staff continued to pound on the door. Abby’s screams turned into uncontrollable sobbing and Ima stood wild-eyed clutching her gun. Joseph and Donald worked to pry open the door.
“Move back everyone,” Joseph urged.
He pulled the door partly open, giving them enough space to escape the room. Within a matter of minutes, doctors and nurses flooded the room unaware that Terry was beyond help.
Abby was treated and released from the hospital and Brenda and Donald drove her home. Ima followed behind with Joseph in her patrol vehicle. They arrived back at the lodge after dark then sat in the great room staring numbly at the fireplace.
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
Ima paced around the great room, she would have to explain to the sheriff why she discharged her weapon in a hospital room. She was stressed and the no bullshit inner cop came out.
“We need to get our heads together on this thing,” she said. “I need a statement from each of you.”
Joseph protested initially but relented.
“Joseph, I am sorry,” Ima said. “The sooner I get everyone’s description of the incident, the more accurate the information.”
Ima sat at the kitchen table and collected all of the statements, except Abby’s. She was sedated and incoherent and would have to come later. Ima picked up the statements and re-read them. The accounts were all identical and matched her recollection perfectly but if they were submitted, she would be pulled for a psych exam.
Joseph walked into the kitchen and said, “Deputy, what do you plan to report?”
Ima threw down the statements and said, “Not these.”
“Then we need to craft something you can submit,” Joseph said. “And we need a plan.” He continued, “But it is late and we should get some rest. I would strongly recommend you remain in this house tonight.”
“Okay,” Ima agreed.
They walked back into the great room where the fire gave the room a warm amber glow. Donald and Brenda sat on a leather couch across from a sleeping Abby.
Joseph stood to the side of the mantelpiece and spoke. “We should be safe if we stay in this house, but I recommend you do not go outside for any reason until the morning time.”
“How do we know that thing won’t smash in another window?” Until then, Donald had not said a word since they left the hospital.
“It cannot, this house has been insulated against outside forces. We are safe as long as we remain inside,” Joseph answered.
“Why did it kill Terry?” Brenda asked.
“I am not completely sure,” Joseph answered. “I believe he may have crossed paths with the creature in the western woods but I don’t know how it left the confines of the forest, it draws power from the energy there.”
Joseph stoked the flames, sat down in a leather chair and recounted the story of the stoning he had told Abby a few days earlier.
“There must be a historical record of those times,” Donald said. “I will go into town in the morning to see what I can find.”
“I have something that may be of assistance to you,” Joseph said. “Follow me.”
Joseph walked Donald down a hallway to a flight of stairs made of polished stone. They continued past a half dozen empty rooms and came to the end of the hallway, where sitting against the wall was a large framed mirror. The frame was carved and stained a dark mahogany and the glass was painted black. Joseph grabbed the mirror and slid it to the side and behind it was a room. He reached in and flipped on the lights revealing stacks of books covering the floor. Beyond the books was a cherry desk presiding over a cluttered library.
“What is all of this?” Donald asked.
“This is the history of Silverton. It was to be thrown away,” Joseph said. “The town was ashamed of the things that happened here and planned to destroy the truth. When Ted found out, he asked me to help him procure the documents. We broke into the basement of the courthouse and took them all, then started a fire to cover up the theft. The brick building was completely gutted, but Ted sent a donation to pay for the repairs.”
“I bet that caused quite a stir in town,” Donald said. “Did they ever suspect anything?”
“No,” Joseph answered. “There were many theories, but none of them ever pointed to us. Ted’s donation made sure of that. He was a clever man.”
Four Corners Dark: Horror Stories Page 7