John flushed a little. “Well, I wanted to bring her, but she hasn’t been feeling well, so she told me to just go ahead with it.”
Mrs. Mallac handed him his copy of the lease and a brochure of information. “Do you need anything else?”
“No, I’m sure everything is in order. Besides, I don’t want to hold you up any longer.” He put the papers in his briefcase.
John went on his way home, feeling good about what he’d done. He knew renting the apartment was the right thing. Convincing Andrea wasn’t going to be easy, but he figured he could do it. The main thing was he’d taken a strong step in promoting the move. He really thought Andrea would come around to his way of thinking. If nothing else, she certainly would see how serious he was about it.
He found her sitting on the sofa in the living room. The house was quiet. No radio, no television, nothing. He looked in at her from the foyer. “Hi, babe,” he said cheerfully as he entered the room. “How are you feeling?”
She looked up. Her eyes were glazed and half-closed, the dark circles still shadowing them. Her face, pale and drawn, had a chilling look of someone very sick. “I’m fine,” she answered in a soft voice.
“You don’t sound good, Andrea. Were you sleeping?”
Andrea didn’t respond for several moments. “I… I think so.” she finally replied.
“Andrea… there is something seriously wrong here. It’s this house. It’s time we do something about it.” He sat next to her. “I put a deposit on that apartment today, and I signed a lease. I just can’t sit back any longer and watch you being destroyed. You are getting worse every day. We have to move out of here. If I can’t convince you, then…” He stood up and looked down at her. “I’m leaving, with or without you.”
Andrea didn’t even look at him. She rose and pushed him aside with her hand, then walked out to the foyer and up the stairs. Halfway up, she stopped and turned around. “I’m not moving. You can move out if that’s what you want, but I’m not going. You can’t make me.”
John sprang to his feet and went after her, climbing the stairs two at a time. “Andrea. Babe, wait,” he pleaded as he came up behind her. “Take some time to think about this. You’re not yourself right now.” She turned to face him, and he began to talk very fast. “Listen, Andrea, I didn’t come home to pick a fight with you. Will you just take it easy for a minute? We can talk about this later. Come back downstairs with me. Let’s get some dinner. I’ll make it, and maybe you’ll feel better after you have something to eat. Please, Andrea.”
Gently, he took her hand and led her back down the stairs to the kitchen. He tried to stay calm and treat her with tenderness. “Just sit here.” He pulled out a chair from the table. “I’ll make us something to eat. I bought some ham and cheese yesterday.” Although tired of coming home to no dinner and a messy house, he said nothing about it. He made the sandwiches and poured them both glasses of iced tea. “Try to eat, Andrea. It will make you feel better.” He set the plate in front of her.
He watched her as she nibbled small bites and sipped a little of the tea. Though he held his sandwich, he never raised it to his mouth. He could only watch her.
Food had no importance to Andrea anymore. It wasn’t a matter of not being able to eat, she simply didn’t want to. She wasn’t hungry, and sometimes even the sight of food made her feel ill. Nothing John could say or do made any difference. She went up to the bedroom knowing all too well he would just be in the living room reading his stupid paper.
He’d managed to really get to her this time. She wanted him to stop talking about moving and leave her alone. No way would she consent to moving. What a pleasure for her to look out the bedroom window to see the sun setting on the western horizon. The coming night had an enchantment about it. Fabulous colors framed the edge of the earth with a peaceful glow. Her lover would soon be here.
By ten o’clock, John was ready to go up and face Andrea again. He had high hopes that she’d thought about what he’d told her. Maybe he would be able to convince her about the apartment. As he approached her in the bedroom, he prepared for any argument she might hand out.
“All right, Andrea, we are going to talk, right now,” he announced as he came close to the bed. “I am going ahead with the apartment in town. If you really love me, you will at least come and look at it.” He sat next to her on the bed. “I would like to prove to you that you need to get away from this house. I’ll make a deal with you. Six months… no, three months in the apartment. If you don’t like it, we can move back here. If you do like it, then we can put this house on the market. If you agree, there is only one thing I want you to do. Get involved with a church or community group, like you used to. Just during those three months. How about it?”
Lips pursed, she remained silent and sat there like a stone.
He stood up and started to pace back and forth, smoothing the hair on the side of his head with his right hand. “What has happened to you, Andrea? You can’t tell me you’re all right. Look at you. You look terrible, and you’re acting like someone I don’t even know. Why can’t you talk to me?” John went right up to her, determined to face her. “I want to know what’s going on with you. Talk to me right now. Do you hear me?”
His voice rang out loud and made Andrea blink. She stared at him as though looking right through him. Her eyes were watery, and outside of the slight blink, she never showed any reaction to his ranting.
He didn’t know what to do next. “All right. I’m sick of all this. I’m through trying to talk to you. You love this house so much, then you can stay here, but I’m not.” He stormed out of the room. Within seconds, he was in his car and heading down the driveway.
The tires squealed loudly as John sped away from the house. He was angry, all right. Her refusal to even talk to him was like nothing he’d ever experienced with her before. When they’d had their differences in the past, they’d always been able to talk things over and come to an understanding. Now she acted like a stranger.
He headed for town, driving too fast, but he slowed down a bit as his temper cooled. By his leaving this way, maybe she might give some thought to his idea and realize how serious the situation had become.
A motel a mile up the highway seemed to be a good enough retreat for the night. He pulled into an almost empty parking lot. Only two other cars were there, and one of them had to be the night attendant’s. John checked in and went to the room.
Chapter Twenty
Andrea stayed seated, unconcerned by his behavior. Actually, she was glad to hear him leave. She had no idea what John would do, and she didn’t care. Soon she would be with her lover. All she wanted was to be with him again.
She took great pleasure preparing for it, as if getting ready for her wedding night. She went to the bathroom and filled the tub with hot water, then added floral scented oil. She felt strongly that it would be another romantic night with her dream man, and she didn’t want anything to spoil it. This was the night she had waited for.
In her soothing bath, the slickness of the oil made her feel sensual. She thought of his lips on hers, his hands touching her, his arms around her. The fantasy lingered as she stood in front of the sink, splashing cologne all over her naked body. She brushed her hair back and fluffed it as she held the hair dryer up to it.
In the bedroom, she strolled around the room with a towel hugging her scented body, holding her nightgown. She held the lacy garment out to admire it. The light blue silk negligee had lace around the neckline. She had never worn it. She’d bought it a few months before the move, planning to keep it for her anniversary, which was coming up soon. Now all of that seemed meaningless.
Letting the towel fall to the floor, she slipped the gown over her head. She waltzed around the room, the silk garment swaying from side to side. She felt like she was floating on a cloud, beautiful and passionate as she circled the room.
The grandfather clock from her visions began to chime out the midnight hour. Andrea needed to fall asleep
and be with her lover. She waltzed over to the mirror to fuss with her hair one last time. She looked stunning, all pampered up and ready for love. Getting into bed, she lay her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. She drifted off to sleep almost instantly.
Silence filled the room. In the darkness, a light from the hallway fell upon the bed, lighting up the ruffles around the canopy above her. The familiar wallpaper appeared, with its beautiful floral pattern. The printed flowers seemed to be dancing to the same rhythm as the curtains as they moved in and out with the breeze. Her feet touched the braided rug on the floor beside the bed. She stood motionless and looked toward the door. Her pulse quickened with anticipation.
A silhouette of a man appeared in the doorway. He whispered to her, “Come with me, my pet.” He extended his hand to her.
In a slow, floating motion, she started toward him. As she came closer, he stepped back into the hallway. She followed him, but he had disappeared. “Where are you?” she cried. She looked all around, but he was nowhere to be seen. The hallway, lighted by the oil lamps on the wall, looked the same as in her other visions. “Where are you?”
There was no answer. The tick-tock of the old grandfather clock sounded incredibly loud. A trickle of moonlight filtered in from the long windows at the end of the hallway and met the soft glow from the lamps. Moving slowly, staying close to the wall, she went toward the staircase, calling out and looking all around. “Where are you?”
She kept going until she came to the attic door. Before she could get closer, she heard Anna crying — the same sorrowful weeping she had heard so many times before. She returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed, waiting for him to come back.
The crying stopped, and the night was still once more. Within moments, a muffled voice came from outside the room. She stood up. The tone of the voice sounded angry, but it wasn’t clear. She went to the bedroom door and looked out into the hallway. It didn’t sound like the lover she had been acquainted with all these weeks, but it was a male voice. It seemed to erupt from the walls of the hallway. “There is nothing you can do, so stop your crying. I don’t want to hear from you again.”
Andrea called out, “Who’s there?”
A dark figure appeared outside the bedroom door. Her heart began beating fast as she strained to see him. “Come, Andrea. Come with me.” She recognized her wonderful lover and started toward him.
Her silk gown flowed as she walked down the hallway. She worried he would disappear. “Will she come back? Or will you go away again?”
“She is gone now, and I will not leave.” Even in the dim light of the hallway, Andrea could see the smile on his face. “I want you to listen only to me. Pay no attention to anything else. Think only of our love and being with me. There is so much we will do together.”
He came closer and held his hand out to her. She raised her hand as they met, and he held it tightly in his. He led her down the hallway until they reached the attic door, then reached over and opened it. “Come, my dear. Come with me.” He led her up the dark attic stairs. In a dreamlike state, she went along with him.
They reached the top of the stairs, where a bright glimmer of moonlight drifted in through the round window. She could see him clearly — tall and muscular, his wonderful green eyes. His soft touch raised her strongest desires.
Standing in the middle of the attic, he put his arms around her and drew her close. Thrills of excitement raced through her as he kissed her on the neck, then on her shoulder. She weakened as his lips roamed. One of the sleeves of her nightgown slipped from her shoulder and rested gently on her arm.
The light from the window hit his eyes, making them sparkle like jewels. The beauty of emerald green slowly faded and a reddish color took its place. As he began speaking to her again, his voice grew deeper. “Andrea, the time has come. I have waited for you for a long time. I will finally have you for my very own.”
He held tightly to her hand as he stepped back. His voice became even lower, gravelly. “Look over there.” He pointed toward the window. Andrea was so intoxicated by the spell he had over her, she obeyed his every command.
A black spot appeared in midair, suspended above the floor, and grew larger. Her handsome lover stood at her side, his voice becoming deeper and deeper as he spoke to her. “It will be soon now, my dear. You will come with me into my world.”
What had once been a hot, stuffy attic had become a very cold place. A rush of icy air brushed her face. She still stood motionless as she watched the dark spot grow larger in size, big enough to walk right into it. It took on the form of a dark swirling tunnel, like the inside of a funnel cloud.
A sudden pull drew her toward it, like a vacuum. She turned her head to the side and looked at him in wonder. In a strange way, his form was changing. He was no longer as tall, looking as if he was hunched over. His face twisted and distorted around eyes red as fire. He snarled with laughter, spit spraying from his mouth. He looked and sounded like an animal.
Andrea just stared at him, trapped in her hypnotic state. She only blinked when a cold gust of air hit her face. She felt no fear of him or of what was happening.
The man of her dreams, the one she’d wanted more than anything else, continued to transform into a hideous creature. His ears became large and pointed, and wrinkles sunk deep within his face. His cheekbones angled high and outward. Wiry black hair rose straight up from his head. His ghastly body turned a horrid grey color. He reached for her with a claw-like hand and grasped her by the wrist.
In a daze, Andrea heard the rushing of the tunnel’s wind. It had grown to over six feet in diameter, and it pulled at her like a magnet. The ugly demon moved forward as he held her wrist tightly in his claw. She tried to pull away from his bony grip, but he was too strong for her. His gravelly laugh sent shivers down her spine. “Come, Andrea. You will come with me now. I have waited a long time for you.”
The fiend pulled her closer to the opening and stepped one foot inside. His grotesque face hung right in front of her. She could see nothing but those glowing red eyes. He tugged at her arm as he moved further into the tunnel. “Now, my pet, now!” he roared.
Andrea had little strength to pull away, though she now understood something awful was about to happen to her. He pulled her arm into the hole with him. She tried to resist, but almost fell to the floor with weakness. It was a struggle just to stay on her feet.
Suddenly, a woman’s voice came from within the tunnel. “Andrea… my dear.” It was Anna. Andrea couldn’t see her, but she could hear her. “Andrea, I tried to warn you.”
Anna’s voice brought Andrea out of the trance and startled her back to the reality of the frightening sight before her. With all the effort she could muster, she called out to her. “Anna, help me!”
The evil demon let out a hideous laugh. “She can do nothing!” he yelled. “You are coming with me. There is a place for you in my world.” Then he laughed again.
Andrea put her free hand in the opening in an attempt to pull his claw away from her bleeding wrist. She groped around in the dark, trying to grab his arm. Her hand flailed about aimlessly when suddenly she felt something — a human hand. Anna’s hand. Andrea grabbed it and held on tightly. “Anna! Anna!” she shouted. “Help me, please help me. Someone help me!” She began to scream as loud as she could.
She could hear Anna pleading with the demon inside the darkened tunnel. “Let her go. Please, let her go.” The twisted, ugly demon only laughed.
Andrea fought to keep him from pulling her into the tunnel, but his strength was too much for her. Her shrill cries for help pierced the cold air and echoed through the house. Anna began to cry, still pleading for him to let Andrea go. Andrea clutched at Anna’s hand, though it seemed hopeless. She could not get free from the demon’s grip.
****
At the motel, John had spent part of the night pacing back and forth restlessly, thinking of Andrea in the house alone. Finally, he couldn’t take the anxiety and worry anymore, and had to le
ave the motel. He hurried out to the car and started the engine. Though tired and feeling beat, he drove the highway thinking of what he would say to Andrea when he arrived home. It wouldn’t be easy to admit he’d been so worried about her. He desperately wanted to give her something to think about by staying away for a day or two, but here he was on his way home after only a short time.
When he pulled into the driveway and brought the car to a stop, he thought he heard someone yelling. Once out of the car, he could hear it more clearly. Andrea was screaming for help. He ran to the front door. Her frightened cries sent chills down his spine. He hit the light switch on the wall and ran up the stairs to the open attic door. Cold air came from the stairwell. He knew she must be up there.
Except for a small gleam of light from the long window at the end of the hallway, only darkness filled the second floor. He raced up the stairs to the attic, taking two steps at a time. His heart beat rapidly as he ascended to the cold third floor.
The shock of seeing Andrea by the dark, swirling tunnel stole his breath. She screamed when she saw him. “Help me, John! Please help me!”
He came up behind her and threw his arms around her waist, then began to pull her back. At first he couldn’t move her away from the opening. The demon’s strength was greater than his. A female voice cried and pleaded with the evil one to let Andrea go. Andrea cried out, “John…!”
His fear gave him extraordinary strength, enough to pull Andrea back a few inches. The evil demon let out a horrible roar as her hand began to slip away. Andrea kept a tight grip on Anna as John pulled her away from the opening. The struggle continued, the demon trying to hold on to her while John inched back a little more with each pull.
Adrenaline flowing fast and furious, John feverishly tugged at Andrea’s waist in an ardent attempt to free her from the demon’s grip. Andrea screamed hysterically. Her wrist began to slip from the monster’s hold.
What Happened to Anna? Page 21