Dark Fire

by Angela Dorsey

  “If he’s even in the sitting room still. Maybe he’s looking for us right now,” whispered Lisa. “You couldn’t see him?”

  “It is too dark,” said Angelica. “But it makes sense that he is still there. Why else would he turn the light out? He must be hiding in the dark, waiting for us.”

  “If he can hear us talking in here, how are we going to get him to stay in the sitting room while we escape through the upstairs exit?” asked Lisa.

  “You stay here and talk, pretending to be both of us having a conversation and I will go get help,” suggested Angelica quietly.

  “Good idea,” said Lisa. “But I should go, not you. I know my way around the house and I know the way to the back door. You just keep Jimmy here in the sitting room.”

  “But what if I am wrong, Lisa?” whispered Angelica. “What if he is walking around the house looking for us?”

  “We’re going to have to take that chance,” whispered Lisa. “But I think you’re right. I think he’s waiting for us in the sitting room, thinking we’re going to bring the will right to him.”

  “Good luck,” said Angelica, her eyes worried. “Please be careful, Lisa. I wish I could tell you exactly where he is but I can not. All I can tell you is that he is there, somewhere. If he finds you, call me. I will come as fast as I can. But call loudly. I do not know if I will hear you otherwise.”

  “I’ll be careful, and good luck to you too,” Lisa whispered. Quickly she moved toward the back of the Priest’s Hole. When she started to climb the stairs, she heard Angelica begin to talk. She spoke in a normal voice, then, in a slightly different tone, answered herself. The faked conversation became quiet as Lisa moved steadily up the stairs.

  The steps were high and steep, climbing up two stories in a short distance. As Lisa climbed higher, she found that the light didn’t penetrate the gloom around the top stairs. She felt her way up the last few steps with her hands. Finally she felt the rough door in front of her. She reached up and found the doorknob. It was cool in her hand.

  Down below she could still hear the murmur of Angelica’s faked conversation. It sounded so safe and comforting, and Lisa had to fight with herself to not hurry back down the stairs. I wish we could just wait for Jimmy to leave, thought Lisa. But no. I have to do this. It’s the only thing I can do to help make up for my stupidity. I’m the one who has to go, because I’m the one that messed up and let Mr. Pickering die. Not Angelica.

  With that thought, Lisa turned the doorknob in her hand. There was a quiet click and she pushed the door open a crack. She put her eye to the opening and searched what she could see of the room. The master bedroom looked deserted. Quietly Lisa stepped out into the room and closed the door to the Priest’s Hole behind her.

  Like a lithe shadow, she slipped to the bedroom door. The door hung ajar and without touching it, Lisa looked through the crack. The upstairs hall seemed to be deserted as well. The moonlight spilled from the window at the end of the hallway, trickling across the floor toward the giant staircase that led to the story below.

  The third floor hallway had always been one of Lisa’s favourite places in her old home. The window overlooked the stable and the pastures beyond, and the window seat provided a perfect place to read. Paintings lined the walls of the wide hallway and she liked them all, but the one beside the window seat had always been extra special to her. The portrait was of an 8 or 9-year-old girl holding a lamb in her lap. The girl’s face, bent to look into the lamb’s eyes, had always given Lisa a feeling of peace.

  But the hallway had changed. All the paintings still hung in the right places. The window seat looked the same. But everything feels wrong, thought Lisa. She noticed that the giant potted fig tree beside the window seat was dead. Its bony spines sliced through the moonlight like fleshless fingers. Lisa shuddered and looked toward the stairs.

  Slowly she crept into the hallway and slid along the wall until she was at the top of the staircase. The banister curved gracefully downward into the darkness. Lisa felt the back of her neck tingle in fear when she realized she couldn’t see the bottom of the stairs. He could be waiting for me down there, she realized. And there is no other way down but by these stairs. I’ve got to pray that he’s waiting for us in the sitting room, thinking there is only one exit to the Priest’s Hole.

  Lisa crept down the stairs, one by one. She walked near the banister and tested each step with her foot to be sure the stairs wouldn’t squeak. She hoped with each step to see into the gloom at the bottom of the staircase. The moonlit hall behind her was a lighted backdrop, and Lisa knew she would stand out like a dark moving form against the soft light. She could imagine Jimmy standing in the shadows at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to leap out at her. Her legs ached to run, to thunder down the stairs and then race for the back door. Her mind could barely stand the suspense of someone possibly watching her, waiting for her.

  But if Jimmy is in the sitting room, he would hear me for sure if I ran, Lisa reminded herself. I must stay calm. He’s probably waiting inside and there is no need for him to come out as long as he hears Angelica speaking, and I am completely and totally quiet.

  When she reached the second floor, Lisa paused at the head of the next flight of stairs. She was in darkness now. The moonlight from the third floor didn’t spread to the second. She peered into the shadows as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. The entrance hall below looked deserted, but it was too dark to tell for sure.

  Now comes the hardest part of all, she thought. I can’t make a single sound. I can’t even scuff my shoes against the stairs. She clung to the banister and tested each step as she slowly, slowly descended.

  Just three stairs away from the bottom of the staircase, Lisa thought she heard something. Something like breath being exhaled. Terror shot through her and she froze on the steps, her heart thudding wildly. Her ears searched for another noise, but there was nothing. It was dead quiet. But I know I heard something, Lisa thought, terrified. He’s just inside the sitting room door and he’s waiting for me. He just doesn’t know I heard him. He doesn’t know I know he’s there yet, and he’s waiting for me to come closer. Two seconds ticked by like hours and suddenly Lisa knew what to do.

  With an explosion of movement, she leaped from the stairs and landed in the entrance hall. Then she raced toward the front door. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled with all her strength. The door opened an inch, then banged shut. The chain was on! She turned to run back the way she had come, but he was there, a black form between her and freedom.

  “And where do you think you’re going?” he quietly drawled in his thin voice.

  Instantly, Lisa felt her fear disappear and, in its place, rage awakened again. “You murderer!” she spit at him, her voice low but deadly serious. “You killed him. You killed Mr. Pickering.”

  His only reply was a laugh. Lisa couldn’t control herself anymore. With a growl of rage, she ran toward him. Jimmy mustn’t have seen her in the dark because he was unprepared for Lisa’s head hitting him in the stomach. With an “oof”, he staggered backward and fell with Lisa on top of him. Before he could grab her she rolled away, sprung to her feet and ran toward the corridor that led to the back door.

  When she reached the corridor, Lisa slowed to a walk. The corridor was dark and she didn’t want to risk turning the light on, just in case Jimmy thought she was going to run and hide instead. Her heart pounded like crazy and she held her hand over her mouth as she moved, to make her breath as silent as possible. Quickly and quietly, she moved toward the door. But when she reached the end of the short corridor, it was not the door she felt beneath her fingers. It was a heavy oak chest, butted up against the door.

  Suddenly light flooded the enclosed space. Lisa’s hand instinctively went to her eyes, shielding them from the overhead light bulb. Jimmy was standing at the end of the corridor, his hand on the light switch.

  “Good thing I had to block all the exits to make sure my dear uncle would stay where he was supposed to,” he s
aid and smiled coldly. Then he began to walk toward Lisa. “Now we get to have some fun too.”

  As soon as he was close enough, Lisa kicked hard at his shins and, though Jimmy recoiled in pain for a moment, she wasn’t able to run past him. The smile was gone from his face when he came at her the second time. He grabbed her by her hair and pulled her head back. The pain made tears spring into Lisa’s eyes. She could feel him search her pockets and pull the folded envelope holding the will from her jacket. Then he pushed her away from him. Lisa hit the oak chest hard and slid to the floor. She bit her lip and breathed sharply as she waited for the pain to subside.

  Jimmy stood in front of her, reading the will. After a minute, he looked up. “So close and yet so far,” he sneered. “I bet you were glad he was dead when you read this.”

  “You make me sick,” Lisa said, feeling her anger return as the pain diminished. “I can’t believe you were related to him. He was the nicest man I ever knew, and you killed him.”

  Jimmy shoved the will back into its envelope, his fingers twitching, then he slipped it into his left jacket pocket. His hand shot out and he grabbed Lisa by the hair again and jerked her to her feet. “You think you’re better than me? You think you are any different? I know you were glad he was dead when you read the will.”

  “You’re wrong. I wasn’t glad. Don’t you see that all this is just stuff?” said Lisa. “It’s not important. Mr. Pickering was important. He mattered. His stuff didn’t matter at all.”

  “Well,” said Jimmy as he began to drag her back toward the front door. “I’m glad you feel that way because this ‘stuff’ will never belong to you and, what’s more, you’ll be happy to know you’ll be seeing my uncle again real soon.”

  “What…what do you mean?” said Lisa, her anger fading quickly in the renewed face of her fear.

  They had reached the entrance hall. “Exactly what you think I mean,” said Jimmy as he dragged her to the front door. He began to fumble with the chain high on the door. “I’m going to make it look like an accident and, at the same time, I’ll cover up the evidence of my uncle’s murder.”

  As she listened to the chain rattling in its groove, Lisa realized what Jimmy meant. He’s planning to kill me, she thought. A strange lethargy started to float over her, making the chain sound a million miles away. Lisa fought against it but she felt she was slowly sinking into shock. As if my brain won’t accept this is real, she realized. But I’ve got to do something. She thought of her mom and Molly and how sad they would be if she died. She could picture them crying in each other’s arms. She thought of Jupiter and how he wouldn’t understand where she had gone. But it was when she thought of her dad that she felt her fighting spirit return. He doesn’t need any more sadness or anger, she thought. He needs me to stay strong.

  With a great lunge, she threw herself backward, then cried out in pain. It felt as if every hair on her head was being pulled out by the roots. “Angelica!” she shrieked. “Help!”

  Lisa didn’t see Jimmy’s fist fly toward her, but when it struck her high on the cheekbone, her head snapped back and she cried out in despair and anguish. Then everything went dark. She wasn’t even aware of falling to the floor.

  Chapter 31

  That cry! It echoed through the Priest’s Hole like a restless spirit. I must go to Lisa.

  Jimmy. He has her. Oh poor Lisa, crumpled there on the floor. And the look in his eyes is so full of hatred. How can I stop him when I am not allowed to force him to do anything? I am sure he will not listen to my words. He has gone too far to back down now. Somehow I must trick him into letting her go. If I can make him believe I could force him, if I scare him, then maybe he will leave her. I will do the Glowing.

  Chapter 32

  There’s the other one, the beautiful one. Good thing I knocked out the kid. Two of them might have been too much to handle if they’d attacked together. But little Lisa isn’t going to be doing much for a few minutes.

  Good! The door is unlocked. Now I’ll just grab the blonde and take them both to the stable.

  Chapter 33

  First there was a feeling of just being. Lisa felt so peaceful and calm that she didn’t want to open her eyes. But then she became aware of the pain. Her cheekbone felt as if it had exploded. Lisa reached up and touched the skin of her face. It was swelling already. What happened? she wondered. Then she remembered. Jimmy had hit her. He was planning to kill her. Just like he killed Mr. Pickering. Her eyes sprung open and she tried to rise.

  Jimmy was standing with his back to her. Lisa staggered to her feet behind him, leaning on the door with her head down. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she almost fell.

  She could hear Angelica’s voice, clear as a bell, and looked up. Angelica was standing in front of Jimmy commanding him to let Lisa go, her voice strong. Lisa watched as Jimmy walked toward Angelica, his hands clenched into fists.

  “Run Angelica,” cried Lisa, weakly. “Get help! Get my dad!”

  But Angelica stepped toward Jimmy. Her powerful voice rang out again, commanding Jimmy to let Lisa go and to give himself up to the police. Jimmy laughed as he reached for her wrist.

  Suddenly, sparks burst from Angelica’s hands. Lisa gasped as Angelica reached toward Jimmy and he jumped backward. In his haste, he tripped over his own feet and sprawled across the floor, falling toward the front door.

  “Who are you?” he croaked. “What are you?”

  The sparks were moving up Angelica’s arms. When they reached her torso, they spread quickly around her entire body to an intense glowing. Her hair swirled around her and light glistened like stars over the spun gold. Her eyes glowed like molten lava. “Who I am does not matter.” Angelica’s voice seemed to boom from all around her. Lisa wasn’t even sure that her lips had moved. “What matters is who you are. You are a murderer, and you will be stopped!”

  Lisa realized this was her chance to escape a little too late. As Jimmy slid backward toward the door, pulling himself with his arms, Lisa staggered to the side. But Jimmy noticed her movement. His hand flashed out like a striking snake and fastened around her ankle. As Lisa tried to pull away, he looked at Angelica, watching her closely with narrowed eyes.

  Instinctively, Lisa reached down and began to claw at his hand. In a flash, his hand left her ankle and fastened around her wrist. He didn’t seem to notice her struggles as he climbed to his feet. “So why haven’t you stopped me yet?” he asked Angelica in a cold, calculating voice.

  Angelica stepped forward, light streaming from every pore in her body. “Let her go!” Even Angelica’s voice seemed to be filled with light, and Lisa closed her eyes against the brightness. There was silence for a long moment as Angelica and Jimmy faced each other.

  Then Jimmy jerked Lisa back toward the door. “I don’t think you will stop me, witch,” he spat out. “I don’t think you can. If you could have done it, you’d have done it by now.” He stepped backward again, pulling Lisa with him.

  With horror, Lisa saw Angelica’s light fade just a tiny bit. He’s right, she realized. Angelica can’t stop him. She has some strange powers, but she can’t stop him. And now he knows that. Now he’s going to kill me and then maybe her too.

  “I was right. You can’t do anything,” Jimmy sneered at Angelica. “Now I know what you are. You’re just a freak.”

  “No,” whispered Lisa, more to herself than Jimmy. “She’s an angel. Molly knew.” She felt Jimmy’s grip tighten on her wrist even more, though she didn’t know how it could be possible. Her fingers already tingled from lack of circulation.

  Suddenly Jimmy turned his back to Angelica and stalked out the door, pulling Lisa along with him. She jerked backward with all her strength but he only laughed as he walked into the night. Lisa looked back at Angelica with pleading eyes and saw her slump to the ground. Angelica’s glowing was fading rapidly and the dying light seemed to be taking all her strength with it. Then Jimmy jerked Lisa toward the front paddock.

  “Go get my dad,” Lisa
yelled. Even though it will be too late by then, she suddenly realized. Jimmy will have already murdered me, and my dad will think it was an accident. Even if Angelica tells them otherwise, would they believe her? She isn’t really even human.

  “We’re going to get rid of that horse of yours at the same time,” Jimmy muttered to Lisa. “Call him to come here.”

  “No,” Lisa said firmly.

  Jimmy’s hand came down across her face again, and Lisa cried out and fell to the ground. “Call him!” he yelled.

  “No!” Lisa yelled back just as loud. She put her free arm over her head when she noticed Jimmy’s hand rise to strike her.

  When she heard Jimmy laugh, Lisa cautiously lowered her arm. He was looking into the pasture. Then Lisa heard Jupiter’s hoof beats on the grass, trotting toward her. “No Jupie,” she yelled. “Go back.” She ducked as Jimmy’s hand made a swipe at her. “Run, Jupie,” she shouted once more and then she was pulled to her feet and Jimmy’s hand was over her mouth.

  “Now listen good, you little brat,” he whispered. Lisa cringed as his hot breath touched her face. “Either you bring him into the stable or I’ll shoot him right here, right in front of you. You understand?” He held Lisa still for a moment then slowly took his hand off her mouth. Lisa turned to see Jupiter walk toward her in the moonlight, the silky radiance flowing over his black coat like water. Topper was right behind him, looking like a fluid silver sculpture. Can I take the chance that Jimmy is lying to me? she thought desperately. How can I know if he really has a gun?

  Jupiter reached the fence. His ears were pinned back against his head and he glared at Jimmy, then his head snaked over the top rail. His teeth snapped together just inches from Jimmy’s face. Jimmy leaped back, holding Lisa in front so she was between him and Jupiter.

  Suddenly he pushed her forward. Lisa fell against the fence, then spun around. Jimmy was standing with his hand in his jacket pocket. He was holding something, something that looked almost too big for his pocket. After a moment, Lisa realized it must be his gun. “Get his halter,” Jimmy demanded and shoved the gun harder against the material.