“You smell nice,” I compliment her as the scent of her flowery shampoo enters my nostrils.
“Stop it.” She giggles and playfully elbows me while keeping control of the hose and nozzle.
“What? You don’t want the compliment? I can go give it to Eve,” I jest.
“You wouldn’t!” She spins around and nearly sprays me with the water, save for me jumping out of the way. “Oops!”
She turns the hose back to the garden. Moving up beside her I watch as she meticulously wets every patch of dirt. Looking at the crop, another harvest is only a few months away.
It’s going to be time to replant soon. The resilience of these plants to produce multiple crops in a row is amazing. But if we land in winter, we can kiss it goodbye.
The apple tree is taking a lot longer to recover though. The leaves have barely begun to hide the scenery beyond it.
“So, is there anything you want me to help with?” I ask her.
“Well, you can go brush your horse.” She grins.
“I meant with you.” I reach out and grab her waist, causing her to blush heavily.
“N-no, I’m okay!” she stammers. “There’s nothing really for you to do here. After breakfast though I’ll help you with the horse.”
“Sounds good to me. I’ll brush while you shovel his waste into the compost bin.” I wink and poke her lightly in the side.
“I think you have it backwards, mister.” She elbows me again.
“Perhaps I do,” I concede. “Well, if there’s nothing I can do out here, I suppose I’ll go bang on Eve’s door and wake her up.”
“Just stand back when you do. She’s likely to grope you if you’re too close!” Ami warns.
I nod at her head to Eve’s room. Knocking lightly produces no response so I rap my knuckles on the door a little harder. The door opens swiftly and quietly. She’s scantily clad in a white tank top and panties. I avert my eyes. Despite Ami’s warning, I’m too close and she pulls me in.
“Hey,” she whispers as she pins me against the doorframe with her body. “I miss our cuddling.”
“You remember it was only out of necessity, right?”
Eve pouts, her bottom lip sticking out while her bright red hair falls across her face. My face becomes hot and I realize I’m blushing. She sees it and her eyes twinkle with delight.
I can’t stay here any longer. I can’t let her think I’m indulging her fantasy.
“Breakfast is ready. Get dressed.”
“I’d rather stay here and have you kiss me deeply.” She leans forward for it.
I squirm away by ducking under her arm, and jump to the other side of the hallway. I point a finger at her and shake my head to indicate it won’t happen. Putting her hands on her hips she looks at me, frustrated, but stays put.
“I’ll see you down there.” I turn and leave.
So much for the ‘friendship’ talk.
In the kitchen again, the others are already seated and I take my place at the head of the table. We wait until Agatha helps herself before digging into the stack of waffles. I pile two on my plate, slathering butter and syrup all over.
By the time I’ve savored every square of a single waffle, Eve finally makes an appearance, dressed less provocatively. She sits and mumbles, clearly displeased at something, but I can’t make out what was said. With no snide remarks following from Ami or Emma, I assume they didn’t either. I scan the table, and see my family. Four beautiful women who have made my life worth living.
What did I do to deserve being surrounded by these women who love me? We have our ups and downs, but I wouldn’t want to be apart from any of them.
“Thank you for breakfast.” I smile at Agatha.
“You’re quite welcome Rain,” Agatha responds.
I enjoy the quiet company. After I’ve had my fill of food, and quiet, I break the silence by getting up to clean.
The kitchen doesn’t take long to tidy up. I head outside to be greeted by the amazing, vibrant blue sky. The magnificent view is only obstructed by the horizon of intermittent columns of rock with their greenery towering all around.
I inhale deeply at the crisp morning air and exhale just as exuberantly. Away from the house, at the edge of the land, I look down and see the life of this prehistoric world going on far below.
Lost for a few moments, I stare at the giant beasts roaming the land at a slow pace or perhaps not at all. They just seem to graze, like cattle, on giant trees. There are a couple different notable types. Some have really long legs and necks, while others are stout and compact. A flock of two-legged creatures come running around the plateau, darting in and out and spooking a few of the more lethargic ones. But none attack and I’m left to assume they were simply playing.
Those fast ones have to be as tall as a small house. It’s a wonderful feeling to not have to worry about them up here.
Lying on my stomach, I let the sun warm my back while I observe the world free from strife and suffering. The quiet, save for a few strange chirping and cawing noises from below, is calming. Though I’ve only been awake for a little bit, I feel like I could fall asleep again. My heart skips a beat when Ami plops down next to me, and I’m fully alert again.
“You scared me half to death.” I look over my shoulder at her.
“You didn’t hear me coming?”
“I sure didn’t.” I return my gaze to the world below.
Ami scoots close, sitting cross-legged and looks out as well. The silence is awkward, so I fill the void.
“It’s nice to be able to see what’s below. At least if I fell, I’d be able to see what trouble awaits.” I let out a small laugh.
“Don’t joke like that.” She frowns.
“Problem is, if you fell from here there is no other side to wedge yourself against to slow your speed,” Eve says behind us.
I feel someone climb on my back. When I look I see Emma looking over my shoulder. In an un-ladylike manner, Emma spits over the side and watches it disappear. She giggles while Ami and Eve make disgusted faces.
“You need to shave. You’re looking kind of grungy!” Emma says.
“I agree. I need a haircut too,” I tell them.
“I think I could manage that,” Ami offers.
After lying there for a few more minutes I shift my weight, “I’m going to get up, Emma.”
“Why? I’m comfortable!” she protests.
Ami and Eve abruptly lift Emma from my back. I chuckle and head to the stable to care for the horse. Ami is with me for a few moments to brush him, but shoveling the waste takes longer than I thought and she finishes.
“Thanks Ami.”
“Of course,” she smiles and disappears around the house.
I finish my chore soon after and boredom begins to set in already.
Nearing the kitchen door, it’s propped open a crack and I can hear low but heated tones inside. I'm unable to make out anything being said, so I lean a little closer, and lose my balance. Instinctively I reach up for the doorknob, but all that does is swing the door open. I’m caught. The door is ripped open before I can shut it again.
“What do you think you are doing?” Ami questions.
“Nothing. Just standing here.” I try and play it off.
“You know, eavesdropping isn’t very nice,” Eve scolds.
“Well then –” I start to answer, but turn it into a game, running from them and hoping they chase.
I bolt to the side of the house and duck around the corner. Not stopping, I look over my shoulder to see if they’re pursuing. They took the bait and are following me. I speed past the stable and laugh. When I reach the next corner I catch a glimpse of Ami in pursuit. Eve has disappeared.
Eve doesn’t ambush me from the living room door, which is surprising. Rather, her appearance from the other side of the house startles me and I jump into the living room, nearly tripping on the way in. I stumble and scramble to exit through the kitchen.
“He’s inside!” Eve yells lo
udly.
By the time she follows me in, I’m pushing through the swinging door into the kitchen. Emma joins the game and I’m cut off. I backtrack and run up the stairs and to my room, narrowly evading Eve’s grasp. The slamming of my door and their footsteps coming up the stairs vibrates the house. My window is my only escape. It slides up and I climb into the windowsill just as they push my door open. Our eyes meet. I grin before lunging out. I tuck and roll when I hit, avoiding falling into the garden. I spring back to my feet. Emma sticks her head out of the window and I can hear the other girls yelling.
My time runs short as I regain my balance, Ami and Eve no doubt on my trail again. I run to the first place that jumps into my head, the stable. But the supply shed next to it is a little more enticing. Careful to be quiet about opening and closing the door, I move to the back and hide against the wall. Feet pass by and I hear Eve calling.
“Rain. Oh, Rain! We’re going to get you!” she taunts playfully.
I fight back a laugh.
How long can I actually hide here before they find me?
Not long it would seem, as I hear someone start poking around the stable. Trying to conceal myself with tools, I bump the shovel and it makes a noise against the handle of another tool. Emma swings the door open and I can see a mischievous grin on her face. She climbs in and closes the door behind her. With the little bit of light seeping in from the cracks I put my finger to my lips. She nods.
“You’re not going to give me up, are you?” I whisper.
“Would I do that?”
“I don’t know. You might, just to keep the game going.”
“Nah. Game’s over, I won. Besides, I wouldn’t let either of them put their grubby hands on you.”
“You know I like Ami, right?”
“Yes. And I’m trying to save you from them both.” She pokes me in the ribs.
“You don’t have to. I can handle myself.”
“I don’t think you can. They’re going to do whatever it takes to win your affection.” She sighs and rests her back against me.
“I’ve told them that my focus is on stopping the vortex.”
“Then let me do my job and protect you from them while you do.”
I do need to talk to Evalyn about breaking the curse. I haven’t seen or heard her in a while. Maybe when I’m done messing around I’ll see if I can invoke her.
We become silent. After a few minutes, Emma stirs. She peeks out. When the coast is clear she jumps out, closing the door behind her. Only taking a few more minutes to compose myself, I exit the shed and squint as the sunlight blinds me.
Around the kitchen-side of the house I come across Agatha doing laundry, and when she sees me she laughs.
“If they find you, you’re in trouble,” she warns.
“Yeah.” I grin widely. “I have a question.”
Agatha pauses what she’s doing to direct her attention to me, “What is it dear?”
“Evalyn said she can control small things outside of you. Can I communicate with her that way?” I ask.
“I don’t know. Evalyn rarely divulges her secrets to me so you’ll have to ask her.”
“Perhaps if I enter her room?”
If anything will provoke a response when she’s not in Agatha’s body, intruding on her personal space will.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Rain.” Her tone and accompanying frown are serious.
“It’ll be all right. She can be mad at me if she wants, but we need some answers.” I place my hand on her shoulder briefly before entering the house.
I make my way upstairs and to the far back of the house, to the room on the left I know to be hers. The doorknob is unlocked. The room is dark. There’s a light switch just to the right of the doorframe and I flip it on. A single sized bed, with a heavy patchwork quilt draped across it is set against the wall near her window. At the far end of the room there are several bookshelves filled to the brim and a large desk in the middle of them.
I step inside and a chill runs down my back. The hair on my neck stands on end as a heavy presence falls over me. Closing the door quietly behind me the heavy presence turns dark and I can nearly feel Evalyn with the despair inside of me.
The pressure in the room builds, like when a thunderstorm is coming. I’m nervous, and aware Evalyn doesn’t want me here, but I move forward to the desk. My eyes water at the intense feeling and I can barely keep them open.
Something rattles on the desk. I stumble over to it while holding my palms against my temples. The pressure is becoming unbearable. I lean against the desk’s chair and watch a pencil jump around as if it were alive. Picking it up, I look it over only to have my hand thrust firmly against a blank piece of paper. My hand moves and I begin to write something, but not of my own free will.
“What are you doing in my room?! I thought I made it clear this room was off limits!”
“Evalyn, I’m sorry, but I wanted to talk to you alone. I didn’t know if you could communicate other than by inhabiting Agatha,” I reply verbally.
“Fantastic. Well, I can. What do you want?”
“I wanted to know if you’ve come across anything which might help us cancel the time vortex.”
“I’ve been researching it. Don’t you think I’d have told you if I found something?”
“You’ve been silent for a while now. I wasn’t sure. I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.”
“You can stay out of my hair!”
I pause for a moment, trying to think of something disarming to say.
“Agatha’s looking healthier since you haven’t been possessing her. Thank you for taking her health into consideration. Could we keep it that way now since I know we can communicate through other means?”
“I’ve only been absent because I’ve been busy. I will need an outlet again.”
“She’s doing better. I really think we should just keep this as–” I’m cut off as my hand is lifted and slammed down.
She writes again. “You can’t tell me what to do!”
“Evalyn, I thought we had a breakthrough. We were doing well together.”
She slams my hand down again. “If you just wanted to come here and aggravate me, you can leave!”
“I understand your frustration, but it’s time to let go of the past. You’ve shown you’re remorseful about what happened. I want to help everyone in this house, including you.”
“There’s no helping me. I may feel some remorse, but I still resent her having the better life. James, her husband, was someone I loved from afar for a very long time. We all went to the same school. But because I was shy and Agatha was more outgoing, he pursued her instead of me. They got married and had Ami. Ami is the daughter I didn’t get to have!”
“But if you hadn’t done what you did, you wouldn’t know me. I would have died in the woods, and not met any of you. While you may still have an issue with what happened previously, you have to look at where we are now and realize people’s lives are better because of it.”
The physical pressure from the tension in the room begins to subside while Evalyn is silent on paper. I take it as a sign I’m breaking through to her.
“We could make things even better if we break the curse and stop time traveling in a time we all like.”
After another long silence Evalyn controls my hand once again, however, less forcefully.
“It scares me. I don’t want to cease to exist and I don’t know what will happen if we succeed in reversing my power. My soul is encased in the house because of my power. If we break its bond, it might free me and I don’t know what lies beyond.”
“Well, think of it this way. Remember the void. The souls who died in despair collected there at what I guess we could call ‘the end of time’. That leads me to believe the souls not in despair would go somewhere else. If you were at peace when we broke the spell you might find yourself in a better place.”
“How can I be at peace when what I wanted in life, I
can’t have? I died heartbroken and angry. How can that change after death?”
“It’s something you’re going to have to figure out Ev, but I’m willing to bet forgiveness is the first step. I am here for you when you need to talk.”
There is silence from her again, but my hand remains pinned to the desk and I know she’s still there. After a few minutes she begins writing again.
“I’ve been doing some research through a number of texts for artifacts. Under normal circumstances, in normal hands they’re simply relics. But in my hands, they could be the key to stopping my power.”
“What kind of artifacts?”
“They can literally be anything someone has endowed with their power.They’re how I discovered my own power.” She pauses for a moment. “Because I put my power into the house, we might be able to break the cycle with it alone if I can muster the energy, but I’m searching for something which might amplify the power, or negate it.”
“What happens if we find what you’re looking for?”
“I don’t know. It would be trial and error, like when I put us in the void.”
“Do you have any of these artifacts?”
“Only the one I used to heal you, twice. You didn’t think you could survive such mortal wounds without intervention did you?”
“That could have been useful information previously.”
“You don’t want me using Agatha, so there was no reason to tell you.”
“If I can learn what you discovered, maybe I can use it too.”
“Maybe…Anyway, in my research through a number of historical records I found a tome from the library in Emma’s time. I know who you are, but I know you well enough to know you won’t like what I found. I will leave the decision in your hands, if you want to know.”
Her ominous warning causes my heart to flutter. My breathing increases in speed. With what I’ve already recalled, and the accusation from Drake, I’m now even more hesitant to know my true self because of her cautionary words. However, despite my anxiety, that part of me which craves closure pushes me.
“I do.” My voice is shaky. Beads of sweat form on my forehead.
“Then go over to the far right bookshelf, look on the third shelf down, find the book titled ‘Astid Antiquity’ and turn to page 952.”
R.E.solve (Rain Experience Book 2) Page 30