Eden

by Jessica Darling

  Chapter 4

  Eric slept peacefully, lightly snoring. Rose tossed and turned. Her mind was haunted by images of the severed head and the decaying faces. The dream transported her back to the dining hall where she fled and began running down the long hallway toward the elevator. She tried desperately to escape their grasps only to have the sanctuary of escape get further and further away. Her dream body finally gave into exhaustion and she toppled onto the carpet, ready to be ripped apart by her pursuers. No attack ever came. They all stood over her and stared as if they were waiting for something. A small voice from the back of the group spoke up. Rose strained to see where it was coming from, but could not see past the skeletal mob.

  “Not this one. She sees, but she isn’t the one.” The voice sounded soft, almost like a child. The mob turned away. Rose awoke with a start, her mind filled with childlike laughter long after the rest of the dream had faded.

  Sitting awake, Rose propped herself against the pillows and straining to hold onto the fragments of the dream so she could share them with Faye. However, it eluded her. Only the laughter remained. Frustrated, she laid back down, thinking the dream would come to her again. Sometime later, sleep found her but she was not given another chance at the dream. The next thing she was conscious of was the as the alarm clocks shrill bell. The morning light streaming through the curtains confirmed that those pieces were all she was to be given that night. Sighing softly, she began to prepare for the day. Part of her was eager to continue to unearth this mystery, but her self-preservation scolded her for not packing her bags and getting the hell out of Dodge. Rose had a long history of ignoring her instincts and this was not the first time that odd visions had assaulted her. She seemed to be sensitive to shades of the past. Some would call it psychic but she preferred sensitive. Never had her visions been so frightening, so real or so grisly. She felt that there was a lot of history here when she had placed her hand on the front door handle. She had expected perhaps a glimmer or two or maybe a few intense feelings but never this. She turned these things over in her mind as she prepared for the day.

  The alarm clock rang next to Faye’s bed and she slowly opened her eyes. She heard the shower running, which meant Adam had already started his day. He often was the first one up and about. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she sat up slowly. Her stomach heaved in revolt and Faye rushed to the bathroom to be sick. Adam stuck his head out of the shower at the sound of her vomiting.

  “Honey, are you ok?” He asked, stepping out to help her up.

  “Yes. I guess dinner must not have sat well with me or it was that late night glass of amaretto. It must have soured my stomach. I’m sure that some nice dry toast will settle everything out.”

  She stepped back to the closet as she brushed her teeth. She pulled out a sundress, but then thought better of it. They were going to spend the day in the basement and on the tour. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and black fitted polo shirt. Slipping into them, she pulled her hair back in a simple pony tail. Adam came out of the bathroom and couldn’t hide his surprise.

  “There must be some kind of expedition about. You never dress down unless there is some kind of history to chase.” He said with a smile.

  “Their archives are rather dirty. Rose and I intend on spending some time in them today, and I don’t know exactly what this tour covers. I don’t want to be caught in a climbing situation in heels and a dress” She explained as she slipped on her sandals.

  He smiled and kissed her forehead.

  “Sometimes your practicality surprises me.” He said. “I do believe it is time for us to descend to meet your adventuring partner for breakfast. That is if we don’t meet them in the hallway.”

  As they exited the room, they heard another door close. They looked up expecting to see Rose and Eric but were slightly surprised to see Matt coming out of his room alone. His expression was one of dejection and anger.

  Faye readied a smile.

  “Good morning, Matt.” She said.

  “Morning.” He said. He tried a very short-lived, polite smile. He paused for a long moment. He seemed a bit distracted and kept glancing at the room door as he asked, “Is your friend all right?”

  “She is. We took her to the doctor and it all turned out to be altitude issues.” Faye answered.

  “I’m heading down to the doctor myself. Stephanie woke up with quite a headache. Too much wine I think.” Matt explained.

  Faye felt like she should warn Matt about the doctor but she had no real advice to give. Saying that someone was creepy or that you had seen a ghost in their room probably wouldn’t sound too sane.

  “Well, if you guys need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Adam said and started walking toward the elevator. He noticed Matt’s distracted nature and didn’t want to keep him from helping his wife.

  “Thank you.” Matt said and they all climbed aboard the elevator. Matt hurried out with a short wave when they reached the ground floor.

  “He was awfully fidgety, wasn’t he?” Faye asked as they made their way toward the restaurant.

  “He was worried about his wife or about her wrath if he did not return with a remedy for her. She seems like the demanding sort.” Adam said, holding the door open for Faye.

  She nodded, thinking about the doctor and hoping that whatever remedy he gave wasn’t worse than the condition it was for. Looking around the restaurant, she spotted Rose and Eric in the back corner. A smile came to her face as she saw that Rose had also traded in her vacation dress clothing for a practical pair of khaki pants and crew neck black shirt. Rose waved as she saw them, smiling widely. Faye studied Rose closely. Her color was greatly improved and she was calmer. Having a plan of action to explain these visions that assaulted her seemed to give her a peace of mind.

  “Good Morning!” Rose said with enthusiasm as Faye and Adam pulled out chairs.

  “You look much better.” Faye commented as she picked up the menu.

  “Sleep did me wonders. How about you? You look a bit pale.” Rose commented.

  “I think our nightcap soured my stomach.” Faye answered

  “They have a plain cheese omelet, which should be easy on your stomach.” Adam commented as he looked over the menu.

  Faye nodded. While she knew it was necessary, she felt that breakfast was holding up getting started on the mystery, and it made her feel slightly impatient.

  The young waitress who had served tea to Faye and Rose the previous afternoon took their orders. Her appearance was normal, but Faye felt that she was staring at her even though every time Faye glanced at her, she looked away. She shook it off as paranoia and ordered, focusing on her plans for the day.

  Breakfast came and everyone ate while easy conversation filled the table. For a moment, it was easy to feel like they were just tourists in a luxury resort. However, too many odd things had occurred and too many things hung in the back of everyone’s minds. Even the guys whose sole experience with anything out of the ordinary was the waiter, knew that something was just a bit off. They disregarded it as it was not enough on their minds to disturb the relaxation they found.

  “Once again, that was a superb meal.” Adam commented as breakfast was being cleared from the table.

  “So, we are to meet you ladies in the main lobby at 4 pm for the grand tour of the hotel. What about lunch?” Eric asked.

  “If you want to come down and get us at lunch time, you are welcome to. Otherwise we will probably eat a light something at some point.” Faye said.

  Rose nodded in agreement and added, “However, if we are not in the lobby by 4:10 at the latest, come down and get us. We have a tendency to get lost down there and we don’t want to miss the tour.”

  “That is a very good point.” Faye said smiling.

  Adam and Eric stood, pulling out their wives chairs for them.

  “Such gentlemen you are.” Faye teased with a smile.

  Holding hands, the two couples mad
e their way back to the lobby. Adam glanced out the large front windows where a beautiful sunny day was beckoning.

  “We are off to enjoy the great outdoors. Have a good time in your basement.” Adam teased as he leaned into kiss Faye.

  “Honey, you feel a bit warm.” He commented, placing his hand on her forehead.

  Faye shrugged. “I feel fine.”

  “If you say so, but don’t overdo it. If you start to feel sick again, you should lay down.” Adam said his face showing concern for his wife’s growing list of symptoms.

  “I promise.” Faye agreed.

  After another set of hugs and kisses, the guys headed out the front door to find their own adventure in laziness. Greeted by the warm bright sunshine they smiled. It felt wonderful on their faces after the chilled air inside. Heading out toward the large Oak tree, they passed the croquet court and glanced around to see if Emily was around for a match. They didn’t see her and headed for the soft grass beneath the tree. Stretching out comfortably, they both sighed contentedly.

  “I could get used to this.” Adam said with a smile.

  “Indeed. Nice shady relaxation spots, poker, good cigars, excellent alcohol, and like company. This is an ideal vacation.” Eric agreed. “I’m glad our wives are getting on so well.”

  “As am I. Faye rarely makes friends with the living and even less rarely with women, so it’s nice to see her have a friend like Rose.” Adam responded.

  “I do worry a bit out how the building I designed is coming along, but the head engineer knows where I am, and after they start work, architects become support staff it seems” Adam said with a yawn

  “I’d love to swing down to San Francisco to see it when it’s completed” Eric replied.

  “Excellent! I have a feeling our wives wouldn’t mind visits either.” Adam said with a dreamy smile as his eye lids drooped.

  The warm spring air wafted a pleasing scent from the garden and both men started to nod off. Adam was just dropping off to sleep when he felt something bump into his foot. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a croquet ball. He looked around to see where it had come from and jumped when Emily appeared at his side.

  “Hey wake up you sleepy heads.” Emily said with a happy child’s grin.

  The sound of conversation roused Eric, who also smiled at the little girl.

  “Hello, Emily. Come to show us up again?” he asked.

  Emily laughed. “If you don’t mind cutting your nap short, I would love to have someone to play with. There are very few other children here and none of the grownups seem to have time to play.”

  Adam stood up and dusted off his pants.

  “We have more than enough time to play with you sweetheart.” Adam said kindly.

  Emily’s face glowed as they walked out to the croquet court with her. They began the game as usual. Emily beat them badly, but neither man complained and both enjoyed themselves.

  “I bet you’re both amazing dads.” She said as she took a shot, watching to ball roll almost to the post.

  Eric shook his head and a sad expression crossed his face.

  “I can’t say that I am. Rose and I are unable to have children.” He said as he leaned against a small tree. Adam took his shot.

  “I’m not a dad yet, but we are trying.” Adam said, feeling a little odd explaining that to a little girl. Emily simply shrugged.

  “Well, if you ever do have kids I’m sure you’ll be an amazing dad, and I think you and Rose could take in one of those kids who don’t have a family.” Emily suggested.

  Both men smiled at Emily, thinking what a wonderful and thoughtful child she was.

  “Your parents are very lucky to have such a charming little girl for a daughter.” Adam said with a smile as she once again won the game.

  Emily gave a small, secretive smile but instead of explaining, said. “Thank you, and thank you for playing with me again.”

  “I think I want some ice cream now. You guys are welcome unless you want to go back to your important bird watching under the tree.” She said with a wink.

  “I think after yet another defeat at your hands, I could use a bird watching break.” Adam responded with a smile.

  “Suit yourselves.” Emily said, skipping off toward the hotel.

  “What a delightful child.” Eric said with a yawn as they settled back under the tree.

  “I agree. She has very good manners and seems very intellectually mature for her age.” Adam said, mirroring his yawn.

  They nodded off to sleep, enjoying their little spot in the sun.

  Inside the Eden, the girls went to the front desk. As they neared it, they almost collided with Matt. He was walking toward the elevators at a very brisk pace-- a plain brown pill bottle in his hand. Faye opened her mouth, an apology ready, but before she could completely form the words, he waved her off and hit the elevators at a run. Rose and Faye exchanged confused glances. Faye almost thought about following him and doing a friendly check up on Stephanie but she had no doubts that the woman was probably even nastier when ill then she was normally. Faye shrugged and turned back toward the desk. The clerk stood with his back to them. Faye had mixed feelings about him. Since their arrival, he had been someone she went out of her way to avoid, but last night his protective compassion had struck her. Faye glanced at Rose and their eyes met. She could tell that similar thoughts were swirling around her head. Faye finally walked up to the desk clearing her throat softly. He turned around and smiled, the same oily smile he had always had, yet somehow it seemed less sinister. For the first time, she made a point of looking at his tag to learn his name.

  “Good Morning, Phillip.” She said in a genuinely cheerful voice.

  He paused a moment, taken back with her kindness.

  “Good morning, madam. It is a pleasure to see you and your friend out and about this morning. I trust she is feeling better?” He asked.

  “She is, indeed! Thank you very much for asking, and please call me Faye.” She said, surprising herself with her casualness with a man who days before had made her flesh crawl. Something had changed and she couldn’t put her finger on it. His appearance and manner hadn’t changed in a large way, but whatever happened was enough. He smiled widely.

  “Alright Madam Faye, what is it I can help you with this morning?” He asked.

  “Rose and I would like to head back down to the history wing and do a bit more reading. Your hotel has a rich history.” Faye answered hoping to coax a bit more out of him.

  “It indeed has quite a history. The archives are sadly not as complete as they once were.” He said. Hearing this, Rose walked forward to stand beside Faye.

  “We noticed that it all seemed a bit random. No offense intended, of course.” Rose said.

  “None taken.” Phillip said with a sad smile.

  Both girls sensed an explanation was forthcoming and leaned in, placing their arms on the counter.

  Phillip glanced around the lobby. He made it look like a sweeping glance, but Faye could tell by the way his eyes narrowed that he was looking for someone in particular. He didn’t see whoever he was looking for and leaned in closer to the girls.

  “At one time, the archives were immaculate. Everything to do with the Eden was documented, from the original drawings done on brown paper bags to every article or review ever done on the hotel up until 1941. We had the same historian from 1918 until 1941. His name was Marcus P. Grimes and he lived and breathed the Eden. When an employee was fired or left, he took their file and logged it. He knew all the ghost stories and all the dirty little secrets of the Eden, her owners, and her guests. But he was a man of integrity and honor. He was not a gossiper and he never sought to profit from his knowledge. Lord knows some of the more infamous guests would have paid to keep their predilections unknown. As time wore on and he became older, he lost his mind. He started reporting seeing ghosts of the plague victims, of the builder’s brother, of people who died in “accidents.” At first it was harmless. He would talk to himself or
require things for the ghosts. If you have been into the gardens you may have seen the miniature of the Eden with the hourglass on it that was placed on the fountain. It was something he had commissioned for his ghosts. The hotel managers accommodated him given his large contribution and history with the Eden, but he became unstable and started lashing out at other employees and even guests. Started talking about his mission, and how ‘she’ was controlling him, and he had to fight. It all came to a head Christmas Eve 1941. The Eden was famous for her Christmas Ball. People booked months, even years ahead of time for rooms during the holiday season. This place read like the who’s who-- from movie stars, to mobsters, to rich foreign nationals. That particular year, as usual, the place was packed, the lights were twinkling, and the tree trimmed to perfection. The finery was out in full force. The waltz playing and people were dancing, however the gaiety was interrupted as a man in a ripped tuxedo blundered into the middle of the dance floor. Smeared with blood and holding a large knife in one hand, his expression was one of confusion and fear, it was Grimes. He screamed that the manager had been an agent of the evil and he had silenced him. It was discovered later that he had beheaded the manager. People just stood and stared. No one knew what to do or what to say or how to handle this man. The hotel had had its share of tragedy and drama but never like this. He howled at everyone to leave and fled the Ballroom. After a while, the talk and the fear died down and people started to party again. Hotel security searched for him, but they were distracted by the grisly scene in the office. No one ever guessed what he was up to. He descended to his archives, opening the doors to the coal fed furnace and he began to feed his beloved history into the belly of the furnace. It grew too hot for the furnace to handle and as the heat gauge reached the danger zone, he fed himself into the fiery depths. That pushed it over the edge and the huge furnace exploded.” He stood back taking a deep breath. It was clear the story took its toll on him. Even if it was long before his time, the pain on his face was evident.

  Rose and Faye were silent. They were both in awe of the gravity of the tale they were just told. On its own, it was a tale of terror and heartbreak but with the things they had experienced, a whole new depth was brought to the tale.

  “How long did it take to reopen after that?” Rose asked her voice was hushed in reverence.

  Phillip paused for a moment and then sighed softly.

  “She was never the same after that. Life never really came back to the Eden. She only welcomes guests at specific times and only for limited engagements.” He said. His tone changed and became more guarded.

  “Hence, the invitations being sent.” Rose said.

  Phillip nodded.

  “You pick people to come, in hopes to revitalize her?” Faye asked.

  “You are more right then you know.” Phillip said.

  “You know what might help bring her back to her former glory? A book, something detailing her story, the glory, the tragedy, and the lives she changed.” Faye said.

  Phillip shook his head. “The owners would never allow such. Too many reputations would be damaged by some kind of tell-all book.”

  “I wasn’t suggesting some kind of trashy tabloid book. I was thinking something classier. You can’t tell me that only bad things have come out of the Eden. Love stories, business success, it all has to be here. , the parties and the gaiety, the glitz and the glam. Are you telling me that you would stay and devote your life to a place that caused nothing but heartbreak and death?” Faye asked her voice defensive.

  Phillip shook his head and closed his eyes. “I think, perhaps, I have sensationalized the Eden to you. I think it would be in your best interest to take tea on the lawn, enjoy the tour this afternoon, and leave her history buried.” He looked at them a final time and walked away.

  Faye and Rose glanced at each other. Neither was sure of what to say or even what to think. That had been one of the strangest encounters ever. He had been so open, so giving, and then nothing.

  “So, what now? Do we follow his advice or continue our search?” Rose asked.

  “Well, I don’t think our original plan to go down into the archives is going to be accommodated by our new friend Phillip.” Faye said as she started to walk toward a large, comfortable couch. .

  “Didn’t you find it odd the way he talked about Grime’s act, the twinkling lights, the tree, almost like he witnessed it?” Rose inquired.

  “But stories like that get told so many times and in so much detail that the tellers feel like they were part of the tale. That’s how urban legends always come about. You know, a friend of a friend or possibly a friend of a relative that the experience happened to.” Faye said.

  “I suppose that could be so.” Rose said as she began to absently braid a small strand of hair.

  “To be honest, talking to the staff has so far given us more complete evidence than the sporadic bit and pieces that are left down there. Perhaps we should pursue that vein and see what else we can get.” Faye suggested.

  “I agree. Where would you like to start?” Rose asked.

  “Let’s see … Whom have we had contact with thus far that we could approach?” Faye asked.

  Rose thought a moment.

  “So far we have had Phillip, the waitress, and the monkey-faced bell boy.” Rose said and she shuddered slightly when she thought of that snide, little creature and his glare.

  “You forgot the doctor, but I think he is out for the same reason the bell boy is.” Faye said as she drummed her fingers on the arm rest.

  “Then the waitress is our best bet. Now we have to figure out how to approach her without getting the same reaction we did from Phillip.” Rose said.

  Faye nodded and started to chew on her lip, thinking.

  “We could just try to disguise it as honest curiosity. You know, drop some leading questions and see what we get. It’s what I do when I’m working on an anthropology report on culture.” Faye said, standing.

  “It’s a start. Let’s go out to the porch and have some tea.” Rose agreed.

  The girls made their way out to the large porch. Faye glanced back to the desk to see Phillip watching them. The expression on his face was neutral but his eyes were very sad. He was truly a hard man to figure out. As they opened the door, they both paused a moment to allow their eyes to adjust to the late morning sunshine. They made their way back to the table they had sat at the day before and settled in, picking up the menus. They hadn’t quite figured out what they were going to do if a different waitress or waiter came to serve them. Luck was with them as the same waitress came out to greet them with a large smile. This time Faye glanced at her name tag. It read, “Natalie.”

  “Good morning, ladies. It’s good to see you again. Might I offer you some mid-morning tea and cakes? Our chef makes an amazing crumb cake.” Natalie said. Her glance lingered on Faye for just a moment longer then Rose.

  “That sounds divine Natalie. I would love a chai tea latte and a slice of that cake.” Faye said, looking her right in the eyes. They were an odd grey-blue and they felt familiar, as if she had been looking into them recently.

  “I will take the same.” Rose said with a smile, watching the interaction between Faye and Natalie with interest.

  Natalie smiled and collected the menus, “I’ll be right back with your order.”

  “What was that about?” Rose asked as soon as Natalie was out of ear shot.

  Faye shook her head slightly and explained, “To be honest I’m not entirely sure. It was a feeling of déjà vu but not like I had the conversation before. It was like I had looked into her eyes recently. They are such an odd color they would be something I would remember. But I don’t recall when or where that happened. I feel like it was in one of those photographs, but it couldn’t have been those are all so old.”

  “That is rather odd, but around here, who knows?” Rose said.

  The conversation paused as the door opened and Natalie came out carrying a tray with two slices of cake and two ste
aming mugs. Both of them tried to figure out how to open the conversation and get information out of her as she approached, however luck was with them once again. As she sat the mugs on the table, Natalie spoke.

  “I do so hope both of you will be attending my tour this afternoon. There is so much history in this place and I adore the fact that I get to share it with people.” Faye and Rose glanced at each other. This could not be much easier.

  “We absolutely are. We are very excited about learning about the Eden.” Rose said.

  “See, I enjoy doing the tour because I get to give life to these halls by sharing the stories that have happened in them.” Natalie said with a wide smile.

  Faye seized the opportunity.

  “I bet there are juicy stories and quite a bit of sensational moments here.” Faye said, holding her breath. Either this was going to turn her into an information source or turn her off as it did Phillip.

  Natalie looked around and then leaned in. Her voice was hushed. “The manager would prefer that we kept it strictly sanctioned facts but we both know that while informative that would be rather dry. So I try to spice it up a bit, and then there is the unofficial tour.”

  Rose and Faye leaned in. This was their break.

  “The unofficial tour?” They asked in unison.

  “Well Thursday’s planned activity for the guests is a tour of the gardens given by Mr. Therman himself.” Natalie explained.

  Rose grabbed a hold of the table. The vision from last night’s dinner assaulted her and she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Natalie continued on, not noticing Rose’s discomfort.

  “So while he and the other guests are out touring the flowers, we take those who are very interested through the servants quarters and the off limits areas and give them the non- sanctioned history of the Eden.” Natalie finished.

  Rose and Faye’s eyes were wide. This was better than they ever could have asked for. This might be the chance to get the answers they had been searching for.

  “We?” Rose asked with an inquiring tone.

  Natalie nodded. “Myself and Henry, he’s the fix-it-all guy here. He knows the Eden inside and out. He’s been here a very long time.”

  “How long have you been working here?” Rose asked.

  Natalie’s paused and gazed across the rolling lawn toward the road that led to the main highway.

  “A bit, though when you’re up here in the mountains, away from the city, it sometimes seems like decades.” She said with a soft smile.

  “Now, I’m keeping you from your delicious cake. The cook will never forgive me. I will see you two this afternoon at four and if you’re still interested after the regular tour we can discuss other arrangements for tomorrow evening.” Natalie said turning toward the kitchen.

  Rose watched her pause right inside the glass doors and bend down to talk to someone. Natalie nodded emphatically and then continued into the kitchen. Rose strained to see who she had been talking to, but the way the door was set up, she could only see glare from the glass.

  “Wow! Here I was thinking that that was going to be difficult and require maneuvering. She offered us up an amazing chance to get the real story of this place.” Faye said.

  Rose nodded, but she was deep in thought. While it was an amazing opportunity, it was also rather convenient, like she had been told to offer them what they were after. Rose couldn’t figure out by who or why.

  “Rose?” Faye asked, waving her hand in front of her face.

  Rose shook her head and took a sip of tea. “Sorry, drifted off in thought. What did you say?”

  “I said that was settled rather quickly. It’s just about noon. We have four hours of free time. What would you like to do?” Faye said.

  “Hmm … since we are skipping out on the garden tour tomorrow evening, perhaps you could take me out to visit the hedges, flowers, and things you were talking about the other night?” Rose proposed.

  “Fantastic idea, let’s just finish this cake and our tea as they are both very good.” Faye said.

  They finished their cake in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Faye really wanted to write a book about the Eden, share her secrets, and bare her ghosts to the world. She had been in many places around the world, but this one’s history grabbed her. Something about it created a thirst within her to understand this place and all that had gone on here. She wanted to see if these ghosts were real, to prove the existence of life after death, to show that tragedy left its mark on the physical plane long after the blood had been cleaned up and the bodies removed. Rose however, had a different goal. These ghosts were plaguing her for a reason, and they tormented her in an effort to gain her attention and help. If she uncovered the secrets here, she could pull the Eden’s skeletons from the closet and lay the bones to the sun to release the souls here. As the last crumbs were devoured, they stood and headed for the front steps.

  “Let’s walk around to the back through the yard. It will be nice to be out in the sunshine.” Faye said as she started down the steps.

  Rose nodded and followed her. As she passed the other table on the porch, something snagged her leg. Rose looked down, expecting to see the leg of one of the chairs. Instead, she was greeted with a horrific sight. Snagged on her pant leg was the frozen, decaying body of a teenage girl wearing a torn flannel nightgown that was discolored with blood and pus stains. She had boils all over her face and her arms. Her eyes were yellowish- white and cloudy. She died screaming, her face frozen in an expression of her pain. Rose began to shake as she stared down at this apparition. She couldn’t take her eyes off the poor creature. Her stomach turned and she began to sway on her feet. Suddenly, Faye was at her side, holding her up. Faye looked down at the spot of Rose’s transfixed stare and saw nothing. She shook Rose slightly, trying to break her trance. Rose stumbled backward as the corpse’s mouth began to move.

  “Get out.” It said. Its voice was dry and raspy like leaves rattling in an autumn wind.

  It disappeared. Rose collapsed into Faye’s arms.

  Natalie came rushing out as Rose went down, and she helped Faye get Rose into one of the large, wicker chairs.

  “Should I call for the doctor?” Natalie asked hesitantly.

  Faye shook her head no. No matter what was wrong with her, she had no doubt that it would get worse with the doctor’s assistance.

  “She’s having altitude issues and she has a heart condition. I need to get her up to her room and get her medication.” Faye explained.

  “We have some old-fashioned wheelchairs in one of the storerooms from when the polio victims used to spend summers here in retreat.” Natalie responded.

  “Let me call Henry. He will know exactly where they are.” Natalie finished and rushed off.

  Faye brushed a stray lock of hair from Rose’s pale face. She was terrified for her friend as these visions were taking a toll on her. But part of her was jealous. Rose seemed to be far more in tune with the shades here, or they seemed to want to appear to her more. Rose’s breathing evened out and her eyes fluttered slightly.

  “Shhh …” Faye said as she rubbed her head softly. “I’m going to get you back to your room and then you can tell me what happened.”

  Rose nodded, closing her eyes and slumping down into the chair. The front door swung open wide. Natalie and a dark-haired man in overalls pushing an ancient wheel chair came through at a fast pace. The three of them transferred Rose into the chair.

  “Thank you both very much. I’m going to take her up to her room now.” Faye said. Without another word of explanation, she pushed Rose back through the front door and as quickly as she could she made for the elevator.

  To her surprise, Phillip came around the desk to help her push the chair on the carpet. He didn’t speak, but his expression was once again one of concern. When they reached the elevator, he helped her load the chair on. When they reached their floor, he helped her roll the chair out but did not exit the elevator. He leaned forward, his voice barely abo
ve a whisper.

  “They are getting stronger. Watch your step. The Eden is not always paradise.” He whispered. He quickly closed the elevator door and was gone.