“Okay, you’re the bravest woman I know. You’re a little crazy, too, but brave.” He put his arm around her pulling her closer.
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Seated once again in the parlor Kellie said, “Genevieve needs our help to leave. The rest of you no longer need to stay to protect her. Millie, please speak with your friends. The light has returned, you can go through it and be safe. Genevieve will follow. I’ll not allow the house to keep her.”
“Thank you, miss, I will talk to the others.” She disappeared into a mist.
How do we help Genevieve?” Andrea asked. “Do you know how to fight a house? It’s evil and strong. We can’t see it coming when it attacks us.” She curled into a ball at the end of the sofa. Cole’s arm of support did little to relax her. “This place terrifies me.”
“No, I don’t know how to fight a house,” Kellie answered, “but it is controlling part of Genevieve’s spirit. Her blood is part of the house. It gives the house life of some sort. A power, if you will. We need to get Genevieve into the light. Once she is safe and with the others, the house will lose its power, I hope.” She leaned forward placing her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. “The question is how to get Genevieve into the light.”
“Maybe if one of us helps Genevieve into the light or Millie remains behind to take her hand and they run together, you can hold the house off with the light that comes from your hands,” Taylor suggested.
“I agree that sounds like a good plan. The only problem is I have no idea where the light comes from, how I manage to summon it, or how to control it. If it fails at the wrong time, the house could hurt or kill one or all of us. Look at what it has done so far.”
“You have to try,” Andrea said.
Millie returned with the other spirits. They had heard Kellie’s plan and Millie agreed to remain behind with Genevieve. They watched Louise and Elsie walk into the light followed by Leo and Frank. The room filled with the light then subsided and hovered in the corner again.
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“They are safe,” Millie said. “Genevieve, would you like to try?”
“Yes, please.” She took Millie’s hand and walked toward the light.
The house began to shake. Chandeliers fell from the ceiling and windows cracked. Pounding could be heard coming from inside the walls. Piercing metal scraping noises echoed through the manor house. Kellie covered her ears with her hands, it didn’t help. The sound reverberated through the house and all of their ears.
Taylor and Andrea ran out through the front door which opened this time. Cole looked at Kellie. She yelled over the sounds, “You and Hunter find Taylor and Andrea. Keep them safe. I’ll be fine.”
Cole shook his head, but Hunter pulled him by the arm out through the front doors. They slammed behind them and the house quieted. “Hunter, you left Kellie in there alone. We have to get her out.”
Taylor ran up to Hunter and began to hit him on his chest with her fists. “You left her. You left my best friend in there. The house is going to kill her. How could you do that? One of you should have stayed with her. Go back and help her.”
Hunter grabbed her fists and said, “Okay, I’ll try.”
The front door wouldn’t budge. None of the doors opened and the glass wouldn’t break. Cole found a large garden tractor in a shed. He climbed onto the tractor and drove it straight toward the sunroom. It was mostly glass and Cole hoped to bust through the wall. He hit the glass full force and broke a large hole in the house. He could see through the sunroom into the library. Kellie had run into the library when she heard the breaking glass. She ran toward the door when the doorway filled with bricks. The doorway was solid, she couldn’t break through it.
She felt a hand grab her around the neck and pull her through the wall next to the grandfather clock. When the hand let her loose, it was pitch black. Kellie knew she was in the wall and had no idea how to get out. Her friends were outside the house. They would never find her.
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She felt something push her to stairs and up them. She counted the stairs and believed she was being taken to the attic. At least it isn’t the dungeon, she thought. Something pushed her on her back and she flew forward through a swinging section of wall and ended up on her knees in the attic.
Kellie was dragged across the floor by her feet. The small amount of light coming through the windows let her know whatever dragged her was invisible. She felt her body being lifted and dropped into a metal traveling trunk. The lid slammed shut and she heard the lock click. She was trapped.
Trying to summon the light in her hand proved useless. For whatever reason, the light was gone. She couldn’t get out. The house was winning. She was giving in to despair. Calling out to Millie and Genevieve neither answered. Alone and terrified she did her best to slow her heart rate and breathing.
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Cole left the sunroom through the large hole he had created and found the others on the front stairs. He explained what happened. “The doorway into the library is bricked off. We’ll never get back into the house.”
They heard a loud crash of splintering wood. It sounded as if the house was falling down. The wooden staircases beginning in the foyer were cracking in two directly down the middle. Splinters of wood flew in all directions. The crack continued up the staircase to the second floor and then the third. The attic stairs cracked in two and semi-collapsed.
Kellie heard it, too and thought she would die in the trunk when the floors collapsed. She scraped at the edge of the trunk until she could feel her fingers bleed. Not enough room to pound or kick, all she could do was try to find a way to lift the lid. It wouldn’t budge. She lay on her side to catch her breath when she felt the water. A little warm water trickled in at the bottom of the trunk. Kellie immediately jumped bumping her head on the top of the trunk. “Water, no, please. I can’t drown in here,” her voice barely a whisper. Try as she might she couldn’t scream.
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Cole sitting on the stairs said, “We can try and get into the house through the hole I created. I’m not sure the girls should try and climb since there is so much broken glass. The room opens to the hall leading to the kitchen. We could try and find Kellie that way.”
Before Hunter could answer, the two front doors swung open. Cole and Hunter ran up to the doors before they could close again. They saw Millie and Genevieve in the foyer. “Where’s Kellie?” Millie and Genevieve shook their heads.
The four stood and stared at the staircase.
Millie said, “We don’t know. We can’t find her. When the wall in the sunroom collapsed, the house became very angry. We are unable to go through the walls or hear anyone that is not close to us. We did see the hole in the wall. Many of the boards look as if they were the blood stained boards. I think breaking them open gave the house more strength.”
Cole dropped to his knees, “What have I done. I tried to help. How do we find Kellie?”
Hunter pulled him to his feet. “Don’t break down now. You need to be strong. The girls are already losing it. We need to be tough.” Cole turned to see Andrea and Taylor hugging each other.
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Kellie’s cell rang. Fortunately it was in her dry pocket. She slid it out and when she tried to say hello her voice returned. It was Claudia.
“Claudia, I’m trapped. No one can hear me. I’m locked in a trunk filling with water. I’m going to drown. I can’t get the light to help me escape.”
“Calm down. We’ll get you out. I had a vision. There is another spirit at work holding the young girl in the house and trying to get rid of you. It feels you pose a threat. You do, I’ll explain when we get you out. I told you at times you would need your friends to summon the power. This is one of the times. I’ll help. Concentrate as hard as you can and I’ll concentrate with you. I think together we can break the lock.”
Kellie concentrated as hard as she could. The light appeared in her hand and when she pushed against the trunk lid, it opened. H
er legs were shaky, but she was able to stand and climbed out of the trunk.
“It worked Claudia,” Kellie said. “I’m out of the trunk.”
“I was sure it would work. I need you to listen. We know that Genevieve’s blood gives the house strength to keep her around. She keeps it company. However, it’s not the power of the house. The power comes from a powerful spirit. It is one that was killed and buried beneath the house. You must find that spirit before the house will stop attacking people.”
Kellie found a chair and sat down. “How do you know the spirit is evil or is keeping Genevieve here?”
“The spirit believes it is the house. It comes and goes at will, but is very protective of the house. It killed the elderly man because he tried to snoop by trying to open the basement door. The door opened and he was pushed. The young tour guide and her boyfriend had sex in the master bedroom. They disrespected the house and it killed them both.”
“Okay, that makes sense, but what about Thomas killing the women not to mention the torture and, he also killed two children. Why didn’t the house stop him?”
“The house loved what he did. It survives on wickedness. The more evil deeds Thomas performed in the house, the stronger the house became. It also grew stronger when Genevieve had her tragic accident. Not that it needed more strength, but it did gain some by killing the man, the tour guide and her boyfriend. It also gained some from Taylor’s terror in the dungeon. You are up against a bad entity. Find your friends and first get Genevieve into the light. Then leave. I don’t believe you can win unless you burn down the house. Take care.”
Claudia ended the call and Kellie sat for a moment absorbing all she had heard. It made sense. She had to find her friends. Opening the attic door, she saw the stairs were mostly collapsed. Taking a deep breath, she took a step out onto a broken stair and began her climb down to the third floor.
She managed to climb down the side of the stairs as if it were a rickety ladder until the last two feet. She fell and her ankle felt as if it were on fire. Sitting on the floor, she rubbed her ankle until it felt somewhat better. She pulled a scarf from her pocket, wrapped it around her ankle and tied it tight. Summoning her strength she tried to stand. Her ankle hurt, but if she took slow, small steps she could walk. Going down the front stairs was impossible. She headed for the rear stairs hoping they were still intact. The elevator was not an option after Andrea’s experience.
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Hunter pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “I don’t have any bars. I can’t call Randy and that’s a good thing. How could I tell him Kellie is missing?”
Chapter Twenty
The front door flew open and Mr. Hobart’s frame filled the doorway. His voice squeaked when he tried to yell, “What is going on here? What have you done to my house? Who are you people?” Standing directly behind him was a very tall, thin man in his thirties with slicked back black hair and eyes so deep brown they appeared black.
Millie and Genevieve disappeared. Hunter stepped forward and began to speak. “We’re here to umm …”
“Silence,” bellowed Mr. Hobart.
The tall man whispered to Mr. Hobart, “Let me take care of this, sir.” He walked into the foyer and said, “My name is Adam Lourbrent, please call me Adam.”
Cole tried to explain, “Sir, we were trying to help our friend rid the house of spirits.” He shifted his weight from one foot to another.
“Spirits, you rid a house of spirits by destroying a priceless staircase? Have you lost your mind?” Mr. Hobart strode up to Cole and his belly nearly knocked Cole down.
Adam walked up next to Mr. Hobart and said, “Let me handle this” With one quick movement his hand hit Mr. Hobart’s throat and the man collapsed to the floor. Cole dropped to his knees to help him. Mr. Hobart struggled to breathe, his windpipe was crushed. After several minutes, his heart gave out and he took his last breath. Cole looked up, “He’s dead. You killed him.”
“Very good. I hated him. Worst boss I ever had. Let’s sit in the parlor and I’ll explain why none of you are ever leaving here.” Fear drove the four friends backward into the parlor.
Adam interlaced his fingers, held them at waist height, and leaned against the wall.
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Kellie could tell someone had arrived at the manor house, but she felt evil came in with them. She knew she couldn’t walk down the back stairs. Hopping on one foot would be dangerous and too loud. Her cell rang.
She answered and heard Claudia say, “The evil that controls the house is present, but it is unaware of where you are. Our combined strength to get you out of the trunk is working to keep you hidden from the evil. I will continue to remain connected. You’re stronger with my connection and will gain more strength when you connect with your friends. Be very careful, they are speaking with the evil right now. It has taken human form.” Claudia clicked off.
Kellie changed her phone setting to vibrate. She didn’t want the phone’s ring to give her away.
Mumbling to herself, “If he doesn’t know I’m here, I can get down to help the others. Looks like I’ll have to scoot on my butt. Here goes.”
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Adam told everyone to sit and they obeyed. They had seen how quickly he could kill, but the horror of Adam was yet to be revealed. “You must be curious about me as I am about you. I’ll go first. I will find out about each of you before I kill you.”
Cole and Hunter looked at each other. They knew what the other was thinking and Hunter nodded.
“Not so fast you two,” Adam said. “You’ll be dead before you reach me. I guess I haven’t been clear. I wasn’t able to kill Mr. Hobart only because I am quick and strong. I am the life-force of this house.”
Adam stared at four confused faces. “I should explain more clearly. I worked on digging the foundation for this house. It was getting late and I was hungry. The owner had promised a bonus if we finished quickly. I was standing at the edge of the hole we had dug for the root cellar. My boss argued with me about staying until dark to work more. I refused. He punched me. I fell into the cellar and broke my back. I couldn’t move. My boss walked up to me and when he saw I couldn’t move he told me I was going to die anyway. He dug a shallow hole and rolled me into it. The pain was intense but not as bad as being smothered alive when he covered me with soil.”
“That’s horrible,” Andrea said before she thought she should stay quiet.
“How sweet of you to care. I’ll be gentle with you when you die. You have a decent heart.” He walked up to Andrea and kissed the top of her head. Cole wanted to jump him, but knew he needed a better plan.
“Getting on with my story, I decided to stay with the house. After all, I paid more than money for the house. It’s mine. Genevieve’s blood became part of the house and she had to stay. Her servants stayed with her. I allowed Thomas to play his games because they were fun to watch. Constance was part of the family. She had to stay and Simon remained with her. You helped too many of them leave me. You will all pay the way the old man, young girl and her friend did. They disrespected me. I am the house.”
Taylor blurted out, “You’re the house?”
“I am its life-force. It has no power without me. I control what happens. I took care of your friend. She is locked in a trunk in the attic. I let it fill with water. By now she is dead. I can no longer feel her presence.”
Taylor became hysterical and Hunter had to hold her back. Andrea dropped her head on Cole’s shoulder and cried. All four wanted to kill Adam, but without Kellie they had no idea what to do.
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Kellie had scooted to the second floor. Her ankle was swelling and the pain increased. She knew it should have been elevated, but it hung down in front of her as she scooted down the stairs. She could hear a strange voice coming from the first floor. It was evil. That much she knew for certain. Until she scooted down one more flight, she wouldn’t know if she could put weight on her foot. If she couldn’t walk, how could she help he
r friends?
Randy couldn’t get through to Kellie’s cell. He tried Hunter and Cole. All went straight to voice mail. He knew something was wrong. Hopping into his truck he headed for the manor house, but it was a thirty minute drive. He hoped he would be on time. It wasn’t like Kellie or Hunter not to check in when they had agreed on one hour check ins.
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“I want to speak to the men. Ladies, please remain seated in the parlor,” Adam turned and walked into the foyer. Cole and Hunter followed him.
Cole whispered, “I think together we can get him.” Hunter nodded.
Adam moved to the middle of the foyer and spun to face Cole and Hunter. “Don’t get any bright ideas. You are not stronger than me.” With a wave of his hand, Hunter flew through the air landing in a library chair. He immediately felt invisible ropes tie him securely to the chair. “Are you comfortable? I won’t gag you. I want all of you to be able to hear each other die.”
Cole’s head turned from side to side as he tried to find something anything to use against Adam. He felt a force push him to the floor and drag him toward the staircase. A small closet door under the staircase had popped open during the staircase’s destruction. With just enough room for someone to lie in the closet under the splintered stairs, Cole’s body was pushed in and the door slammed shut tight.
Hunter yelled, “Cole, are you all right?”
“Yes, but I can’t move. There isn’t enough room. The broken staircase is inches from my face.”
Taylor and Andrea curled up on the sofa waiting for their fate.
Adam turned and walked back into the parlor. “You were sweet dear Andrea, I will be gentle. I promise.”
She felt herself lifted off the sofa and dropped to the floor. A force pulled her body through the parlor, foyer and into the dining room. She hit the wall. Blackness overtook her vision before she sunk into unconsciousness.
Adam smiled. “One left. What to do? Whatever I decide I think I will save you for last. You escaped the dungeon once, but not again.” With a wave of his hand, Taylor flew to the floor. Panic seized Taylor as she was dragged by an unseen force past Andrea’s body lying against the wall. It pulled her into the kitchen and toward the basement door. She tried to grab anything to stop her before she got to the basement door.
BLACK VELVET ROSES Page 17