Into the Dark

Chapter 42

I only guessed that she was "looking" at me, it sure seemed that way by how she held her head perfectly still and wouldn't turn it any other direction. Her singing had returned to humming, only it was far creepier than before. She continued to rock her baby... but I had obviously distracted her.

"I know you're there," she suddenly whispered, probably in respect for her sleeping child. "I can't see you but I can sense you." I wasn't sure if she was talking directly to me, but I stepped forward to speak anyway.

Kade grabbed me suddenly and snatched me back hurriedly, angrily whispering, "Bella, don't you dare!" in my ear. I pushed away from him and brushed down my clothes as if he had dirtied me, then turned back to the lady. As I approached her crib, her head and hollow sockets followed me.

"What a handsome boy," I whispered, gazing down at his peaceful, sleeping face. "What's his name?" I tried to keep my voice as soft and kind as possible, which actually gained me a half smile from the lady.

"Daniel," she answered. I froze for a second, unable to think straight as my little brother popped into my head. My mind began to flow with memories of him and the rest of my family, then I started to crumble on the inside as I thought about the possibility of not seeing them again. My eyes noticeably sank as I looked down at the baby. I remembered Daniel being that age... and Lilly.

Those were simple times.

"Daniel... that's a lovely name," I whispered.

"I wanted to see him thrive and grow. Our lives and my eyes were taken, though, so now I sit blindly and am unable to experience the happiness I was setting to achieve," she responded bluntly. Sadness was all that remained in that silky voice of hers. She talked monotoned and sounded undoubtedly lonely. I pitied her.

"I hope the man who did this to us pays... or has paid," she quietly added. I couldn't possibly confirm that, but I wished the same thing.

I was still looking at the baby when my hand suddenly began to drift down to his cheek. I knew I wasn't able to touch him but he reminded me so much of my Daniel and I couldn't help myself. Before my hand even got close, though, someone grabbed my arm and held it tightly, disabling me from moving it at all.

"Don't wake him!" The woman whispered in my ear as if she somehow sensed my wanting to touch him. She let go of my arm and leaned over the crib protectively. She looked furious, even though I hadn't done anything.

I wasn't stunned by that. My eyes were staying fixated on my arm, the one she grabbed, and how the hell it had happened. She was a ghost, and I was... well... alive. That shouldn't have been able to happen. Her hand should've gone right through me.

I looked at Delilah and motioned her over with panic. Something started eating at my insides, figuratively of course, when my hand passed right through her as I tried to touch her arm. She seemed just as surprised as me, but said nothing like the others. Obviously, they were still too afraid to speak.

When I turned back to the woman and placed my hands on her shoulders, she gasped with surprised and clung to the crib with worry. "How did you do that?" I whispered. "I'm alive and you're dead... a ghost! You can't touch me!"

"What do you think we're doing right now?" she responded sharply and swatted my hands away. Even without eyes, I could see her squinting with anger. "How should I know? There are a lot of weird creatures with weird powers in these woods, so I've heard."

I suddenly got a strange tingling sensation, but it wasn't like the other... the rather murderous one. It was peaceful, a bit comforting, like a sign that it was meant for absolute good. I wanted to savor it like a delicious meal, but something told me to reach out, to grab onto something and spread the feeling that gave me such sereneness. I looked down at my hands which began to radiate with a dim light, a golden glow that sparked the excitement inside of me. I glanced at the woman tending to her baby and latched onto her shoulders once again, gripping tighter so she couldn't break free this time.