Blackwater Springs

Chapter Twenty-Nine

1

    Audrey opened her eyes. She sat up and blinked a few times, adjusting her eyes to the darkness. Her head swam; she put her hand to her forehead and was a little surprised to fond a knot the size of a garlic clove above her right eye. She looked around and recognized the hallway as her own, but couldn't remember how she ended up unconscious on the floor. "John?" she whispered. The sound was loud in the empty hall, and Audrey held her breath, expecting someone or something to jump out of the darkness at any moment. Invisible insects crawled under her skin, and every hair on her body seemed to stand on end. Run, her mind whispered, but she was glued to the floor, with the emptiness of the house ringing in her ears. Under her shirt, Nan's necklace pulsed.

   After several seconds of silence, Audrey allowed herself to breathe again. The colored dots began to dissipate as her eyes adjusted to the dark. She could just make out a dark silhouette, darker than the hall, a few feet from her body. It was man-shaped, and lay on its side on the floor. John? she thought. A sudden memory flooded her mind. No, not John. She crept closer to the figure and gave his shoulder a gentle shake. "Bradley," she whispered through clenched teeth. When he didn't reply, she pulled his shoulder toward her, rolling him onto his back. Well, at least he's breathing. If only I could see... She patted the pockets of her jeans and pulled out her cell; the backlight would provide just enough light to see without drawing unwanted attention.

    She held the phone up to Bradley's face, the wood creaking beneath her as she moved. The purple discoloration around his left eye was the first thing Audrey noticed.

    The twin trickles of blood coming from his nose and the corner of his mouth were the second things. She remembered the dead girl, the barn, everything. Audrey's fight-or-flight instinct kicked into high gear. She couldn't lose the feeling that both she and Bradley were in danger.

    Audrey shook him again, with more urgency. "C'mon, wake up!" she said under her breath. The necklace pulsed five times in rapid succession.

    Bradley lay still on the floor. His only movement was the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. Audrey nearly screamed out of pure frustration. They had to get out of the house - every nerve and muscle in her body was telling her to get the fuck outta Dodge- but she couldn't just leave Bradley, and she certainly couldn't carry or drag him down the stairs. No, her only option was to wake him, but that was starting to look doubtful. She shook his arm again. This time he groaned, but his eyes stayed shut. She sat down and dropped her head in her hands. I won't cry, I won't cry, she repeated to herself.

    The floor creaked again. Audrey lifted her head, hopeful, but Bradley hadn't moved an inch. Weird. She hadn't moved, either. She shifted her weight to test the floor. It didn't make a sound; the spot where she was sitting was sturdy. Audrey sat motionless, breath bated and ears strained. For a moment, Bradley's breathing was the only sound. Audrey let go of the breath she was holding in a slow exhale. Had she imagined the sound? She didn't think so, but couldn't rule it out.

    She patted Bradley's cheek, hoping he would wake up. His eyelids fluttered once, twice, then closed again.  Somewhere down the hall, the unmistakable squeak of a floorboard echoed. It was louder than the previous ones, and was followed by the click of a boot heel on the wood.

    Heel. Pause. Toe.

  There's no way I imagined that! She pulled Bradley's arm, nearly dragging him across the hall. "C'mon, Bradley. We have to go. Now."

    Heel. Pause. Toe. It was line dancing, horror style.

    Bradley's eyes opened, and stayed open. "Oh, thank God!" Audrey breathed, getting to her feet. She kept hold of Bradley's forearm.