hasn’t taught you how to initiate a trance yet?” she
asked.
“No,” Steven answered, “but to be honest, we haven’t really
had the time.”
“You need to learn it,” Eliza said. “There’s much more
available to you in a trance. It’s not as convenient as the River, because you
normally have to incapacitate your body while you trance, but you can go deeper
and see more things. He’ll show you soon, I’ll bet.”
“Hope so, I feel like I’m missing out on the party,” Steven
said.
“Well, in this case,” Eliza said, “be grateful. If you’re not
tagged by that device, that’s a good thing.”
They emerged into the room containing the stairs. Steven
stopped and grabbed Eliza’s arm.
“Look, on the staircase!” he said, pointing.
They both dropped into the River immediately. The dark woman
was about half way up the stairs, ascending. She floated smoothly above the
stairs just as she had done the night before.
Steven motioned with his head to Eliza that he intended to
follow the figure. He quietly walked to the staircase and began walking up,
several steps behind the dark woman. Eliza was right behind him with her hand
on his back. Steven was terrified that the woman might turn around to face him
at any moment, but she did not. Once the figure reached the top of the stairs,
it turned and glided down the hallway in the opposite direction of their
sleeping rooms. It was headed towards the corner bedroom.
Steven turned to look at Eliza, who nodded to him in
encouragement. They reached the top of the stairs and followed the woman.
The dark woman reached the closed door of the bedroom about
ten feet ahead of Steven and Eliza. The figure didn’t stop at the door, but
passed through it and into the room. Steven and Eliza dropped out of the flow.
“Do we go in?” Steven asked.
“No,” Eliza said. “You go get your stuff, and we’ll get out
of here.”
They turned and walked down the hallway in the opposite
direction. They passed the head of the stairs and eventually found Steven’s
bedroom. Eliza waited outside as he changed and retrieved his phone from the
nightstand, then glanced around the room to make sure he didn’t leave anything
else.
“I wonder what’s in there,” Steven said as he walked out of
the room.
“In where?” Eliza said.
“The corner bedroom, where we saw her go.”
“Are you kidding?” Eliza said. “We want to leave, not get
deeper into this.”
They walked back into the hallway.
“We could just open the door, take a look,” Steven said.
“Percival warned us about two things,” Eliza said. “That
room, and the marchers. He was right about the marchers.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Steven said. They walked down the
stairs to join the others in the dining room, but Steven knew that if he’d been
on his own, he would have opened the door to the corner bedroom and taken a
look inside. Probably a stupid move, he thought. Glad she stopped me.
Once they reached the dining room, everyone rose from the
table and Jonathan led them to the kitchen and the side door. They walked out
into the yard. The light of dawn made the lawn and the front yard very visible.
“Let’s go,” Jonathan said, leading them towards the brick path. Steven shut the
door to the house behind him.
As they started down the path, Steven felt his heartbeat
increase. He glanced from side to side, looking for threats. He saw none. The
lawn looked as quiet and beatific as when they’d first arrived. If they only
knew , he thought.
His heart picked up again as they approached the spot where
he figured the attack had occurred. He wasn’t anxious to see Marilyn’s body.
After several minutes, Jonathan came to a stop, looking down
at the path. “This must have been it,” he said. There were dark splotches and
smears on the bricks.
“We were off the path,” Steven said, glancing to the left.
There was nothing there, where he figured Marilyn’s body must have landed.
“The
asked.
“No,” Steven answered, “but to be honest, we haven’t really
had the time.”
“You need to learn it,” Eliza said. “There’s much more
available to you in a trance. It’s not as convenient as the River, because you
normally have to incapacitate your body while you trance, but you can go deeper
and see more things. He’ll show you soon, I’ll bet.”
“Hope so, I feel like I’m missing out on the party,” Steven
said.
“Well, in this case,” Eliza said, “be grateful. If you’re not
tagged by that device, that’s a good thing.”
They emerged into the room containing the stairs. Steven
stopped and grabbed Eliza’s arm.
“Look, on the staircase!” he said, pointing.
They both dropped into the River immediately. The dark woman
was about half way up the stairs, ascending. She floated smoothly above the
stairs just as she had done the night before.
Steven motioned with his head to Eliza that he intended to
follow the figure. He quietly walked to the staircase and began walking up,
several steps behind the dark woman. Eliza was right behind him with her hand
on his back. Steven was terrified that the woman might turn around to face him
at any moment, but she did not. Once the figure reached the top of the stairs,
it turned and glided down the hallway in the opposite direction of their
sleeping rooms. It was headed towards the corner bedroom.
Steven turned to look at Eliza, who nodded to him in
encouragement. They reached the top of the stairs and followed the woman.
The dark woman reached the closed door of the bedroom about
ten feet ahead of Steven and Eliza. The figure didn’t stop at the door, but
passed through it and into the room. Steven and Eliza dropped out of the flow.
“Do we go in?” Steven asked.
“No,” Eliza said. “You go get your stuff, and we’ll get out
of here.”
They turned and walked down the hallway in the opposite
direction. They passed the head of the stairs and eventually found Steven’s
bedroom. Eliza waited outside as he changed and retrieved his phone from the
nightstand, then glanced around the room to make sure he didn’t leave anything
else.
“I wonder what’s in there,” Steven said as he walked out of
the room.
“In where?” Eliza said.
“The corner bedroom, where we saw her go.”
“Are you kidding?” Eliza said. “We want to leave, not get
deeper into this.”
They walked back into the hallway.
“We could just open the door, take a look,” Steven said.
“Percival warned us about two things,” Eliza said. “That
room, and the marchers. He was right about the marchers.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Steven said. They walked down the
stairs to join the others in the dining room, but Steven knew that if he’d been
on his own, he would have opened the door to the corner bedroom and taken a
look inside. Probably a stupid move, he thought. Glad she stopped me.
Once they reached the dining room, everyone rose from the
table and Jonathan led them to the kitchen and the side door. They walked out
into the yard. The light of dawn made the lawn and the front yard very visible.
“Let’s go,” Jonathan said, leading them towards the brick path. Steven shut the
door to the house behind him.
As they started down the path, Steven felt his heartbeat
increase. He glanced from side to side, looking for threats. He saw none. The
lawn looked as quiet and beatific as when they’d first arrived. If they only
knew , he thought.
His heart picked up again as they approached the spot where
he figured the attack had occurred. He wasn’t anxious to see Marilyn’s body.
After several minutes, Jonathan came to a stop, looking down
at the path. “This must have been it,” he said. There were dark splotches and
smears on the bricks.
“We were off the path,” Steven said, glancing to the left.
There was nothing there, where he figured Marilyn’s body must have landed.
“The
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