Inside by D.M. Siciliano

Author:D.M. Siciliano [Siciliano, D.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Parliament House

24

Reid

A chanting tribal song worked through the sleeping Reid. Drumbeats thrummed, softly at first, then became louder as Reid shook himself awake, rubbing at his heavy lids to clear the sleepiness and confusion. The last he remembered was that he and Heather were drifting off to sleep while Alex stood guard. Heather was a few feet away, but where was Alex?

The drums and song faded to nothing.

The room was shrouded in darkness, like a heavy cloud sat upon it, and Reid struggled to make out the outline of Alex’s body curled up on the floor.

An abnormal pulsing pushed at Reid’s skin. The room was vibrating with an energy that seemed tangible. Reid held his hand out and his fingertips vibrated. He could see it happening. At first it was a gentle lull in the darkness. Soon, it became harsh, like someone slapping his skin over and over. But he could take it. He’d taken worse before.

As the intensity grew, so did the light in the room—a soft gleam building with each moment as if someone had lit his lantern. Except it was coming from all directions. Light from no source. The flicker grew bright enough to fill the room. Reid looked back to Heather and saw fear in her wide eyes. She flung her hands up to her throat as she tried to scream, but nothing came out.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. “What is it?”

She didn’t respond. All that came out was a sick gurgling sound. She struggled with her neck, trying to pry off invisible hands. Her panic overwhelmed Reid. He charged forward, but when he reached her, he felt nothing. No one.

He pulled back, and screamed, “Stop! Heather, no one’s there!”

But as the words left his lips, he saw that he was wrong. He could see the indentation of her skin, where hands would be wrapped around her frail throat. Invisible fingers pressed down, cutting off her air. How could he pry those untouchable hands off her?

The house shook and it rolled through his body. It tossed him backwards.

After righting himself, he watched Heather stare up into a face that wasn’t there. She cowered with nowhere to run or hide.

Reid pushed forward, feeling like he was wading through thick mud. He only had a few feet to go, but he couldn’t get to her. He swung his arms and slogged through the unseen muck. The closer he got, the more he picked up a smell. Ash, smoke, and something bitter he couldn’t identify. That last smell came off Heather in waves—salty, sweaty, sour.

An image popped into his mind, and suddenly he could picture the house, its evil, standing like a dark blob, a black hole sucking in all of Heather’s fear. Reid squeezed his eyes shut, then flung them open and pushed forward, shaking the image away.

“Heather, calm down. There’s nothing there.” He hoped that was true. He pulled her hands away from her throat. “See?”

She swallowed audibly and sucked in air, finally able to breathe.

Her words came out strained.

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