A Family Affair: A Novel of Horror by V. J. Banis

Author:V. J. Banis
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: stephen king, horror, dark fantasy, Fiction, Suspense, gothic romance
ISBN: 9781434445285
Publisher: Wildside Press, LLC
Published: 2012-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

It was evening when she awoke. The light that managed to find its way through the window of her room was all but gone. Jennifer’s first realization was that she had slept through most of the day, after collapsing in exhaustion across her bed. She had not, she realized to her disgust, even taken the necessary time to pull back the spread, with the result that the front of her gray suit was now dismally black from the dirt that still clung to the spread.

“It can’t matter much,” she said unhappily, looking down at the suit. It was already so crumpled and torn that it would never again be restored to good looks.

After a moment’s consideration, she decided she did not feel much better as a result of the extended nap. Her head was splitting and her hunger had developed into gnawing pains that began at her stomach and spread through her entire body. Even sitting up in the bed as she did now was an effort that sorely taxed her vanishing strength.

She looked again at the darkened window. Her spirits sank still lower as she realized she had slept the day away. The daylight was gone and she had intended to do something about her car. Now she would have to spend another night in this crazy house. And by morning, unless she found something to eat, her strength would be even further diminished. It seemed unlikely to her that she could even manage the walk back to her car, assuming she could find the way.

The door opened suddenly without advance warning. Jennifer turned her head in that direction, intending to snap at the intruder. To her delight, though, it was the young girl who had been beside her in the dining room, the one who had taken no part in the farce of eating. Slight as their bond was, Jennifer looked upon this child as the one genuinely friendly person in the place, and she was truly glad to see her now.

“I came to see if you were feeling better,” the girl said, smiling brightly. There was something hauntingly sweet about the expression.

“I’m glad you did,” Jennifer said, and meant it “Please do come in. I—I’ve forgotten your name.”

“I’m Marcella.”

“And I’m Jennifer. Would you like to sit down. The bed is the best I can offer; here, let me turn the spread back.”

Marcella seated herself dutifully on a corner of the bed. “You don’t mind my coming for a visit?” she asked.

“Mind? Heavens, you don’t know what a relief it is to find someone sane in this house.”

“I’m supposed to be with the others, but Aunt Christine said I could miss the rites for the evening.”

“Oh, yes, the rites.” Jennifer walked to the window and looked down upon the front lawn. There they were, the whole lot of them, doing their queer little dance again. It looked, she thought, not unlike a children’s game; handholding and twirling about. Or a square dance, perhaps. But the impression was that it was more than just a game, or even a dance.

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