Soul Flyer by Karin Raven Steininger

Author:Karin Raven Steininger [Steininger, Karin Raven]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-05-24T22:00:00+00:00

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On the gravelled drive outside, the Reverend Matthew Hopkins slammed the car door shut and stared up at the darkened face of the house. The windows were drawn and the sky behind was lit with a haze of stars. He waited, his body tense, but whatever had made that infernal, ghastly noise had ceased. Frowning, he turned away. Some night creature, he supposed, scuttling back into the darkness from whence it came. Brushing it from his mind, Matthew walked quickly across the path to the back gate, his robes flowing in his wake.

A good night, he smiled, nodding to himself as the metal latch creaked open. The congregation gathering around him were rich and fervent with belief, especially that young Ben. He smiled again, such a good choice for his daughter.

Matthew let the gate bang behind, feeling his heart clutch in regret that his Rosalind hadn’t felt well enough to join them this evening. May she find peace, he prayed softly. May she be sleeping well and safe.

His footsteps crunched as he rounded the back of the house and entered the secluded peacefulness of the garden. As he always did when he returned late, Matthew glanced up towards the second floor, his daughter’s window; it was the largest, double cased and situated behind a small balcony in the centre.

Matthew stopped. A single spot was glowing within the vastness of the dark stone brick. Rosalind had retired, her high window draped with cloth emitting only the faintest of wavering lights.

So like her mother, Matthew smiled. She too had preferred the gentle soothing flicker of candles. In this modern world, he mused, the old ways were still best.

Relishing in the peaceful quietness, Matthew turned back from his daughter’s window and headed towards the back door. Pulling the long brass key from under his robes, he had turned it only once in the lock when the terrible sound erupted once more into the night.

Fear hackled across Matthew’s skin. After a dreadful pause, in which it seemed the very heavens drew breath, the sound came again - louder this time, rising in tone and urgency, on and on and on, a wanton lowing shattering the stillness. Staring up into the centre window, Matthew whispered a single desperate word.

‘No!’

The wretched noise erupted again as Matthew rushed into the house.

What was happening? He stopped on the first landing, trying to gauge its direction. A lull, and then it came again, from somewhere on the first floor, gathering in strength and intensity.

Where was Rosalind?

His heart pounding, Matthew flew up the stairs as the sound gathered intensity.

Reaching his daughter’s room, Matthew threw his weight against the door.

It was locked. Inside the moaning was reaching a fevered crescendo, wailing higher, shrieking now its desire for release.

Gathering his strength, Matthew hurled his body against the door once more and burst open into an abruptly silent room.

Darkness waited.

Desperately he searched for the light switch, his fingers draping the wall behind the door. He flicked it on.

The light glared, dazzling his eyes. Blinking rapidly, Matthew rushed into the centre of his daughter’s room.

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