Chapter 2

The farther I walked from the house the lighter I began to feel. I decided to do a little outside exploration and walked around to the west end of the yard. The grass was so tall that it came up to my waist. The seed tops were dry and the chaff clung to my clothing. I discovered some over-grown roses with a few late blossoms still clinging tenuously to life. I picked one and was just inhaling its fragrance when the hair on the back of my neck began to stand on end. I could feel my entire body tense. Slowly, as if I had no choice, I turned my head toward the house. Someone — or something — was watching me. I cast my gaze around but could see no one.

I turned away to continue my walk, but I just could not shake that uneasy feeling. I looked at the house again. Then I saw her. Up in the window of the Red Velvet Suite was a woman. She looked young, but it was difficult to tell from that distance. I couldn't make out her features, nor did I have time to contemplate the situation. At that particular moment there was a terrible sound. It started, it seemed, in the bowels of the house and rumbled upward to exit in the form of a terrible feral-sounding growl. No, not actually a growl. More like a groan.

It's hard to describe the feeling I had at that moment. A sense of urgency, the likes of which I had never known, came over me. I knew that someone, maybe everyone in that house, was in terrible danger. I ran back to the rear of the structure. Just as I rounded the corner I saw Bruce dashing out of the back door covering his head with both arms.

"What the fuck?" I yelled as I ran toward him. "What happened?"

He stopped running and dropped to his knees. He was gasping for breath and rubbing the back of his head. "I think something just attacked me!"

"Give me a break. I think your imagination is running away with you."

"If you don't believe me, go look for yourself. The kitchen is a mess. Things started flying off the walls and tables and bouncing off my head. Go see." The man actually appeared to be angry with me.

I was hesitant about returning to the house, but something was drawing me in. It seemed to beckon to me and I just could not resist. As if in a stupor, I let my feet carry me back up the steps and across the unstable threshold. I heard the excited voices of my other companions. I followed the sound as it led me to the kitchens. The sight I observed through the doorway amazed me. Pictures and cookbooks, pots and pans, all manner of inanimate objects hovered motionless overhead. The minute I walked into the room, however, all these items simultaneously dropped to the floor. The room became absolutely still.

Then there was a rush of voices as Grable barked orders and the others ran to carry them out. He walked in from the butler's pantry carrying a bizarre object that looked like a Geiger counter. He was picking his way across the floor passing the object over the things that were strewn about. I heard Bruce behind me.

"I told you. Whatever it is, it doesn't like me much."

Kyle spoke up. "It all stopped when Allinson walked in the room."

"Makes sense," Bruce said. "It all started the minute she left."

I snapped my head around at him. He was eyeing me with suspicion. "What do you mean?"

"The minute you left the first thing hit me. Then, when I looked up, something else was coming at my head."

I noticed a smear of something on the side of his face. "What was the first thing that hit you?"

He graced me with a goofy grin. "My sandwich."

I stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. "A slapstick ghost!" I yelled. I conjured a mental image of his sandwich suddenly taking flight and slapping him in the face. As Ted returned to the room with equipment in hand he demanded to know what was so funny.

"Bruce was attacked by the spirits of The Three Stooges!" I nearly fell over as Ted began to feed off my boisterous mirth and join me in laughter. Bruce did not look amused, nor did Kyle. But I saw Maryanne hide her giggle behind her hand.

"I might have gotten a concussion," Bruce muttered. "I suppose you would have laughed yourself into a stroke for that."

I sobered up immediately. "You're right. I'm sorry. It's not funny." I looked at Ted who was trying to calm down. "Nope, I was wrong. It's fucking hysterical." We were both seized with fits of giggles again and Bruce stalked out of the room.

"Aw," I said with a pout. "I think I hurt his feelings."

That was Ted's undoing as he fell into a chair. The chair creaked and collapsed under his slight weight. That's when I discovered that Kyle had a sense of humor after all. His wife stopped trying to hide it and guffawed loudly.

I gasped for breath and wiped the tears off my face. "I better go check on him," I said as I stepped over Ted's cackling body.

I took the same path down which Bruce had disappeared. I looked in every room that I passed and decided he must have returned upstairs. As I climbed the steps, I heard him yell. I ran as fast as I could and threw open his door. Running through the sitting room to the bedroom, I found him pinned under a huge armoire. The top corner of the wooden cabinet was lying on the edge of the bed while the bottom had one of his legs held fast.

"Dear God," I hissed. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"Yeah," he grunted. "See if you can get some help, will ya?"

I snorted my disgust at him and wedged my shoulder under one corner. I put my back into it and it lifted just enough for him to pull his leg out. As soon as he was clear I let it fall back down. There was a loud cracking sound as the dry wood broke and splintered. "You okay? How's the leg?"

"It hurts, thank you," he said as he rubbed his bruised shinbone.

"Let me take a look at it." When he hesitated I snorted again. "I won't bite. Lift your pant leg."

He tugged at the stiff cloth but his jeans would not allow access. "It's fine," he said as he jerked the fabric back in place.

"Slip 'em off." He looked at me like a virgin at a frat party. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you're shy? I'm trying to render first aid here. Get 'em off."

He complied reluctantly. Once he had his shoes and his jeans off I poked around on his injured leg. It was going to be sore as hell for a few days but it didn't look to be anything too serious. "I think you'll live," I told him as I stared at his muscular thighs. Then I had the sudden realization that my mouth was watering. I wondered if he could tell what I was thinking. Putting my hand on his knee I raised myself off the floor. "I'm sorry I made fun of you downstairs. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You didn't," he stated testily as he reached for his jeans.

"Oh, my, you're blushing. How cute!" My statement only served to make his color climb a little higher. I started to laugh again. Why was I acting this way? I didn't even know this man.

"Don't start that shit again," he grumbled and tossed his jeans aside.

I cleared my throat and sobered up. "Sorry," I offered. "You gonna stay mad at me all night?"

He smiled finally and shook his head. "How can I stay mad at you?"

I smiled back. "I'm glad to hear it. I really am sorry, you know."

"Oh, yeah? Prove it." He had a wicked gleam in his eye, and I liked it.

"All right, just tell me how."

"How about a kiss?"

I had to cock an eyebrow at that one. But what the hell else does a soon-to-be-single-again, pseudo-psychic, thirty-something female with an unappeased over-active libido have better to do? I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. I reached up on my toes and still was not tall enough so I pulled his head down to mine. I kissed him softly and let it end naturally. Damn, he tasted good. I settled back down to the flats of my feet.

"How was that?" I asked. It occurred to me, yet again, that I was not behaving like myself.

"Pretty disappointing."

I was a bit taken aback but I was always one to rise to the challenge so I kissed him again. This time I put a little oomph into it, even using my tongue. I felt his arms snake around my waist and press me closer. The heat from his body was scrumptious. It had been too long since a man had touched me and this was the sexiest man I had ever met. I wanted more.

The kiss ended with both of us trying to catch our breath. "Wow," he said as he pressed his forehead to mine. "You're forgiven."

I smiled at his chest and tried to come up with another way to piss him off. He released me just then and strode out of the room. Now where the hell was he going? I heard the outer door close and the unmistakable click of a lock snapping in place. Then he returned to the bedroom and closed that door. He turned to me and wrapped his arms around me again. This time when the kiss ended his mouth traveled lower to caress my throat. I moaned a little as his hands slipped into my jacket and smoothed it off my shoulders. It landed on the floor around my feet. Next I felt his fingers starting to unbutton my shirt as his mouth wandered lower. He stopped suddenly and turned away from me.

For the briefest moment in time, I was afraid that he had changed his mind. Imagine how thrilled I was when he kicked aside the broken remnants of the armoire and peeled the dusty blankets off the bed. Without speaking he grabbed me around the ribs and fairly tossed me on the bed. Bruce had the look of a man possessed as he tore my shoes off and peeled away my socks. He pulled my jeans and panties off in one swoop and popped a couple of buttons off my shirt before he had it removed. My bra disappeared and I was lying completely naked trying to get my hands on him.

Bruce removed the rest of his own clothing with the same enthusiasm before landing on me. His hands and mouth covered my entire body with fire. I heard myself moaning loudly and begging him for more. I nearly fainted again when his mouth burrowed into my mound and took hold of my clit. He stopped just short of giving me what I knew was meant to be a blinding orgasm, and I cried out in desperation. He silenced my wail with his mouth as he nearly smothered me with another kiss. His tongue danced against mine until I dug my claws into his back.

He rammed his manhood into my sex in one thunderous stroke. The shock of it caused me to scream again while I dug my heels into the mattress to shove my pelvis up against him. His cock pounded into me furiously sending me climbing higher and higher. His cries joined my own in a savage chorus of animal sex. Over and over he thrust into me, moving faster and harder. I felt the explosion building in me and climbing higher. All sound was suddenly blocked out as time stood still. Then I heard the rush of blood in my ears and saw pin-points of light detonate within my vision. I arched my back and with primal groans gave myself over to the most incredible orgasm of my life.

Bruce bucked wildly against me, growling as I had never heard a man growl. Then his body tensed and he slammed into me once more. I felt the blast of hot liquid against my womb. He grunted like a wild man, falling on top of me. We stayed joined together in throbbing ecstasy, struggling for life-sustaining oxygen.

When I felt him start to shift his weight I clung to him tighter. "No," I said as I held him still.

Then I heard him chuckle against the side of my head. "Well, that was interesting," he said and I laughed too.

"I'm not sure how that just happened but... ," I said.

Bruce stopped laughing and rolled off me. He sat up on the edge of the bed. "I'm sorry, Allinson." He sounded upset. "I don't know what came over me. I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

I looked at his back in confusion. "No, I'm fine. Really. It's okay."

He didn't seem convinced as he stood and gathered his clothing. "I feel like a real ass. I've never done anything like that before."

"Well," I said as I pulled a gritty sheet over my nudity, "if it's any consolation, neither have I." I got off the bed to stand behind him.

My statement only seemed to upset him further. "Jesus. I don't know what happened. I behaved like an animal. Are you sure you're all right?"

He still hadn't looked at me. I reached out a hand and touched him, but he flinched and moved away. "Okay, I'm going out on a limb here, but couldn't you tell that I wasn't resisting?"

He snapped his head around as he zipped his jeans. "That doesn't excuse my behavior. I don't do things like this!" He was yelling at this point.

"Well, neither do I!" I yelled back. "You think this is normal for me? Everything I've done since walking into this creepy hellhole has been completely out of character for me."

This seemed to settle him down a little as he gathered up my clothes. He handed them to me and looked me in the eye. "I'm sorry," he said yet again. "Let's never speak of this again. We can just forget it happened."

I was hurt, and I mean really hurt. I wanted to kick him. "Thanks a lot. Don't sugar-coat it or anything. Tell me how you really feel." I turned my back on him and started getting dressed.

"Damn it!" he hissed behind me. "I didn't mean it like that. Any guy with half a brain would... God damn it." He grabbed my shoulders and turned me to face him. "I like you. I do. I think you're gorgeous and sexy and smart. I was hoping to get a chance to ask you out once this weekend was ended. And I was even hoping you would say yes. But what just happened here is not normal. I don't know how it happened and I don't know why."

I wasn't convinced. "I don't need you to patronize me."

"I wasn't patronizing you, dammit! I'm trying to tell you something."

"Fine," I said as I buttoned all but the two missing bottom buttons on my shirt. "You told me." I took my jacket and headed for the door.

"Allinson..." He sounded exasperated and I didn't give a crap. "Allinson, stop. Let me talk to you, will you?" He caught up to me and grabbed my arm.

I looked pointedly at his hand and back at his face. He released me and I went on my way, seething and ready to lash out at whoever made the mistake of crossing my path.

I walked up the hall and past the staircase as the others were ascending. I continued along until I arrived at the Red Velvet Suite. It took me a minute before I had the nerve to push the door open. I stood another minute before entering. There was a sadness inside this room that drained my self-righteous anger. It was oppressive and it was uncomfortable. I picked up my bags from the floor and carried them to the bedroom. That room was even worse. As I drew near the bed I heard a woman sigh. I smelled the fragrance of roses. Incoherent whispers rose up, getting louder the closer I got to the bed. There was a giggle and then a scream. I gasped and dropped my bags. I heard an explosion, like a gunshot, and another scream. I ran for the door.

Half-way across the sitting room I stopped. I had ten thousand dollars worth of camera equipment in those bags and I wasn't about to leave them. I retrieved the cameras and my overnight case but when I reached for my bedroll I distinctly heard a woman's voice pleading, "No, Jacob, please, I'll do anything!"

I figured the house could keep my sleeping bag. I ran out and was fairly flying as I passed Ted and ran down the stairs. My feet never stopped moving until I was standing next to my car. I was shaking and gasping for breath as I fumbled with my keys. The sun had begun to set and, under the shade of the giant oak, the light was almost too dim to see by. I had just gotten the door open and tossed my things inside when I heard an upstairs window slam open.

"Allinson! Get up here now!" Ted screamed at me.

"Fuck you, I'm going home," I hurled back.

"Get up here before Bruce gets killed!" He was whining horribly.

I stood for a moment with my keys in my hand trying to convince myself that Bruce deserved whatever he got. Finally I let out a primitive scream, shoving the keys in my pocket, and ran back to the house. I moved quickly without looking into the rooms I passed. Finally, breathless and sweating, I was in Bruce's rooms. I was both appalled and amazed. All the furniture in the room was piled haphazardly in the far corner. All I could see of Bruce was an arm sticking out of the pile. Kyle was busily snapping photos as Maryanne aimed some sort of electronic gizmo at the mess.

"Fucking scientists," I yelled as I ran to the corner to dig Bruce out.

After a few moments the others joined in. It took several minutes but we were finally able to free him from the mess. He was bleeding from the nose and the side of his head, but he was walking and he was talking. Well, more like he was yelling. Kyle was dancing around in excitement, as if he had discovered a cure for cancer. Ted was just being Ted.

"Well," I said. "That settles it. You got bad karma." I played at dusting him off until he grabbed my wrist.

He dragged me into the hall and pinned me to the wall. "Just what the hell kind of game are you playing here?"

I was at a loss. Was he really blaming me for what had just happened? "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Somehow this is all connected to you. I want to know what's going on. I'm under attack here."

"It would certainly seem so, Bruce." I remained impassive — not an easy trick for me — until he calmed down a bit.

Finally he released me. "If I find out you had anything to do with any of this, you're going to be sorry," he stated impotently.

I reached up and placed a hand on his arm. Looking at his bruised face I suddenly felt sorry for the way I had acted. "Bruce, all I know is that someone died in the master suite and died violently. I'm getting the hell out of here. Why don't you come with me before you get killed."

"Good idea," he said. He went back to his rooms and gathered his things.

Grable was still snapping pictures and taking notes as Bruce passed by. Finally alerted to the mutiny afoot Kyle raised his head. "Where are you going?" he demanded.

"We're leaving this place, and if you're smart you'll do the same." Bruce grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the stairway.

"Wait for me!" Ted screeched as he ran for his bags. But when we didn't slow down he yelled, "Fuck it," and ran after us.

We hurried through the rooms toward the back of the house. As we neared the kitchens a loud banging noise started overhead. I looked up as Bruce pulled me along faster. Ted was whining behind us. We traveled through the dining room at a good clip but pulled up short as the door to the butler's pantry that led to the kitchens slammed in our faces. Bruce tried to ram it open but it wouldn't budge.

We turned and headed for the breakfast room but that door slammed shut too. Every doorway that led to the back entranceway was blocked before we could get to it. I heard Bruce cursing as he turned around, not knowing what to do. Grable appeared from behind us. "It looks like no one's going anywhere," he said smugly.

Ted immediately stepped between us. He put his hands on my shoulders. "Now, Allinson, try to remember that I need my job." So I tried to control my anger, another thing I'm not very good at.

Bruce had both his fists clenched. "Just what do you suggest we do?" he demanded of Kyle.

"I suggest we all try to get some sleep and sort it out in the morning. But first let's get something to eat. Who's hungry?"

"Is this guy serious?" I asked the air in front of me.

"There's only one thing wrong with your plan, Kyle." Bruce was nearly in a rage. "We can't get to the fucking kitchen!"

I sat down carefully in a chair near a window. A small puff of dust rose around me. Voices were on every side of me. They had become so loud that I could barely hear what the rest of our little party was saying. I felt my stomach lurch and I feared that I might vomit. I wanted to run. I wanted to scream. I wanted to tell everyone to shut the hell up and make the voices go away. Was I losing my mind? The room was spinning out of control at that point. I was afraid that I was going to die. And one voice spoke louder than the rest, desperate in its pleading, "No, Jacob, please, I'll do anything!" Then there was the sound of a door slamming and fists pounding against it. Other sounds followed and then there was blackness.

Whispering. Whispering voices touched me from far away. "She's coming around now," I heard one say. Something cold and wet touched my forehead and I opened my eyes to a sea of cobalt blue.

"Do you mind? She's my friend," Ted's unmistakable, effeminate voice lashed out. Then I saw him. He was smiling at me as if everything was perfectly normal.

I sneezed.

"You fainted, baby-doll," Ted told me. "Are you ill?"

I sat up. When I saw Grable's face I wanted to punch his lights out. "Hey, asshole, he killed her lover and locked her away, didn't he?"

"Yes," the asshole answered.

"Then she killed herself. She couldn't stand it when he came to visit her night after night. Couldn't stand to have him touch her, could she? And when he found her dead he killed himself, right?"

"Yes."

"For years he kept her locked away in those rooms, the Red Velvet Suite, the rooms you put me in. You unbelievable prick. You knew this would happen."

"No, I didn't."

"Why does this house want me?"

Grable didn't answer me but I could see he knew the solution to the riddle. I grabbed Ted's arm and used his body as leverage to climb to my unsteady feet. "Why does it want me and why does it want Bruce dead? Answer me or I swear there will be another murder in this house." I was absolutely livid.

"The answer is in the master suite." He couldn't quite meet my eyes.

Bruce, glaring at Grable, took hold of my arm again. He ushered me quickly upstairs with the others fairly running to keep up. When we got to the master suite Bruce whirled around to face Kyle. "Show me," he demanded of his former friend.