Chapter 21

"What's wrong?" Steven answered the phone, alerted by his caller ID.

"I think we have a problem," Mark said bluntly. "I helped Kristen from the bathroom back to bed, then went back for a glass of water. In the time it took, a message appeared, scrawled in red across the mirror. It said, 'He is near. Beware.' No one knows what happened to Emma's husband." He paused, sharing Steven's silent horror for a moment, then asked, "Do you have a good set of binoculars? Maybe you could take a look over here from your roof?"

"No, unfortunately. You and Kristen should come stay here tonight, though. You can call the sheriff and say you heard an intruder and they'll come out and investigate the place," he suggested worriedly.

"Good idea. We'll be over in just a little while -- If we're not there in, say, 20 minutes, and I haven't called, something's wrong," Mark said.

"Good. See you soon."

Mark returned to the bed and scooped Kristen up in his arms. He carried her downstairs, out to the jeep.

"Mmm? Sweetheart?" she asked. "I thought we were going to bed?" She sounded a touch more coherent than she had before.

"We're going to stay at your dad's house tonight."

"Why?" she asked.

He hesitated, not really wanting to answer her, but finally said, "There was a warning on the mirror. I don't think it's safe here."

She paled. "Someone was in the house? In our room? What sort of warning?"

He shook his head. "I think it was from the ghost. There wasn't time for someone to get into the bathroom and write it. It said 'He is near. Beware.'"

Kristen swallowed hard. "So what are we doing? Besides spending the night at my dad's house, I mean." She was trying for a calm, unafraid tone, but her arms tightened anxiously around his neck.

He squeezed her reassuringly. "I don't know yet," he said, his eyes darting around, trying to stay aware of everything as he deposited her in the jeep. There was nothing unusual, though, nothing out of place around his house or on the drive to Steven's.

Steven met them at the door. "Have you called the sheriff?"

Mark shook his head. "Not yet. I wanted to get her out of there." He sighed. "And I'm trying to figure out what I can tell them that won't make them think I'm nuts. 'A ghost warned me'? Yeah, right."

Steven smiled. "Lie, son. Just tell them you heard something large in the bushes outside, and thought it might be an intruder. Or better yet, you saw a light in the woods and heard shouting."

Mark grinned sheepishly. "Right. Should have thought of that. I'm going to head back over and call them."

Steven shook his head, laying a hand on Mark's arm. "Don't risk going back there. Call from your cell phone. Say you headed over to see if we'd heard anything."

With a nod, Mark pulled out his cellphone and dialed the small police station's emergency number.

"Sheriff Wilkes," came the drowsy answer.

"This is Mark Hasseran. I've got a bit of a problem -- I think someone's messing around in the bushes outside my house."

"Hmm. Probably kids," the sheriff said, "They used to get together out that way. Want me to take a look around?"

"Yeah, if you would. I'm actually over at Steven Davis' place now -- I wanted to see if he'd heard anything around his house," Mark said.

"Had he? Hmm ... his daughter at home?"

"Yeah, she'd just gotten back from the hospital with a broken ankle," Mark answered. "They got in a few minutes before I did, and they hadn't heard anything."

"Damn. Thought it might have been her meeting a boyfriend out that way or somethin'." The sheriff sighed. "Okay, I'll head on down that way. I'll call you back at this number after I check the place out."

"Thanks," Mark said. "I'm going to stay over here until I hear from you."

"Not a bad idea. It's probably nothing, but we have some weird things happening recently. People just seem to get crazy this time of year," Sheriff Wilkes said tiredly.

Mark stated his agreement and ended the call. Kristen was waiting on the couch for him, looking small and scared. He sat down beside her, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "It'll be okay, love." She cuddled up close, then winced in pain, and he kissed her forehead. "Sorry, baby," he said. "You want me to carry you upstairs and put you to bed?"

"No!" She clutched at him, eyes wide. "No, I don't want to be alone."

"Shhh ... Okay, love, okay," he soothed. "You do realize that I can't snuggle you like this once the sheriff gets here, though, right?" he asked reluctantly.

"Oh," she said in a small voice, then sighed. "That's okay, I guess. I just don't want to be by myself."

Mark caressed her cheek, a worried frown on his face. "I don't blame you, love."

Steven looked at her assessingly, then asked, "Mark, you brought her pain pills, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did."

"Kris, go ahead and take a pain pill, sweetie," her father suggested. "That shot has worn off. Sleeping is better than worrying." Mark, in complete agreement, dug in his pocket for the pills, but Kristen frowned.

"If I go to sleep, you'll still stay with me, right?" she asked anxiously. "You won't leave me alone?"

"I won't leave you alone, love," Mark promised.

Reluctantly, but in enough pain that she couldn't really argue, Kristen took the pill, and was asleep before the sheriff called back, about half an hour later.

"We didn't find anything, Mark," he said. "Just some footprints in the mud around the pond, but they could be anyone's. It hasn't rained recently, either, so not sure how old they are."

Mark sighed. "Well, maybe it was nothing, but ... eh. Maybe I'm just jittery."

"Understandable," Sheriff Wilkes said, a trace of amusement in his voice. "City boy all by his lonesome out in the middle of nowhere. Could be bears or somethin'. Anyway, I checked it out, and it seems okay."