Daddy Won't Kill You- The Haunting in the Woods Page 9

  Reluctantly, he pulled his gaze back down to the deck, the job in-hand. When he’d decided to do this, inside the warm and cozy cabin he had felt stupid, but here in the frigid dark, it seemed insanely dangerous. The chair stood to one side and despite the darkness of the night, it was clearly visible. It appeared to be lit by moonlight, but the moon was nowhere and provided no illumination. For once, the chair was still.

  His footsteps sounded hollow as he walked across the deck. The sound on the seasoned wood had a feeling of dread settling deep within his gut. With his left foot, he pushed at the runners and the chair rocked gently, quietly, looking so ordinary.

  Angry, he kicked it harder and the chair responded to his antagonism. It jerked backward and then lurched toward him. Light emphasized the deep cuts across the arms. What had caused them? Had someone tried to cut it up? A deep foreboding had him wanting to dive back inside, but slowly, deliberately, he turned and sat down in the chair.

  Nothing happened! What did I expect? He pushed back a little. The chair creaked beneath his weight and rocked gently backward and forward. Closing his eyes, Steve put his hands on the chair’s arms. A shudder ran through him as his fingers traced the ragged ridges. Just nerves? He rocked gently, all the time his muscles tense, held rigid as he waited for something. For what, he didn’t know, but all that happened was the longer, he rocked, the more the seat hurt his back. He kept his eyes closed tight, feeling for anything unusual, but all he felt was impatience and a little anger. This should have been a great holiday, the last they would have here. Why had things gone so terribly wrong?

  With a sigh, he stood up, took one last look at the chair, and shook his head. Overwhelmed with fatigue and sadness, he walked back into the cabin.

  Steve slipped quietly into the bedroom with a tray in his arms. Lauren looked contrite, tied to the bed, her hands and legs bound and a gag in her mouth.

  A mixture of emotions rushed at him, guilt, sorrow, anger, and fear. He searched her eyes for ... madness? She looked tired and sad, but it was his Lauren, the woman he would die for.

  Putting down the tray, he bit back his guilt and undid the gag.

  A whoosh of air left her in a huge sigh, as if she had been holding her breath since he gagged her.

  Steve swallowed but his throat was dry as bone.

  “How are the pumpkins?” Lauren asked.

  “They’re scared, but strong. Lucy thinks it’s a game.”

  “I’m sorry. I just feel like I’ve woken from a nightmare. One I barely remember.”

  “No, I’m sorry.” Steve fumbled with the rope. He reached out a hand to rub her wrists where the skin was abraded and sore.

  “Forget it.” She took his hands and held them.

  He sat on the bed and offered her a cheese toasty. “So much for a relaxing holiday.”

  With a smile she picked up a sandwich, but put it back down again. “My stomach can’t face this and my throat’s as dry as sand. I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m struggling to eat too.” Steve remembered the insects crawling, the maggots rolling, and he closed his eyes, forcing the vision away before bile rose in his throat.

  “How are you? Any pain?” A deep crease of worry marred her forehead.

  “I’m fine. No pain and no tightness. I’m my old self.” Despite the pain, he kept his face neutral. She did not need more worry and there were more important things to discuss. “Have you any idea why?”

  Lauren took a bite of the sandwich. From the way her eyes darted away, it was now she who wanted to avoid the question.

  “Why I would eat insect pie?” She chewed mechanically and offered him one of the sandwiches.

  Steve picked it up and took a bite, not really wanting the food, but he needed something to take away the taste. The toast was like putty in his throat. The more he chewed, the more it clogged his mouth and the harder it was to swallow.

  Lauren finally looked at him. He knew she wanted to tell him, but something was stopping her.

  She swallowed, Steve did too and the dry toast seemed to scratch his esophagus as he forced it down.

  “The rocking chair. I think it’s ... possessed.”

  At last, he managed to swallow, but he put the rest of the sandwich down and rubbed her knee gently. For a moment, he watched her. Things were so surreal, and he was teetering between hysterical giggles and deep fear. Taking a deep breath, he said, “I thought you didn’t believe in all that mumbo jumbo.”

  Steve could see that she was floundering, desperate for an explanation, any explanation. “You know Mum believed. She always said I was sensitive too.”

  “You thought your mum was nuts, remember?” He could see the flash of anger and hurt his careless words had caused and wanted to take them back … too late.

  “Then sit in the damn thing, won’t you?”

  He hesitated. Could he make things worse? But she had to know. “I have.”

  “And!”

  Not wanting to make things worse, he stalled, rubbing a hand through his hair. “It’s just a chair, not that comfy. If it bothers you, keep out of it. Look, Lauren, it’s just stress. We need to get you to a doctor.”

  She dropped her eyes and stared at her hands. “You don’t trust me.”

  He put a gentle hand under her chin. “I’m scared, honey, for you, for the pumpkins, and for us.”

  She nodded, her eyes moist with tears of shame.

  “Eat your food. We have to walk to the top of the pass tomorrow, to get a signal.”

  She nibbled at the food. “That’s a long walk.”

  Chapter 18

  Steve and Lauren sat on the sofa in the cabin’s small, rustic living room. Lauren leaned against his shoulder, her golden curls bright against the red of his checked shirt. She seemed relaxed, normal. He had an arm around her shoulder but was still tense. Part of him was waiting for the next problem, the next episode, and would not relax until they had the option to leave.

  The curtains were drawn tight against the night and a fire burned in the hearth giving the room a warm and cozy orange glow. The children sat on the floor and on the old telly, 101 Dalmatians was coming to a close.

  “That was so cool. Can we have a puppy?” Lucy asked, her blue eyes large in a face that was hard to refuse.

  Steve groaned and Lauren chuckled.

  “Wow, that would be cool.” Chase looked like a child again, his eyes wide with excitement. “I could look after it. Take it for walks and teach it tricks and things. You’d never know we even had one.” Chase was excited, more excited that he had looked for a long time.

  “I don’t think so,” Steve said without even thinking. They had enough on their plate with Lauren, and an extra expense, extra stress, just wasn’t needed at the moment.

  “Mummy, please,” Lucy pleaded.

  Steve looked at Lauren. He had expected an immediate no, but she was thinking.

  “We’ll think about it,” she said. “But if we decide yes, there are conditions.”

  “Yes, yes, yes.” Lucy jumped for joy.

  “Okay, Mum.” Chase turned toward her to concentrate.

  “First, you would have to dog walk for Mrs. Wilson for a month. Then you would have to do four Saturdays at the pound. And then, if you still want one, you can have a dog.” Lauren searched their faces. Lucy was pouting. She didn’t fancy working for her dog, but Chase was still excited. He nodded and then yawned, his mouth so wide it filled his face.

  “Right.” Steve got off the sofa. “Bedtime.” He scooped Lucy up and carried her to her room. Chase followed.

  It was a beautiful autumn morning. The sun shone, and the birds sang out their joy from the surrounding trees.

  Outside the cabin, Lucy and Chase were excited and ready for the hike up to the pass.

  Lucy bobbed up and down, a pink rucksack on her back with Bunkie’s faded blue face poking out the top, his tattered ears bouncing each time she moved.

  Lauren stood to one side. She had deep circles under
her eyes and seemed distracted. She looked over as if someone called her and walked toward the chair. She was about to sit down when Steve appeared on the deck. He carried a larger pack and looked serious. He grabbed her arm. “No slacking.”

  Behind Lauren, the chair started to rock. Imperceptibly slowly, she moved to sit down. Steve felt a flash of annoyance and put himself between his wife and the chair.

  She tells me there’s a problem with the damn thing, and yet she won’t keep away.

  He pushed it with his boot, but it was hard to move and felt almost glued to the deck.

  “Just five minutes won’t hurt.” Lauren moved toward the chair.

  “We need to go now!” Steve took her arm and steered her away, but she resisted, a manic gaze crossing her face for just a second.

  Steve leaned in close. “For the pumpkins.”

  She relaxed and they stepped off the deck together.

  They walked across the grassy area before the lake. It shimmered in the early morning sunlight, a sight so peaceful that it was easy to forget the previous night’s drama.

  As she walked toward the forest, Lauren hesitated and looked back at the cabin. A strange, almost lost expression crossed her face.

  It scared him, and Steve could see she wanted to go back; he tugged her sleeve and she turned toward him.

  Anger flashed in her eyes and then it was gone so quickly, he doubted it had even been there. She smiled and they rushed to catch up with the kids.

  The forest trail was easy walking to start with. It followed a stream that bubbled and cascaded down to the lake. The water sparkled as it caught the sunlight and the sound seemed to ease Steve’s nerves. He began to relax.

  The trail gently wound around the side of the hill while the trees provided magnificent multi-colored shade. The leaves were turning from green to brown and were currently in a kaleidoscope of reds and yellows. It was almost too beautiful and they stopped frequently to soak in the magnificence.

  Chase found a stout stick and pointed out a red squirrel that watched them from a branch. It had an acorn caught between its delicate front paws.

  Chase stared in wonder. Then he scouted ahead, kicking at the fallen leaves. Laughing, he spun around, pointing out different trees and delighting in his knowledge of the forest. He was behaving as a child, with that wondrous joy only the innocent can feel in each delight.

  Lucy walked between her parents, constantly chattering about everything she saw. Steve could see that she had forgotten the night before. It amazed him how resilient the children could be. They both looked refreshed, as if they had slept well.

  It had been different for Steve. He had tied Lauren to the bed but it had still been nearly impossible to sleep. Between worry and fear, he’d tossed and turned the night away and felt exhausted even before the long hike had started.

  So far, Lauren seemed normal. Had he overreacted? Then he remembered her crunching down on the shell of a cockroach and he had to swallow hard to keep his breakfast.

  “Can we sing a song?” Lucy asked.

  Lauren smiled a happy, carefree smile. “What would you like to sing?”

  “The wheels on the bus,” Lucy said.

  “Not many buses up here,” Steve teased.

  “But, Dad, I do the first line, and then we have to make it up. You know.” She had her hands on her hips and looked so serious that he had to clamp his teeth down hard not to laugh.

  Keeping the smile from his face, he nodded and looked across at Lauren. She was totally relaxed and smiling. It was the first time in ages he had seen her looking so at ease and a huge grin spread across his face.

  “Fire away, little lady.”

  Lucy hopped up and down between them, trying hard to think of a line. Her forehead was scrunched up deep as she searched for the words.

  “I’ve got one,” Chase said.

  “You can be next.” Steve was so proud of how grown up his boy had become.

  Lucy giggled and started to sing. “The feet on the floor go up and down, up and down, up and down. The feet on the floor go up and down, all up the trail.” She stomped along, excited at her own verse.

  Steve picked her up and swung her onto his shoulders. A moment’s sadness overcame him. She was growing so quickly. How much longer would he be able to treat her as his little girl? “Not anymore, they don’t.”

  Lucy squealed with laughter, almost deafening him as she clung on tight to his neck.

  Chase was next. “The deer in the forest goes quietly by, quietly by, quietly by. The deer in the forest goes quietly by, all day long,” he sang in his high voice that occasionally broke. He really was growing up.

  The family laughed together for what seemed like the first time since Steve’s illness. Holding hands, they walked along in the glorious sunshine that dappled through the trees. It would be easy to forget the reason for the hike and think that this was just a family excursion, a way to make some good memories. How Steve wished that was true, but there was a nagging sensation in his stomach. A hollow that just wouldn’t go. It was as if he was waiting for the next problem, as if he was sure there would be one. Shaking his head, he tried to let the feeling go and to just concentrate on enjoying the hike.

  The further they got from the cabin, the more Lauren relaxed. Had her hair changed again? Steve thought it had. It looked like he always expected her to look, long golden curls that cascaded over her shoulders. She rarely changed her hair, but like most men, he was in trouble when he failed to notice. Was she mad at him because she was trying a change and he hadn’t noticed?

  “Have you done something to your hair?” he asked, better late than never.

  “As if you’d notice.” She laughed to take the sting out of her words.

  “Well, you look fabulous,” he said.

  The children scouted ahead, laughing and skipping and full of so much energy it made Steve feel even more tired. He had hoped the fatigue would wear off, but it was getting worse. All he wanted to do was sit down, but they had a long way to go yet and it was important he kept alert and vigilant, just in case Lauren … what … grew crazy again?

  Chase still had the stick and he would stop and point out things to his little sister. For the moment, they leaned over the stream. Chase was pointing out the little stickleback that basked in a pool at the edge.

  Lucy squealed with delight, like normal, and Chase led her further on.

  So far it was easy walking but this was a five-mile hike each way and Steve knew they would soon get tired.

  He reached out and took Lauren’s hand. It felt good that she didn’t pull away. He squeezed gently. “How you feeling?”

  “Normal. In fact, great. I think this trip was a good idea.”

  He nodded, fighting back the tears that threatened to burst from his eyes.

  “I’ve really missed this,” she said, pointing at the kids, who were bent over looking at something in the grass.

  “I know. Look, I’ve been thinking. If I do one night a week consulting, you could cut down your hours and go back to part-time.”

  “Really?” she asked, surprise and joy on her face.

  “Yeah. I would enjoy it. You would be home more … we could be more of a family again.”

  The joy changed to concern and she stopped and touched his arm. “Your heart? Is it too soon to go back to work?”

  “Just one night a week,” he said.

  They walked on, each deep in thought. The trail gradually got steeper as the path wound up to the top of the hill.

  Chapter 19

  They arrived at the top of the pass. Everyone was a little less happy as they came out of the trees onto a magnificent hill top. The sun shone down on them, and Lauren gave thanks for the good weather. But there was a chill bite in the wind up here, so they should hurry.

  Steve took off his pack and pulled out a blanket and some food. He carefully checked the sandwiches, turning them over before handing them to the children.

  Lauren noticed his care
with the food and feeling a deep shame, she looked away. As far as the eye could see in all directions was open countryside.

  In front of them, the trees, in their autumn colors of reds and golds, were stretched down to the dark blue lake. It was like a patchwork quilt of so many colors, the eye could not keep up.

  She breathed in and out. She was fine; it had just been stress. Though she couldn’t remember what had happened, she knew Steve was scared. He had told her about the pies and though she believed him, it was hard to understand. Why would she do that? Fear lanced into her stomach. What if she had poisoned the children?

  It just didn’t bear thinking about.

  Turning, she looked over the other side of the hill. It was covered in purple heather. The view took her breath away as she watched an eagle catch a thermal and soar over the vista.

  She turned further around and could see a small village in the distance, it looked like a children’s toy and behind that was the deep blue of the ocean. It was a lovely place, but suddenly felt so remote. Without a car, they were stuck.

  She jumped as Steve put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right. I feel different now,” she said. “Maybe the walk was all I needed.”

  “I still want the car fixed.” Steve walked back to the kids, who were tucking into the food and juice he had prepared.

  “My legs feel funny,” Lucy said, chewing with gusto.

  “They’re just a little tired. Eat up. We’ll be on our way soon. How you doing, Chase?”

  “I’m fine,” he said with a brave smile, but he was also tired.

  Lauren felt both pride and sadness at their fortitude.

  “I’ll just make the call. You sit and enjoy some food,” Steve said.

  Lauren took a package from him and went to join the children. She watched as he walked the last few feet to the very top of the hill. As she tucked into a cheese sandwich, she couldn’t help but notice how pale he looked. Fear curled like a slippery snake in her gut. She would never forgive herself if she did something to hurt her family.