SWNOVELS Chapter With Her
Retreating inside she giggled when they clawed the sill and reached into the corridor to splay the floor. Heading for her feet. Leaves unfurled to expose brilliant pink and yellow buds interspersed with immaculate white ones unfolding with full petals.
Beth studied the vines with a shocked look. The colors dissipated in sparkling flakes. And everything below was dark and ugly again. A shroud of nightfall with old withered stems strewn like writhing snakes frozen by time.
“It’ll look like that soon, Little Miss. I promise you.”
“For Nora?” Youthful face shining she whispered. “You are the one. The one who leaves her the flowers, aren’t you?”
“I am.”
“Can I tell Nora?” She was hopeful.
“No. Not yet.” He said urgently. “It has to be a secret for a little while.”
Beth turned her face up to him. With confused brown eyes.
“She’d be scared of me.”
“Okay.” Beth whispered nodding solemnly. “It shall be our secret.” She stared out onto the lawns below. Studying the mass of vines, she now knew concealed something magnificent. “Our secret…”
Nora awoke to a head pounding from the nightmares waging war in her brain. Slowly sitting up, she looked to her bags in the corner.
Tossing the blankets back resulted in a cloud of dust so dense she coughed. As she assessed the dark tinge of the sheets she gagged. Sliding to the edge of the bed she cradled her forehead. Eyes falling to the bug coated floor.
“Oh, no!”
It was clear her brother had brought her up and deposited her on the bed. Bugs and dust be damned.
“William!”
He appeared. “What’s all this?” He stared at the floor as he creaked open the door, stepping carefully before turning. Rearing back at the contemptuous look as she gestured to the dirty blankets and the bug covered floor.
“What?” He blinked. “At least I didn’t leave you on the floor.”
She felt her glower set so severely her right eye jerked.
“I know that look. You’ll not be boxing my ears, Nora! I’m bigger than you.”
“You think that’ll save you?”
He eased from the room with his chin high.
Huffing she walked on stockinged heels to her bag. Tugging out the first shoes she came across and putting them on. Sliding into a wrap, she grabbed a bundle of clothes and opened the door to go in search of a washbasin. Gasping at what William had been carefully stepping over.
On the ground lay a perfect, white, rose. In the empty hall. Her eyes slowly moved from it to another further down the corridor. Several more marked the path to a door down the hall. Clutching her clothes in shaking hands, she skirted the roses to follow the trail. Following it to a closed door at the far end of the corridor. Turning the handle made the door swing to reveal a giant room.
Walls shined white. Vibrant tapestries hung from ceiling to the floor. Plush fur rugs were interspersed around the room. There was no dust and not a single bug corpse to be seen. By far the prettiest room in the house.
Sighing in relief she returned to the former room to grab her things. “Thank you.” She whispered to the walls.
Dropping her bags near the fireplace she wandered to the dense curtains surrounding the bed. Sweeping one back she discovered plush comforters as clean as the room promised.
Laid out on them was a shining lavender dress.
Swallowing a lump, her eyes searched every corner to no avail. Her gaze falling back to the gown. Reluctant to touch it, she hooked a finger on it and moved it to the foot of the bed as though dirty.
Peeling her eyes away she blew a long breath before flopping back to bounce softly on the plush bedding. As her back made contact images seared her mind.
Lying in this bed staring up into eyes so dark blue they were sapphire. A deep murmur echoing through her ears. He spoke softly. Teasing at memories she’d never had. She tried to see the rest of his face but realized it was shrouded in this fragmented memory in which he lay next to her, lovingly stroking her face.
Sitting up, she fingered the pillow, where he’d been in the vision.
And found it warm.
“You were here.”