No Way To Escape | Novel

CHAPTER 58: THE DREAM

As I opened my eyes, it was still night-time. I was seeing myself standing on the porch of the backyard of the mansion. I probed my right forearm. It was alright; no fracture. Then my ribs. Alright. I moved my jaws. Alright. I put in a finger to check on my tooth. It was missing though. I realised I was again in a dream now. A dream designed by Edward. He wanted to show me something.

I moved further towards the three-step stairs down to the backyard's gravel path and then turned towards the garden. I realised I was in the past of the mansion. Soft, cool breeze was flowing as I looked back again at the sinister mansion. The elegance was well-exhibited by the back-view too. It made me scoff.

And then came a group of people from inside the cottage. There were six of them. It made me gawp and pull in my breath as I saw Momma Warwick in their arms. They carried her up to the back yard and put her down on the grass. And then they all went in.

I moved in closer to the corpse. They had closed her eyes. How terrifying they seemed right when she was murdered! Made me shiver. I knelt down and tried to hold her face in my hands, but it went right through; as if I was the ghost here. 'I mourn for your death, momma', I spoke out softly and got up. After some minutes came Edward, in the men's arms. Rather than putting him down gently, they crashed him. And then one by one came Ruth and then Laura. I saw them being buried down. First it was Laura, then Ruth and then Momma Warwick. Some prayers were being made while burying Edward. I saw him being buried just by the gravel path.

But why I am seeing all this? What do you want me to be a witness to? I was really curious when all the men suddenly disappeared. A flame burst out where Edward lay. I was shell-shocked right then. It was beyond wonders for me to guess what it meant. But then it dawned.

I saw the coin rolling down from the mansion. It rolled through the porch, then its steps, its gravel path and then finally to the pit, getting submerged into the flames. And then the idea perceived in my head with a bang. I had to burn his body alongwith the coin; burn the curse alongwith the beholder. Yes, everything was attached between them. Getting rid of both of them at a time was the only way to win. It was the only way to snap the strings between the dead and the mundane.