13
Donna Stephens bolted across the room just as Wendy's feet left the floor and it was only by sheer luck that she managed to reach the girl before momentum would have heaved her out of the window. She tried to pull her back into the room but Wendy struggled viciously against her. Twice Donna almost lost her grip around the girl's waist but that only made her tighten her grip around her. She was not sure how much longer she could hold onto the girl without help to drag the back to safety.
14
Cass ran into the bedroom. The girl fought to get out of the window but Penny's mother was equally as determined to hold her back. The spirit of Lady Constance could not gain access to Wendy's body, hard as it tried. Cass guessed that was because the girl had not been a willing victim where Tamicka had been tricked into allowing it entry to her.
"STOP!" yelled Cass as she ran across the room and grabbed a hold of one of the girl's kicking legs. "YOU STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"
"What?" asked the Penny's mother, her arms still firmly clasped firmly around the teenager's waist.
Cass ignored the question.
"LEAVE HER ALONE RIGHT NOW?"
"Cass, are you alright?"
She took no notice of the woman a second time.
"I ALLOW YOU TO COME INTO ME!"
"What the hell are you talking about Cass?"
The girl stopped struggling and the two women pulled her unconscious form back into the room.
"Why would you do that?" Lady Constance Munford's voice was loud and clear as the words seemed to echo from nowhere.
"Wh... what was that?" asked Donner, her eyes darting all around the room, looking for the spot where the voice had come from.
"Mrs. Stephens go and find your daughter, she's with Tamicka's dad and right now and they need all the help they can get."
"B... but what about you?"
"I've been taking care of myself most of my life and I'm not about to change that habit now," Cass smiled at the woman as they lowered Wendy the floor. "Go on, they need you more than I do."
There was a little hesitation before Donna Stephens finally turned and ran out of the bedroom in search of her daughter.
"I asked you why you would take the place of that girl?" Lady Constance's voice seemed calm and measured.
"Because I want to save her."
"Is that all?"
"Do I need more?" asked Cass. "I have nothing... no one to live for. She has everything to look forward to."
"All the more reason for me to take her rather than you would you not say?" There seemed to be a sly smile in Lady Constance's voice.
"And do you really think that you have the strength to take her again? Before you tricked her, this time she will be ready for you. You made a big mistake leaving her."
"It may be difficult but I will get the girl back!" The voice of Lady Constance sounded nowhere near as confident as it had only moments ago.
"Will you?" asked Cass. "Is it really worth the risk?"
"And what risk would that be?"
Cass was sure that a trace of fear had crept into the voice now?
"The risk of you losing your battle to possess her and returning to that place that you hate so much," replied Cass. "I'm offering you a much easier option."
A momentary silence followed before the voice came back.
"We would need the book to bind us together."
"Well let's get it then. Do you know where it is?"
"Yes, I'll take you to it."
15
Edna Hughes opened her eyes and wondered where she was. The pain behind her eyes was excruciating and every bone in her body ached as she tried to sit up on the sofa. All around her was in darkness and as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light filtering in through the huge sash window. Her memory came flooding back.
Tamicka! She had to find her. She had to help the others.
Another shot of pain rifled through her old body as she pulled herself up into a seated position. Mrs. Hughes rubbed her eyelids in an attempt to massage the splitting headache away to little effect. When she finally looked again she noticed a dim glow hovering over by the doorway. She stared at it for a moment and then smiled.
"Jane?" she asked. "It is you isn't it dear?"
"Yes granny, it's me," replied the whisper thin voice.
Tears instantly filled the old woman's eyes and spilled down her cheeks as the glow took on the shape of her late granddaughter.
"Am I dead?"
"No, of course you're not," giggled the child. "Whatever made you think such a silly thing?
"Well... I can see you... hear you," smiled the woman as she got to her feet. Suddenly all of her pain was forgotten.
"I really miss you granny, it's so good to see you again," grinned the little girl as she faded a little and then reformed.
"Yes, I've missed you too little one," the woman wiped her wet cheeks with her hands.
"I didn't get to say goodbye last time so I've come to do it now."
"Goodbye?" Mrs. Hughes took a step forward. "But can't you stay just a little longer dear?"
"No, I have to go now."
Another flood of tears flowed down the old woman's cheeks and she quickly brushed them away.
"But... will I ever see you again?"
"Yes, we'll be together again someday granny. Goodbye." The girl's form faded again but this time it did not reshape its self.
"Goodbye sweetheart."
Footfalls descend the stairs and Mrs. Hughes walked out of the living room and into the hallway to meet the others.
Mr. Moon held an unconscious and bleeding Tamicka in his arms while Penny and her mother helped Wendy down the stairs.
"Oh my, what's been going on?"
"Quick Mrs. Hughes, we have to get Tamicka to the hospital." Penny's words were fast and to the point.
The old woman took one last look down at the corpse her son-in-law and followed the small parade of people out into the rainy street closing the front door behind her.
Nobody was out and there was not even so much a twitch of a curtain as they all crammed into the car. Mr. Moon sat in the driver's seat with Mrs. Hughes next to him. Wendy, Penny and her mother sat in the back seat with Tamicka laying across them.
16
Cass had not seen a single person as she walked through the streets of Eastlake, not even when she passed through the High Street. It was as if she was the only person left alive. Now, in the darkness of the woods she could really believe that was true. As she trudged her way through the undergrowth which lined the lake and came out near the old groundsman's cottage she tried to clear her mind of what she needed to do.
