Life Curse: Taber Blood I

Chapter 4

Macey grabbed the handle and snatched the door open to face whatever evil lurked on the other side.  She rushed out into the hall, passing the additional bedrooms, sure something would end her life at any moment.  A strangeness took her breath as panic gripped; something was wrong. "Jared!" She crashed into his door and grabbed the handle, but Jared locked the door. 

"No, no, no!" He wouldn't have locked his door.

She didn't lock his door when she left him either, and now he's alone and defenseless. "Jared! Open the door!" He didn't answer. If there was still a presence in the hall, Macey no longer felt it because she focused on protecting her son. She pounded on the door, refusing to surrender to the pain she felt as she struck the wood barrier.  Why isn't Jared answering? Out of instinct, she tried the handle again, and the door opened. At first, Macey paused in confusion. Then, she set her sights on Jared, who stood at the window looking out into the night. Rushing toward him, fearing his welfare, she said, "Jared, why didn't you answer? You scared Mommy."

Jared pried his eyes from the darkness and gazed at his mother, his beautiful brown eyes void of concern,  "When mommy?"

The question puzzled Macey. He had to hear her pleas.  She patted him down, looking for injuries, "What were you doing out of bed? What is outside?" She rushed to the window and scanned the dark grounds. Night swallowed the perimeter light leaving a dim illumination, but she saw a person near the tree line. Man, woman, or monster, she did not know. Whoever lurked in the dark stared right back at her; she was sure and terrified.

"Do you know who that is?" her voice trembled. 

She looked back at Jared, who climbed back into bed, ignoring her panic. A second look out the window, and whoever lingered at the treeline disappeared into the darker wooded area. Macey pulled the drapes to block anyone from looking into the room. It made no sense, being all anyone could see was the ceiling at that height. It's the thought of a stranger watching her son anytime he is near the window that had her feeling paranoid and scared. She propped a chair under the bedroom door handle, creating a barricade to prevent anyone or anything access inside the room. 

Jared lay quiet; his breaths were deep and steady, unfazed by the drama she brought to his peaceful environment. Bringing unease and chaos to her own life was one thing. But, involving Jared, disrupting his untroubled world was unacceptable. Behaving like a lunatic mother, running the halls at night, screaming Jared's name, and creating a fortress to fend evil, "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Macey palmed her mouth as she stared at Jared. Do not dare cry. She climbed into bed and wrapped her arm around Jared, then closed her eyes. Tears drizzled down the side of her cheek. She must deal with her anxiety over Jared's future, the house, and Paul's death. Insomnia was one thing, but the thought of something or someone aiming to harm her and Jared was batshit crazy.  I'll fix it; she told herself as she snuggled against Jared and drifted off to sleep.

When she opened her eyes, she saw a beautiful tree swaying as if a breeze had moved in and delicately lifted each branch. The leaves sparkled in unison with a flickering bright light. She shifted her eyes over her right shoulder and learned she was alone. The flicker grew more intense and much faster. The tree's branches whipped around, mimicking a storm's violent wrath, snapping twigs from its limbs and separating the trunk from its roots. The painted tree before her threatened to lunge at her any moment. Except, the tree was hand-painted, and there was no wind, not even the slightest breeze. Macey struggled against the oppressive stillness of the air, and the tree, alive a moment ago, stood motionless. It was over. She prayed that was the case, but a branch snapped toward her, then another, closer this time. Macey took one careful step back. How were the limbs moving, and where is the source of the flickering lights? Another branch whipped forward, this time slashing her left arm. Macey grabbed her wound and winced. "What is this?"