'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 44

Sarah jumped to her feet, the springs in the recliner helping to propel her upward. She noted that her fingers had acquired the hilt of the knife during her leap upward. The harrowing shriek still echoed through her head as she searched for the source of the cry. In her confused state she, wondered if the scream had been some horrific nightmare, but she saw Roger and Buck startled awake looking just as confused as she felt.

“Shirley Sue?!” Buck questioned as he raced to his feet.

His query was answered by the sound of footsteps thundering from above. The trio scrambled to the stairway and looked up in time to see a figure clinging to the railing stumble down the last couple of steps. Through the darkness Sarah could make out Shirley Sue's face, twisted into an expression of horror. The sound of her panting sobs chilled Sarah to the bone. Sarah felt herself let out a gasp as a figure wrapped in darkness appeared at the top of the stairs and began pursuing Shirley Sue down the stairs.

Sarah grabbed Shirley Sue's arm and helped guide her down the remaining stairs. When she reached the bottom, Shirley Sue began to nurse her shoulder. Her voice was frantic and her words were hard to make out. However, Sarah's blood ran cold at the mention of one word in particular, 'Aura.'

The second figure paused in the middle of the stairway. Sarah looked up at the figure cloaked in shadows. She saw two familiar yellow orbs hanging in the darkness.

“Graaa!” Aura shouted as she leapt toward the four friends.

Sarah shielded herself, placing her arms in front of her as she saw Aura’s silhouette flying toward her. She fell backward and hit the floor with a thud. She gasped for breath as her diaphragm ached from the force of the impact. Aura wore a cruel smile as she looked into Sarah's eyes, as though she was enjoying watching Sarah struggle to breathe. Then the smile melted away into confusion. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but no words ever came and the yellow flame in her her eyes faded to black.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 43

Shirley Sue pushed open the door and walked into the room. She looked down at the sleeping figure in the cot.

“Rachel?”

Shirley Sue stood, waiting for Rachel to reply. The child turned on to her side, but provided no answer. Shirley Sue took a step toward the cot.

“You better not be playing a prank on me,” She said under her breath.

She began to lean forward to examine the child more closely when she felt the cold grip of a hand cover her mouth.

Shirley Sue's screams were stifled by the hand smothering her face. She tried to wriggle her head free from the ice cold palm wrapped around her lips. However, the harder she struggled against her assailant's clasp, the deeper the long, slender fingernails gripping at her dug into her face. She flailed her arms backward. Her elbow connected with her captor's stomach. She struck at her foe once more. She felt the grip of a second icy had grab hold of her wrist. A muffled cry of pain escaped her mouth. She thrashed, frantically trying to free her arm, but her assailant quickly overpowered her and twisted her arm behind her back.

“Shhh,” Aura whispered. “Don't make this harder than it has to be.”

Shirley Sue tried once more to pull away from Aura. She felt the burn of pain burst through her shoulder as Aura applied pressure to her arm.

“You see... My dear, you and your friends have put me in to quite the bind,” Aura whispered. The words tingled against Shirley Sue's ear. “It didn't have to be this way. If only you had just left well enough alone.”

Shirley Sue froze as a sharp sensation prickled at her neck. Aura's hot breath following close behind the needle-like sensation. Shirley Sue struggled despite the pain rushing through her arm. Her muffled cries grew more frantic as the Aura's teeth searched for their target. Tears of anger, pain, and frustration welled into Shirley Sue's eyes as she struggled against Aura. She felt a tear run down her cheek as she involuntary squinted from the burning sensation that seared through her neck.

The room flashed full of light, as though a bolt of lightning had struck Shirley Sue’s neck. The necklace which had adorned her neck clattered to the ground, still faintly glowing from the broken links of the chain. Aura shrieked and relinquished the grip on her prey.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 42

Shirley Sue lifted her head from Buck's side, freeing herself from the arm which was draped over her shoulder. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and glanced around the room. Her ears perked up at the sound of a floorboard groaning. The smell of rain filtered in through the nearby window and the pitter-patter of the droplets intermingled with the faint hum of the 1000 hertz signal playing through the speakers of the television.

She stretched her neck, attempting to work out the the crick which had developed from laying against Buck. In the corner of her eye, she saw Roger sprawled out along the couch, his arms crossed over his chest like he had been placed in a casket. To her other side, she saw Sarah stretched out in the recliner. She saw the glint of something metallic; the hilt of the Aura's knife peeked up from between the cushion and the arm where it was wedged.

The images of Sarah and Roger escaping from Aura danced through Shirley Sue's head as she absently gazed toward the dagger. Shirley Sue could still remember the duo's frantic tones as they described their escape. SHe had never seen Sarah that shook up over something except maybe that night in the woods. The sound of the floor creaking once more drew her out of her trance. She shook her head, as though she was clearing the image from an etch-a-sketch, and returned her attention to the television.

She gazed into the screen of the television and watched the eye searing, multi-colored test pattern. She reached for the smooth black remote that lay upon the coffee table before her. The surface of the remote was covered with a mind boggling quantity of buttons. She aimed the remote at the television and pressed the power button. After a few moments, her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She rose to her feet and looked around the room. Her eyes made contact with the glinting blade once more.

Shirley Sue jumped at the sound of the creaking from above once more. She glided toward the stairs and whispered up the stairs, “Rachel?” After a moment of silence, she crept up the stairs. Every other step groaned with protest as she made her way to the top. After cresting the last step, she was met with a long thin triangle of pink light emanating from Rachel's room.

The pink light disappeared momentarily as a shadow passed between the door and the night-light.

“Rachel?”

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 41

Rachel's eyes fluttered open, her dreams shattered by the sound of wood squeaking against wood. The night light in the corner cast a soft pink glow around the room. Rachel squeezed a tattered teddy bear. “Did you hear that Mr. Snuggles?” she said. Before Mr. Snuggles could answer, the noise returned.

The springs on the tiny cot squeaked as Rachel sat up. She looked over toward her bed, which Aunt Shirley Sue had been borrowing. “Aunt Turley Tue?” Rachel's tiny voice said, barley above a whisper.

Rachel climbed off the cot and hurried over to her bed. She placed her diminutive fingers on a pink comforter with images of kittens, owls, and bunnies that was draped across the bed. The sheets and comforter were still pulled taut across the surface of the mattress and the pillow remained unoccupied.

“Rachel...” The voice sent a chill racing down Rachel's spine. The voice felt close, as though someone had spoke directly into her ear. She whirled around and faced the window. The soft pink curtains drifted outward, buffeted by the cool night breeze coming through the open window. On the edge of the window sat a beautiful woman. Her pale skin and short black hair stood in stark contrast to each other in the soft pink glow of the night light.

“How did you know my name?”

“Your name? I'm afraid I don't know your name.” The woman sighed and a small crystalline tear traveled down the side of her cheek. “I was looking for my doll and her name is Rachel.” The woman burst into tears.

“Don't be sad!” Rachel said as she crept over to the figure sitting on the shadowy windowsill.

“But I've lost her and I don't know where to find her.”

“What does she look like?”

“Oh, she is the most beautiful doll with long black hair, porcelain skin, and a lovely red bow in her hair. I'm afraid she has wandered off on me and I'll never find her again.”

"Where did you see her last?"

“The last time I saw her, she was dancing on this windowsill before she ran away.”

Rachel's eyes grew wide with amazement, “She dances?”

“But of course! May I come in and look for her?”

Rachel nodded and extended her hand toward the woman. The pair first looked under the bed and then the searched the dresser drawer. The woman let out a sigh. "We'll never find her."

Just then the duo heard what sounded like a mouse sneezing. They made a beeline over to a shelf lined with Rachel's stuffed animals. There in the middle of the shelf sat a doll just like the one the woman had described.

"She is so lovely!" Rachel exclaimed.

“Thank you so much for your help!” The woman pressed the doll up against her chest and hugged it. "What's that you say little Rachel?" She drew the doll up to her ear and listened.

"Little Rachel tells me that she wants to spend the night here with you," the woman said getting down onto her knees. "Is that alright with you?"

Rachel beamed as she nodded. The woman passed the doll to Rachel and the little girl clung tightly to the miniature. Just then Rachel let out a deep yawn and her eyes felt especially heavy. The woman led the her over to the cot and tucked her in.

Rachel's vision grew bleary as she smiled and clung tightly to her new friend. Soon she was dancing and drinking tea with her little Rachel in a deep, sweet dream.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 40

The gravel under Aura's shoes crunched softly as she approached the white, mud specked SUV. A steady sprinkle of mist pelted the side of the vehicle, coalescing into large droplets which carved out thin estuaries through the mud caked door. Her eyes darted from one end of the vehicle to the other, looking for any sign of the driver and passenger, but she saw neither. She crept up to the side of the vehicle and peered through the rain spattered window. A crystal charm gently swung back and forth from the rear view mirror as though it was a metronome keeping its own version of time. Sarah and Roger could not be far away.

Aura turned her attention to the multi-colored flashes of light emanating from the nearby building's window. She glided up to the house and peered inside. There she saw four figures sitting on couches and chairs, two of whom were Sarah and Roger. She could hear the faint murmurs of their voices intermingled with the television as she watched them, but could not discern any of their words. She would need to find a way into the house.

She scanned the front yard. Her eyes fell upon a wooden sandbox, painted red. On the side of the box, written in bold, white letters was the name 'Rachel.' She walked over to the box and peered inside. An assortment of colorful toys were littered across the golden grains. Aura reached down and scooped up a handful of sand. The rain from earlier turned the grains into a shapable, cohesive mass. Using her left index finger, she drew something that looked like a tuning fork with a dot in the middle of the sand and closed her fingers around the mass.

Aura took a deep breath. “Aedificare pupa,” she said, breathing out the words at a near whisper. As she spoke, she waved her left hand over her closed right hand. A deep indigo light emanated from her fist for a moment and quickly faded into darkness. She opened her hand once more and in the place of the sand was a tiny doll with straight black hair.

She smiled to herself. Not bad. Now to find the little girl.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 39

Buck felt his heart thunder in his chest like the time he and his brother had been caught by the sheriff smoking weed in the woods. The logical part of his mind knew that it was probably just Roger walking through the door, but the irrational part of his mind, the part that jumped at shadows in the dark, envisioned Emma's stocky figure bursting through her bedroom door, yelling at him and Shirley Sue for sharing the couch past midnight. He felt his pulse slowly dial back when he looked in the direction of the noise and saw no sign of Emma's writhing bathrobe nor her wild, sleep twisted hair.

Buck realized that he was watching the adjacent room with the intensity of an owl tracking its prey. He heard the front door creak shut, followed by the clomping of shoes working their way down the wooden floor of the mudroom. Shortly thereafter, Roger passed into the arch which connected the living room and mudroom, with Sarah on his heels. Under his eyes were bags of exhaustion, illuminated by the dim light generated by the flashing cathode-ray tube across the room. Roger and Sarah's movements were stiff and mechanical as they walked as though they had spent the last hour doing squats or running on the treadmill. Buck wasn't sure if it was just the light, but he though they both looked a little pale.

“Hey Roger. Hey Sarah,” Buck said in a voice that hovered above a whisper. “Welcome back.” Buck studied his brother's face. Behind Roger's eyes he caught a glimpse of something. Fear. His pupils were dilated and his face was indeed pallid. “Somethin' the matter?”

“We ran into our old friend Aura,” Roger said. “And she tried to kill us.”

Sarah and Roger walked into the room. Sarah sat down in Emma's recliner, and Roger plopped down on the loveseat on the other side of the living room.

Roger and Sarah launched into their alleyway encounter. Buck sat rapt, eyes wide with disbelief.

'Til Death Do Us Part - Part 38

Buck was starting to regret coming on this vacation. Nothing was working out like he had hoped. First the hotel, then the truck, and now Shirley Sue wasn't talking to him. His earlier attempt to reconcile with her had been met with a cold stony silence, but maybe now he would have better luck.

Buck gripped the wooden rail as he walked down the stairs. He froze as one of the steps creaked under his weight. The sound dragged out for what seemed minutes, drowning out the faint babble of the television. Why did even the slightest noise seem to become amplified to an ear popping volume in the darkness? He lifted his foot from stair and it creaked once again. Just what he needed, a landmine in every step. It's a wonder anyone could move up or down these stairs without waking the entire house. He carefully crept the remainder of the distance. As he went, he tested each step with only a fraction of his weight and avoided any stair which threatened to cry out.

A deep sigh left his lips as his heel connected with the hardwood floor of the mud room. To his left, bright flashes of colored light reflected off the white walls from the living room. He peered around the doorway to the living room. The gray upholstered couch created a barrier between him and the television. The space behind it provided a path to the empty dining room. The nearby windowpane rattled as a gust of wind tried to gain entry. The sound of gunfire playing from the television drew his eyes back to the couch. A pair of feet poked out over one arm of the couch, pointing toward the unadorned ceiling.

Go on Buck, tell her what happened. She can't stay mad at you forever. Buck shook his head. He knew it wouldn't be that easy. What was he supposed to say to her? Sorry about talking with Aura and not telling you about it? No, that would certainly not get him out of the dog house. She would glower at him with those baby blue eyes and he would shrink away from her gaze, like a leaf caught in bonfire.

Buck's heart raced as the chime of the grandfather clock sitting in the back corner reverberated through the living room. He counted along in his head as the chimes signaled the time: nine, ten, eleven, twelve. The sound of the clock reminded Buck that the night was wearing on and that he would have to say something to her eventually. He wished for some kind of inspiration to strike, but instead was cornered by nagging voices telling him that anything he said would be wrong and that there was no way to fix what was broken. After what seemed like forever, but couldn't have been more than three minutes, he took a deep breath. He felt words vibrating his vocal cords as they left his mouth. “Can we talk for a minute?” He listened to the voice. It sounded strange, like he had a bubble in his throat which distorted his voice.

The feet withdrew from the arm of the couch. A moment later a head popped up over the back of the couch. He tried to find something in her eyes that would reassure him in his mission, but all he saw was a dim reflection of light. The darkness smoothed out her face and masked her expression. For all he knew, there could be a look of bloodlust in those eyes and he would never be able to see it. The television light blazed behind her head like a halo, simultaneously illuminating her hair and masking her face. Little stray hairs at the top of her head danced in the light, waving back and forth as though they were unaware of the tense air which filled the room.

Buck was on the verge of breaking the silence which hung between them when Shirley Sue spoke. “What do you want to talk about?” she said. The cold edge which had attached itself to her words earlier had evaporated, leaving soft, but tired tones.

“I know I should have told you about Aura. I'm really sorry you found out that way,” Buck said. “It was just that, well, after what happened at breakfast I was worried that you'd get jealous or hurt. I talked with her long enough to find out her name and got away from her as quick as possible.”

“A part of me wants to stay mad at you. I feel betrayed. The worst case came to my mind, that you really did know her when we were at the diner, that you'd been hiding something with her all along. I hope I'm not making a mistake by trusting you.”

A few notes to an old song popped into Buck's head as he stood there staring at Shirley Sue. “I only have eyes for you, Shirley Sue.” It sounded cheesy to him, and he wasn't exactly sure what had motivated him to say it.

“Come on you goofball,” she said. “A few more cheesy lines like that and you might just win me back over.”

Shirley Sue motioned for him to sit down beside him. Her expression broke and he could see her white teeth reflecting what little light they caught. He took a seat next to her. Shirley Sue leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Buck felt the warmth of her body seeping into his. A sigh of contentment escaped his lungs as he huddled closely to his partner.

Shirley Sue yawned. “Just promise me you'll try and be more open with me in the future, Buck,” she said.

“I promise.”

“Seal it with a kiss?”

Buck leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “That good?” he said.

“Maybe you should try another just to make sure.”

Buck smiled. “I think I can do that,” he said. He leaned down more slowly this time. The moments stretched out as he drew closer to her. He could feel the heat of her breaths as his lips drew nearer to hers. There was a feeling on his lips, like electricity was radiating out from her mouth.

The front door creaked open and Buck and Shirley Sue jerked apart.