A scratched record that skipped on the gramophone. That was what it felt like. One minute she felt like she was stuck in a dreamless sleep, and the next she was cognizant and wandering, with an anxious feeling grabbing at her heart.
"Where is my baby?"
Her fingers were cold and no matter how near she stood to the fireplace or the stove, they would. Not. Warm. And for some indeterminate reason, she felt…strangely drawn to the basement. Always looking for Charles. Always grasping for a sense of familiarity that never came and left her hollow and despairing.
She'd been watching with an unhappy scowl as he crouched in the corner eating rats with those horrendous teeth. He seemed to gain a sickening sense of satisfaction snapping their necks and eating the life from their tiny bodies. Nora gave an involuntary shudder of disgust and felt the thick fog of a faulty memory wrap itself around her like a heavy blanket.
Thwack, thunk, thrack!
A child's toy came bounding down the steps, one stair at a time. She hid herself in the shadows, hearing the footsteps of the retriever who came to collect it.
A boy. A darling, sandy haired boy.
She could see it before it happened. Thaddeus skittering out from the corner like a hound poised to attack. She grabbed the child protectively and hugged him to her chest. "No, Thaddeus! No."
He slunk back into darkness, leaving Nora to inspect the intruder. "You're not hurt, are you?" she asked, looking him over. Innocently, the boy shook his head. "Don't be afraid. If Thaddeus ever bothers you again, all you have to do is shut your eyes and say 'Go away!'" She hugged him tightly for a moment to comfort him, the poor thing clearly shaken.
The pull was back, heavy in her heart and unnamable.
Such a lovely, golden-haired boy. Like an angel. She caressed his cheek and hugged him close again. "Life is too short for so much sorrow."
She felt the weight of eternal damnation, heavy on nonexistent bones.