Chapter 6 - Death, or Something Like It
Meredith stretched out on her bed. William was asleep next to her. She had been running her minicured nails gently through his hair, unknown to him. Her father had stopped in, then dismissed himself upon seeing them alone together. No doubt he mentioned something discretely to Dana and Fox, she thought to herself.
She looked at her watch every now and then, counting down the minutes till the time when she could shake William awake and he could take this sorry excuse for a job away from her. She went through more of her Ophelia lines, just to be sure. She had a production of it as soon as she got back. The play company had made some exceptions and allowed her to go to the lake for a week, but if she didn't return in time, her understudy and her would switch roles. She sighed and mouthed the words to herself dreamily, using William as an unconscious Hamlet and her pillow as the ghost. She joked around a little. William stirred, groaned, then drifted back asleep.
She was a little more careful about how she practised after that. She read through two more chapters, bordom over taking her. She set the book on her desk and looked around the room. If anyone had been in here she thought, I would have noticed them wouldn't I of? She doubted herself, then decided she was thirsty, that was it. She would get a glass of water out of the bathroom. She walked a short distance, and started running the tap, but a banging of the window signalled her. She walked into her room. The darkness was over taking. She looked around.
Just my mind, she thought, until she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
She whipped around. A figure was in the shadows by her closet.
"William!" She said and something jumped out and said BOO!
"William you jackass." She said and pushed him off her. He clapped. She slammed the door shut.
"Oh your face was priceless." He said.
"So was your when you and the pillow shared a tender moment." She said. He looked at her confused. She shrugged her shoulders. He didn't know what she was talking about, but he had a strange feeling he didn't want to.
She and William sat on the bed once more. She looked out the windows. He looked at the stairs.
"They couldn't come in any other way right?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"I thought you said they'd come." She said moodily.
"I know and they will, trust me."
"The last time I trusted you pulled me under the dock." He laughed a little. She leaned against the wall. He put his head on her leg, afraid she would push it off. But she didn't. He lack of sleep the night before had made her quite tired. He sat up and watched her eyes close. He thought of some stuff to pull on her but he didn't. He took the next watch.
It was around 1:00 am before they were both asleep.
"Meredith!" He snapped quietly in front of her face. She awoke, and she obviously knew why he clapped his hand over her mouth. She breathed silently. He looked in fear at the window, the figure shattering the glass. Meredith saw William wait, and wait, for the figure to enter the dark room. William had turned out the reading lamp.
Whoever it was flopped on the floor. William was silent. The man walked through the room and out into the dimly lit hall.
"Now." William whispered. He and Meredith went after whoever it was, tackling him and knocking the black dressed man down the stairs. The two of the walked down after he had fallen, to investigate the body.
"Think he's..." Meredith began, but never finished. The body stirred and looked up and the bulky face mace of a man looked out. The tow of them looked at one another, the man, then one another again, and then finally ran. The man went after them, refraining from going back upstairs.
"What the fuck is this guy?" William asked Meredith as they rushed into the kitchen. The man at the bottom of the stairs followed them. He walked faster then the two of them could sprint.
"I don't really want to find out." Meredith said, and opened the back door. She and William ran off into the night. The man followed. For every step he took they had to take three. She and William were out of breath, the two terenagers getting cold in the night air, and unable to know where their pursuer lurked.
That's when it appearred. The light from the heavens. It shot down like a radiant fireball, striking the ground, landing just beside Meredith. She doubled back. The man was advancing towards her. William acted upon impulse. He ran. The light was on top of Meredith now. He jumped and knocked Meredith away, but instead trapped himself within the light.
Meredith ran towards the light. The man watched as William rose with it. He faced Meredith.
"When you know the truth, he will be returned." She jumped for him, but just as the light had came, it disappearred and so did the man, taking William with it.
Meredith stretched out on her bed. William was asleep next to her. She had been running her minicured nails gently through his hair, unknown to him. Her father had stopped in, then dismissed himself upon seeing them alone together. No doubt he mentioned something discretely to Dana and Fox, she thought to herself.
She looked at her watch every now and then, counting down the minutes till the time when she could shake William awake and he could take this sorry excuse for a job away from her. She went through more of her Ophelia lines, just to be sure. She had a production of it as soon as she got back. The play company had made some exceptions and allowed her to go to the lake for a week, but if she didn't return in time, her understudy and her would switch roles. She sighed and mouthed the words to herself dreamily, using William as an unconscious Hamlet and her pillow as the ghost. She joked around a little. William stirred, groaned, then drifted back asleep.
She was a little more careful about how she practised after that. She read through two more chapters, bordom over taking her. She set the book on her desk and looked around the room. If anyone had been in here she thought, I would have noticed them wouldn't I of? She doubted herself, then decided she was thirsty, that was it. She would get a glass of water out of the bathroom. She walked a short distance, and started running the tap, but a banging of the window signalled her. She walked into her room. The darkness was over taking. She looked around.
Just my mind, she thought, until she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
She whipped around. A figure was in the shadows by her closet.
"William!" She said and something jumped out and said BOO!
"William you jackass." She said and pushed him off her. He clapped. She slammed the door shut.
"Oh your face was priceless." He said.
"So was your when you and the pillow shared a tender moment." She said. He looked at her confused. She shrugged her shoulders. He didn't know what she was talking about, but he had a strange feeling he didn't want to.
She and William sat on the bed once more. She looked out the windows. He looked at the stairs.
"They couldn't come in any other way right?" She asked him. He shrugged.
"I thought you said they'd come." She said moodily.
"I know and they will, trust me."
"The last time I trusted you pulled me under the dock." He laughed a little. She leaned against the wall. He put his head on her leg, afraid she would push it off. But she didn't. He lack of sleep the night before had made her quite tired. He sat up and watched her eyes close. He thought of some stuff to pull on her but he didn't. He took the next watch.
It was around 1:00 am before they were both asleep.
"Meredith!" He snapped quietly in front of her face. She awoke, and she obviously knew why he clapped his hand over her mouth. She breathed silently. He looked in fear at the window, the figure shattering the glass. Meredith saw William wait, and wait, for the figure to enter the dark room. William had turned out the reading lamp.
Whoever it was flopped on the floor. William was silent. The man walked through the room and out into the dimly lit hall.
"Now." William whispered. He and Meredith went after whoever it was, tackling him and knocking the black dressed man down the stairs. The two of the walked down after he had fallen, to investigate the body.
"Think he's..." Meredith began, but never finished. The body stirred and looked up and the bulky face mace of a man looked out. The tow of them looked at one another, the man, then one another again, and then finally ran. The man went after them, refraining from going back upstairs.
"What the fuck is this guy?" William asked Meredith as they rushed into the kitchen. The man at the bottom of the stairs followed them. He walked faster then the two of them could sprint.
"I don't really want to find out." Meredith said, and opened the back door. She and William ran off into the night. The man followed. For every step he took they had to take three. She and William were out of breath, the two terenagers getting cold in the night air, and unable to know where their pursuer lurked.
That's when it appearred. The light from the heavens. It shot down like a radiant fireball, striking the ground, landing just beside Meredith. She doubled back. The man was advancing towards her. William acted upon impulse. He ran. The light was on top of Meredith now. He jumped and knocked Meredith away, but instead trapped himself within the light.
Meredith ran towards the light. The man watched as William rose with it. He faced Meredith.
"When you know the truth, he will be returned." She jumped for him, but just as the light had came, it disappearred and so did the man, taking William with it.