I want to thank everyone for the reviews and helpful comments. I wrote
this over a year ago and someday plan to do some much needed rewrites. The
first follow up to this story was also completed several months ago and I
am now working on the third part of what has turned into a unexpected
trilogy. A special thank you to TwisterJester for all your help editing
my many mistakes and your encouragement.
Please R and R.
*********
Poor Mr. Bailey. I wonder how long his heart can hold out before his fear kills him?"
Sydney looked at Richarde, wanting to strike out at him, to make him suffer the way Nigel was. The past encounter with Devereaux had taught her a lesson. Though. Her martial arts skills would be of no use to her in this situation. She knew he was just taunting her, trying to make her act rashly.
Richarde laid the doll down in front of the cross and walked to the center of the chamber. He closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, they had become as red as blood and he started to chant.
Sydney heard faint sound of hissing coming from behind Richarde. As his chanting grew louder, so did the hissing. Snakes of every description started to fill the room, effectively blocking her only way out.
The chanting stopped and Richarde looked at Sydney, knowing he had won. Her death by multiple snake bites would be ruled a freak accident. And as for Bailey? It would be death by natural causes.
Sydney knew she was trapped. Richarde and his legion of snakes advanced towards her slowly. She could see he was savoring every moment. From the corner of her eye, Sydney spotted movement in the back of the chamber. Racine stepped out from the shadows, pointed the gun, and fired, hitting Richarde in the leg.
Richarde stumbled back, momentarily blinded by the pain, but that one moment was all that was needed for him to lose control of the spell. A coral snake struck out, biting him in the thigh after he had inadvertently stepped on it. As he panicked, more bites ensued from the numerous snakes around him. Rattlesnakes, Copperheads and non-venomous varieties attacked.
Sydney stayed frozen where she was. With this many snakes, any sudden movement toward the cross and the doll could be deadly. After what seemed like an eternity, the snakes began to scatter. She looked at Richarde's body. She couldn't help but see the irony in the situation. He had intended to use the snakes to kill her, and Nigel's fear to kill him, but in the end it had been the other way around.
******
Sydney and Racine raced back to Nigel, and as she entered the room her heart sank. Nigel was lying on the bed, deathly still, his eyes vacant and half-open. She slowly walked to the bed, afraid of what she would find. As she drew closer, to her relief she saw the rise and fall of his chest.
He was alive.
"He's just lost, and only you can show him the way back," Racine said as her family left the room. She smiled at Sydney as she closed the door.
Sydney sat down bed. As she placed the Cross on Nigel's chest, she felt the same sensation of electricity flow through it as she felt the first time she'd touched it.
Nigel jerked up, his body going into spasms as Sydney recited the word that Racine had told her. Soon the spasms faded, but there was no sudden fluttering of eyelids, no recognition showing. In his eyes there was only emptiness.
Sydney place the cross on the nightstand and removed the ropes that bound Nigel to the bed. Even with the rags they'd used to protect his skin, he still had raw abrasions on his wrists. As she looked at him she finally understood what she had to do. She had to face her own fears, her own nightmare of caring for.... no, loving someone, just to have them taken away. That was her greatest fear. She loved Nigel. She had known it for some time. But her fear of losing him, of the pain that would bring, had prevented her from telling him how she felt.
Sydney leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Come back to me." She lifted Nigel up, wrapping her arms around him. She cradled him in her arms, begging God to bring him back to her, to give her a second chance. "I know you can hear me. You have to fight.." She paused, tears sliding down her face "Please come back to me... I Love You. Please don't leave me."
Nigel became dimly aware of the world around him. He knew that Sydney was there, holding him, talking to him, leading him back. He wanted to tell her he was there, that he could hear her. Exhausted from his experience, all he could do was move his head closer to hers.
Nigel's small movement filled Sydney with hope. She gently laid him down on the bed, smiling through her tears as she saw recognition is his eyes and a faint smile cross his lips. He tired to say something, but Sydney place her hand lightly over his mouth "It's okay now, don't worry about anything except getting better."
Nigel looked at Sydney, concerned for her. She looked as exhausted as he felt, but with her soothing words, he relaxed immediately and let the sweet embrace of sleep sweep over him.
Please R and R.
*********
Poor Mr. Bailey. I wonder how long his heart can hold out before his fear kills him?"
Sydney looked at Richarde, wanting to strike out at him, to make him suffer the way Nigel was. The past encounter with Devereaux had taught her a lesson. Though. Her martial arts skills would be of no use to her in this situation. She knew he was just taunting her, trying to make her act rashly.
Richarde laid the doll down in front of the cross and walked to the center of the chamber. He closed his eyes briefly. When he reopened them, they had become as red as blood and he started to chant.
Sydney heard faint sound of hissing coming from behind Richarde. As his chanting grew louder, so did the hissing. Snakes of every description started to fill the room, effectively blocking her only way out.
The chanting stopped and Richarde looked at Sydney, knowing he had won. Her death by multiple snake bites would be ruled a freak accident. And as for Bailey? It would be death by natural causes.
Sydney knew she was trapped. Richarde and his legion of snakes advanced towards her slowly. She could see he was savoring every moment. From the corner of her eye, Sydney spotted movement in the back of the chamber. Racine stepped out from the shadows, pointed the gun, and fired, hitting Richarde in the leg.
Richarde stumbled back, momentarily blinded by the pain, but that one moment was all that was needed for him to lose control of the spell. A coral snake struck out, biting him in the thigh after he had inadvertently stepped on it. As he panicked, more bites ensued from the numerous snakes around him. Rattlesnakes, Copperheads and non-venomous varieties attacked.
Sydney stayed frozen where she was. With this many snakes, any sudden movement toward the cross and the doll could be deadly. After what seemed like an eternity, the snakes began to scatter. She looked at Richarde's body. She couldn't help but see the irony in the situation. He had intended to use the snakes to kill her, and Nigel's fear to kill him, but in the end it had been the other way around.
******
Sydney and Racine raced back to Nigel, and as she entered the room her heart sank. Nigel was lying on the bed, deathly still, his eyes vacant and half-open. She slowly walked to the bed, afraid of what she would find. As she drew closer, to her relief she saw the rise and fall of his chest.
He was alive.
"He's just lost, and only you can show him the way back," Racine said as her family left the room. She smiled at Sydney as she closed the door.
Sydney sat down bed. As she placed the Cross on Nigel's chest, she felt the same sensation of electricity flow through it as she felt the first time she'd touched it.
Nigel jerked up, his body going into spasms as Sydney recited the word that Racine had told her. Soon the spasms faded, but there was no sudden fluttering of eyelids, no recognition showing. In his eyes there was only emptiness.
Sydney place the cross on the nightstand and removed the ropes that bound Nigel to the bed. Even with the rags they'd used to protect his skin, he still had raw abrasions on his wrists. As she looked at him she finally understood what she had to do. She had to face her own fears, her own nightmare of caring for.... no, loving someone, just to have them taken away. That was her greatest fear. She loved Nigel. She had known it for some time. But her fear of losing him, of the pain that would bring, had prevented her from telling him how she felt.
Sydney leaned over and kissed him lightly. "Come back to me." She lifted Nigel up, wrapping her arms around him. She cradled him in her arms, begging God to bring him back to her, to give her a second chance. "I know you can hear me. You have to fight.." She paused, tears sliding down her face "Please come back to me... I Love You. Please don't leave me."
Nigel became dimly aware of the world around him. He knew that Sydney was there, holding him, talking to him, leading him back. He wanted to tell her he was there, that he could hear her. Exhausted from his experience, all he could do was move his head closer to hers.
Nigel's small movement filled Sydney with hope. She gently laid him down on the bed, smiling through her tears as she saw recognition is his eyes and a faint smile cross his lips. He tired to say something, but Sydney place her hand lightly over his mouth "It's okay now, don't worry about anything except getting better."
Nigel looked at Sydney, concerned for her. She looked as exhausted as he felt, but with her soothing words, he relaxed immediately and let the sweet embrace of sleep sweep over him.