Chapter 22
Rhiannon awoke a short time later, her head cradled in Quentin's arms. He was humming an old melody. When he saw she had awoken a delighted look came upon his face. "When Beth comes Lenore, we'll go to the park." "What?" Rhiannon asked groggily. Her one word question seemed to snap him out of the trance he'd been. "Who's Beth, Quentin? Who's Lenore?" "Don't mention those names to me!" he hissed. He unwrapped his arms from her and raked a hair through his hair agitated. "Nancy will come soon Rhiannon," he warned, "You don't have much time. Our time together is very short. But," he said as the now familiar look came into his eyes, "I think it will be enough." His body trapped hers against the wall and his lips came down on hers hard, bruising. She struggled wildly, shaking her head. He completed the ripping of her skirt, and had started to grope her when she shrieked wildly, "Don't touch me Daddy! Don't touch me Daddy!" He recoiled is if burned and slapped her face. "Don't call me that! Don't EVER call me that!" He stood up shaken and retreated through the opening in the wall, once again sealing it behind him. Rhiannon sighed in temporary relief. What had happened to Quentin when she woke up? He seemed gentler, kinder, as a father should be. Who was Beth? His wife? A former lover? Was Lenore her daughter? Nothing made sense. Why had the mention of them brought back the Quentin she knew now? What had happened to them?
Rhiannon lay her head on her knees exhausted, and when next she woke, the secret door was opening once again. She tried to brace herself for death, never knowing when it would come. She moaned despairingly when she saw Nancy. Her sister embraced her warmly, tightly. Quentin closed the sisters in as Nancy asked if Quentin had hurt her. Rhiannon told Nancy all that had happened, the forcing of the phone number, the entry into the secret room, the waiting, the mention of the two mysterious names, and Quentin's reactions.
Nancy could shed no new light on the questions, she was as in the dark as Rhiannon on Quentin's strange behaviour. "You shouldn't have come Nancy," Rhiannon moaned, "He would have killed me whether you had come or not. I didn't want you to come back to him, I didn't want you to be here when he murders me." "Why would he kill you? You're his daughter, his own flesh and blood." Nancy asked, "that's why he thinks he has to kill me. I don't understand any of it. But apparently he thinks I carry some curse he carries, or thinks he does. That's why he feels he has to kill me, he doesn't want this curse to pass on." "He's insane, " Nancy moaned, "but I didn't come here alone. I called the calvary before I came," she smiled. "Calvary? Who-Barnabas! You told Barnabas I was here! Oh Nancy, he'll save us, I know he will!"
Rhiannon awoke a short time later, her head cradled in Quentin's arms. He was humming an old melody. When he saw she had awoken a delighted look came upon his face. "When Beth comes Lenore, we'll go to the park." "What?" Rhiannon asked groggily. Her one word question seemed to snap him out of the trance he'd been. "Who's Beth, Quentin? Who's Lenore?" "Don't mention those names to me!" he hissed. He unwrapped his arms from her and raked a hair through his hair agitated. "Nancy will come soon Rhiannon," he warned, "You don't have much time. Our time together is very short. But," he said as the now familiar look came into his eyes, "I think it will be enough." His body trapped hers against the wall and his lips came down on hers hard, bruising. She struggled wildly, shaking her head. He completed the ripping of her skirt, and had started to grope her when she shrieked wildly, "Don't touch me Daddy! Don't touch me Daddy!" He recoiled is if burned and slapped her face. "Don't call me that! Don't EVER call me that!" He stood up shaken and retreated through the opening in the wall, once again sealing it behind him. Rhiannon sighed in temporary relief. What had happened to Quentin when she woke up? He seemed gentler, kinder, as a father should be. Who was Beth? His wife? A former lover? Was Lenore her daughter? Nothing made sense. Why had the mention of them brought back the Quentin she knew now? What had happened to them?
Rhiannon lay her head on her knees exhausted, and when next she woke, the secret door was opening once again. She tried to brace herself for death, never knowing when it would come. She moaned despairingly when she saw Nancy. Her sister embraced her warmly, tightly. Quentin closed the sisters in as Nancy asked if Quentin had hurt her. Rhiannon told Nancy all that had happened, the forcing of the phone number, the entry into the secret room, the waiting, the mention of the two mysterious names, and Quentin's reactions.
Nancy could shed no new light on the questions, she was as in the dark as Rhiannon on Quentin's strange behaviour. "You shouldn't have come Nancy," Rhiannon moaned, "He would have killed me whether you had come or not. I didn't want you to come back to him, I didn't want you to be here when he murders me." "Why would he kill you? You're his daughter, his own flesh and blood." Nancy asked, "that's why he thinks he has to kill me. I don't understand any of it. But apparently he thinks I carry some curse he carries, or thinks he does. That's why he feels he has to kill me, he doesn't want this curse to pass on." "He's insane, " Nancy moaned, "but I didn't come here alone. I called the calvary before I came," she smiled. "Calvary? Who-Barnabas! You told Barnabas I was here! Oh Nancy, he'll save us, I know he will!"
