CHAPTER 7

I woke up in my bed. I sat up instantly remembering that Richard had carried me home. 'How'd I get in my bed?' I stood up and stumbled towards the lamp. I found the switch and turned the light on. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the light. I slowly realized that I wasn't in my hotel room but a rather large bedroom that had a canopy over the bed, a Persian rug covering the wooden floors, paintings of still lives and portraits of unknown people. I started to panic. I ran for the door and yanked it open; I was relived to find the door wasn't locked. I tumbled into the hallway outside of the bedroom.

The hallway was dark, but was some what lit up from the windows that were about every seven feet apart. They shed little light from the outside, but apparently there was enough moon light outside to allow me to see in front of me. I tiptoed down the wooden floor, watching everything around me. I kept very quiet…that is until I heard a creak in the wood floor. I stopped; my heart was pounding because I could hear breathing right behind me. I took another step forward and heard footsteps behind me. I turned around. I was breathing hard, my palms were sweaty and I couldn't breath. Then I heard someone whispering my name. I felt like I was going to suffocate from fright. I listened for anyone. And then I heard my name being whispered.

"W-who are y-you…?" I stammered in a small voice.

"Behind you…" I low voice said. My heart stopped as I felt breathe on my back. I stopped breathing and slowly turned around, not sure I really wanted to know who or what was behind me.

"Hello." Bellowed the shadowed figure.

I looked up and screamed as I saw George, looking menacing as ever holding my sister's dead bloody body.

I sat up in my bed, tears streaming down my face. I grabbed a pillow and covered my face in it and cried. I rocked back and forth telling myself it wasn't true. But Sarah was dead, and George did kill her. He could be here…I heard a door open and someone turn on a light.

"Are you okay Rachelle? I heard you scream." I looked up. Richard was sitting on my bed. I looked around me and realized I was in the same in as my nightmare. I wiped my eyes and looked at Richard, his face was filled with concern. I pushed the covers off of me and stood up. I was still wearing my clothes that I wore to work.

"Where am I?" I asked still a little shaken up.

"My house, well, my step father's house, Bruce Wayne."

"Why?" I asked sitting back down hugging the pillow I was crying into earlier.

Richard scooted closer.

"Well, you fell asleep and I didn't want to wake you up and I thought I knew the way to your hotel room, but then I got lost and ended up here. I was closer to here then my place…and this is nicer than my house…" He got to his feet and walked slowly to the door. He looked back before walking out.

"It's 2:00 a.m. on a Saturday. So if you want to sleep here you can, or I can drive you home." He was waiting for a reply.

"Um…" I looked around the room. It was nice, the bed was comfy and I was with Richard. 'Shit! Don't think that!' I looked back at him. My cheeks still a little red and my eyes watery.

"I'll stay here, if it's not to much trouble." I answered looking at Richard who was smiling.

"No trouble. Just go back to sleep. And if you get uncomfortable, then come wake me up. I'm the room four doors down, and if you get hungry the kitchen is down stairs on the right."

"Thank you, Grayson." I said pulling the covers back over me and closing my eyes. I heard Richard close the door. I slowly drifted off into slumber.

The sun poured through my window. I opened one eye then the other. I turned on my side. I was facing the window. There was a tree outside. Its leaves shook in the soft breeze. It looked warm outside and a bird was chirping. It was actually getting a little annoying. I got out from under the covers and stretched. Then I walked to the door and opened it. I walked down the hall until I saw a staircase leading down. I descended them ending up on the bottom floor of the mansion. I remembered Richard telling me the kitchen was on the right so I took a right and saw the kitchen. Someone was cooking. I could smell eggs and toast. I kept walking until I could see into the kitchen. A man was checking the toast. He looked a little bit over than 50.

"Hello…" I whispered in a hoarse voice.

The man turned around and looked at me.

"Good morning Ms." He said turning back to the toast. "Mr. Grayson said he brought home a friend. My name is I'm Alfred, may I help you?"

"Can you tell me where Richard is?" I asked.

"He is in the library, Ms." Alfred answered as he placed the sunny-side up eggs on the toast, which was laid out on a plate. "Will you please tell him that his breakfast is ready?"

"Sure. Can you tell me where the library is?"

"Down the hall, take a left and it's the second door on the left." He directed.

I walked down the hallway until there was another hallway leading to the left. I followed it down until I came to big double doors. I opened one just a little and peered inside. It was the library, because there were bookshelves with tons and tons of books. There was a table with a couple of books that were open.

"Richard?" I called out.

I could hear rustling then Richard's face appeared around one of the bookshelves.

"Yeah." He said walking towards me. "Did you have a good sleep?"

"For the most part…"

"Yeah, I kind of figured that your scream was out of fear of a bad dream."

"Well, you're right, but I'm not telling you about it so don't ask." I sat down at one of the chairs at the table.

"Wasn't planning on asking." He grinned and went back to looking for a book.

I pulled one of the open books towards me. I looked at the cover. It was an Edgar Allen Poe book.

"You like Edgar Allen Poe?" I asked skimming the page it was open to.

"Well, I don't really read much of his stuff, but I remembered seeing you in the café reading one of his books so I thought that you liked him. I was looking in here to find any books you might want to read.

"Thanks." I bluntly replied looking down at the book.

"Do you want any breakfast?" Richard asked standing beside me looking down.

"Well, Alfred wanted me to tell you that your breakfast is ready." I told him.

"Oh, so you've met the butler?"

"Yeah, he was in the kitchen so I asked him where I could find you." I looked up at Richard. He smiled that cocky grin.

"So you were worried about me? Or could you not let another second go by without me by your side?" He chuckled.

"Just go eat your breakfast, Grayson!" I growled.

He was still smiling when he opened the double doors for me. I ignored him when he bowed and said "This way, my lady."

The dinning room was huge, with a fireplace and long table. There was also this extremely big window that took up pretty much the entire sidewall. It was overlooking the garden, well, part of the garden.

"Would you like me to make you anything, ma'am?" Alfred asked, pulling out Richard's chair for him.

"Just some herbal tea." I answered.

"Yes ma'am." He left the room to go make my request.

I walked over to the window and looked out at the willow tree at the far right of the garden. Richard was eating his eggs and toast; I could hear the fork and knife clang against the plate. The willow tree's long branches were swaying in the breeze, which was creating a water affect that actually looked pretty cool.

"So what do you want to do today?" Richard asked walking up to me, and stopping beside me.

"Don't know don't care."

"Do you want to go home? Or do you want stay here? Or do you want to go outside somewhere?"

'Well, I don't really want to go back to the hotel…'

"You choose." I said in my monotone voice.

"How about we go somewhere." He suggested.

"Where?"

He thought for a moment.

"I know! Come on, get ready to leave." Richard said walking to other side of the room where the door was.

"But I haven't had my tea yet!" I yelled. "And where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!" I heard Richard yell back.