Chapter 3

"Mother!"

Thomas had appeared at the door of the bedroom upon hearing his mother's distressed cry for help. He stood transfixed at the sight of his uncle appearing to embrace his struggling mother. Thomas' cry caused his uncle to pause and turn to face him. The eyes of his uncle looked as they had never looked before. Pale gray and cold, they glared at him. Thomas felt a chill go through his body under the withering gaze. There seemed to be no part of his uncle in those eyes. He drew back involuntarily.

Nathaniel felt wild emotion raging through his mind and body. A burning hunger was consuming him. A part of him shut down as an animal instinct took over. The vaguely familiar creature in his grasp struggled as he fixed his attention on the small boy in the doorway. He growled at the boy.

"Depart youngling!" was all he could utter in his haze.

Then another figure appeared beside the boy. Nathaniel struggled to remember the name...it seemed important somehow...

"Uncle! Stop!" Abigail cried out.

Nathaniel stopped.

The voice of the girl...Abigail...had pulled him back from...something. He quickly released Hannah and looked at her fearfully. He felt himself being pulled toward Abigail now. The madding ambrosial sound of three hearts beating reverberated in his ears all the while. An incessant drumbeat that threatened to drive him to the brink of insanity. The children ran to their mother's side and all three looked at him with alarm. Nathaniel backed away from them.

"You must leave me! Go! Run!"

Hannah pushed her children toward the door in a deliberate manner while watching Nathaniel.

"What madness has overcome you, Nathaniel?"
"Just...go!"

Abigail took her brother's hand and quickly left the room. Hannah backed away slowly.

"I will not leave you in your time of sickness, Nathaniel!"

He turned away from her. Why would she not go? He could feel the driving hunger returning and fear rose within him. He knew he had to get far away from her. His eyes went to the window. With a thought, he leapt at the window and sailed through the glass...easily clearing the porch and landing in the grass in front of the home. Terror drove him onward and within moments he had disappeared into the woods. The brief moment between violent crashing and deathly silence was starkly dissimilar.

Hannah ran to the shattered window and looked out, but there was no sign of her crazed brother in law. She turned back and ran to her children in the main room. Both were huddled together with Abigail stroking her brother's hair and whispering calming words to him. She looked at her mother fearfully.

"Mother...what is the matter with Uncle?"
Hannah didn't have an answer.
"He is sick, child. Worry not...your father will return soon. You must return your brother to bed...and you with him. ...Come now...be quick!"

After the children left the room, Hannah went to the front door, opened it, and peered out into the darkness. She had never heard of whatever ailment had stricken Nathaniel. The memory of his cold touch on her skin made her shiver. She greatly wished that Gabriell would return. He had apparently taken every available servant with him to comb the woods to the west of the plantation. The imposing darkness surrounding the house held a special menace on this night, it was not comforting to know she was alone.

The trees flashed by as Nathaniel fled into the woods. His senses were alive with sights and sounds. Every detail of every blade of grass was plainly visible to him. He finally slowed and stopped after putting some distance between himself and the house of his brother. Looking around, he recognized the surrounding area...but could not believe it. He had traveled many miles in a matter of minutes.

He now could only wonder if he had gone mad. He was not out of breath, not weary, yet here he stood.

A sound to his left alerted him and he turned his attention toward it. Instantly, he knew. It was Olaudah and Broteer...husband and oldest son to the African cook Tituba. They were creeping through the brush with guns at the ready. No doubt searching under orders from Gabriell for what they believed to be native attackers from the night before. Nathaniel could hear every detail of their approach.

It then occurred to him how strange it was that he could possibly know who was approaching him. How could he? But there was no doubt who it was. He could hear their voices, their footsteps, and even smell them in the breeze.

"How can it be that I know their smell? What has befallen me?" Nathaniel whispered to himself.

He found himself drawn to the sounds. Without a thought, he was gliding on fast feet through the trees again and quickly found himself a few feet from the pair. He stopped and observed them. Neither seemed aware of him. Nathaniel contemplated this curiosity for a moment until he felt a terrible sensation returning to him. The hunger. The two heartbeats were hammering out a rhythm in Nathaniel's head. It was intoxicating and fearsome in its power. He felt himself being drawn toward them. The source of that rhythm was an irresistible allure.

Nathaniel reached out and dug his fingers into a tree to stop his forward progress. He closed his eyes and clamped his teeth together with the effort. The two men walked past him and continued on their way. As they put distance between themselves and Nathaniel, his hunger subsided somewhat. He released his grip on the tree and leaned against it...trembling from the exertion. A new irrefutable truth was forming in his mind.

"I must depart...far away from this place...I cannot bear it!"

Nathaniel, almost in a panic, turned west and began to sprint as fast as he could. He was dimly aware of miles passing beneath his feet but did not slow for many minutes. Finally he stopped by a stream that sprang up in front of him as he emerged from the edge of the woods. He leaned down to drink from it...but felt repulsed by the idea and could not drink. In frustration, he lashed out at the water, sending a cascade of the cool liquid flying into the woods on the opposite side of the stream.

"What is this malady? Am I truly cursed by Satan himself?"
Nathaniel sensed a presence before he heard the voice.

"Why no...you are blessed by me!"