Chapter 4: Death at the doorstep

It was June 17th. The children's wing was finished and finally all the builders were gone. Nothing remarkable had happened until now. Ellen however, seemed to have noticed this and therefore made up an idea. She thought this was the time to tell Steve and ask about his opinion.

'Steve dear,' she started kissing him on the cheek.

'Yes,' he mumbled.

'Wouldn't it be a good idea to get to know a bit more people here in the area?'

'Probably,' Steve replied uninterested, kissing Ellen.

'You know, by throwing a party, an inaugural, like John and Ellen did.'

'What!' Steve said, sitting upright at once. 'Never.'

'Come on Steve! It will be good for us to have some fun and we get to know more people, because we know no one here in the area. I can never visit anyone and I am starting to get a bit bored. We'll throw the party at the 16th of January, one day after John and Ellen did. Please Steve; give me something to look forward to and to make me happy.'

Steve wanted nothing more then making his wife happy, but doing what his grandmother had done years ago was something totally different. He didn't want all those things to happen all over again.

'Steve, what could be wrong about just giving a party?' Ellen asked him, as if she could read his mind.

'Nothing, I guess…'

'Please Steve. I'll ask nothing more, just the party,' Ellen pleaded.

'Well, all right then,' Steve said with not too much enthusiasm.

'Thank you dear, I love you,' Ellen said and kissed him passionately.

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Ellen was most of the days now busy with organising their inaugural. She left the children to play with themselves and acted as if Steve was part of the house. When he said something about this, all he got was an snappy retort. Therefore, Steve was quite surprised when Ellen came one evening into his bedroom wearing nothing but a transparent nightgown.

'Ellen, what…'

'Shh,' Ellen whispered placing a finger over his mouth. Then she kissed him.

'Mommy?'

Ellen shot upright at once. Steve also looked up. In the doorway stood the five-year-old Emma.

'Sweetheart, what are you doing all the way here? Why didn't you go to your nanny?' Ellen asked her.

'There was no one anywhere,' she replied with tears in her eyes.

'What has happened Emma?' Steve firmly asked.

'I was going to get a glass of water, but then I got lost. Everything looked so different and it was all a lot bigger and the stairs was so long that I couldn't even see the bottom,' Emma said sobbing.

'But sweetie, houses can't change that fast. You know that, don't you? Maybe you had just a bad dream,' Ellen said to calm her down and gave her a hug.

'And on the way I saw a lady just like you mommy, but she looked very old,' Emma told, nodding to reinforce her statement.

For one second, Steve thought to see a shiver of fear in Ellen's eyes. However, she acted normally.

'It was almost certainly just a dream. Now, I'll call Jessica here to come and get you. She'll give you your glass of water and then put you to bed again. Alright?'

'Ok,' Emma said and gave her mother a kiss.

After a minute or so, Jessica came and took Emma with her to put her back in bed. Nevertheless, their moment was spoiled. Ellen made that even clearer.

'Wouldn't it be a good idea to put the three of them to a boarding school? We would have the whole house to ourselves and we will never be interrupted any more,' she said seriously to Steve.

'Are you serious?' Steve replied shocked.

'Do I look like I'm serious?'

'Unfortunately, yes you do.'

'Unfortunately?' she repeated angrily and then stormed out of Steve's bedroom.

Steve remained sitting upright for a moment and then dropped himself on the bed once more, hoping next morning to awake and leaving this all behind like a dream, or nightmare.

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The next morning, during breakfast, the nightmare, unfortunately for him, went on.

'Have you thought about my idea Steve? To put the children to a boarding school.'

'No, I haven't because I do not agree with it,' Steve said idly.

'Think about the freedom it would give us,' Ellen tried.

'My answer is not going to change.'

'You're just like John Rimbauer! Rule number one: never do what ever your wife says or even listen to her. Well, guess what, just like Ellen, I will do what ever it takes to get what I want to!' Again, this time prepared for it, Ellen stormed away and left Steve sitting alone, this time at breakfast.

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Ellen now totally ignored Steve. If he had to be honest, Steve didn't really mind it, but it was because of his children that Steve did care. Now all the three children were a bit older, they all noticed what was going on between him and Ellen. This seemed to have a negative effect on them too. They became moody, didn't want to listen anymore and at school things were getting worse as well. All of this was starting to get on Steve's nerves. Therefore, one evening he called Corrine, with her big, blue and shinny eyes, to his bedroom. Steve didn't know why he had actually called her, but he had the feeling that this was the best to do. A shy knock hit the door.

'Come in,' Steve said, expecting Corrine.

However, in the doorway stood Ellen.

'Ellen!' Steve said surprised.

'Why did you call her?'

'Why did I call who?' Steve said, wondering how Ellen could know about his meeting with Corrine.

'You know who I mean, pretty girl Corrine. Did you call her to do something for you? To give you the love I don't give you anymore. Well, she won't be coming tonight,' Ellen said pleased.

'What have you done to her?' Steve replied angrily now.

'Do I see a flicker of fear in your eyes? Between all the hate.'

'Tell me where she is,' he said with a firm voice.

'All right then, she's locked in the tow…'

A scream interrupted Ellen's answer. Ellen's face turned at once from pleased to panic.

Steve run out of the room passed Ellen, out of Rose Red, until he reached the point in the garden where he stood exactly under the tower with its beautiful stained-glass window. However, the window was now in a thousand pieces laying spread everywhere. On the ground in front of him, lay Corrine, still, white and cold. Steve run back to the house to get the staff together and make sure his children didn't have to see this.

He had the staff quickly together, because all of them had heard Corrine's scream. After giving certain orders, of which one was to let the police definitely not know, Steve together with some of the staff went to the place where Corrine lay. However, Corrine's body had disappeared. The grass was still flat of her bodyweight, but the body itself had suddenly disappeared.

'I'm sure she was here, ten minutes ago,' Steve said bewildered.

'Where is Mrs. Ellen?' one of the maids suddenly said.

Steve had totally forgotten his wife. There followed another scream now coming from the inside of Rose Red.

'Ellen!' Steve cried, and after that, everything became total darkness.

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'Steve.'

Steve tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt too heavy.

'Steve,' the voice said again.

Steve opened his eyes a little. All he saw was white and somewhere near him sat a woman. Then everything became dark once more.

The next time Steve woke up, everything looked a lot clearer. He was laying in a room, which was probably, no definitely in a hospital. He was only just awake when a nurse came in to check on him.

'Finally awake I see, Mr. Rimbauer,' she said with a soft and friendly voice.

'Yes, I – What happened? I don't remember anything. How long have I been here already?' Steve asked confused.

'Please stay calm. You were in shock for four days. Your wife has brought you here and has visit you everyday.'

'Ellen,' he mumbled and suddenly the memories hit him like a hammer. Corrine dead, Ellen's scream, the body that had disappeared. 'Is she alright, my wife Ellen?'

'Yes, there's nothing wrong with her,' she said looking at him concerned.

'Ok then,' Steve said, feeling sleepy again.

'You have to rest again, you'll be waked up when your wife comes to visit you,' the nurse said.

'Oh, alright then.' Blackness then got hold of him and he was lost in his dreams.