Chapter Five
969 Words
It had been hours since Jackson had left and I was starting to regret my decision to send him away. When I had tried to drink my morning tea to mask me from Brodie, I had been violently sick. It hadn't really stopped. For hours, my body had been trying to force my insides out. There was nothing left, but it still kept trying. It was like my own body had turned against me and I was terrified.
I sat on the sofa shivering, despite the fire roaring right in front of me. The weakness that was overcoming my body made it impossible to do anything but sit there slumped over. Something was wrong, and I knew it. I just didn't know what to do. The weather outside was awful and I could hear the wind howling. Rain pelted against the windows as though it was demanding to come inside.
It was starting to get dark, and I kept seeing shadows dancing around the room. I kept jumping each time a new one appeared out of nowhere. I felt like someone was watching me. It was ridiculous, but I just couldn't shake the feeling. The little hairs on the back of my neck had been standing to attention for hours.
As a bolt of lightning lit up the sky, my head whipped towards it and I instinctively moved backwards, away from the threat. It was as though the storm was screaming at me, telling me of my impending doom. I had no idea where the feeling had come from, but I couldn't stop it from assaulting my mind. My senses were telling me there was danger and there was nothing I could do about it. I had considered turning myself, but I couldn't even lift my own arm to my mouth. Trying to bite down on my lip instead, but not having enough force to pierce the skin.
The thunder rolled through the air and scared me further. I couldn't work out what was going on with me, but every nerve ending in my body seemed to be screaming at me just as much as the storm. The house still wasn't overly weatherproof and there were drips coming through the ceiling and splatting on the wooden floor. Everything seemed to be in slow motion and twice as loud as it should have been. Each drop that hit the floor sounded more like a tsunami hitting land.
The next bright flash of lightning and the door opened with a bang. The wind had stolen it from whoever was opening it. I prayed it was Jackson, that he had left early because of the storm. The power cut out before I could lay eyes on them. I could see the shadow of someone fighting with the wind to close the door and secure it in place. I hadn't noticed that the fire had gone out until the door was fully closed.
It wasn't until the figure started to move towards me that I realised I didn't want it to be Jackson at all. I wanted the dark, mysterious figure to be Brodie. For him to be by my side and tell me that it was all going to be OK. I was out of luck because it was neither of the brothers. Another fork lit up the sky and threw light through the window, and showed me the outline of Mikkel. In the dark, he looked brooding and foreboding. "Mikkel, what are you doing here?"
"I came to see if Jackson needed a hand with anything. I knocked, but there was no answer."
"I didn't hear you because of the storm. Jackson is still out." Out of nowhere, I realised I shouldn't have told him I was alone. Something seemed different somehow. He seemed so dark and dangerous. I tried to tell myself that it was just because of the storm and the paranoia that was plaguing me. Mikkel had been nothing but nice to Jackson.
"When is he due back?"
"Any minute. I thought you were him, actually." In reality, if Jackson hadn't left early, then he would be at least another couple of hours, maybe longer, because of the weather.
"I'm pretty sure that is a lie. Old man Jones is at the same market and isn't due back for hours." I panicked all the more. There wasn't much I could even do. I was too weak.
"I don't really know what time it is." I didn't want him to think I had lied to him, that I was suddenly so scared of him.
"He really shouldn't have left you all alone."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. Look at how weak and feeble you are. Anything could happen to you while you are like that." Somehow it felt like a threat. I tried to sit up straighter, to hold my body weight better. Sliding a protective arm around my stomach and the baby within.
"I haven't been able to eat, that's all. I'll be fine once Jackson gets back." Trying to speak with confidence, but I couldn't stop the slight break in my voice.
"If he gets back at all." Everything he said sounded so menacing. Surely he couldn't know that Jackson wouldn't get back unless he had done something to him.
"Why wouldn't he come home?"
"The valley we are in often becomes cut off from the rest of the world during storms like this. The roads become rivers and can't be used. So, there is a good chance he won't get back in time." I tried to calm myself. I was being ridiculous. Mikkel was no threat. He had been nothing but lovely to Jackson. Watching as he walked to the fireplace and picked up the fire poker.
"In time for what?"
"To help you, of course."
- Writer
