Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Beware the Dybbuk ~ Part Eight


Beware the Dybbuk
By Robin Renee Ray
Part Eight

          Cindy woke and panic set in. She tried with all of her might to pull her hands free from the restraints behind her back. As soon as she moaned she felt one of Harold’s feet slam into her back. She screamed through the gag and rolled to her side trying to see who had kicked her. Once she saw the way Harold looked she began to struggle even more.

          Harold grabbed a hand full of hair and lifted her from the floor until his face was just inches from hers. “I suggest you stop, or I will beat you to death right now.” Then he backhanded Cindy so hard that she hit the floor with an enormous force, leaving her hair in Harold’s hand. He put it to his nose and took a deep breath then let the strands fall down over her face. “Do we have an understanding?”

          All that Cindy could do was nod as she rolled to her side to keep from choking on the blood that was coming from her nose. She closed her eyes tight when he stepped over her and leaned down. She was whimpering when he caressed her arm, praying he wouldn’t hit her again. “I have to go take care of your older brother now, but I will be back.” Cindy’s eyes flew open and she started shaking her head as she tried to speak through the gag.

          “Do you wish to tell me something?” he asked and Cindy nodded several times.

          “If I remove the tape do you promise not to scream, because if you do, I will hurt you.”

          She nodded and he pulled the tape off. Cindy held the yell the threatened to unleash from the pain back, as the tape tore from her flesh. “I’ll do whatever you want just please don’t hurt my family.”

          “You should have never come here. I was the one who took care of the Lady Bernstein and I am the one who should gain all she had. Not you or your crippled father.”

          “We didn’t know, there wasn’t a will that said she left this to you or we would have never come here, I swear.”

          “You would say anything right now, wouldn’t you?”

          “No, please I swear we didn’t know.”

          Harold turned his head as if he was listening to things that Cindy couldn’t hear. “Yes, you’re right, but…” His body fell back and a new slash appeared on the side of his neck. Without speaking he grabbed the tape and lifted Cindy’s head by her hair as she begged him not to hurt her.  He wrapped the tape around her head instead of tearing a piece off. “You try and talk to me again and I will cut your tongue out.” Then he dropped her and walked out.

          Harold made it up to the first floor, falling into the gray walls of the passageway. He was beginning to feel the effects of the blood loss and knew if the being that came from the box kept hurting him, he would die and everything he was trying to do would be in vain. His thoughts went from killing the kid, to killing the thing that was controlling him, only he couldn’t harm what he couldn’t touch. Seconds after the thought of the being had entered his mind he was slammed into the wall and lifted to the ceiling.  His body hung in midair with his head painfully angled against the wood slats that made up the passage’s ceiling.

          “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” His body dropped like a rock.

~~

          All three stood by the fireplace and backed away from the area of the sounds. It was Mike who walked over and placed his ear to the wall, listening for the sound they heard just seconds before. He looked back at Gabby and Sam and motioned with his hand for them to come closer, but then put a finger to his lips. He pointed at the wall and nodded, “Something is back there,” he whispered, putting his head back up to the wall.

          “Like a person?” Sam asked a little too loud and got a bad look from his brother. “Sorry, but do you think it’s human or a ghost?” he spoke low as he moved closer to the wall.

          “Shut up, Sam,” Gabby said in a low voice, grabbing Sam by the arm and pulling him back.

          Gabby got close to Mike and also leaned onto the wall and heard the sound of shuffling feet. Her eyes grew larger at the fact that something or someone was in the space between the walls. She mouthed the words, ‘a person’ and Mike shrugged his shoulders. Gabby stepped back and waved for Mike to come with her. Once they were back by the fireplace she asked, “Do you think it’s that creepy butler?”

          “It sounded too big to be rats, so yeah. I think there has to be some kind of secret passage between the walls and that would explain how Cindy disappeared so fast. Sam, start feeling around the wall and see if you can find a latch or something that might be a door. Gabby, you gather a few candles in case the batteries go out on the flash light. I’m going to the kitchen and get a few of those butcher knives.”

          “What’s wrong with these daggers?” Sam asked, pulling his from his back pocket.

          “I think they’re just decoration and I want to make sure that we have something that will work when and if we need them.”

          “No way, Mike, you can’t go alone and you can’t leave us in here. We all go or nothing,” Gabby said then added. “What if this guy is really strong and takes you.”

          Mike looked up at Gabby as if a light switch had gone off in his mind. “That’s it.”

          “What’s it?” Gabby frowned.

          “That’s how we find Cindy. I can hide a weapon and then go alone and let the freak grab me. He will take me to where he has Cindy.”

          “You’re talking crazy, Mike. What if it’s not that man? What if it is the Dybbuk?” Sam asked as he hugged himself. “Gabby’s right, we have to stick together.”

          “I know you’re scared Sam, but it may be the only way to find her. I can take that old man then bring her back and then we will get the hell out of here. And if it’s not Grey that’s doing this, then I will take on whatever is.”

          “You can’t hurt the Dybbuk with a knife.”

          “He may be right Sam, and there is no such thing as a ghost or that stupid story that dad told you,” Gabby looked at Mike. “You be careful and if nothing happens when you go down that hall then you get those knives and hurry back.”

          “I will, and if I don’t come back you and Sam stay close to this fireplace and stay together. I have to say this, if Cindy and I aren’t back before the sun comes up, when it does, you and Sam try to get out.” He put his finger to his mouth again then spoke louder. “I’m going to go to the kitchen and look for a few weapons, you two keep these daggers and stay put, I will be right back.” Then he winked.

          Without waiting for a reply, Mike stepped out into the foyer and then headed down the hall. He looked back once and saw Gabby and Sam looking around the corner. He smiled then continued down the hall and disappeared into the kitchen.

To be continued…

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