 |
 |
|
|
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] her at all that she was now dead and in the power of the devil himself. Come, children, let us return. My congregation awaits us impatiently. Before Cassie realized, they stood before the people and Gloria lay on the altar. Cassie knew what Madder would do and she closed her eyes. To make Gloria completely his, she had to go through the ceremony. 83 Forbidden Ground But the girl didn t seem to care at all. Cassie looked for Braden and finally spotted him in the third row. For a moment jealousy entered her as she knew that Braden must have participated in an orgy while they were gone. But then, she d allowed Madder to fuck her to see if she could find the solution to them returning home. And all she d done was finally solved the murders. And there was no one to tell, except Braden. It was finally over. Yanking the robe over her head, she went to join Braden, but Madder stopped her. No, my love, you are now mine and you shall rest beside me. Oh, my God, now what do I do? She had little choice. His hand was on her arm and felt like an iron band. He led her to another part of the mansion, into a room that was decorated completely in black and red. Black candles burned softly, their flickering flames dancing shadows throughout the room. Come, Cassie, let us rest. It will soon be dawn. He almost forced her down on the big bed. Reluctantly she lay down and wondered if she d have to suffer his body again. But she was wrong. Apparently dawn had set in. Madder lay beside her and within seconds disappeared. Slowly, the room turned into a decaying mess, just like the other rooms. Without waiting any longer, Cassie jumped off the bed and ran from the room. She had to search to find the room she and Braden occupied, and finally found it. She almost burst into the room and ran directly to 84 Gabriella Bradley the bed, to Braden s arms. Cassie, honey, I was so worried about you. Braden, I think we re dead, she said in between sobs. What makes you think that? Madder is the devil himself. He s the killer. Or at least, the sheriff is the killer, and& Honey, calm down. You re not making any sense. Tell me everything that s happened, Braden said in a soothing voice, stroking her hair as if she were a little girl. She told him everything in between tears and choked back sobs. So that means we re dead as well. Otherwise, how could we be here? Braden frowned down at her. If we re dead and ended up in this pit of hell, then there has to be a way to get out. Maybe we ve done something wrong in our lives that caused us to end up here. We ll have to think hard and repent for any wrongdoings we did during our lifetime. I can t think of any other solution. First we have to get out of this place. During the day they re not here. We can start walking, even if it s a desert. After all, we can t die anymore. So Madder disappeared soon as daylight came? Yes. Then how come we don t disappear? She hadn t thought about that. I don t know. I don t know anything anymore except that I think we re going crazy or something. Don t be silly. Here, come and let me dry your tears. 85 Forbidden Ground I feel so dirty. I wish I could have a bath, a wash, anything. I know, honey. So do I. But we d have to wait until tonight for pitchers of water. Do you really want to start walking into the desert? Yes. Anything to get away from this place. Okay. But let me hold you a while first. Still shaking, she lay in his arms until finally she felt safe again. Braden kissed her gently, lovingly. If we re going to do this, we should start now, he said softly against her lips. She nodded. Okay, let s go then. They got up off the bed and carefully made their way out of the decaying house. The sun felt hot on Cassie s skin, but she didn t care. After all, ghosts couldn t get sunburned could they? Placing her hand in Braden s, she pulled him toward the rusty gates. Once outside the gates, they faced the endless desert. It seemed hopeless to even contemplate it, but it was better than going through another night inside Madder s home. And maybe they d find the ghost town again. 86 Gabriella Bradley CHAPTER SEVEN t seemed as if they d walked for hours. Cassie s feet Iwere sore, but when she looked at them she saw no dirt, no blisters. Braden, I need to sit for a while. He stopped and nodded. We ve covered quite a bit of ground. I see some rocks over there. We can sit on those. She followed him to the rocks and when they got there, found them too hot for their bare skin to handle. Everything was too hot. The sand below their feet, the rocks, the very air they breathed. Braden, I don t know if this is any use. Why don t we just give up? Never. Come here, let me hold you. She crept into the circle of his arms and gladly received his lips. His kiss deepened, but it was the kiss of love, not of desire. A tear trickled down her cheek. Braden licked it off, then kissed her eyes. Cassie, I love you, he said softly. And I love you, Braden. Strange how we had to find each other this way. Yes. Kiss me again? I feel very strange suddenly. Braden claimed her lips again and she closed her 87 Forbidden Ground mind to all thought except his kiss. Somewhere vaguely in the distance she heard him suddenly calling her name. Cassie& don t leave me. Cassie& Cassie& Cassie struggled awake. Man alive, she hurt all over. It felt as if she d been run over by a train. The sun, the forever hot sun. Quickly she closed her eyes, then tried to open them again. Braden, did I faint? Cassie, oh, my dear Cassie, I m so glad you re coming out of it. What the fuck was that? Jason s voice? That couldn t be. Get out, she mumbled. Finally she managed to open her eyes completely. Where am I? You re in the hospital. The hospital? But I m dead. No, you re not dead. Let me get the nurse, Jason said. Jason. What the hell was Jason doing in this nightmare? How did he enter into it all? The hospital? Maybe this was another stop on her way to a better place. Did they have hospitals in the hereafter? A nurse approached her bed. Good afternoon, Miss Sanderson. You ve finally returned to the real world. Huh? I ve already called the doctor. He ll be in to see you shortly and he ll explain. Braden? Braden Miller, your companion is still in a coma. 88 Gabriella Bradley We hope he ll return to us soon as well. Oh, here is Doctor Short. I ll leave you in his capable hands. Miss Sanderson, nice to meet you. Hello. The name is Cassie. How did I get here? You and Braden Miller were caught in a twister. It mangled your car. Miraculously, the two of you survived, but not without some broken bones and other injuries. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |