Read with BonusRead with Bonus

8

8

Lauren couldn’t get it out of her mind.

Aaron Spencer. As unresponsive as an iceberg and every bit as cold.

She bit her lip, unable to stop thinking about the man. No, the bastard. For that was all anybody capable of murdering two helpless people should be named. An angry huff passed her lips and Grayson glanced at her as they walked back towards the diner.

“Still thinkin’ about it?” he asked quietly.

Lauren grimaced and looked away. “I can’t help it,” she responded. “He was just...so cold.”

Grayson shoved his hands into his pockets, slowing down as the diner came into view.

“Listen, that’s the way Aaron becomes when he feels attacked. Plenty folks around here have cornered him with a few choice words and I guess he’s just trained himself to react that way until they leave him alone.

Lauren huffed. “Whatever.”

Soon they were in the diner and just as Grayson had said, the rest were still seated at the booth.

“Lauren!” said Samantha. “I hope you hadn’t gone to that man’s house. He’s dangerous!”

Lauren shrugged and murmured a reply. Natalie’s hand curved around hers and Lauren looked down at her.

“You alright?” Natalie asked, her eyes full of concern.

Tears suddenly blurred her vision and Lauren blinked to clear them. “Yeah,” she nodded at Natalie. The woman’s hand suddenly got tighter on Lauren’s.

“Did you really go to Aaron Spencer’s house? You saw him?”

Easing her hand out of Natalie, Lauren nodded. “Yeah. Stupid decision,” she murmured and quickly changed the topic. “I’ve decided to go through my grandfather’s home and get it a little fixed up, then I’m going to sell it.”

Parker perked up. “Really? That’s awesome. You need help with the place?”

Lauren felt her heart lift. “Uhh, yeah. I actually wanted to ask you guys…”

“Done,” said Parker, cutting her off. “We’ll help you turn that place around in a jiffy, we will. As... apology for arguin’ about such a sensitive matter in front of you. I hope Grayson and I didn’ hurt your feelings.”

Lauren shook her head with a smile. “No, it’s alright.”

James threw back his coffee and sighed. “Perfect. When do we get started on your place?”

Lauren glanced back at Grayson who shrugged.

“What about now? We can just go in...have a look around?”

James glanced at Parker. “Oh, now? Uhm…okay. Yeah.”

Lauren nodded. “Cool.” She watched them file out of the booth, Natalie calling dibs on smashing the old windows out when they replace them.

“God, you’re destructive,” Parker teased as he pushed open the door and they left the diner.

“Ain’t gonna deny it,” Natalie called with a cheeky grin. Lauren laughed as they began the walk to the house that Rev. Burns lived in many years ago.

She tried not to think of it as she walked and the others made jokes all around her, but the thoughts poured into Lauren’s mind, regardless.

She would soon be walking into the place where pops was murdered. The last place her mother was seen alive. She was afraid.

When she walked in there would she feel it all at once? Would she hear their agonized voices screaming in pain as they called for help?

Lauren wondered whether the walls and the floors...whether they were still stained with their blood. She wondered if she’d take one look at the living room and be able to tell the story that took place there over a decade ago.

A shiver ran through her and an arm surrounded her, offering warmth. She looked up and Grayson walked beside her, looking at the road ahead. Silent, but offering comfort that spoke volumes.

“This is going to be hard,” she whispered.

He glanced at her and nodded.

“Yeah, it sure is. But we’ll be right there with you. If you gotta cry, I’ll give you my shoulder and Parker will offer you his shirt if you gotta blow your nose,” he said, making her laugh.

Soon they turned onto Lauren’s old street and the talking quietened.

The walked on for a little while longer and then a house appeared around a bend, hidden by tall trees. The grass was a little higher than most yards. The town obviously kept it trimmed, but clearly not as often as the other yards did. Lauren didn’t need to be told. She stopped on the bend and looked up at the strong brick house that stood proud against the sky, without a single stoop even after years of bearing the weight of myths, speculation, and heresy.

They all looked at her, waiting.

Lauren took a breath, pushed open the rickety gate and walked through. The others quickly followed, not wanting to let her go in there alone.

The path in the front yard led straight to the front door. There were no steps, only a simple screen door and a white painted wooden door behind that. She stared at it, trying to calm her racing heart.

Turning her head to the side, she motioned to Parker. “Can you break the door open? I don’t have the key, but it’s fine cause we’re going to replace it anyway.”

Parker nodded and motioned for her to stand aside.

They became preoccupied with the door and didn’t feel the need to look around.

From a little higher, a pair of panicked eyes stared down at the group. The meddling little chipmunks! What in the hell were they doing there? Up in a bedroom, a shadow fell against the wall as its owner scowled out the window at Lauren and her friends.

“It’s the granddaughter and her bratty friends,” said a raspy voice. Suddenly, a loud crashing sound filled the house and the shadow jumped, clutching at its hat. Soon enough the stranger was scampering out and racing to the bathroom window before those meddling kids came up the stairs.

Silent as a lizard, the stranger slid down the shaky pole attached to the wall outside, praying for the old thing to hold. A few seconds later, they were on the ground and disappeared to the woods behind the house.

Parker studied the fireplace, afraid to touch anything as were his peers, all unaware of the shadow that slipped past the window outside. They watched Lauren warily as she stood in the middle of the living room and stared at the floor around her feet in silence.

They readied themselves to comfort her if she became upset and were surprised to see her turn around with a bright smile, although a little teary-eyed.

“Welcome to my home,” she said with a stiff little curtsy.

Natalie chuckled. “I can tell you don’t practice those in the mirror,” she joked.

Lauren laughed and nudged playfully at her shoulder. “I never claimed to have been in anything Shakespeare.”

Dust tickled at her nose and had her sneezing in an instant. The place was full of dust. Samantha tried and managed to pry a few windows open as the others took a look around. Lauren was so glad that she remembered a few things and that she could feel the actual recognition of the place in her heart.

The sofas were covered with white sheets and the rug had been removed, but she knew that they were black with dark red roses spattered into the design. She saw the clock that hung high on the faded green walls.

It had stopped ticking long, long ago and was covered in dust, but she remembered it.

Then Lauren saw a wooden bedroom door near the kitchen, close to the staircase. Her mother’s bedroom. With a throat clogged by tears and a heavy heart, she turned immediately away from that door.

“So what do you guys think?” she asked shakily.

James clapped dust off his hands as he nodded. “It sure is filthy, but I bet it’ll be easy to fix right up, don’t you worry.”

Grayson nodded in agreement. “Yeah. Tomorrow, we’ll test the strength of the floors upstairs, we’ll check the cables and make sure everything’s workin', though I should warn you, we’re probably going to be replacing most of it.”

Lauren nodded. “That’s fine, I’d prefer it.”

“Can we check upstairs so we know everything we should bring tomorrow?” Parker asked and Lauren nodded.

Natalie led the way, gingerly testing each step by pressing it carefully then slamming her foot on it from a lower step. When she was satisfied, she skipped happily to the top floor, Parker and the others in her wake.

Lauren stayed downstairs pouting at the empty little wooden stands. All they bore was dust, not a single photograph of her family that she could hold dear.

“You alright?”

Lauren turned to find Grayson dusting off his hands from the old wooden window pane that crumbled to nothing on his fingers.

She shrugged. “Yeah, I...I just wish there was at least one photograph. Although I…” she frowned and shook her head. “I don’t remember ever dressing for photos with my family. It was always quite serious around here, really. Church, home and church again. Aunt Abigail did all the grocery shopping. Not my mother. She hardly left the house.”

Grayson listened with a frown. That wasn’t a way he could imagine living.

Lauren sighed and threw her hands up in frustration. “What the hell happened here?!” she demanded to no one in particular.

It was eating away at her, he could see. Having lived all these years without even the desire to know. But now, she had seen Aaron and the house, it would continue to torture her until she knew the full story.

Grayson bit his lip, knowing she’d probably curse him to hell for what he was about to say.

“Talk to him, Lauren,” he said firmly.

She looked at him. “What? Who?”

“Aaron.”

Lauren groaned and rolled her eyes. “So he can look through me like I’m not there and walk away again? No, thank you!”

He was probably used to getting his way, Lauren thought. He killed two people and went free, lived a good life with his mother, even managed to get a respectable job as a fireman. With Aaron’s gorgeous looks, there clearly wasn’t much that hadn’t gone his way in his life. Lauren’s mouth curled in distaste.

Grayson pushed away from the window and came to her. “He won’t do that if you get through to him. Listen, go over there tomorrow, I’ll come with you if you want, but you need to talk to him, Lauren.”

“Why?!”

“Because you want to hear the truth and he’s the only one who knows it!”

She looked at him, defeat in her eyes. She turned away from him then, unwilling to admit that he was right.

“It won’t work,” Lauren said instead. “He won’t tell me.” Because he has no heart, she wanted to add.

Grayson took a deep breath. ‘Talk to him.”

She turned reluctantly to look at him, a look of uncertainty clear in her eyes. “W-what if…”

“No,” Grayson cut her off. “Whatever you’re thinkin’...no. It’s gonna be alright, I promise. He would never hurt you.”

Lauren wanted to tell him that he didn’t know that for certain. Aaron Spencer was a monster.

But he was a monster she had to and would face.

Lauren cringed. This had been exactly what she was avoiding when she’d refused to return to Woodfair.

“I’ll talk to him. Tomorrow.”

Grayson nodded. “I’ll come with you.”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s enough that you’ll know where I am. I’ll go while you guys are busy here so Sam doesn’t try to stop me. Make sure they don’t know.”

Grayson nodded, glad that she was finally doing this. He knew Aaron. Maybe he didn’t know what was in all the dark little crevices that Aaron kept covered up, but Grayson knew for certain that whatever was in there, it wasn’t evil. Aaron wasn’t evil.

Lauren turned around and was stunned to see Natalie standing silently on the staircase watching them. The ice in her sharp eyes made Lauren’s skin prickle, but it quickly disappeared as Natalie grinned and skipped down the rest of the stares.

Lauren looked warily at her before turning away.

Soon the others came down covered in dust from head to toe and with Samantha sneezing non-stop.

“I don’t think she’s gonna be able to take the dust for the whole day tomorrow,” James said grinning as he tugged her downstairs by her hand.

“That’s alright,” Sam said, holding off a sneeze. “I’ll take breaks outside for fresh a-a-air.”

Lauren apologized with a grin and glanced at a grim Parker. “Hey. What’s with the serious face?” she asked.

Parker shrugged, glancing back at the stairs. “I dunno…it’s just…” he grimaced.

James chuckled. “Parker here thinks that somebody’s been in this house. This house that’s been locked up for nearly twenty years, might I add.”

Lauren felt her skin crawl. “That would be creepy,” she commented, glancing at Parker. “What made you think that?”

Parker ran a hand through his hair. “It was just the way the room felt—”

“What room?”

“Uh...the late Reverend’s room upstairs. I went in to check the walls to see how much paint and wallpaper we’re gonna need and... it just didn’t feel like... a room that’s been closed up for twenty years would feel.”

James cocked his head to the side. “And just how might that be, Parker?”

Parker rolled his eyes. “Know what? Forget it.”

James laughed and slapped him on the back while Natalie gave him a playful pout and hugged him to show her condolences for the marbles she was sure he was losing.

“Don’t you worry about it, Parker,” Lauren said, unsure of what to think regarding what Parker had said, so she waved it away.

“Do we know everythin’ we need to know then?” Grayson asked and the others nodded. Lauren looked at the broken door with a wince.

“How are we going to lock up?” she asked, already regretting getting the door broken.

James waved it away. “Don’t let that bother you now. Nobody in this town would ever think of trespassin’ this house cause I promise you, everybody either worships the Reverend’s memory or is afraid of angerin’ his spirit. Won’t nobody step foot here, that’s for sure.”

Natalie nodded in agreement. “That’s true,” she said.

Lauren sighed. “Alright then. Let’s go.”

“Don’t you wanna take a look around upstairs, you know?” Natalie asked.

Lauren glanced at the stairs and paused.

“No,” she shook her head. “I’ll see it when we’re renovating, not today.”

With a shrug, she led the way outside and they all followed.

The walk back to the Mayor’s house was much more peaceful and jovial than the walk out of it had been that morning.

Lauren’s new friends smiled up at the Mayor’s house.

“He sure is a fine mayor,” Natalie said and everyone, except Grayson, murmured their agreement.

“He is?” Lauren asked. “Why?”

Samantha shrugged. “He respects the beliefs and wishes of the people. As a small town, we really value that. It was actually his deep love and respect for your grandfather that got him in the Mayoral seat, I’ll say.”

The others nodded.

“He quoted the Reverend every chance he got, the people noticed and voted,” Parker said.

Lauren glanced skeptically at the house behind her. “Seems like a little scheming for his campaign if you ask me,” she murmured and James chuckled.

“I’ve always thought the same.”

Sam clucked her tongue. “And you’re both very skeptical! He’s a good man who respected the Rev. That’s why the town loves him.”

“Also because he’s limited Aaron and his mother to the house they’ve lived in for the past thirty years, forbidding them from living anywhere else in Woodfair,” Grayson said coldly. “That’s why they love him.”

Lauren’s gaze dropped at that.

“Why doesn’t he just leave Woodfair?” she questioned tightly.

Grayson shoved his hands into his pockets.

“His mother,” he said. “She suffers from recurring Amnesia. That house and her son are the only ones constantly familiar to her. He doesn’t wanna move her to a place she won’t recognize.”

“How heroic,” Parker said sarcastically. “He’ll take the insult and the shame of livin’ in Woodfair just so his sweet momma can be cozy in her house.” He scoffed and turned away from Grayson’s glare.

Lauren kept her gaze trained on the ground in their little circle. It seemed Aaron Spencer would do anything for his mother.

Clenching her jaw, she stepped away from her friends.

“I’ve got to go now, guys. I won’t be able to come to the hardware store with you in the morning, however. Sorry.”

Natalie waved a hand. “That’s fine, we’ll meet you at the house. But why not?”

Lauren shrugged. “I uhm ...I need to go over some things with Mayor Stanford.”

She didn’t miss the way Natalie’s assessing gaze focused on her face, but she ignored it. If Natalie had overheard Lauren’s conversation with Grayson, Lauren just hoped she didn’t tell everyone.

The others nodded and said goodbye. Grayson gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder and walked away with them.

Lauren headed in, her head held high although in her gut weighed heavily the knowledge that, tomorrow, she would face Aaron Spencer again.

The scariest part wasn’t speaking to him... it was ignoring the way her heart beat faster, the way her nipples tightened when his gold-brown eyes focused on her.

Previous Chapter
Next Chapter