Part 16 (2/2)

”What?” she murmured aloud. ”He insists we stay out of the forest, and there he is, waving me into it!”

And then, there had been Jonathan's words that morning....

Frowning, she got out of the car, wis.h.i.+ng that she'd remembered her sungla.s.ses. He waved again. The great black turned and went down the path.

”What the h.e.l.l...?” she muttered aloud.

He'd disappeared down the trail, expecting her to follow.

”All right. Great!” she said. Maybe it was safe to go into the forest as long as she was with him. But he'd found one of the two bodies dumped in the forest! she reminded herself.

”I'm only going so far!” she said, and realized that she was still talking to herself. But even as she approached the first canopy of trees, she felt again the strange hesitance she had felt the day before. And she had been with a crowd of people then! And that was before she knew about the bodies!

This was insane. She shouldn't trust him. And yet.. .she did. Somewhere in her heart, she'd felt a deep unease regarding Bruce. But even as she'd felt it, something in her soul had rebelled.

And now, for some reason, she was compelled to follow him.

As soon as she came into the field of trees, she was blinded again, having gone from surprisingly bright sunlight to a dark expanse of green.

”Bruce!” she called out, irritated. ”I am not coming any farther--”

He had dismounted and was in front of her again.

”Bruce, dammit!” she told him.

Come, please.

She thought he said the words softly, yet she questioned her own sanity because she wasn't certain that they had been real words.

She thought about just turning and running, but for the life of her right then, she couldn't do it. Nothing had changed. She had to follow. She was drawn.

”Stop, then, wait up for me!” she said, her words angry. She was starting to feel like an idiotic teenager in a bad B horror movie, who's in the very spot where the maniacal killer always strikes.

But that was insane. Bruce was right in front of her. Sanity be d.a.m.ned. Instinct a.s.sured her that he'd never hurt her.

She didn't want to rely on instinct; she didn't want to dream. She never, ever wanted to admit that she hadn't shut down the visions that had haunted her with such vivid brutality...

”Bruce! d.a.m.n you, wait!”

But he wasn't waiting. And she couldn't turn back.

She started to hurry, walking quickly to catch up, stumbling slightly as she reached the soft, rocky embankment of the brook. She stubbed a toe and stopped, swearing. She rubbed her foot, really angry then, ready to tell him to go right to h.e.l.l. Yet, when she looked up, he was nowhere to be seen.

And she had come much farther into the forest than she had imagined.

The trees seemed to be surrounding her, ma.s.sive, so deeply green, in an eerie darkness. And there was a sudden hush all around her. No birds chirped, no insects buzzed.

It was as if the world was waiting.

”Bruce!” Her voice wavered, shocking in the stillness.

And then...

She had followed the trickle of the brook, but not even that sound seemed to be able to pierce the stillness. Ahead of her, water dashed and jumped over little rocks and fallen branches. She tried to remember playing in the water with her friends, how they had soaked one another, how they had laughed. She tried, desperately, to keep that vision in her mind.

But she could not.

She saw the large, downed branches, the blanket of green that was oddly out of place on the water. It was out of place. It was a piece of the forest, yes, but.. .set as if by human hands.

No! A voice inside her shrieked out.

Fear gripped her. The silence remained, as if all the forest, trees, bushes, fish, fowl, insects and even the air itself stood still and waited. And watched.

She knew, long before she actually found the strength to propel herself forward, what she would find. She knew, yet she didn't want to know. Then a calm settled over her and the blind fear abated.

She walked purposely, steadfastly forward and lifted the branch. It was heavy, heavier than she had expected. She dragged it but inches.

A scream formed in her throat, but it never left her lips.

Bones. She had found bones.

*8*

”Ah, a hill full of long gra.s.s and flowers, a delightful breeze and bubbly! What more could one ask?” Kevin said, leaning back on the blanket.

Ryan sipped his champagne, wis.h.i.+ng that he could feel as relaxed as the others seemed to be.

”A beer, maybe. A Bud. Cold,” Ryan said.

”Aren't we grouchy,” David said.

Ryan shrugged and rose, stretching. ”I wish Toni had come with us,” he murmured.

”Well, of course, I wish she'd come, too,” Gina said. ”But... why?”

”I don't know. I guess I'm worried about her. Rambling around in that castle alone.. .and going to the village alone,” Ryan said. ”Who knows what she's up to? Maybe she's asking too many questions.. .irritating people.”

Kevin laughed aloud. ”Oh, my G.o.d, Ryan! You're making it sound like the Village of the d.a.m.ned, or something of the like!”

He turned and looked at them. ”Maybe it is.”

”Oh, Ryan! I thought you loved it here,” Gina said.

”I do.”

”Then...?” David demanded.

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