A strange death

The air smelled of dreams.

Adam hadn’t noticed that last time. Too preoccupied.

The forest was dim. He looked up and saw that very little light pierced the canopy.

Shadows slithered in and out of the edges of his vision, as if they wished him to know they were there, but were not willing to show themselves. Their forms were varied, different sizes and shapes; but all of them possessed the same red eyes.

Eventually he reached the place he looked for. A flat rock, upon which sat a single person—if a person it could be called. The mesmerizing, hypnotic song whose words he could not comprehended continued for a moment longer, then faded as the creature regarded him.

“Thou hast returned. ‘Tis about time.”

“Greetings, Melodist,” Adam said, following instructions written on his journal.

The Melodist harrumphed. Its blurry silhouette moved to face him. “Thy gentlemanliness returned, I see. However thou cannot hide confusion. Speak, what dost thou require?”

“Instruction.”

He could not see its face, but he thought he saw a smile. “Instruction? Mine? ‘Tis been too long since thou requested aught so simple. Very well, ask away.”

“I’ve been told my wife has been taken to a nightmare belonging to a being called the withering sun. How may I take her back?”

“Askest thou her back?” The Melodist tilted its head.

“Err, no. Am I meant to enter this nightmare or find another way to speak with him?”

“No other way exists.” It frowned. “The Withering Sun is always in the frozen plains. Just as I am always in this dark forest. Thou need only dream and ask. I doubt that broken sun would dismiss a request of one such as thee. If he does, just steal her away. He will not mind.”

Adam paused. “Is it that simple?”

“I saith not ‘twould be simple.” The Melodist smiled mysteriously, awaiting his next question. She knew he had more.

“How does a trap to capture people and send to him would work?”

“A foolish question. Thou need very little understanding for such an insignificant thing. Create a boundary and connect the two planes. Such a thing would only work on young ones.”

Adam nodded. “Thank you for your time.”

“‘Tis nothing. Thou art deserving.”

Adam opened his eyes in his hotel room.

A wintry wind blew from the open window.

Adam stood up from floor. The circle he drew on the floor disappeared in a puff of smoke. He had spent the better part of afternoon reading his journal and the mediocre books he pilfered from Oliver’s secret room to try and find out a way of helping Mary.

In it he found information about The Melodist, and realized he dreamt of her in hospital a while back. She had called to him then. He called to her now.

She, as well as this Withering Sun, was akin to a god, and apparently he received instruction from her in the past.

He had ample notes about her power and personality. She was deity to dark creatures that inhabited the forest. The spiders were her servants. She was made of light. His notes weren’t very clear.

Create a boundary and connect the two planes. He had just connected the two planes, though the door he made was for a different place than where his wife went.

A boundary must be something like the spider web in the hospital. So was there something like a permanent boundary around the Good Manor? He would need to investigate it.

With all the confusion Adam had forgotten the spider he placed in Christopher, but when he tried to feel it, he felt nothing. They had probably found it and squashed it. If they knew what it was, then at least they didn’t know it was him who put it there.

Mary’s cellphone rang. It was an unknown number, but when he picked it up, a familiar voice greeted him.

“Adam, it’s Delilah! Please come home!”

“What happened?”

“It’s Lucas, he…” Her voice broke away in sobs. What had happened this time?

“Please come here. We can’t, I can’t speak over the phone, please.”

The call ended.

Adam contemplated that nothing was ever simple.

§

When Adam arrived at the house, the first thing he noticed was the police car parked nearby. Adam recognized one of the two cops who were standing at the entrance.

“Who are you?” Jeremy asked, frowning. “Oh, it’s you.”

“You know him?” asked the other cop.

“He is one of Oliver’s sons. From another woman, I think. Is that right?”

“Yes.” Adam made to enter, but the man barred his way. “What is it?”

“Why are you coming here now?”

Adam frowned. “I received a call to come here. What’s happening?”

The two cops traded glances. “You don’t know what happened?”

“No. My…sister wouldn’t tell me. She just said we needed to talk.”

“One of your brothers died,” Jeremy said, grimly.

Adam paused in shock. “How did that happen?”

“We don’t know. The medic team is coming. They may shed some answers. But for now, I need to ask some questions.”

Adam understood his words. “I am a suspect.”

“Look, there is an inheritance to be divided among you,” he added. “You all are suspect. There’s no denying everyone in this damn house had a good motive. So will you answer a few questions?”

“Do I have to answer?”

“Not really.” Jeremy shrugged. “But it’ll make my work a lot easier.”

Adam sighed, audibly, purely to express his annoyance. “Ask away.”

He asked where he was during the time of death, where he was before, if there were witnesses, and several other questions that would doubtlessly prove his innocence.

Then he was let in the house.

Alexandra was weeping in the couch. She started as Adam entered; her face was marred with tears. She promptly looked away. “You, you’re back, I see.” She took a deep breath, recomposing.

“I just heard from a cop that Lucas is dead.” He walked her way.

She flinched, and hide her face. “Yes, yes. It’s terrible.”

“What happe—

“Please!” she screamed. “Please, don’t speak to me.”

Astonished, Adam stepped away from her.

He then saw Delilah descending the stairs. Her face was the very picture of sadness. She shambled his way, and embraced him tightly, sobbing on his shoulder. He hugged her back, caressing her hair soothingly.

Eventually her husband descended the stairs as well and made his way to them, grim-faced.

“What happened?” Adam asked.

Delilah let go of him, but as he faced her, she shook her head, tears falling liberally. She didn’t want to speak.

“We are not sure either,” Terry said. “He screamed, then he just collapsed, and stopped breathing.” He shuddered. “It was just like Evelynn.”

Delilah sobbed.

Adam sweated cold. Could it be? Had Lucas died because of…The Withering Sun? Had he tried to use some rite that involved dreaming and fell into the nightmare? But why had he died, when Evelynn and Mary merely collapsed?

Just then Louis descended the stairs, thunderous. Her eyes were like fire as she swept her gaze through them. She saw Adam and went his way like bull.

He would have sworn she would fight him, but he was not her target. She rounded on Alexandra, who trembled in her grasp. “What did John do to him? Speak!”

“I don’t know anything!” Alexandra was trembling. Adam realized her face was not only marred in tears. Angry welts marked it. She had been hit in the face.

“Louis!” Delilah cried. “She had nothing to do with this.”

“You heard him,” Louis continued, gesturing toward Terry who flinched away from her. “John was doing something to Lucas. I don’t know what kind of drugs they were taking, but I swear Alexandra, John won’t escape from this. Not this time!”

“I don’t know anything,” Alexandra pleaded. She sent Adam a pitiful look.

“Louis,” Adam said. “This is enough.”

She rounded on him. “This has nothing to do with you.” She glared at him, hatefully, and walked back upstairs.

Adam turned toward Terry. “Can you explain what’s going on?”

Terry sighed, rather pitifully, and led him to the kitchen.

§

“John didn’t want to tell me much about it,” Terry said. “He disappeared into his room. Kept there all day.” He drank a sip of coffee and breathed deeply.

Delilah was pacing around the small table he and Terry were sitting at. She was agitated.

“Actually,” Terry continued. “He became very strange since his mother was sent to the hospital. I thought it was just the stress doing its work.”

“It was the stress,” Delilah stressed, and continued her pacing.

“Of course. That’s what I meant,” Terry said. “Anyway, I thought he needed someone to talk to, but the state he was in…you’d not believe it. It was like he went mad. He kept talking about how everything was over, about how he was doomed and all of us would die. He also said your name a lot.

“I wasn’t the only one worried for him. Lucas came with me. John was a lot more open with his little brother. But then he said something strange.” He paused, eyes narrowing slightly, deep in thought. “He said it was time for him to learn the family secrets. So he made me leave. I don’t know what happened in there after that.”

“What about Louis and her husband?” Adam asked.

He shrugged. “Louis didn’t care. Thomas was worried for him, but he would not care for something his wife considered a temper tantrum.”

“He died in the room with John?”

“Oh, no, that was not how it happened no. Lucas left the room. But once he did, he was shaken. Something had put a terrible fright in him. He looked even more terrible than when Evelynn collapsed, but he wouldn’t tell me what it was.” Terry sighed. “He went to his room, presumably to sleep. Next we knew, he screamed like a madman. He was loud, much louder than Evelynn, and he didn’t stop soon like she did. When I broke the door, he was already dead.”

“So that is why Louis is blaming John.”

“That, and John kept screaming that it wasn’t his fault, and that you must have done something.”

“I didn’t,” Adam reiterated.

“I didn’t say you did. I’m only saying what happened. John stayed in his room ever since. The cops went there and came back soon after. He agreed to a toxicology exam. I guess they’ll make one for Lucas as well.” He sighed, tiredly.

“Do you think it was John?” Adam asked.

“Truthfully, I don’t know what to think.”

“It wasn’t!” Delilah declared, impassive. “John would never hurt Lucas. He may be a bit of an ass, but he loved Lucas. He would never hurt him. Never!”

“Accidentally maybe?” Terry suggested.

“How do you accidentally kill someone in their sleep?” Delilah asked. “No, it must have been poison or something. In that case it could be anyone with access to our food.” She grimaced. “It must have been one of Sarah’s children. They want our money.”

“Dear calm down,” Terry said. “You’re thinking down a dangerous path. We’re not the police. Let they investigate.” He stood up and embraced her.

She cried on his shoulder.

Adam felt terrible as he watched them.

“Oh, so you are here.”

Adam started at the voice. He could not believe his ears. He turned around and sure enough, it was Christopher, leaning against the doorway. Sarah and his partner stood behind him.

“Fancy seeing you again, Adam. Coincidences sure are a strange thing!”