Matt struggled to keep the sobbing girls on their feet as they walked up the path toward the house. Hannah collapsed twenty-five feet from the porch. He looked over at LeAnn worried she’d be next.
“I can…walk. Don’t…worry… about me,” she said through her tears. He could see she wasn’t going to pass out, but she was having trouble keeping her balance.
Nick and Randy stood waiting on the porch for Matt to get back and tell them what else needed to be done.
“What the—?” Randy said as he quickly opened the screen door. Nick had already jumped the porch steps and ran down to help LeAnn. Matt carried Hannah inside and laid her on the couch. LeAnn collapsed as Nick reached her. He carried her into the house and laid her on the love seat.
“Damn, Man! What happened?” Nick asked as he laid LeAnn down.
“I’m not sure,” answered Matt honestly, just as confused as his friends. “I found them locked in the boathouse. I couldn’t get the doors open. I had to break one the French doors.” He turned to Randy, “Go in the kitchen and find some brandy or whiskey.” Matt then reached for the throw that was on the sofa and wrapped it around Hannah. “Nick, go upstairs and grab a blanket for LeAnn.” Matt shouted orders to his buddies not really knowing what he was doing.
Nick ran up the stairs and into the first guest room, taking the comforter off the bed and running back down, two stairs at a time. He handed the comforter to Matt, who covered LeAnn. She was shaking uncontrollably. Randy came out of the kitchen and threw Matt a dish towel. Matt looked at him questioning. “For your hand.” Matt looked down and saw that his right hand was cut and bleeding. “Thanks.” He wrapped the towel around it. Then Randy handed Matt one of the glasses of brandy, and took the other glass to where Hannah was lying.
Hannah was started to move and scream under the throw, “Let me out of here! Let me out!” Nick grabbed her by her shoulders and gently pushed her back onto the couch. “Shhh, Hannah. It’s okay; you’re safe. You’re out. It’s okay.” Randy handed Nick the glass of brandy, and Nick held it to Hannah’s lips. “Here, Hannah, sip this.” Hannah took a sip and lay back down.
LeAnn sipped her brandy while Matt held the glass. “Thank you.” She looked up at him with tear-filled eyes. “Thank you.” She whispered again. She lay back and closed her eyes feeling the warmth of the brandy going down her throat. She still couldn’t control the shaking. She was so cold.
Matt looked at the two girls. They were shaking and pale, terrified. He had never seen anyone like this before, and didn’t know what to do. What had happened in that ballroom? What had they seen? Suddenly, Matt remembered he had heard something just as he pulled LeAnn through the broken door. What was it? What had he heard? He decided he couldn’t think about it now. He needed to get these girls help.
Matt looked over to Hannah. “How is she?”
Nick answered, shaking his head, “I don’t know. She’s shivering like LeAnn. I really think they need a doctor.”
Matt didn’t hesitate. “I agree, but I don’t think we can take them in the boat in this condition. I’m going to call Dr. Lyons, and see if I can get him to come out here. He usually helps me out when one of the guests at the resort gets sick. He’s the only doctor I know that still makes house calls.” Matt reached for his cell phone, but before calling the doctor he asked Randy to come over and sit with LeAnn.
Matt went into the hallway to call Dr. Lyons. He nodded to the two guys. They knew help was on the way.
Half hour later, Dr. Lyons finally knocked on LeAnn’s front door. Matt hurried to open it. “Thank you, doctor, for coming.” Matt said as he let the doctor in.
“Are you the patient?” the doctor asked, looking down at Matt’s wrapped hand.
“Ah, no, they’re in the living room. We’ve been keeping them warm, and gave them a few sips of brandy. They were shaking so bad. Actually, Hannah did pass out.”
“Then I’ll check her first.” The doctor said following Matt into the living room.
“That’s Hannah over there,” Matt said pointing.
Dr. Lyons walked over to where Hannah was lying. Her eyes were closed. He knelt on the floor next to her. “Hannah, can you hear me? Do you know who I am?” He reached into his bag for his stethoscope. He asked again after she didn’t respond. “Hannah, can you open your eyes and tell me who I am?”
Slowly, Hannah blinked her eyes open. She looked at up Dr. Lyons and whispered, “Doctor.”
“Good, Hannah, very good.” He listened to her heart for a moment. Then pulled out his blood pressure cuff and checked her blood pressure. Hannah had closed her eyes again and gave a shiver. Dr. Lyons looked over to Matt, and asked for another blanket.
“It’s important we keep them both warm,” he said. “Hannah’s blood pressure isn’t what I would like, and her color is too grey.” Randy ran upstairs to get another blanket.
Dr. Lyons gave Hannah a shot then pulled the blankets up under her chin to keep her warm. “Nick, stay with her.” Dr. Lyons said.
Then he walked over to where LeAnn was lying. LeAnn’s eyes were wide open and darting around the room. Dr. Lyons knelt down next to her just as he had with Hannah. He took her hand and felt that she was clammy. “LeAnn, my name is Dr. Lyons, and I’m going to check your heart. Is that ok?”
LeAnn looked at him without saying anything but nodded her head yes. The doctor placed his stethoscope against her chest and listened. Then he checked her blood pressure and pulse. “LeAnn are you cold?” he asked. LeAnn just stared at him, as if not understanding what he was saying.
Matt knelt down next to the doctor. “LeAnn, honey, are you cold? Would you like another blanket?” LeAnn looked at him and shook her head no. Matt told Randy to get her another one anyway. Randy handed him the extra blanket he had brought down.
Matt smiled appreciatively and spread the blanket over LeAnn.
Dr. Lyons gave LeAnn a shot. He closed his bag, stood up, and motioned to Matt to follow him into the hallway.
“Matt, these girls are in bad shape, and I would like to get them to the hospital. But moving them by boat and then forty-five minute car ride is not good. As much as I’d like them to go to the hospital, they need to stay put. We need to get them up into bed and keep them quiet for the next couple of days. I gave them each a sedative that will help them to sleep, probably until tomorrow. I’m going to leave some pills with you, though. I doubt very much they will wake up tonight, but if they do, give them one pill. Tomorrow give them each another pill. The more rest they get the better. Is there anyone who can come and help you?”
“I think I’ll call my mom. Both girls know her. LeAnn’s brother is in Alaska, and I’ll try to get a hold of him.” Matt said.
Nick could hear their conversation from the couch where he was sitting with Hannah. “Matt?” Nick interrupted, “I’m going to stay, if that’s okay with you. I can help, and I don’t think I’m needed that much at Ridgewood’s.”
Matt turned to him. “I’d appreciate that Nick. Thanks. I’ll talk to Dad when I call my Mom and let him know.”
“Okay, now it’s your turn.” Dr. Lyons said to Matt. “Let’s go in the kitchen so I can clean up your hand.”
Matt absently looked down at the bloody dish towel on his right hand and nodded.
As the doctor was putting stitches in Matt’s hand, he asked Matt, “What in the world happened to those two girls to put them in such a state?”
Frowning, Matt shook his head, “Doc, I really don’t know. I wish I did. LeAnn was showing Hannah the boathouse, and they had been gone a long time, so I went to look for them. I found them locked in. I tried to open the doors, but they all seem locked. It was weird because the French doors open from the inside. I could see LeAnn trying to open them, but they wouldn’t budge. I figured maybe the door was stuck. But I tried them all, and none of them would open. I found a small log and broke the glass.” Matt paused and chose his words carefully, “I had to hit the glass several times before it would break.” He stopped, uncertain how to continue, and then said, “It just wouldn’t break! But doc, the strangest part was…” Matt just looked at the doctor. “The wind was blowing inside the building. Inside, Doc. How’s that possible? No wind outside but inside.” He stopped.
“Matt, what is it?” Dr. Lyons had a feeling Matt wanted to say more but stopped himself.
“This is going to sound real nuts, Doc, but I swear, as I got LeAnn out….” He stopped again. Matt just looked at the doctor and went on. “I could have sworn I heard a deep voice groaning and then howling. But that’s not all. I swear I heard it say nnnooooo! And something after that, but I don’t know what.”
Dr. Lyons looked at him as if he thought he was also suffering from shock due to cutting his hand.
Matt saw the look on Dr. Lyons face. “I know it sounds nuts, but I swear I heard it.”
The doctor spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, in case Matt, too, was in some kind of shock. “Well, Matt, I’m sure there is a logical explanation. As soon as the girls are well again, let’s hope they can shed some light on all of this, if they can remember what happened. With severe shock you never know.” The doctor and Matt returned to the living room. “All right, now,” the doctor said, “I want you strong men to get these girls up to bed. Not you, Matt. First, Randy go up and turn down two beds and then come back down to help. I don’t want Matt to cause any additional damage to his cut hand.” Dr. Lyons ordered.
Randy ran up the stairs, taking two at a time. He went to LeAnn’s room first and pulled the blankets and top sheet back. After that he quickly went to the guest room and did the same. Then he ran back down the stairs to where Matt, Nick, and Dr. Lyons were waiting.
Matt walked over to where LeAnn was lying. As Matt reached to pick up LeAnn, Dr. Lyons sternly asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’ve got her. I can do this,” Matt snapped. The doctor stepped back.
Nick was standing where Hannah was sleeping.
The two men each picked up a sleeping girl and headed for the stairs. Randy and the doctor followed behind them.
Laying her down gently, Matt then covered a sleeping LeAnn. In the other room, Nick did the same with Hannah. Dr. Lyons checked the pulse and respiration of both of the girls, then signaled for the guys to come into the hallway.
“I think they’re out for the night, but keep an eye on them. The sedative I gave them was pretty strong. Whatever they experienced could cause severe nightmares. It could be a long night for you.”
Dr. Lyons headed down the stairs for the front door. Matt, Nick, and Randy followed one by one behind him.
“Doc, I can’t ever thank you enough for coming out here,” Matt said.
“It’s okay, Matt. Now, I’m going to call in the morning and probably come back out to make sure they’re okay. I feel they’re pretty stable; otherwise I’d insist on putting them in the hospital. Here are some pain pills for your hand. The shot I numbed your hand with will wear off in about four to six hours, so you’ll need these. It’ll help with the pain if you can keep ice on you hand. You’re lucky you didn’t cut a tendon; or this conversation would be taking place in an operating room. Only take a couple of these pills and only if someone is here and awake to watch the girls.” The doctor looked at Nick when he said this last part. Nick nodded.
“Got it,” Matt said as he took the bottle of pills and stuffed it in his pocket.
Randy was standing next to Matt and said, “Matt, I think I should go. Marsha’s going to be home from work soon. But if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call me.”
“No problem, Randy. Thank you. One thing, though, I need to ask you if you wouldn’t mind leaving Nick’s boat here and taking mine. I’m going to call my folks, and they can bring mine back with them.” Matt turned and looked at Nick. “Is that okay with you, Nick?”
“Absolutely.”
Randy nodded his head in agreement. Using his left hand, Matt shook hands with Randy and thanked him again for all of his help. Randy stopped and looked at Matt. “What happened?”
Matt shook his head. “I don’t know.”
Randy looked at Matt, frowned, then turned and went down the porch steps toward the pier.
Matt closed the front door behind Randy and reached for his cell phone.
After entering his parents’ number, Matt waited for one of them to answer. It was his Mom.
“Mom, hi.” Matt tried to sound cheerful but failed.
Margaret, surprised to hear from her son, said, “Matt, honey, is everything okay? Anything wrong at the restaurant?” Margaret Weston was in charge of the kitchen at the restaurant at Ridgewood’s, and she ran a tight ship. Quality of food and customer service were high on her priority list.
“No, Mom. Actually, I’m not at Ridgewood’s, and I need your help.”
“Oh?”
Matt didn’t have a clue how he was going to explain this to her. But here goes, he thought.
“Mom, I’m at LeAnn’s on the island and…” he hesitated.
His mother said, “What honey, I’m here, what is it?” After he didn’t respond, she asked, “Matt, what’s wrong?” She was now getting worried.
“Mom, I can’t explain over the phone, but something has happened. I need you out here to help me. Something has happened to LeAnn….”
“What? What has happened?” his mother’s voice sounded uneasy, but Matt knew she had always had a level head and never got overly excited.
“Mom, please, I just need you to come out to the island. I can explain everything when you get here. I just can’t do it over the phone. Randy is bringing my boat, and it will be at the pier. Just get here as soon as you can. Please?”
“Matthew, I’m on my way. I’ll get your father to bring me. Don’t worry honey, I’m coming, and I will take care of everything.” And Matt knew she would.
He then tried to reach Adam, but the call went directly to voice mail. Matt didn’t know if he should leave a message or try again later. He decided he’d better leave a message just in case. “Hey, buddy, it’s Matt Weston. If you can take a break from all those fish you’re catching, give me a call. Thanks.” Short and sweet that way, hopefully, Adam wouldn’t panic.
Matt went into the kitchen to get ice for his throbbing hand. Nick followed him.
“They’re still sleeping.” Nick watched Matt trying to get ice out of the refrigerator freezer. “Can I do that for you?” he asked as he reached for the plastic bag.
“Thanks, buddy.” Matt handed over the bag. “Thank you for everything.”
“I’m glad I was here to help.” He dumped ice cubes in the bag, sealed it, and handed back it to Matt.
“Great, thanks.” Matt placed the bag on his hand and winced as the weight of the bag pressed on the stitches. “My mom and dad are on their way. Mom can help get the girls undressed so they can be more comfortable in bed.”
Nick opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer, “You want one?”
“Think I will before I start popping the pain pills,” Matt replied. Nick opened the can and then handed it to him. “Let’s go in the living room, so we can hear if the girls call out.”
“Matt, what do you think happened to them out there in the boathouse?” Nick asked as he settled on the couch.
Matt, sitting back on the love seat, shook his head. “I really don’t know. I wish I did, but what I saw and thought I heard were strange and make no sense.” Matt’s thoughts went to the boathouse.
“What are you talking about?” Nick asked.
“Well, LeAnn’s already had an experience out there. She called me in the middle of the night crying for me to come out. I came out and found her in shock on the floor in the hallway. I had to take her to my place. I think something else happened out there that she won’t tell me about, and then this today.” Matt looked straight at Nick. “I’m telling you, man, it’s flipping bizarre. This is going to sound absolutely nuts, and I can’t believe I’m even going to say this, but it looked liked the wind was blowing inside the building. LeAnn was trying to open the door, but it wouldn’t open. Nick, the doors open from the inside, and they lock from the inside. It makes no sense at all. But the strangest thing of all was the voice.”
Eyebrows raised, Nick asked, “The voice?”
“Yeah, the voice. I swear I heard a low, growling voice as I was pulling LeAnn through the broken door. It said, ‘nnnoooo.’ Just like that: ‘nnnoooo!’ I think it said something else, but I couldn’t understand what it was.”
Nick and Matt just looked at each other and took long sips of their beer. Both guys jumped at the sound of a knock on the door.
Matt stood up and went to the front door to let his Mom and Dad in.
“What’s going on son?” Ben asked with a frown, as he set a small suitcase down. “Your mother says something’s happened to LeAnn?” Matt’s dad was a get-straight-to-the-point kind of guy.
“Oh, dear Lord! Matt your hand! What in the world did you do?” Margaret asked as she took Matt’s arm to look at the large bandage.
“Mom, Dad thanks for coming. I’m fine, Mom. Really. Come on, let’s go sit down, and I’ll explain as best I can.” They all walked into the living room, and after saying hello to Nick, sat down.
“First off, it’s not just LeAnn; it’s Hannah to,” Matt began.
“Hannah? Our Hannah from Ridgewood’s?” his mother exclaimed.
“Yeah, Mom.”
“Damn, son. I’m confused. What is going on?” Matt’s dad demanded.
“Okay, this is it in a nutshell. No one knows what happened. Randy, Nick, and I came out here to help move some stuff for LeAnn. Hannah and LeAnn went out last night together, and Hannah spent the night here. Hannah wanted to see the boathouse, so LeAnn took her there. Something happened to them. They were locked in and couldn’t get out. I had to break down the door, cutting my hand, and now they are both in shock. Dr. Lyons came out, gave them both a sedative, and they’re up in bed sound asleep.
Matt’s parents sat looking at him, speechless. They were completely bewildered and shocked by what their levelheaded son had just told them.
No one said anything for what seemed like an eternity.
“Yeah, I know, sounds nuts.” Matt said, seeing the reaction on their faces. He adjusted the ice bag on his hand.
“Son, what caused them to go into shock? I mean, a person has to go through some kind of trauma to go into shock,” Ben asked trying to understand.
Matt shrugged. “Dad, I really don’t know. Until the girls regain consciousness, none of us will know.” Matt turned to his Mom, “Mom, the girls are in bed, but they still have their clothes on. I think they would be more comfortable in pajamas, or something. We—Nick, Randy, and I—didn’t think it was appropriate….”
His mother nodded and stood up, “Of course they would, and no, you boys should not have. I’ll take care of it.”
His mother stood and marched up the stairs to take control of the situation, as he hoped, and knew, she would.
After his wife left the room, Ben turned to his son, “What do you mean, they couldn’t get out?”
“Just that Dad. The doors wouldn’t open. I had to break the glass on the door to get them out.” None of this made sense to Matt. How was his dad going to understand?
An hour later, Matt’s mother came down the stairs. She had changed both girls into their nightclothes. “They’re out cold, poor things. I’m going into the kitchen to see if there is anything I can fix for dinner.”
Matt could tell his mother was in mother mode, as he liked to call it. It was a take-charge role she loved, and she did it well.
Matt could hear her in the kitchen slamming cabinets, banging pots and pans. His hand was beginning to hurt, and he started to feel the day weigh on him. He realized how tired he was.
Matt’s dad went into the kitchen to see if his wife needed any help. She of course said no. He saw the brandy bottle on the table. He found four glasses and poured his wife a glass, handed it to her, then took the other glasses and brandy to the living room, where his son and Nick were sitting.
“How about a short one?” Matt’s dad asked as he came into the room.
Matt accepted saying it would be for medicinal purposes; Nick said he didn’t need an excuse.
Ben poured brandy and handed them each a glass. They clinked glasses and downed the brandy. It felt warm as it went down their throats.
“Okay, boys, start talking and tell me why I’m here on this island instead of taking care of business at my resort.” Ben sat himself down on the love seat and looked at Matt and Nick.
Nick looked at Matt. “I have nothing to say because all I saw was the aftereffects.”
Matt hung his head down. His hand was really hurting now. He had to say something, but nothing he could say would sound sane.
“Dad,” he said, “I don’t even know where to begin. I don’t know what’s going on. This all started a while ago when LeAnn moved in. She’s had some crazy experiences out here. None of it makes sense to me, and until the girls wake up, we’re not going to know what they went through.”
Margaret came into the room. “I’m going to check on the girls. I found some soup in the pantry, I’ll see if they want any.”
“Mom, Dr. Lyons gave them a sedative and said they would probably sleep until tomorrow. We’re just to keep an eye on them and let them sleep.”
“Oh, those poor girls! What in the world could have happened to them?” she said, looking at her son with a frown.
“Mom, I don’t know. Hopefully, they can tell us tomorrow.” Matt still wasn’t saying what he heard as he pulled LeAnn out of the door. Maybe it was his imagination. He doubted that was it, but that was easier to handle than the truth.
His mom turned towards the stairs, shaking her head and mumbling to herself.
The men sat silently in the living room. They could hear Margaret’s footsteps as she went to each one of the girl’s rooms to make sure they were both all right.
Margaret came back down the stairs, “They’re still sound asleep. I don’t think I’ll make the soup. Hope spaghetti and salad is okay with you guys. If not, too bad. That’s what you’re having.” Matt’s Mom was tough and that’s what Matt loved about her. She was tough, but the sweetest person in the world.
She marched back into the kitchen and called over her shoulder, “Dinner in half an hour.”
“Thanks Mom!” Matt called after her.
Ben helped his wife set the table in the kitchen. “I don’t know, Sarge, Ben’s pet name for her, things just don’t make add up. Matt’s not giving us any information on what happened.”
“Ben, your son told you, he doesn’t know. Leave it at that, and let’s just make sure those girls are going to be all right. Now go tell the boys dinner is ready, please.”
Ben shrugged and went to get Matt and Nick.
The all ate silently. Dinner was very good, but Matt wasn’t very hungry.
Finally, Matt realized he had to say something about what had happened and what he had heard, so he broke the silence. “There were a couple of weird things that did happen.” Matt was looking down at his plate of half-eaten spaghetti.
“What, honey? What was weird?” his mom asked.
“Well, it was so strange. It looked like the wind was blowing inside the ballroom, which I know can’t happen. And like I said before, I couldn’t break the glass. I mean, I hit that French door with a log with all my might the first time, and it just wouldn’t break. I then hit it over and over until it finally gave. It was glass, why didn’t it break the first time? It was almost as if something was on the other side not wanting the glass to break—pushing against it not allowing it to break!” He looked up to see their reactions. No one said a word. They just let him continue. His hand was hurting worse than ever, and he knew he was going to have to take a pain pill soon.
Matt continued. “The real strange thing was, when I pulled LeAnn out, I could have sworn….” He stopped and hesitated before going on. How was he going to tell them about the voice? They would surely think he was crazy. He looked over at Nick. Nick nodded his head, encouraging Matt to go on. Matt started again, “I thought I heard a low voice saying, ‘nnnoooo!’” Matt tried to imitate the sound he heard. “It sounded like it was angry that I was taking LeAnn out.”
His parents looked at him, both speechless, their mouths open in disbelief.
“Yeah, I know, I sound insane. I can’t explain it, I don’t understand it, but that’s what I heard.”
“Matt, I’m not sure what you heard and saw, but I believe you, son,” Ben said.
“We both do,” his mother added. “And just like you said, we’ll have to wait and see what the girls say happened.”
Matt sighed and gave a small smile of appreciation.
After dinner, Matt decided he couldn’t take the pain any more. He reached into his pocket and got the bottle of pain pills Dr. Lyons had given him. The bottle said, “Take one to two pills every 4 hours as needed for pain.” Matt shook out one pill and reached for his glass of water on the table. Before popping it in his mouth, he said, “You all know that this pill will probably knock me out.”
His dad spoke up. “Matt, take the pill. Being in pain isn’t going to help anyone. You need to heal. Don’t worry, we’re here. You’re mom and I are going to stay as long as you need us.”
“Thanks Dad, I do appreciate it. I know you don’t like being away from the resort.” Matt popped the pill in his mouth and washed it down with the water.
He excused himself and went upstairs to check on LeAnn. He walked quietly into her room. She looked so pale. He gently sat on the bed, trying not to wake her, though he didn’t think he could with the sedative in her system. She was moaning in her sleep and twitching every once in a while. Hopefully, she wasn’t reliving what had happened to her. With his uninjured hand, he gently brushed her hair that had fallen in her face.
She is so beautiful, he thought to himself. “Miss Klein, I’m falling in love with you,” Matt whispered. He bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She stirred a little. Matt felt the beginning of the pain pill hitting his system and thought he better get back downstairs to lie down. He slowly got up from LeAnn’s bed, turned to look at her again, and then walked out of the room.
As he headed for the stairs, he passed the room where Hannah was sleeping. She looked like a little girl with her curly blonde hair spread out on the pillow. She too looked pale and was moaning. Matt walked over and pulled the blanket up over her shoulder to make sure she stayed warm. Then he returned downstairs before he lost his balance from the pain pill. He was amazed at how tired he felt all of a sudden.
Matt’s dad had turned on the TV and was watching the nightly news. Nick was on the loveseat sound asleep. Matt walked over to where his dad was, lost his balance a little, a flopped on the couch.
“You all right son?” Ben looking at his son with concerned eyes.
“Pill just hit.”
Ben moved over to give his son more room to lie down. “Go to sleep. Your mom and I will hold down the fort.”
Matt smiled at his dad and instantly fell asleep.
He woke up sometime later when his mom was covering him with a blanket.
“Oh, honey, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said apologetically.
“No, Mom, it’ okay. Groggy, he looked around the living room.
Margaret could see he was wondering where everyone was. “Your dad went to bed about half an hour ago.”
He looked at the empty loveseat. “Nick?”
“He’s asleep on the couch in the office or library, whatever LeAnn calls it.”
“What time is it, Mom?”
“Almost midnight. I’m just going up to bed. Do you need anything before I go up?” she was adjusting the blanket around her son. “Do you want another pill?”
Matt was shocked to see he had been asleep for so long. “The girls?”
“They’re fine, honey. I’ve been checking on them. They’re still asleep. Dr. Lyons did call on your phone, but your dad took the call. The doctor said he wasn’t surprised they were still asleep. Do you want another pill? I think you should take one.”
“It hurts, but I really don’t know if I want one. What if something happens? I need to be alert,” he said.
“No, you don’t need to be alert,” she walked to the kitchen and brought back a glass of water.
“Here.” She handed him the water. “This is if you decide you need a pill, and I think you do! Okay, I’m going up to get ready for bed. I will see you in the morning. If you need anything at all, you come get me, okay?” She bent down and kissed her son’s forehead.
“I promise, Mom. Goodnight, and thank you. And, Mom, I’m glad you’re here,” Matt said sincerely.
“Me too,” she said. As Margaret headed for the stairs Matt called out to her.
“Mom?”
She turned to look at him.
“I love you.”
She smiled, “I love you too, Mathew. Now get some sleep.” She went up to get ready for bed.
After brushing her teeth, she turned out the bathroom light and stepped into the hall. She was about to check on the girls one last time before going to bed, when she heard the music. She stopped and tilted her head to try to figure out where the music was coming from.
“Damn it, Mathew! You’re going to wake up the girls and everyone else.” she said quietly. She marched straight down the stairs to where she found Matt sound asleep. She noticed the pill bottle next to the glass of water on the end table and half of the water gone.
“What the….” Looking around the room, she tried to find where the music was coming from. Here watch showed it was almost twelve thirty. “Who in the world is playing music this late?” she whispered to herself. Going across to the library, she saw Nick was sound asleep on the couch. There was no radio or TV.
Frowning, Margaret went into the kitchen. Nothing. She realized the music was coming from somewhere outside. She looked out the window but didn’t see any lights coming from any of the houses across the lake. Shrugging she got a glass of water, drank it, and then and headed for bed. She looked at her sleeping son, smiled then climbed the stairs. She checked the girls one more time. Hannah was so motionless on her pillow Margaret had to go over to see if she was still breathing. She was very relieved to she that she was.
Next, she went into LeAnn’s room, and stopped dead in her tracks. There, floating outside the window, was a bright light. Margaret put her hand over her mouth, and let out a small scream.
Ben came running.
“What? What is it?” He looked at his wife, who had backed up against the wall and was staring towards the bedroom window.
Ben looked and saw nothing. “What Margaret? What is it? Why did you scream?”
Margaret clutched at her husband with shaky hands. “Ben, Ben! There was a bright light floating outside the window. Just floating!”
“What are you talking about? There’s nothing there.” Ben released his scared wife’s grip from his arm and went over to the window. He thought he saw a flicker of light at the boathouse and then decided it had to be a reflection from the moon or a passing boat going out for late night fishing.
He looked at LeAnn, who was sleeping through all of this, but she looked like she was having a bad dream. She was moaning and tossing in bed.
Ben walked back over to his terrified wife. “Margaret, it’s okay. There is nothing out there. You’re just tired. Come over and look.” He spoke quietly. “Do you want me to go out and check around?”
“No! No! Don’t go out there, please!” she whispered as tears stung her eyes.
“Okay. I won’t. Come on,” he whispered. “We don’t want to wake LeAnn, or any of the others, for that matter. This has been one bizarre day. Let’s get some sleep.” Ben put his arm around his wife of forty years and led her out of the bedroom. Margaret kept her eyes on the window until she was out of the room.
The music stopped, and LeAnn’s nightmare ended.