Balancing the little girl in one arm, he dangled the bag in front of the woman. “Now, like I said, we can do this the easy way or the hard way.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” whispered the woman.
“Wouldn’t I?” He looked down at the little girl in his arms. “Hey sweetie, how would you like to go for a swim in the lake?”
The girl hovered back. “But I can’t swim.”
“You’ll be fine,” the man coaxed. “Someone will be there to help you.”
“Knock it off!” screamed the woman, clenching her hands into fists. “I know you’re bluffing. You need her too much.”
The man laughed wickedly, making the hairs on my arms stand on end. “There are ways to get her back when I need her. She’d probably be better off down there anyway until its time.”
The woman’s breathing faltered. “Please don’t do this. Please.”
The man laughed again. “Oh, I won’t just as long as you get into the lake yourself.”
Go in the lake! Why! What was he going to do to her? Try and drown her?
I felt sick.
“You’ll never get away with this.” Her voice was edging near a sob. “I know the real reason why you want her, and sooner or later, someone else is going to figure it out. You’ll never be able to get away with it.”
“Oh, I highly doubt it. I have everyone wrapped around my little finger.” He set the girl down on the ground, pointed his finger at the castle, and ordered the little girl to, “Go inside.”
The little girl didn’t budge.
“Go!” The man hollered.
Again she didn’t budge. She was brave a one, because I’m pretty sure I’d have been running for my life by now.
“Go ahead honey,” her mother urged in a soothing voice. “It’s alright. I’ll be okay.”
It took the girl a second, but she finally walked away, casting one last glance back at her mother before starting up the hill toward the castle.
My heart broke for the little girl and the mother. Somehow—and I don’t know how—I knew it would be the last time they’d see each other. She’d grow up motherless, perhaps even hating the people who’d be chosen to raise her. There’d forever be an empty hole resting in her heart.
“Now it’s time to deal with you,” the man said turning back to the woman. He let a pause drag out, like he was trying to instill fear with his silence. “Get in the lake. Now.”
No. No. No. No. No. There was no way he was really going to throw her in the lake. No. He couldn’t. Could he?
“You’ve been planning this all along, haven’t you?” Her voice quivered. “Every single word that’s come out of your mouth has been nothing but a lie.”
“You know me very well,” he said. “Now quit stalling and get into the lake.”
Shaking her head, she backed up toward the water. The man followed after her, matching her every step.
I chased after them, desperately wishing I could do something to stop the man from forcing the woman into the lake. I still wasn’t sure what was going to happen when she got into the lake, but it had to be something very bad. My gut instinct was telling me so.
“You’re wrong about not getting caught.” She’d reached the brink of the lake, the waves rolling up against the heels of her feet. “There are people who you don’t have wrapped around your finger.”
“Then I’ll have to take care of them as well.” He tugged open the black bag, scooped out a handful of something that looked like ash, and sprinkled it into the lake, making the water cloud a dark grey.
“Don’t think you’ve won.” She raised her chin high and stepped back, submerging her legs into the water. “Someday it will all catch up with you.”
Another few steps and the water was waist deep on her. The lake lay dead calm, like the calm before the storm. Then came the loud swoosh! Water splashed up and she plunged down.
I let out a blood curdling scream.
The man turned his back on the drowning woman and strolled away, whistling some funky tune that sounded like a combination between “It’s a Small Word After All” and “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.”
Without even thinking, I ran into the water, forcing myself to go farther and farther as the cold water ascended higher and higher. But when it reached waist deep on me, I realized two things: 1) Like the little girl, I couldn’t swim, and 2) I couldn’t actually touch the woman, so how was I supposed to save her?
Shortly after these thoughts crossed my mind, a third reason why I shouldn’t have gone into the water dawned on me. Because, obviously, there was something wrong with the lake. Why I hadn’t thought of this before was beyond me. I’d heard the swish. I’d seen the splash. Heck, I’d seen the man dump some creepy ashy stuff into it.
I should have known better than to go running into it.
But I didn’t, and it was too late now. A bony hand had already grabbed me by the ankle and was trying to jerk me beneath the water. I kicked and screamed and fought with every ounce of strength I had, but whatever the hand belong to was strong. It pulled me under the ice-cold water and kept dragging me deeper and deeper down. I couldn’t see a thing. My oxygen supply was dwindling.So this is what it feels like to die was the last thought I had before I blacked out.
Chapter 22
I gasped for air as my eyes shot open. Purple walls and glass counters surrounded me. I was back at Adessa’s. I’d made it. I wasn’t dead. My skin was dry. My feet were planted firmly to the checkerboard tile. The Foreseer’s Crystal Ball was cupped in my hand.