Haley stroked and touched at Jason's face, caressing him all over before running her finger tips through his hair. Tears formed in her eyes and it was only a matter of seconds before those tears would stream down her face and cheeks.
'I didn't mean to bring you here. If I only knew when I first met you... what I know now...'
'What do you mean? What do you know now?' Asked Jason confused.
I would've just...' Continued Haley tears streaming.
'Haley!' Jason tried to force her to finish the last sentence.
'...Killed myself.' Whispered Haley finally. 'I would have just killed myself.'
Jason edged closer towards her. His face full of distraught and a bewildered desperation at hearing such horrible words from her.
'What are you talking about Haley? Is this something about your past? What is it? Tell me!'
'I truly am so sorry Jason.'
'You keep saying sorry Haley. Why? My mind's in fucking twists and turns here.' Said Jason, letting a desperate snap of anger take over his emotions.
'I've been so happy these past few days with you. I think I was even beginning to fall...' Suddenly Haley screeched out in an awful pain as she clutched her hands desperately against the side of her head, wincing out even more horrendously than before. Uncontrollably she slid herself down and out of the old chair and down onto the living room floor beneath her, down onto her knees. Jason tried his best to comfort and hold her as she slid.
'HALEY...'
Haley screamed out again in absolute agony. 'Oh my God... OH MY GOD! It hurts. It hurts so much! Oh my God! OH MY GOD JASON...!'
Deep inside Haley's mind her thoughts, memories and past all came flooding back to her, flooding back with a vengeance.
'I can see them... Oh my God I can see them Jason.' Haley sobbed out uncontrollably. 'I remember...' She whispered to herself. 'I remember what she did. Oh my God! What has she done? ...What have we done?' Haley turned to Jason with a grim and chilling expression. Tears continued to flood her face.
'Jason... Please! You must go...' There was a hint of fear and desperation in Haley's voice now. 'You must leave this place at once. Please Jason... You must get out of here before it's too late. PLEASE!'
Jason looked completely dumbfounded by Haley's ramblings and remained absolutely speechless, rooted to the spot as he tried to make sense of her. Suddenly Haley screeched out once again in great, great pain, this time falling uncontrollably from her knees flat onto the floor, face down. Jason leaned desperately over her trying his best to comfort her but he had no clue how to deal with this situation. Instead he stroked Haley's hair and upper back, almost afraid to touch her.
'Haley, please! I need to get you out of here baby. Right now. RIGHT FUCKING NOW!'
Haley's eyes, which were facing away from Jason, opened eerily wide and the facial expression plastered all over her face lacked entirely of any real emotion.
'She's here.' Haley whispered, but too softly for Jason's ears. She closed her eyes tightly and lay completely motionless.
'Haley! HALEY! Fuck this! I'm getting you out of here right now.' Jason got up off his knees and with great strength and effort he pulled Haley up as much as he could, but once again she felt like a led weight. Haley opened her eyes wide and this time let out a shallow release of breath. Strangely now Jason found it much easier to lift Haley back up onto her knees. He then put his arms firmly around her waist and finally helped her back up onto her feet. Haley's eyes were half closed and she seemed to be in some kind of groggy daze as if waking up from a long and deep sleep.
'Haley! Haley! Are you okay baby? Are you still with me?' Said Jason anxiously.
Out of nowhere Haley puked out a mouthful of blood which the majority of caught Jason upon his shirt and trouser's.
'Jesus Christ!' Said Jason disgusted, but trying his best to remain calm. He managed to seat Haley back down upon the old chair again and crouched down so that he was now eye level with her and placed his hands firmly upon her lap.
'Haley! Speak to me. Can you speak? I need to know that you're okay?'
'What... What happened... to me?' Said Haley sounding drowsy and very distant.
'I don't know what happened to you.' Continued Jason, his face and voice was filled with great concern.
'I think that you might've had some kind of stroke or seizure, I don't know. I'm so scared and confused right now. But I'm taking you away from here, right this very second.'
Haley coughed and a small trickle of blood escaped from the side her mouth, slithering down to her chin. Jason wiped the blood away with his finger.
'Could you... Could you get me some water please?' Asked Haley in a weak voice.
'Haley I need to get you back out to the car.' Said Jason impatiently.
'Please!' Insisted Haley. 'Just some water. My mouth is so dry... And then we can go... I promise.'
'All right' Jason sighed. 'But I'll need to find something to put it in first okay.'
Jason went back into the kitchen as Haley watched him leave with a distant look in her eye. Inside the kitchen Jason hurriedly raided through every single one of the kitchen cupboards and draws until he found a stash of old and dusty cups. He filled one of the cups with water from the cold tap and hurried back into the living room. Suddenly he froze where he stood.
Haley was gone.
She had disappeared from the living room. The old chair where Jason left her sat empty and all alone once again. Jason glanced dartingly and confused all around the dark, eerie living room. There was absolutely no sign of Haley's presence whatsoever.
'What the hell!' Said Jason. Frantically he called out Haley's name and placed the cup of water down upon the old chair before quickly making his way out into the hallway, all the while continuing to call out Haley's name. Still there was no reply. Jason fully opened the half open front door and stepped outside into the daylight to peer all around the outside of the farmhouse. From left to right all he could see was an empty field, an empty front parking area and his empty car. Jason turned back inside the farmhouse and stood completely still for a long moment and in utter silence. Carefully he listened for any sign of the vanished Haley but there was nothing to hear, no noise of any kind, only the sound of his erratic thumping heartbeat. Suddenly a noise, a slight creaking, followed by another from the next floor up directly above him. Jason called Haley's name and when there was no reply he turned to the old wooden staircase and glanced up at the steep steps leading up. Upstairs appeared to be in less darkness due to the broken windows all around the upper floor, plus the daylight from the fully opened front doorway created enough light to see all the way to the top of the creepy and grim stair case. Jason mounted the steps very, very cautiously. Again he yelled out Haley's name and again there was no reply. Jason continued to mount the stairs, slowing down as he reached the last few steps. His eyes gradually adjusting to the dim light on the first floor landing.
'What the fuck is going on here?' Said Jason, his heart beating wildly fast and anxiously inside his chest. Finally he reached the second last step at the very top of the staircase. Here he stood completely still and completely quiet for a long, long time. Waiting for another noise, another creak. All around him was an air of eerie silence. He was about to call out Haley's name again...
SMACK!
Jason was hit with a violent and ferocious smack and crack right across his face by a large and rusted metal spade. In a split second he was sent flying backwards and tumbling down the steep sloping staircase behind him and back down towards the ground floor. Jason finally tumbled agonisingly down to the very bottom of the staircase and landed hard and awkward in an unconscious, crumpled heap beside the front door.
About the author
Crazy, adventurous, Spontaneous and always looking for that next adventure. This is how I live and write and want both myself and my characters to be remembered. Life is too short to just sit around in front of a TV in your free time.
Born in London, but grew up in Cyprus, Germany, Wales and Scotland, I was diagnosed with the travel and writing bugs very early in life.
Writing, reading and traveling are my main passions in life, but I also love outdoor sports from Rugby and Hiking to Tennis and Rock climbing.
I'm writing another two books right now, one is a mystery/suspense sci-fi thriller based on-board a seemingly abandoned space shuttle and the other is about my recent four month crazy and awesome back packing adventure through Eastern Europe, from Estonia to Sarajevo. I'm also looking forward to more traveling and writing adventures in the near future. I try and treat each day like it was my last. You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take in life.
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