Page 79 of Once Upon a Midnight Dreary
I have called upon all the darkest forces to aid me.
Lenore’s voice rang out.Gabriel flinched and stopped walking as a shudder moved through him.Victoria wrapped her arm around his waist.
“She’s just trying to scare us,” she said.
“And doing a fine job of it,” he muttered.
“We have to keep going,” she said.
As they passed Lily’s bedroom door, the ghost girl materialized through it, running ahead of them and leaving wet footprints behind.Victoria released her hold on Gabriel and jerked out of his embrace.She stumbled after the girl, hobbling as fast as her injured ankle allowed.
“Victoria, wait!”
“We have to follow,” she said.
Sharp pain lanced up her leg as she followed Lily’s disappearing form in the shadows of the elongated hallway.Behind her, Gabriel’s heavy footsteps.The ghost girl disappeared through the door to the room with the altar.
When Victoria arrived, she turned the knob but the door wouldn’t budge.
“Let me try,” he said.
He nudged her out of the way, his hand on the knob.He gave it a twist and then pushed his shoulder into it.It didn’t move.He tried again.Same result.He glanced at her, uncertainty in his eyes.
“She doesn’t want us in there,” Victoria said.
Not him.Only you.
Lenore’s voice fluttered through the hallway.
But Victoria was determined to continue onward despite the terror shuddering through her.Even so, Gabriel released his hand from the knob and stepped back.He shook his head.Fear glinted in his eyes.
“We can’t do this,” he said hoarsely.
She pulled in a shaky breath, released it.She reached for him, then, putting her hands on his cheeks.
“Wecan’t, but I can.”
Before he could argue, she kissed him quickly, nothing more than a peck.Then shoved him out of the way.Her hand landed on the knob, twisted, and then she pushed the door open violently.She stumbled into the dark room.The door ripped from her grasp and banged against the wall.
She was greeted with darkness and no altar.
“What—?”
“The house,” he muttered.“It rearranged itself.”
“Because she willed it?”she asked.
“Perhaps.”There was a rustle of fabric behind her, then he reached for her hand and pressed something in it.A matchbox.“You’ll need it.”
Victoria turned to face him.“You’re not coming?”
“I’m not sure I should.”His gaze flickered toward the dark room behind her.
“She wants to separate us.”She took his hand.“We can’t let her.”
A menacing laugh echoed through the room as though confirming Victoria’s words.
Victoria tugged him through the door.The moment she did, it swung toward them, banging into her.She yelped in surprise and pain.Gabriel shoved her into the room, stumbling in after her.As he did, the door slammed shut, plunging them in total darkness.
