The Haunting of Mary King's Close (No longer writing)

BOOK ONE: Chapter Six

Mid day rolled around after hours of tedious prayer, sitting, kneeling and outlandish scents that penetrated the air.  The family filed out of the church and headed under the strange blue sky, back to their home.  The whole time Gregg carried on about a fever and an aching body.  His answer was to eat some food, man up or shut up. He picked the last one.

They ate their mid-meal in haste for they had to go back to church. Just as they walked into the dim light of the close, Gregg stopped in his tracks. He slammed a hand against a nearby building and leaned into the wall. "What's wrong?" Niall demanded in a serious tone as he stood over his son. Cora and Finlay stayed their distance, but were intrigued about the condition of their brother.

"Ah know nae. Me legs just stopped workin'. "Gregg wailed from the ground. He clutched his thighs and moaned loudly. People walking back to church stopped and stared at Gregg. But he paid no attention to them and carried on screaming.

"Can ye get up?" Cora said with more care in her voice than her father had used. She took a step closer; leaving Finlay to stand alone in the close. She kneeled down to Gregg's level and put a tender hand on his shoulder. Gregg shook his head in a negative response and continued to howl. "Can ye try?" Cora asked hopefully. In the background, Finlay scuffed and crossed his arms in clear annoyance.

Gregg shook his head once more. "Ah cannae feel me legs. Me whole body is achy." With his last words, Niall tossed his hands in the air in defeat. He bent down, picked his son up and carried Gregg back to the house. Finlay and Cora hurried inside after him.

Niall dropped Gregg down onto his bed and turned to Cora. "Finlay and Ah are goin' back. Ye tak care ay Gregg." He demanded before hurrying out the door with Finlay at his heels. Just before the door snapped shut, Finlay turned around and gave them a look of great annoyance in having to go back.

Once Finlay was out of sight, Cora walked over to Gregg who remained in the bed. She touched his forehead to confirm his body temperature had risen. She opened the hide skin, allowing the sharp wind to penetrate the stuffy room.

Over the course of an hour, Gregg became hotter and hotter. He lay in his bed, grasping for the cold breeze to drift in. But even that was not cold enough to cool his body off. Cora took scraps of cloth, dunked it in water and pressed on Gregg's body. His breathe was curt and the colour drained from his face.

Nothing seemed to make him better and Cora wished she had called upon the doctor. The day slipped by with more heat. His stripped his chest of all clothing. His hair was wet with sweat and his chest shone in any specs of light. When he rolled over, a dark wet spot remained in his old position. Nothing was cold enough to even comfort him in the moment, much less lower his body in its high temperature.

The sun dipped below the rooftops and Cora hoped church would be over soon thus her father would be there to help. She knew Finlay would be as much assistance as a dying animal. "It's too bright." Gregg suddenly moaned; pulling Cora from her thoughts.

"What is?" Cora said, rushing to his side from the table. "Thar is nae candle or sun." She whispered in a concerned voice close to her brother's ear. She feared that talking too loud would upset him even more.  Gregg rolled over on to his stomach and suddenly, his whole body started to shiver violently. Each hair on his head fell in different directions; covering his eyes.  Cora draped all the blankets that she could find over her brother. But that did nothing because Gregg still shook, his teeth banged against each other and his lips turned a deep blue.

With fear reaching a boiling point in Cora, the door slammed open with Niall and Finlay marching in. "Hoo is he?" Niall demanded leaning over his struggling son.  Even Finlay seemed to have an interest in his brother's condition, for he walked up to the bed beside his father.

Cora shrugged and slowly shook her head while looking at the floor. "He says 'at bright lights hurt his eyes."  She continued to dab Gregg's forehead with the damp cloth. "We Cannae pay fur a doctor. Da- disnae try and argue; it woods break us. But thar is nothing we can doo now."

"Only a matter ay time." Finlay said in a sour tone. Cora nodded in return to his painfully truthful observation. Overcome but a sudden burst of anger, Finlay slammed his fist against the crumbling wall and watched with dying anger as a small chunk tumbled to the ground.

Gregg, awakened by the disturbance, rolled over to his back and moaned loudly. "Ah-ah-ah goin' vomit." He stuttered with a shaking voice.  Cora quickly passed him the bucket and he hung his head over the side; waiting for the vomit to roll up.

But it did not come quickly. Nor did the vomit come in the next hour. It was a feeling that stayed with Gregg, pressed against his throat, for an eternity. 

The night tumbled in with rocky clouds and shoved rain into the open mouth of Edinburgh. The rain slapped itself against bricks, pushed into homes between the loose walls and touched the residents skin with cooling tones. By the time there was a break in the typical weather, Gregg was no longer able to sit and could only scan the ceiling with wandering eyes.  No matter how hard he tried, Gregg could not fall under sleep’s influence.

Finlay, Cora and Niall took turns, throughout the night, to watch over Gregg and provide him with as much as they could. A doctor had been sent for, but with the weather and paying customers of this strange illness calling too, it was nearly impossible he would show his beaked mask in their home. 

At the darkest hour of the night, Gregg bolted upright in his bed with a rough cough. His head jerked with each violent shudder and his body shook uncontrollably. He fumbled in the darkness for the bucket and called out to his family who awoke from their posts in a heartbeat. Gregg leaned over the bucket, gagging as the vomit finally flowed from his body. 

After several minutes of a constant pumping, it stopped. Gregg grinned in pleasure and lay back down with the new found feeling of being better. But his happiness did not last for long and before he knew it, he slammed his bottom down on the bucket as nature ran freely.  His stomach twisted into knots and sharp pain shot through his torso, making him double over. He started to cry once more as Cora- keeping her distance- tried to comfort him with gentle pats to the back.

But this illness passed soon, leaving Gregg drained and with the feeling of never wanting to move again. He curled back into bed besides Finlay who was pressed against the wall, watching with sorrow filled eyes.

Gregg grabbed Finlay's hand and for once was allowed to do so without some rude comment. Finlay moved closer to Gregg and engulfed him in a tight hug. He rubbed Gregg's blonde head and pressed his body against his own. Finlay did not care for the heat burning against him. Cora joined them with her arm over Gregg and her hand clutching the hem of Finlay's shirt.