Reinhold House

IV

Cold.

Cold.

Cold.

My brain is unable to think of any other words. My eyes are now slits, squinting. I feel sick, like my stomach is rolled into a ball.

Sit up, I think, pressing my frigid hands into the floor. My head swims as I sit up, my vision still unfocused. I lean on something, a wall I presume, and wait for my vision to adjust. Once it does, I realize where I am. The freezer room. I can't fathom why an early 1900's home has a freezer room, but that is where I am. It was small, very small, and shaped like a squat box. I was in a back corner, facing the airtight door. Metal shelves surrounded me, holding long misshapen somethings. Some were shorter than others, but all were covered with some white tarp. Legs wobbly, I stood up, holding my arms out for balance. I walk over to one of the covered things, and, standing on tiptoes, I peel back the tarp. I begin to scream, throat already aching. I run back to the corner, pressing myself against the wall, tears streaming down my cheeks. I can feel the tears solidify and stick, my icy skin becoming even more unbearable. I can't move anymore, either from fear or cold, I know not. I try to scream, to talk, to move, to cry, but I can't. I can almost feel my life ebbing away. Slowly.

Slowly.

Slowly....

I see her again, pale and lifeless, drained of blood and warmth. Her eyes were closed, frost dotting her eyelashes and cheeks and hair. The tarp was cold and solid in my hand, and it crunched as I pulled it farther down. She was so dead. So dead. Her name was unknown to me, as was all of the covered corpses in the cursed freezer room. I remember the number of them. The number of corpses. Twenty-three. It was the staff. Reinhold's staff. I was sure of it. I want to scream again, and I do, finding it easy this time. I feel hands on my shoulders, shaking me. Warmth courses through my veins, heat blossoming in my feet and torso.

Julia.
She was bent over me, worry etched into her face. Her eyes lit up when she saw I was conscious. I couldn't see Noah. The warmth was so refreshing, and I found myself able to flex my fingers.
"We found you in the freezer room," she stated, looking down at me.
I give a slight nod.
"Did you see him?"
I give another nod.
She sighed, rubbing her temple with her palm. She looked exhausted.
"Where are we?" I manage to ask, my throat dry.
"One of the guest rooms. You're in front of the fireplace."
I tilt my head, seeing the tall brick fireplace, full of light and heat. I notice a few things about the room. Dusty red curtains. Mildew. A hole in the ceiling. It looked like it had been a nice room before, but now, it looked abandoned and mistreated.

The last of the cold was wiped from my system, and I sat up, tired, but alive.
"Where's Noah?" I ask.
Julia's face becomes pained and full of guilt.
"I.. I don't think he lived."
We sit in silence. What were we thinking?
I felt so totally exhausted. I just wanted to sleep.
"I heard you screaming from inside the freezer room. I was down in the kitchen at the time. When I had managed to open the door, you looked dead. You were huddled in the corner and you had been crying. When I dragged you out, you started talking. 'Staff.' You were repeating that. What were you talking about?"
I freeze, slowly looking up at her.
"Did you not see them?" I mutter, trying not to get upset all over again.
"No. The room was empty," she assured.
My mouth forms an O. I close my eyes. I couldn't have been imagining it. Could I?