Cybil (2018) #projectsuper

Chapter 57: The Kinsley Home, Part 1

James had been jolted awake by the landing of the copter. Upon stretching and turning around, he found the rather heartwarming sight of both his son and daughter passed out right next to each other. He had to take a moment to enjoy this image, as he knew he wouldn't have much more time to do so.

The thoughts of his last conversation with his daughter came unbidden, but he forced his mind away from them. They would do him no good right now.

He woke up both siblings, as well as Elena and led them out into what appeared to be an open field.

Strange. He also hadn't realized how much time had really passed. It had to be late at night, as inky darkness (excluding light that came from the house in front of them and the copter) covered the area.

Approaching the house, James realized that it looked... rather large. Of course, his standards were kind of skewed, as outside of the beach house that he and Marcia were to eventually share their honeymoon in, most of his memories of "home" equated to one thing.

Barracks.

No child of his was going to experience that.

***

A few seconds of knocking on the door yielded the emergence of a heavy-set woman apparently somewhere in her late 20s to early 30s, by James's best guess.

"Come in. Hurry!"

The woman's quick order ushered everybody in. What they were treated to could have been considered to be something out of a movie.

Just the wood floor seemed to go on forever, leading up to a winding staircase. That didn't include the doors that were closed on either side that likely had the living room and kitchen in them.

The woman smiled at them, but it seemed more tense than anything else. "He said you'd be here. Well, make yourselves at home."

James had to ask, as the rest of the group was too weirded out to say anything. "Um, who are you?"

"Kara. Kara Kinsley."

"Elena Williams..." the mother ventured carefully.

Everyone else followed suit with an awkward greeting. Eerily, she seemed to lock onto Cybil in particular as if she was uncomfortable around her.

James didn't know what to make of that.

***

Quiet fell over the Kinsleys' kitchen area as the guests were treated to sandwiches. It was probably one of the most awkward meals of James McDougal's life. Nobody acted like they wanted to be at that table. Worse, for reasons unknown to him, Cybil seemed to tremble around this woman.

Just as they were finishing up, a door opened coming from a room upstairs.

Kara's heart rate shot up, and it could even be seen on her face.

As the winding staircase squeaked and groaned with noise, James had to wonder: who was coming down here that would send her into this much of a panic?