CHAPTER FIVE
How dare the mist talk of its feelings for me! Rage rained down on me. How dare it profess anything while keeping me its prisoner? And what did it know of love?
A sobering thought struck me. "You were outside my window during the storm last night."
"Yes." A simple answer as if it had done nothing out of the ordinary.
"Why?" I shook my head in bewilderment.
It released another loud exhale. How could this substance breathe?
"It pleases me to observe you."
I let out a sharp breath. Stay calm. "How long...ah...have you been watching me?"
The mist turned and moved away from the table. I continued to sit there stunned. My head hurt and my leg kept cramping. The longing to be safe with my Nonnie or Nathan Alexander hit me so hard, I grew woozy.
The mist didn't answer my question as it coasted up to the bedroom. Soon after, it glided down with a costly, very elegant, iridescent-blue gown floating alongside it. My eyes widened over witnessing this levitating dress. The mist drifted back until it reached my side. The dress, hovering behind it like it was a normal everyday occurrence, suddenly landed on my lap.
"Put it on."
Do this, do that. It expected me to be fine with this whole situation and obey its dictates.
"Why should I?"
It jostled the dress. "Put it on."
I flinched as it moved in so close its chilly vapor grazed my lap.
"No." I crossed my arms and turned away. My heartbeat hammered in my ears again, and I bit my bottom lip to stop from crying out over the shooting pains in my leg.
The mist let out a loud screech then swept around the room in a chaotic and
frenzied motion.
I covered my ears, shutting out the mist's piercing echo. My hair flew around my face as the dishes on the table rattled and my chair rocked unsteadily.
I stood and slammed my palms on the table. "Stop it. I'll do what you want!"
The screeching stopped. My chest hurt and my whole body trembled. Sobs escaped my lips. The mist lifted the dress in its ghostly arms and held it out to me. Grabbing the garment, I grudgingly admired the exquisite fabric.
"May I change upstairs?"
"Yes," it whispered.
I limped my way up the stairs and in the privy to undress. My new garment was easy to lace up the front, requiring no help.
Thank the Almighty for small mercies.
After changing, I walked to the edge of the stairs while shaking out my cramped leg. The mist floated near the edge of the staircase.
"Come down." Its voice sounded harsh in my head.
I licked my lips, swallowed back the pain shooting up my leg, and shuffled down the steps. The music's loud and haunting melody pinched my nerves. Once I reached the bottom of the landing, the mist circled around and floated too close, making me recoil. It pressed against my back, although its ghostly extension surrounded my whole body and spanned the length of the room.
"You will dance."
The mist followed as I retreated in denial. When one of those arm-like tendrils brushed my own, I yelled and stumbled to the ground. Like a scared child, I crawled under the table, closing my eyes and rocking myself to safety.
"Please, no more. Please." Tears streamed down my cheeks.
It didn't shriek or drag me out. When my terror subsided, I opened my eyes and noticed the mist hovering near the stairs. Its ghoulish arms lay at its sides. It had taken on more of a human form, one that was less of the fog I had come to recognize.
It glanced up and held out one of its limbs again. I shook my head for it to stay away. My wish wasn't granted. It came in closer and moved down to my level. We stared at one another in silence.
The three words I had been longing to say came from my mouth. "Let me go."
The mist's head wavered from side to side. Its response didn't come as a surprise. "No. You will stay."
More tears fell. The last time I cried this much was when my mother died. Again, only the longing for someone, anyone, to save me mattered. My hand shook as I pushed my tangled hair away from my face. The mist left my view and returned with a glass filled with the same red liquid.
It set the glass in front of me on the floor. "Drink."
I peeked at the flowing water, wanting to drink from there instead. But that would mean coming out from under the table. My gaze switched between the glass and the mist. I shuddered to think of its anger if I refused. I grabbed the glass with both hands and took deep gulps of the sweetened wine until it was empty. The mist continued to float nearby. If it was pleased, I couldn't tell.
I tucked my knees to my chest and waited for its next move. The music continued to play a loud melody in the cavernous room.
My ears began to ring, and my eyelids lowered on their own from my sudden drowsiness. "Wha...at did you...give m...ee?" My mouth—numb—barely moved to speak. The mist slid in closer while I landed on my side and lay motionless. The transparent green fog covered my face, a slight burst of air brushed my cheek, and then nothing more.
******
The sound of rushing water filled my ears when I regained consciousness. The bedroom spun as I sat up and moved to sit near the edge of the bed. The cramping in my leg wasn't as extreme as before, replaced by a pain in my lower belly. I should have been frightened, but I wasn't. I felt dazed, as if in some warped dream. I stumbled in the surprisingly clean privy. After relieving myself and entering the bedroom, I noticed my vomit and homemade dress were gone.
Glancing over the edge of the landing, things were the same. The two doglike statues stared ahead, and water poured from the hole in the wall in the pool. The clock on the far wall ticked away, and the smaller claw pointed past the number one. Again, there was no way to know how much time had passed.
At least the mist didn't make an appearance, thank the Almighty.
I longed for a warm bath to soothe my aches. I made my way down the stairs to investigate.
The table was set again with plates piled with vegetables and breads. Also, more scribblings of eat me and drink me lay by the pitcher. When the disturbing need to quench my thirst struck again, I knelt by the edge of the pool, cupped the water in my hands, and took deep sips of the refreshing liquid.
Would I ever be rescued?
I shook my head, refusing even to speculate how much longer I would be contained in this place with such an evil creature, a vile fake that acted human but killed without warning and wanted me to do some very odd things.
A bar of soap and a few towels lay on the floor. I picked up the soap and held it to my nose. It smelled faintly of roses and had a pleasing pink color. The need to bathe was something I could no longer ignore, but I didn't want to be caught unaware by my captor in the middle of washing. I settled for brushing out the tangles and snarls from my hair and searched for something to wear among those strange, beautiful clothes hanging in the bedroom. A light-colored frock, close in color to the bar of soap, captured my interest.
In the far corner, an open chest stood, overflowing with more dresses and colorful ribbons. I pulled out a white ribbon from many and tied my unruly hair back.
Shadows flickered off the ceiling, reminding me of the mist and the way it floated around the woods.
I circled around, bored and lonely. "Hello?" My throat hurt as my unanswered cries echoed off the walls. My misery over missing Nonnie, Nathan Alexander, Ez, and all the others I cared for grew. Frustration changed to anger as the memory of my poor murdered cat made me want to break something. I glanced at the table and eyed a few plates that could help me with my growing temper. But the mist could return at any time, and witnessing my destruction of his possessions would probably cause more heartache for me when he did.
Would it really come as a surprise if I lashed out in such a way? Did it expect me to be fine with the brutal killing of my pet, with only my thoughts to comfort me? Or that I would do nothing else with my time while I waited for it to return and torture me? My days before were so busy, and as the future wife of Nathan—
Oh, Nathan Alexander....
I needed to find a way out.
To keep from going mad, I made a mental note to explore the tunnels that could either lead me to freedom or my possible death. If I died in one of them, surrounded by total darkness, so be it. At least the mist wouldn't have killed me by its own hand.
I passed the two stone statues. They mocked me with their cold, lifeless stares and, like a child, I stuck my tongue out at them as if they could see me. The stairs to the outer ledge were much like the ones rising to the bedroom. I climbed them, passing each large opening, surprised they weren't in total darkness. Some sort of light shone from within. Ignoring my mounting unease, I ventured into the one behind the waterfall. The water sprayed my face, cool on my warm, flushed skin.
The ground went from stone to dirt as the tunnel twisted and turned. It then dipped and the floor changed to steps. This had become a maze, a labyrinth I intended to solve. But from my recent mishaps, I'd probably end up falling down a hole and breaking my neck. That image rolled around in my head, and I shuddered.
I entered a massive room, one of the largest I'd ever seen. Books lined the walls and piled up to the ceiling. Why didn't these stacks fall? Books of different colors and sizes lay strewn about, open on the ground. I picked one up, a book of poetry from an author I didn't recognize.
There must have been thousands of books in this one room. My breath and the wonder of it all caught in my throat. I held the poetry book and read the other titles. Words in many unrecognizable languages and in my own lay on top of one another.
The mist could read?
Suddenly, some of the books flipped open. A small breeze picked up, and a loud wail erupted around me.
The mist had returned.
I could have hidden behind those stacks of books, but what would be the point? I waited, clutching the poetry book to my chest.
It flew out of one of the tunnels, down the stairs, and coasted around the room. After it did a complete circle, it transformed into the phantom human-like figure I had come to expect, and stared at me. It focused on the book in my hand.
"You are enjoying my book collection?" Its voice filled my head.
I ignored it.
It let out a snort and moved around the room, in and out of the stacks. Minutes went by as I waited for it to finish its tour. I placed the book on a pile and went to the stairs. The mist slid up my back and moved in front, blocking my path.
"I would like to leave here."
The mist tilted its head as though deciding. I glanced away, expecting it to deny my request.
"Follow me." It moved up the stairs.
I sighed, having no choice but to trail it through the tunnel until we reached the main room once again.
It soared around the ledge, its shadowy form covering most of the room. I expected it to go down to the table and force me to eat or drink, but it did something different. It stopped at one of the open tunnels. I kept a straight face to hide my confusion.
"I have a surprise for you. Come." It went in the tunnel.
I mumbled a very unladylike curse under my breath, followed by a childish display of sticking my tongue out. This gave me some joy. Again, we reached some stairs leading to another large room.
This one was more amazing than the book room. Inside, an assortment of dresses covered the floors and lay on stools and tables. To count them all would have taken years. Trunks upon trunks overflowed with sparkling jewelry and stones. I staggered toward the middle of the room with my hands over my mouth, taking everything in. A perfect fantasy for any woman who longed to wear such stunning items—slippers, ribbons, and nightgowns made of the softest silk. My legs had a mind of their own as I moved, touching the dresses with longing. My homespun dresses could never compare to the frocks here.
The mist stayed near the front of the room. It didn't speak as I enjoyed this spectacular bounty. An involuntary gasp left my mouth at the diamond tiara on a red satin pillow. I reached out then stopped because the sparkling diamonds were too grand for one of my fingers to touch.
"Where did you get all of this?" I asked, more to myself rather than the monster in the room.
It remained silent while it made its way toward me. The tiara floated up from the pillow, and the mist pushed closer. I shook my head and placed my hands behind my back. A disappointed sigh echoed, and the tiara remained in the air as I wandered again.
It floated behind, stopping when I did. This infuriated me. Why couldn't it leave me be? The mist circled, surrounding me with its milky green air.
The close contact gave me chills.
"I'm cold. May I go back to the big room with the pool and change into something warmer?"
The mist cocked its head while it contemplated a decision. It did that too often for my tastes and I wanted to scream at it to stop, but kept silent, waiting for its answer.
"No." It motioned with one of its phantom arms to the side. I saw where it pointed, but I couldn't comprehend what it wanted me to see.
"There are only dresses. You want me to wear one of them?"
It gave me an enthusiastic nod and seemed pleased as it drifted over to one of the trunks. The chest was identical to the one in the bedroom. The mist swung the doors open. What I saw inside made me want to bolt and hide.
A white wedding dress made of silk and beading, the likes of which I had never seen before, hung inside. The dress had capped sleeves and a train that puddled underneath it. My fantasy dress had come to life. If I married, this would be the dress I would want to wear. The skirt flared out, and ribbons that needed to be tied in order to cinch the bust ran down the front. The woman who wore it would be a princess. The way the mist focused on me gave me a good idea what woman it had selected to wear this dress.
"You want me to wear this." It wasn't a question.
"Yes." The fabric shimmered from the mist touching it.
I shivered, envisioning what its touch would feel on my skin. "But...but it's a wedding dress. I can't wear that. I'm not getting married...." I almost said, yet, but stopped myself.
"Yes, you are."
I swallowed, and my heartbeat pounded in my ears. Did it know of my engagement to Nathan Alexander?
"And who am I marrying?"
The mist floated over with the tiara. I didn't make a move as it placed it on top of my head. I held back a tremble as it played with my hair. It pulled away the ribbon I'd tied around there. I focused straight ahead, refusing to entertain it.
"Me," it whispered in my head.