life, Susanna, her legs now quaking in fear , climbed the few stairs left to the top of the tower. Elated that she had made it to the banging door, she reached forward to close it when the sky lit up with a brilliant streak of lightening which gave way to an earsplitting crash of thunder. Instinctively she threw up her arm to shield her eyes and turn away from it. Susanna could feel her heels slipping from the step and let out a terrifying scream in panic. Her hands clawed at the air to grab the rail but there was nothing there. She could feel herself falling backwards, the sound of the thunder and her own petrifying scream echoing all around her.
Susanna heard a voice screaming, “No!” and she wondered in that split second if it was her own before she landed with a horrific thud against the iron stairs. Pain, unspeakable and unrelenting coursed through her body. She moaned and attempted to raise her head before letting it fall again. The cold, wet rain quickly soaked through her clothes and the thought crossed her mind that she was glad she could feel it. As long as she felt the terrible pain and cold, it meant she wasn’t paralyzed from the fall. She could hear a deep banging noise, different from the door, a swift repetitive stomping sound getting louder and louder. She raised her hand and placed it on the back of her throbbing head and immediately a warm liquid began to ooze through her fingertips. She was bleeding. Susanna’s thoughts became fuzzy, the pain fading as she slipped into unconsciousness. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. She said the words over and over again in her head. Suddenly there were hands on her, touching her face in the darkness before arms gently lifted her from the stairs. She cried out in pain, her back felt as if she were broken in half.
“I don’t want to die,” she whispered in a complete daze of pain.
“I won’t let you,” was his answer in a hushed but soothing voice.
Chapter 9
Susanna floated in and out of consciousness over the next several hours. She was distantly aware of someone holding the back of her head and the feeling of being held tightly and pressed against a chest. Her head ached with a blinding pain and as much as she wanted she could not force her eyes to open. She moaned again in frustration at being physically unable to force herself to be more alert.
“ Shhh,” his lips were against her head, “Rest, Susanna.”
Susanna’s eyes blinked slowly, the pain unbearable as the popping sound of the fire roused her from sleep. She had never been in such pain in all her life. She was a little more aware of her surroundings now than she was the last time she was awake. She was able to think clearly and remember that she had pain medicine in her bag in the bathroom. She only used them for her worst migraines but she had them on hand at all times. She wiggled her fingers as a test and then moved her arm slightly. She lay still, taking a few deep breaths before attempting to prop up on her elbows. The motion of raising her head caused her to groan loudly in pain.
“ Don’t … don’t try to move.”
Susanna froze, the pain, although ever present, was secondary to the thought that someone was in the room with her. She eased back down on the pillow, grimacing at the pain the soft surface produced. Her heart was thrashing in her chest and deafening in her ears, causing even more discomfort. It had to be Mr. Bailey … screamed her subconscious but rationally she knew it wasn’t true. She had only been around the old man for a few hours but she knew the voice that called out to her did not belong to him.
“Can I get something for you?”
Oh God, he was asking her a question. She would now not only be forced to acknowledge there was a stranger in the room with her but she was now required to answer him.
“ Pain,” she answered honestly, her voice hoarse and barely
Susanna heard a voice screaming, “No!” and she wondered in that split second if it was her own before she landed with a horrific thud against the iron stairs. Pain, unspeakable and unrelenting coursed through her body. She moaned and attempted to raise her head before letting it fall again. The cold, wet rain quickly soaked through her clothes and the thought crossed her mind that she was glad she could feel it. As long as she felt the terrible pain and cold, it meant she wasn’t paralyzed from the fall. She could hear a deep banging noise, different from the door, a swift repetitive stomping sound getting louder and louder. She raised her hand and placed it on the back of her throbbing head and immediately a warm liquid began to ooze through her fingertips. She was bleeding. Susanna’s thoughts became fuzzy, the pain fading as she slipped into unconsciousness. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. She said the words over and over again in her head. Suddenly there were hands on her, touching her face in the darkness before arms gently lifted her from the stairs. She cried out in pain, her back felt as if she were broken in half.
“I don’t want to die,” she whispered in a complete daze of pain.
“I won’t let you,” was his answer in a hushed but soothing voice.
Chapter 9
Susanna floated in and out of consciousness over the next several hours. She was distantly aware of someone holding the back of her head and the feeling of being held tightly and pressed against a chest. Her head ached with a blinding pain and as much as she wanted she could not force her eyes to open. She moaned again in frustration at being physically unable to force herself to be more alert.
“ Shhh,” his lips were against her head, “Rest, Susanna.”
Susanna’s eyes blinked slowly, the pain unbearable as the popping sound of the fire roused her from sleep. She had never been in such pain in all her life. She was a little more aware of her surroundings now than she was the last time she was awake. She was able to think clearly and remember that she had pain medicine in her bag in the bathroom. She only used them for her worst migraines but she had them on hand at all times. She wiggled her fingers as a test and then moved her arm slightly. She lay still, taking a few deep breaths before attempting to prop up on her elbows. The motion of raising her head caused her to groan loudly in pain.
“ Don’t … don’t try to move.”
Susanna froze, the pain, although ever present, was secondary to the thought that someone was in the room with her. She eased back down on the pillow, grimacing at the pain the soft surface produced. Her heart was thrashing in her chest and deafening in her ears, causing even more discomfort. It had to be Mr. Bailey … screamed her subconscious but rationally she knew it wasn’t true. She had only been around the old man for a few hours but she knew the voice that called out to her did not belong to him.
“Can I get something for you?”
Oh God, he was asking her a question. She would now not only be forced to acknowledge there was a stranger in the room with her but she was now required to answer him.
“ Pain,” she answered honestly, her voice hoarse and barely
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