More Than A Dream

Chapter 8

Meanwhile all pandemonium broke loose in Sneaky Manor when a panicked Sinclair rushed into the house with the news that Oliver and Jack were missing since last night.

"What do you mean by missing Lewis? How could you be so careless? I trusted you!!" yelled Jeremy furiously, his heart thumping with irrational fear as his mind was invaded with all the possibilities of what could have happened to the two people he adored more than life.

"Oh it's my fault now is it? Who was the one who hurt Jack? Who told her that he never wants to see her again? Well newsflash! You got exactly what you wanted Mr high and mighty Jeremy. If it wasn't for you my son wouldn't be in danger while trying to clean up your mess" accused Sinclair who was not in the mood to indulge Jeremy's temper as usual.

Jeremy reared back like he'd been slapped. Everything Sinclair said was true. He was the reason everything had happened. If something actually went wrong, he would never be able to forgive himself. Jacqueline was the light of his life, the reason for his existence. What would he do if she never came back?

Suddenly an unwanted thought flashed in his mind "Was this how Edmund and Rose had felt when he'd taken away Jack from them? Did they also feel this mind numbing terror that he was feeling now? Was this the punishment fate dealt him for his sins?"

Jeremy fell to his knees feeling more helpless than he'd ever felt in his life, his head bowed in despair. Sinclair watched the scene in stony silence. He desperately wanted to vent his anger, fear and pain at Jeremy, he was itching to pick a fight with him but that would get them nowhere. It wouldn't bring back his son to safety, he had to be calm and think.

"Think. Think. Think." he chanted internally in his head trying hard to come up with any kind of solution.
Just when he had almost calmed down enough to make a plan a hysterical Olivia burst into the living room with a terrified look in her eyes.

Jeremy and Sinclair took one look at her and rushed to her aid at once.
"Olivia! Calm down...What is it? Is it Jack? Or...or...is it Oliver? Did something happen?" Sinclair asked fearfully.
Jeremy seated her comfortably on the sofa, trying hard to conceal his nervousness as he waited impatiently for her answer.

"It's Linda..." was all she said as she promptly threw up all over the beautifully embroidered carpet.

Jeremy was on his feet in an instant, he grabbed poor Olivia by her shoulders and shook her till her teeth rattled. "What do you mean by Linda? What happened to my grandmother? Nothing can happen to her do you understand! Nothing!" he yelled as he began to lose control of himself.

Sinclair dragged him away from Olivia and boxed him soundly on the ears until his ears rang and eyes began to water from the impact which effectively brought him back to his senses.

Sinclair then approached Olivia and gently persuaded her to tell him exactly what had happened.

Few hours ago,

Olivia had seen grandmother Linda leaving the house in the middle of the night and going towards the forbidden woods. So she decided to follow her wondering what business the old woman had in the forests at the middle of the night.

Linda was already out of sight by the time Olivia had dressed and began to follow her. So she just kept walking straight ahead hoping to run into her somewhere.

Just when Olivia was going to give up and return back home to Sneaky Manor she heard a blood curling scream from somewhere nearby. So she quietly crept towards the noise, concealing herself behind the dark shadows of the trees.

What she saw next made the bile rise in her throat while her shaking hands and feet turned ice cold with fear. She had arrived just in time to see the dangerous silhouette of a man as he ruthlessly in one smooth motion ripped away Linda's right arm from her body with his axe.