Indigo Shadow - Hemlock

Chapter 6

"Can you hear me?" an urgent voice whispered into Hemlock's ear. He felt dizzy; his vision was blurry. Sitting up, he put a hand to his head and winced. There was a large bump on the side of his temple. He looked up to see Jacoby, Ange, and Brigid standing over him. He was laying on a warm brown leather sofa in the living room. The roaring fire crackled behind them, releasing a swell of embers up the massive chimney.

"Ouch... what happened?" he stammered, his voice dry. He coughed; and apparently, he had bitten his lip because he tasted the harsh iron of blood. Brigid handed him a bottle of water and he chugged it down quickly, making the taste run down his throat.

"We realized you weren't behind us when we got back down to the atrium, but we thought we'd let you be alone for a while, to get your bearings. Until we heard someone scream. It didn't even sound like you, it was someone else's voice." Jacoby said, and Hemlock could see him shiver.

"When we got upstairs you were laying on the stairs, face down, and completely knocked out. You must've hit your head on something, or tripped and slammed your face pretty good," Ange remarked and pulled Hemlock's hair back to examine his goose egg. By the look on Ange's face, it must be an ugly bump. "I almost called 911, but you grumbled something under your breath. You said you were fine..." Hemlock blinked; he didn't recall that at all.

Brigid stuttered, her voice tender. "I am so sorry you tripped, Hemlock. I feel so bad..."

"Oh yeah, I must've caught my foot on the floorboard or something. I'm not used to such old houses. But, no... I'm just a clumsy guy. We can still investigate. What time is it?" Hemlock replied and sat up straight, with his legs hanging off the side of the couch.

"It's about 5pm, we'll start investigating when the sun goes down... if you're still up for it. I don't want you passing out on us," Ange said and sat down next to Hemlock.

"I'll be fine, I swear! Chill out, guys," Hemlock said, standing up, but only to be greeted by a wave of dizzying pain. He stumbled back onto the couch, with his head in his hands. "Ow..."

"Careful. Drink more water. And here! Painkillers," Jacoby said and handed him a bottle of ibuprofen from his backpack and another bottled water.

"Are you still up for it now?" Ange chuckled and peered outside at the evening sun.

"Yes. I am." Hemlock locked eyes on Ange's and tried to look as persuasive as possible. Ange raised his eyebrows and then furrowed them.

"Ok, fine," Ange concluded and got up to stand by Brigid, her face still distraught. A low rumbling broke the awkward silence of the living room.

"Oops, that was me," Jacoby confessed and stretched his arms, exposing his belly button. He looked at Ange and Brigid. "I'll go get the snacks from the Jeep."

"Actually, I had intended to cook you guys dinner tonight. I'm also the chef here at the bed and breakfast... so, it'd be my pleasure to make sure you're fed," Brigid said and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'll go get that started! Would anyone like to help?" she asked, and instantly Ange jumped forward. The two walked towards the dining room and Jacoby followed but Hemlock stayed put on the couch, leaning his head against the huge plaid pillows. The soft fabric rubbed against his jaw as he turned his head sideways to get more comfortable. He thought about what had happened.

Had he really tripped? Or did the dark shadow shove him down the stairs? Or... had he dreamt about it all? Shivers ran down his spine as he felt himself collapse mentally. What the hell was going on inside his head? It was starting to scare him. Call it paranormal or not, he didn't want it to persist. Then, speaking of the devil; Hemlock heard footsteps coming from overhead. He angled his ear towards the ceiling and peered around the corner towards the dining room and kitchen area. Jacoby was sitting at the dining table with a coffee cup in his hand, reading a book he had snagged from the bookshelves, and he could also hear the soft muffle of Ange's voice talking with Brigid in the kitchen.