If These Walls Could Talk

Chapter 5

"Ssh," Bradley shushed, putting a finger up to his pursed lips and stepping closer to the bedroom's open door.

"What is it?" Lucy's breathing accelerated. After the mysterious letter and Noor's unusual statement, she was prepared to let Michael just take the damn tapestry. What in the world could Bradley be hearing now to keep them from leaving already?

"Holy hell!" He exclaimed, staring into the dark corridor.

The others rushed behind him to get a better look. Peeking around his shoulders, Lucy had to blink several times to make sure she wasn't seeing things right. No, her vision was fine. Something was dripping from the sharpened ends of the crown-of-thorns looking architectural embellishments.

"We need to go." Michael moved his hand to the small of her back and nudged Lucy forward. "Now."

"What is that?" Noor's voice quivered as they rushed out of the room and down the hallway. "Water?"

None dared to answer, but Lucy held out her hand as she passed under one of the many spiked archways. A thick, sticky substance filled her palm, and by the time they made it to the stairs, all four of them were streaked with the red liquid.

"Oh, God." Michael paused to smell the stuff staining his shirt. "I think it's blood."

Lucy willed herself to ignore the implications and was already down one flight when a stream of cold air blew out from the second floor's corridor. Automatically glancing into the darkness, she was momentarily frozen by not only the subtle shifts in the shadows, but also the sound of music.

What was that? Did she leave a gaslight flame lit? Was its flicker causing the illusion of motion? And were her ears deceiving her, or was the noise truly an off-beat mix of cymbals and Pop Goes the Weasel?

The others gathered behind her, also mesmerized by the strange phenomena. When the faint whoosh of disturbed air followed another cool gust, Michael finally came to his senses.

"Run!" He yelled, taking the lead and bounding down the steps. Noor and Lucy immediately followed, but Bradley's curiosity must have gotten the better of him. Lingering a bit longer, his feet only began to move when a dark swarm emerged from the corridor. Black-winged butterflies were seemingly everywhere, flapping furiously as they moved in one huge mass after the fleeing group.

Getting to the entry door first, Michael tugged at the handle, but it remained closed. "Open, damn you." He yelled as the others reached his side.

"The keys. Try the keys!" Lucy screamed, pulling the tapestry out from Michael's arm to let him get better access.

But even after he stuck the largest, forged iron key into its obviously matching lock, it failed to open. The insects were now right on top of them, and four sets of arms swept the air above their heads to gain some type of respite from the attack.

"Is there another way out?" Bradley yelled over the eerie buzz of thousands of wings.

"What about the windows?" Noor shrieked, pulling her scarf over her face.

"The foundation's raised more than two meters," Lucy rebutted. "The ledges are higher, still. We'd break our legs jumping from this height."

"We need to look for a back door or a side entrance." Michael moved away from the entry and headed through the library toward the rear of the manor.