Bloody Chains

Part 3

Chapter 3:

Zara's baby laughter surrounded me, her bright violet eyes shining as she smiled a toothless smile at me. I ran my fingers through her silken hair. Charles was out working so I had all day with our little daughter.

She bounced up and down on my lap smiling and laughing the way all one year olds do. Her blond hair lit up like a halo when the sun hit it, its golden glow making me squint to see the beautiful features of her face.

I lay back on the damp grass under a willow tree that had been planted in front of our manner; placing a wiggling Zara on my tummy and manage to wrap my arms around her, keeping her safe from threats. The soft wave like sounds coming from the lake was like music. A bird chirped ahead, light and soft as it landed in the willow tree.

The crashing water to our right soothed me, as did all sounds of the nature surrounding us. As I closed my eyes and lay in silence with Zara a breeze picked up, sweeping away all warmth the sun had managed to coat us with.

Shivering I wrapped my dress around Zara to protect her from the cold; she didn't even stir as I managed to blanket us in my silk dress. The sounds of nature continued to surround us and soon I was fast asleep.

When I woke the sun was just setting, we had slept though most of the day. I sat up quickly, this abrupt movement disturbed Zara and she started to whine softly. I crooned her against my chest, shushing her and telling her everything would be alright.

But like my motherly instincts, my danger instinct told me otherwise. A shiver went up and down my spine as I carried Zara back into the house. It was a fairly large manner for being created in the 1500s.

Its body was coated in a sunshine yellow, with blue shutters that were open as if welcoming anyone who walked up to it. A garden was placed in front of the house, sprinkled with so many colorful flowers it was hard to tell where it started and where it ended. The stony path that I had been walking on, leading up to the front door, was uneven and I had to regain my balance a couple of times. My toe stubbing a jagged rock here, and tripping over another one there.

My pace quickened as the path in front of me got darker, the sun was now set and I needed to get me, but most importantly, Zara inside before something bad happened. I didn't know what, but I knew something was wrong, something was here that didn't belong.

Zara's silence surprised me; it was like she too knew something was wrong with the environment. I was also grateful she wasn't screaming.

When I reached the front door relief flooded over me. Charles, I knew for sure, was inside and soon both Zara and I will be safe wrapped up in his arms out of harm's way.

Little did I know.

Right as I reached for the brass doorknob a man stepped into my view. I jumped back startled; this only caused Zara to start a fit again, which I managed to calm down before she started screaming.

The man smiled at me, his crooked yellow teeth gleaming in the last of the sunrays. His nose was crooked and hooked at the bottom, giving him an eerie look. And instantly I knew him.

"Zach." I sighed with relief, my heart slowing down as I continued to stare at him.

He was Charles' co-worker as well as my brother. As he stepped out of the shadows I caught something in his eyes that I hadn't before. They weren't full of the laughter and happiness I've known all my life. No. They were sparked with something else.

Shaking the thought away I gestured to the huge wooden door. "Care to come inside?" I smiled as sweetly as I could, not being able to shake that dangerous feeling I had felt walking earlier.