Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

119

Licking his lips, he shut the car door and waited for Link to do the same. He honestly didn't like the implication that Link had just made. Normally when Link wanted to scream, that didn't mean anything good. At least in their past experience so far. He watched Link warily as he slowly trudged his way toward the house.

Rhett tensed his shoulders and gave Link a wary look before catching up with him in a few short strides. He placed his hand on his shoulder before gazing at the house. He definitely wasn't looking forward to going back in there, but he had a feeling somewhere deep in his being that they needed to do it. He only wished he knew how Link was feeling at this moment.

"Everything okay, buddy? You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Just tell me where it would be and I'll try looking for it while you wait in the car."

Link shook his head adamantly, gently brushing Rhett's hand away. He looked Rhett hard in the eyes. "I appreciate your concern man, but I don't want to be babied. I'm tired of always being the one screaming for help." He stopped and lowered his eyes to the ground, realizing how ironic it sounded. He was always screaming, although sometimes it wasn't necessarily for help. He looked into Rhett's eyes and was relieved to find understanding in them.

"Lead the way, man," Rhett urged, and Link nodded his head before picking up his pace and leading them right to the front porch. Another light breeze hit them and on it carried the scent of something foul. The two of them looked at each other, wrinkling their noses in a grimace.

"There's something definitely not living in there," Rhett pointed out and Link rolled his eyes. As if that wasn't already obvious. Having never been in this place before but only in a dream, Link was cautious as he reached for the handle. It wriggled so freely in its place that he was sure he was going to twist it right off as he turned the knob. He exercised extra caution as he turned, and then gently pushed the door inward, Rhett looking over his shoulder curiously but with a wary gleam in his eyes. Everything had looked as he remembered it, but something seemed to be out of place. He turned his head to look up at Rhett.

"Now this is going to sound really strange, but does something seem out of place to you?"

Rhett arched an eyebrow as he stepped past Link, tiptoeing through the living area and ducking in places where he was going to risk smacking his head into tile. He stood in one spot particularly in the middle of the room, swiveling his head about. He felt a tingly feeling penetrate his neck and he clasped his hand over it, turning to face Link.

"It feels creepy in here if that's what you're saying, but I don't think,-" Rhett cut off and narrowed his eyes.

Link was walking into the house with his head tilted to the side, his lips slightly parted. His eyes were intent on focusing, and Rhett shuddered. "Link?"

Link held his head up, his eyes widening. "There it is again," he mumbled, stepping past Rhett. Rhett started following him. They were walking toward the kitchen.

"There's what again?"

Link didn't respond to him, the silence of the house crunching into his worst fears. Settling, creaking, moaning; everything Rhett could conjure crept into his eardrums and drilled an intense well of apprehension right into the pit of his stomach. "Link!"

Link spun around, his eyes wild. "The whispering!"

Rhett was taken aback, nearly stumbling backward as if Link had lashed him with a belt.

"What whispering?" Rhett's voice trembled, fearing he was going to hear this whispering any moment now. He didn't hear anything, which raised a red flag. He half expected somebody to walk up behind them and say something in their ears, and he physically trembled. "Come on man, talk to me! What's this whispering you're talking about?"