Crossing Over

Chapter 15

Cameron knelt in the small crevice they had made behind the dresser relying mostly on his sense of touch in the dying light. His hands were slick with sweat as they slipped and slid frantically over the baseboard.

He could hear Rob tearing around the room and furniture being moved but he didn't have time to worry about what was going on behind him. He had to find the book. Andra had been so sure it was here but if Cameron couldn't find it soon he was afraid there wouldn't be another chance. From somewhere below them and getting closer were the inhuman sounds of something beyond imagining.

The noise reverberated throughout the house and floated up to him through the closed door.  Low gurgling sounds followed by unintelligible garbled language and more than once icy high-pitched squeals of laughter cut through Cameron's nerves like a hot knife through butter.

His bones felt like they had turned to liquid beneath his skin and his hands were shaking uncontrollably. They jumped and spasmed as his fingers searched the wall in vain for any openings or cracks near the floor.

Rob was yelling now. His voice rising to a near shriek to be heard above the sound of whatever ungodly creature was coming for them. "Cameron hurry! We've got to go!"

Cameron stopped and took a deep breath calming himself before resuming his search. Reaching into his back pocket he fished out his cell phone and turning on the flashlight used it to closely inspect the wall. Within moments he noticed a small opening in one of the boards that he had overlooked in his panic. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead and dripped off his nose as he began to pry at the opening.

"Help me!" Cameron shouted at Rob. Rushing over Rob lifted one end of the dresser pulling it out farther so that they could both slide into the space.

Without hesitation, Rob slipped his fingers into the widening gap and began to yank on the board.

With one tremendous pull, Cameron heard the sound of cracking wood and then the squealing of rusty nails as it was wrenched violently away from the wall. As Rob tossed the board off to the side a small leather-bound journal fell out of the opening that was left and slid to the floor at their feet.

Both boys sat for a moment staring in dumbfounded fascination. So Andra had been right. The existence of the little brown book in front of them left no room for doubt. For the second time that day, he felt a familiar sense of doubt nagging at him. Andra was hiding something. He was sure of it.

A quiet thump at the top of the stairs pulled them from their daze and it was only then that Cameron realized that the house had fallen into silence.

The gibbering sounds of lunacy that had filled the house had ceased. The silence that now enveloped them was deafening and even more frightening than the noise had been.

"Where is it?" Rob hissed at him.

"I have no idea but I think we should be leaving before it decides to turn up," Cameron whispered back grabbing the book and his phone. He slipped his cell back into his pocket and then quickly tucked the book safely into the back of his jeans pulling the tail of his shirt out to make sure it wasn't visible.

Rob nodded in agreement as they stood and for the first time Cameron was able to see what Rob had been doing. The commotion Cameron had heard in the room were the sounds of the nightstands and bed being moved against the door.

Seeing him staring at the makeshift barricade Rob shrugged.

"I thought we might need some time." He said honestly.

"Let's just get out of here before we do," Cameron said moving forward and forcing Rob out from behind the dresser in front of him.

"The question is how do we get out of here?" Cameron asked surveying the mess as they crawled over the corner of the bed.