CHAPTER 42

THE ETERNITY ROAD

saga

Book 1

Chapter 1

They galloped through the dark woods and came out to a meadow that glowed silver in the moonlight. The young woman stopped her horse abruptly, and the hood of her cloak fell,

revealing long, fair curls. She sniffed the air and rolled the axe in her hand. ‘We are surrounded.’

Amanda put the pen down. It was late. Yawning, she dropped the notebook on the floor and slid down under the duvet. As soon as her head touched the pillow, she was asleep.

She was falling through total darkness. The next moment, she jolted at the impact with something soft, and her eyes flew open. Sitting up, she brushed her back against a rough, wooden headboard. She felt awake, but the surrounding view was unfamiliar.

Amanda looked at the nightstands with oil lamps on them, one on either side of the bed. There was also an old dresser and a mirror with blurry, yellow spots. The walls were covered with faded, bulging wallpaper.

I must still be dreaming.

Her heartbeat rose, drumming against her chest. Where was she? Just a second ago she had been at home, writing in her bed.

She swung her bare feet onto the cold, dusty floor. After a moment of hesitation, she went to the door and stuck out her head. There was a hallway with three more doors and a staircase leading down. Amanda tiptoed to the first door and put her ear to it.

No sound.

Peering in the keyhole, she saw the outline of a chair.

What am I afraid of? she thought. The situation was strange, but it didn’t seem dangerous. Holding her breath, she carefully put her hand on the rusty door handle and pushed it.

Nobody was inside. She checked the other rooms, and they, too, were empty.

Downstairs, Amanda came upon a large living room with old-fashioned furniture, a big fireplace, and high windows covered by heavy curtains. The walls were stained with mildew, and there were spider webs in every corner. To her right, she could see the front door.

“Hello? Is anybody here?” she asked in a small voice.

She turned to the front door and pushed it, but it wouldn't open. A key stuck out of the keyhole. She glanced behind her and saw only her own footprints in a thick layer of dust. Everything said that nobody had visited this place in a long time.

Amanda unlocked the door and stepped outside. Tall grass covered the big front yard, surrounded by woods on all sides. No gate or road. In the middle of the yard was a dried up fountain with the statue of a baby cherub. Amanda ran down the porch stairs.

“Hello? Is anybody there?” she cried.

All she heard was the rustling of leaves coming from the woods. Goosebumps from the morning chill popped out on her arms. Only then did she realize that all she was wearing were her night shorts and a top. She hugged herself and headed back to the house to search the rest of it.

As soon as she stepped inside and closed the door, a wave of dizziness hit her. She dropped down in a big, leather armchair. In the same second, the armchair and the floor disappeared beneath her, and she fell into a big, dark, endless hole. Amanda’s scream echoed around her as she fell.

When she opened her eyes, she was still screaming. But now she was back in her own bed, in her own bedroom.

Breathing heavily, Amanda looked around.

“It was a dream,” she murmured.

Still shaking, she took the duvet and threw it around her shoulders. A knock on the door made her jump.

“Amanda, honey, are you alright?” she heard her dad’s voice.

“I’m fine, be right down,” she replied, trying to sound normal.

“Okay. We’ll wait.”

Wait for what?she wondered. She never ate breakfast, he knew that.

Amanda felt weak and tired as if she had carried stones all night. She got out of bed and opened the window. It was a sunny spring morning, full of the sweet smell of blooming lilac. The light, cool breeze tickled her face. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the fresh air, and headed to the bathroom.

A quick shower warmed and relaxed her. But she couldn't forget the dream. It had been too real, and she could still smell the dust.

As Amanda headed down the stairs, she heard whispering in the kitchen, and when she came around the corner, she saw her father and Melinda standing side by side in front of the kitchen table.

“You look weird, people, you know that?”

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” They started singing and stepped aside. Behind them was a cake with eighteen candles sinking into the icing. “Happy birthday, dear Amanda, happy birthday to you!”

“I forgot…” Amanda laughed. “I forgot my own birthday.”

Her dad pulled her in and kissed her forehead. “Make a wish, honey.”

Amanda considered the candles for a moment and blew them out.

“What did you wished—”

“I am not telling you what I wished for, Melinda,” smirked Amanda, settling into a chair beside her father.

“Right. We don’t want to jinx it.” Melinda turned to the coffee maker, poured a cup of coffee, and handed it to Amanda.

Melinda, a slender African-American woman of around fifty, had been their housekeeper for the past nine years. Always curious, she never missed a chance to ask questions.

“I can’t believe that I forgot my birthday,” Amanda shook her head. “It’s because of that creepy, stupid dream.”

“What dream?” Melinda leaned forward on the table and narrowed her eyes.

“Is that why you screamed?” asked her dad.

Amanda nodded, taking a sip from her cup.

“What was it, dear?” Melinda asked again. “What did you see?”

“Okay, well… I was all alone in an old house covered with dust, in the middle of nowhere. I couldn’t find anybody, and believe me, that was already scary enough. But then I fell in a big dark hole. That’s when I began screaming. What do you think it means?” asked Amanda and both, she and her father, looked at Melinda.

“It was just a silly dream. Forget about it.” Melinda looked at Amanda’s father. “You are going to be late, Lindsey.”

“Yeah, I’ve got to go.” Lindsey pulled himself up and reached for his coat. “Honey, you said that you don't want to have a party, are you sure?”

“Yeah, don't worry about it.”

“I promise I'll sit in my room, quiet as a mouse.” He adjusted his tie. “Or I could meet some friends.”

“Are you looking for an excuse to go out?” Amanda teased. “No, no party. But I'll have fun, I promise.”

“All right, then.” He picked up his briefcase from the floor, grabbed his car keys, and headed to the door.

Amanda's cellphone rang. She scooped it up and looked at the screen. It was Hanna.

“Where are you? We’re going to be late.”

“Hello to you, too,” Amanda chuckled. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

She grabbed her bag, took the apple handed by a smiling Melinda, and ran out.

* * *

The moment Amanda closed the door, Melinda’s smile disappeared. She hurried upstairs to Amanda’s room and carefully removed the duvet. There, on the fresh, white sheets, were clumps of dust and a few small pieces of grass.

“Oh, God,” Melinda gasped. She reached for her cellphone and dialed a number. “Craig, it’s me.”

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