She rubbed it between her fingers. Still not thick enough. And she had been working on it for months.
Nora unbraided her hair and shook it free. It fell almost to her knees.
She separated several strands and jerked them out, ignoring the irritating pain in her scalp.
She wove the hair into her makeshift rope. A rope made of hair, threads from her blanket, threads from her clothes, and anything else she could find.
Nora tried to be gentle as she plucked more hair, but her hands shook. She felt afraid. Afraid they would come too soon. Afraid they would come and take Nicholas away before she was ready.
When she finished the rope, Nora planned to push the chair leg against the cracked corner of the window until the glass gave way. Then she would bundle Nicholas in a blanket, tie the rope around his protected body, and slowly lower him to the ground.
Next she would douse the fire in the hearth and climb up the chimney until she reached the roof. Somehow from there she would find a way to the ground and Nicholas.
Nora rehearsed the escape plan over and over in her mind as she added to the soft rope. The plan had to work. It had to.
The wind howled outside. Nora stopped her work to listen more carefully. She heard another sound mingle with the sound of the wind.
Someone calling for help! Nora sprang to the window and peered out. She saw one of the doctors run down the front steps. A red-haired boy dashed over to him.
“There has been an accident!” the boy yelled. “A bad one. On that road they are making by the Fear mansion. Three men crushed!”
If only they had listened to her. Nora knew the dark forces of the Fear family would claim more lives. She knew the road would only bring disaster to the town.
Nicholas whimpered softly. Nora lifted him into her arms and rocked him gently. The evil Fear legacy would never touch her son, she promised herself. Never.
The baby drifted back to sleep, and Nora returned him to his cradle. Then she reached up and grabbed another clump of her hair. She yanked it out, gritting her teeth against the pain.
She had to get Nicholas away from this horrible place. Away from the asylum. Away from the town. Away from everything tainted by the Fears.
Nora wove the hairs into the rope. She grabbed another bunch of hair and tore it out.
She felt the warm, wet blood trickle down her cheek. She did not care. All she cared about was Nicholas.
Nora added the hairs to the rope with trembling fingers.
She gazed into the cradle. “Do not worry, Nicholas,” she crooned. “I will take care of you. I will not let them take you from me. Not ever.”
The door flew open with a bang.
Nora gasped.
“What are you doing, Nora?” a low voice demanded.
Chapter 3
Nora jerked her head toward the door. Her doctor stood there watching her. She had not heard him enter.
The doctor strode to Nora. “What is this?” he asked, pulling the long, silky braid from her hands.
Nora fought to remain calm. “Since you took away my pen and writing paper, I have nothing to do. The braid is simply a way to occupy my time.”
The doctor wound the rope of hair around his hand. “Very clever, Nora. Did you think to escape with this flimsy rope?”
“No!” she insisted. “But I do not belong in this awful place.”
“That is for me to decide,” he said. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped a streak of blood from Nora’s forehead.
The doctor strode to the door and opened it. “Send Martha to me,” he called down the hall. “And tell her to bring the scissors.”
“No,” Nora whimpered, tears filling her eyes. “Please, no.”
Nicholas began to cry. Nora scooped him up and held him tightly.
Moments later Martha stalked into the room.
“Nora has been pulling out her hair to make a rope,” the doctor informed Martha. “Cut it off.”
“Of course, Doctor.” Martha gave him a wide smile.
“Come, Nora,” Martha crooned as she held up a large pair of scissors. She opened and closed them several times. The tinny sound set Nora’s teeth on edge. “It is for the best. We cannot have you pulling your hair out by the roots. We cannot have you hurting yourself.”
“I will never do it again,” Nora promised, backing away.
Martha slipped the scissors into the pocket of her uniform and held out her arms. “Give me your son. I’ll put him to bed.”
I could run, Nora thought frantically. I could dart between Martha and the doctor before they know what I have in mind. I could be out of this room, down the stairs, and away from the asylum before anyone caught me.
And if they grab me? Nicholas might get hurt, she realized. Martha might accidentally stab him with the scissors. Or I might drop him.
He is innocent. I must protect him. Now is not the time to fight. But the time to fight will come.
Defeated for the moment, Nora tenderly placed her son in Martha’s arms. She watched Martha return the baby to his cradle.
“Now, move closer to the hearth, so I can see what I am doing,” Martha snapped.
Nora walked to the hearth and sank to the floor. Folding her hands in her lap, she waited.
Martha grabbed a fistful of Nora’s hair and yanked it up. Nora bit her lip to stifle a cry of pain.
The scissors snipped. The tinny sound grated on Nora’s nerves. A lock of her long, dark hair fell into her lap. Daniel loved my hair, Nora thought numbly.
She stared into the fire as the weight on her head lightened. Martha jerked her head as she cut, but Nora would not complain.
How would Nora escape now? Without her long hair, she would never be able to weave another rope. And soon they would come to take her son away.
Nora lifted her eyes and stared at the doctor. He stared back, his eyes cold, his face expressionless. Nora knew tears and pleading would have no effect on him. He would not help her keep Nicholas.
The cold steel scissors touched her scalp and Nora shivered. She did not dare reach up to see if she had any hair left.
Martha gathered her shorn hair and tossed it into the fire. The flames in the hearth hissed and crackled. Smoke drifted into the room. The odor of singed hair stung Nora’s nostrils.
“I hope you learned your lesson,” Martha said. “You are without power here. Cause us any more trouble, and you will regret it.”
Nora held back her tears until she heard Martha and the doctor leave the room, locking the door behind them.
Then she bowed her head and released a wail of despair. I must find a way to escape before insanity claims my mind, she thought.
Against her will, her fingers touched the bristly remains of her hair. How could anyone look at me now and not see a madwoman? she wondered as she buried her face in her hands. When will this nightmare end?
Harsh voices in the hallway woke Nora. She rose from the floor, tiptoed across the room, and pressed her ear against the hard oak door.
“She probably cried herself to sleep,” a scratchy voice murmured. Nora recognized the voice of the doctor.
“What will we do when Nora tells people?” another voice asked.
“Who will believe her? We will simply explain she killed the baby and we buried him. Who do you think they will believe? An insane woman? Or a respected doctor?”
Nora backed away from the door. She glanced around the barren room. She had no weapons, no way to protect Nicholas.
She walked to his cradle and lifted him into her arms. “Our journey to safety will begin soon, Nicholas. I don’t know how we will manage it, but wewill find a way to escape.”
He gurgled and smiled at her. Tears stung her eyes. He trusted her. She would not disappoint him.
She walked to the window. Holding Nicholas close, she waited.
Sweat popped out on her forehead. She wiped it away impatiently. She heard the key go into the lock.
“They’re coming,” she whispere
d. “They’re coming.”
Nicholas cooed. She tightened her hold on him. “I must convince them we don’t belong here,” she said softly. She looked at her son. “It is wrong to lie, Nicholas, but I am desperate. To save you, I will do anything.”
Bowing her head, she kissed his soft cheek. “When you grow up, always tell the truth.”
Metal ground against metal as the key turned.
Silence filled the room.
Seconds ticked by like minutes.
The knob turned.
The hinges squeaked.
The door slowly opened.
The doctor and two large assistants stood in the shadows.
Escape was impossible.
Nora stepped into the center of the room. She straightened her back, tilted up her chin, and met the doctor’s questioning gaze.
“I lied the night you questioned me. You were right. There were no ghosts that night. No screaming faces in the flames. The only screams I heard were my own.”
Nora rushed on. “I know the truth. The Fears possess no dark powers. There is no curse on the family. There is nothing wrong with building a road on Fear property. No one in Shadyside is in danger.”
“I am proud of you, Nora. I know that was difficult for you,” the doctor said.
Nora released her breath in a long sigh. Would she and Nicholas finally be able to begin a new life?
She gazed at the doctor. Her heart beat fast as she waited for his decision.
“I knew someday you would tell me the truth about that night in the Fear mansion,” he continued. Then the doctor’s eyes hardened. “But it is too late, Nora.”
“No!” Nora cried as rage rushed through her. “You promised to release me when I realized the truth about that night. A fire destroyed the Fear mansion. A horrible fire. I imagined all the rest.”
“It is clear you still believe the Fear family is cursed,” the doctor said firmly. “You still need our help. I have arranged for Nicholas to live with a good family until you are ready to be released.”
Chapter 4
“Please,” Nora wailed. “Please do not take my baby away. He is all I have.”
“When you are well, he will be returned to you, I promise,” the doctor told her.
Nora backed against the wall. “Your promises are worthless,” she spat. “I will not let you take my son.”
“You cannot stop me, my dear. You are the patient. I am the doctor. And the family has agreed to pay me a large sum for a male child. I do not want to disappoint them.” He signalled to the attendants. They lumbered toward Nora.
She raced across the room and placed Nicholas in his cradle. “I can defend you better if you are not in my arms,” she whispered.
She turned and glared at the two men approaching her. Like the madwoman they claimed she was, she released a wild yell that rose from deep within her soul.
She bared her teeth.
Her nostrils flared and her green eyes narrowed.
Her fingers curled into claws as she lunged at the huge men.
She slashed her fingernails across the neck of the closest man. She felt his skin gather beneath her nails. He yelled as blood flowed down his chest in rivulets. Nora reached for the man’s eyes.
The second man grabbed her and yanked her back. She sunk her teeth into his upper arm. Jerking her head back viciously, she ripped out a chunk of his flesh. His agonized scream drowned out the doctor’s frantic orders.
The first man knocked Nora to the floor. Breathing heavily, she savored the metallic, salty taste of warm blood on her lips.
“You take one arm, I will take the other,” one of the men growled.
Nora scrambled to her feet. Both men lunged at her. She darted to the right. One man caught her arm. He slammed her into the other man. Their hands closed around her arms like iron bands.
She kicked and bucked. She heard laughter. The doctor’s laughter. Echoing off the walls. Surrounding her. Suffocating her.
The stale odor of their unwashed bodies filled her nose as she struggled to free herself. She was no match for their strength. She was so tiny. They were so big.
The doctor sauntered over and stood before her. “My dear Nora,” he said softly, “continue to fight them, and a slip of their hands could break your neck. Who would care that you died?”
He strolled to the cradle. “Ah, this precious child has made me a rich man.”
He leaned down and reached for Nicholas.
“No!” Nora cried in desperation as she fought against her captors. “Keep away from my baby!”
She felt the Fear amulet grow hot against her skin.
The floor shook.
Nora gasped.
The doctor spun around. Eyes wide with fright.
The fire crackled and blazed. The flames grew higher and higher. They reached past the hearth. They climbed the wall. The flames lapped greedily at the ceiling. They grew brighter until all Nora could see was a wall of fire.
A man emerged from the writhing flames.
“Daniel,” Nora gasped.
Her husband had come back from the grave.
Nora’s legs went weak.
Daniel stared at her. His face serious. His eyes accusing.
“I am sorry,” Nora cried. Her voice trembled. “I am so sorry, Daniel. I tried to protect our child—but I could not. Forgive me,” she begged.
“Come and join me, Doctor,” Daniel rasped. He reached past Nora and drew the doctor into the raging inferno.
Screaming, the doctor fell to his knees. His eyes bulged. Bulged out farther and farther. Then, with a moist pop, his eyes flew from their sockets and rolled across the floor. They hissed as flames devoured them.
Nora turned her face away from the horrifying sight.
Stunned, the attendants released Nora. She backed toward the cradle. Nicholas would be terrified.
The doctor’s agonized shrieks blended with the roaring flames. Nora forced herself to look.
The doctor’s skin formed bubbles that burst open to reveal the bone beneath. Bubble, burst, bone. Over and over.
Nora felt a sharp taste hit the back of her throat. She swallowed hard.
Calm down, she ordered herself. You have to be ready to save Nicholas.
The doctor’s skin boiled away—until nothing remained but his skeleton.
Daniel dropped the doctor. With a shriek of fury he snatched up one of the attendants—just as the man reached for the doorknob.
The second attendant dashed for the window. Daniel shot flames at him. They covered the attendant like a blanket.
The fire continued to blaze, stretching toward the corners of the room, painting the ceiling in orange flames.
“Nora!” Daniel shouted.
She jerked her head toward the hearth.
From within the fiery depths of the inferno, Daniel reached out for her.
Chapter 5
Nora felt the heat blasting from Daniel’s hands.
“Daniel, no!” she cried. “Don’t you recognize me? I am Nora. Your wife. I know you do not want to hurt me.”
Strips of skin peeled away from Daniel’s face. His burning hands were almost touching her.
Nora could not move. She had to stay in front of the cradle. She had to shield Nicholas.
Nora forced herself to stare into Daniel’s glowing white eyes. “Daniel. You must understand. I am Nora. Our son needs me.”
“Run, Nora,” Daniel rasped.
Nora dashed to the cradle and swept Nicholas up. Then she rushed to the door.
She hesitated a moment and gazed at her husband. The flames retreated to the hearth.
“This is your son,” Nora told him, her voice cracking. “When he grows up he will look just like you.”
“Go!” Daniel begged. His face contorted with pain as the flames leapt around him.
“I love you, Daniel,” Nora cried.
Daniel released a mournful howl and fell to his knees.
Nora raced from the room and ran
down the hallway. The flames followed her. The fire roared around her. The walls became blinding sheets of fire.
The inmates frantically banged on their locked doors. The yells for help were ignored as thick smoke clogged the air.
Hugging Nicholas tightly, Nora rushed down the stairs. The rooms on the next floor were not locked. Patients raced in all directions.
Nora spotted one woman sitting in the middle of the floor, rocking back and forth in a daze. “Fire!” Nora yelled. “Run! The building is on fire! Save yourself!” The woman continued to rock.
Nora began running again.
Faster.
I have to run faster. I have to save Nicholas. I will not let the evil touch him. I will not let the fire burn him.
She darted down the stairs, shoving people aside. Doctors and nurses yelled orders. They did not notice Nora.
A man grabbed the hem of her shift. She heard the material rip as she jerked free and continued to run.
Her eyes stung. The hot air scorched her lungs as she breathed.
Her heart pounded. Her ears rang. Her throat grew dry.
We have to escape, she thought, as she forced her blistered feet down the final flight of stairs. We will escape. We will.
She ran out the front door. Out into the night.
Screeching sirens and clanging bells greeted her. Behind her people screamed, the fire roared, the building began to crumble.
Nora did not pause to catch her breath. She darted across the lawn. The cool grass eased the pain in her feet.
When she reached the safety of the bushes, she crouched and watched the insane asylum burn.
I am free, Nora thought. She could hardly believe it.
What should I do now? Hide. I need a better place to hide. Then I can make plans. Find a way to get out of Shadyside without being seen.
She trailed her fingers along her son’s soft cheek. “We must go where no one knows us, Nicholas,” she whispered. “We must find a town where no one has ever heard of the Fear family. We must go far, far away.”
She looked one last time at the asylum. She could see the window to her room. The bars did not seem so frightening from the outside.
The glass burst out of the window. Like long arms, flames reached out for the nearby trees.