Ellie gazed at herself in the mirror. The dress was beautiful. It was a green silk sheath dress that fit like a glove and ended just above her ankles. It had a lace overlay that went right up her neck to right beneath her chin. Her hair was swept up in a loose ponytail at the base of her neck, and she wore a long strand of pale beads. She smiled and swished back and forth. This was just like her favorite dream.
Then she saw Linda’s face in the corner of the mirror. The edges of her dream faltered.
“You look lovely, Ellie. David will be so happy to see you again.” Linda smiled.
David. Ellie’s heart started to beat faster. She thought it was possible that she loved David Mitchell.
“Can I see him now?” she asked. Her voice was high and girlish.
“He’s waiting right outside.” Linda gestured toward the door.
Ellie finally took note of her surroundings. She was in Linda’s closet again. As she smoothed the dress down her hips with her hands, she felt something in the back of her mind nagging at her. But that was eclipsed by thoughts of David.
“You think he’ll like it?” she asked.
“Of course, darling. He’ll love it. Randall and I couldn’t be more thrilled about the two of you.” Linda put her hands on Ellie’s shoulders. “After all of this time, we can finally move forward.”
Ellie felt warm waves pulse through her body and she staggered. Linda’s hands were under her shoulders, helping her up.
“You are going to love it here, Ellie,” Linda said as she moved her across the room to the door. “It is so wonderful.”
Ellie was about to ask what she was babbling about, but then the door opened and she saw David standing in the middle of the room. He looked tired, but his face lit up when he saw her. Linda’s odd words flew right out of her mind.
“Ellie!”
“David!”
He met her in two strides as she rushed toward him. Then she was in his arms and he crushed her against him.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
Ellie nodded, but could see more unspoken questions in his eyes. She wondered why he looked so frightened.
“What’s the matter, David?” She reached up and stroked his cheek.
“Don’t you remember, Ellie? Linda and Randall have been holding us hostage. You disappeared when we were both locked up in that closet,” he said. His eyes anxiously searched hers.
The nagging feeling was in the back of her head again. “Linda was right here, David. She helped me pick out this dress for you.” She took a step back and twirled in a circle for him. She looked at him hoping for approval, but found an expression of disbelief. “You don’t like it?” she said with a pout.
“Ellie,” David said. Then he stopped and appeared to be searching for the right words. “Ellie, there is something wrong here. With this house, with these people. We are in danger, Ellie.”
Ellie shook her head violently. She didn’t know why David was saying these things. She grabbed the sides of her head. It was like there were two voices in her head and she couldn’t keep out either one.
David tried to grab her arm but she pushed him away. Something was wrong. Her vision blurred and for just a moment Emma’s dark eyes floated over David’s shoulder.
Ellie looked up at David, the terror in her face now mirroring his. “You’re right. There is something evil here, and it wants us,” she said in a horrified whisper.
“How do you know that, Ellie?” he demanded.
“I saw it. Emma showed me,” she said. She started to glance around the room. She sensed that Linda and Randall were close.
“You remember I told you about my dreams?” she continued. “I realize now that Emma was asking me to help her. To help her escape. But I failed. Whatever these gifts are that I have, they aren’t strong enough.”
She could see that David was having a hard time processing this information. She stepped closer to him. “Linda and Randall, or Lillian and Joseph, are who they really are, somehow. And they aren’t the worst things here, David,” she said as she looked around the room.
“I’ve seen something too,” David said. “They killed Jenny and her baby. I think. God, Ellie, I can’t believe I’m saying this. I think they ate them.”
Ellie looked into David’s eyes and saw the truth there. “Oh my God,” she whispered. “We’ve got to get out of here, David.”
“I don’t think so” Randall’s booming voice filled the room. “The party is just getting started.”
Ellie watched in horror as Linda and Randall entered the room, one from the wall on the left and one from the wall on their right. Her jaw dropped. She heard Emma’s screams echoing in her mind.