Read Witch Hollow and the Fountain Riddle (Book 2) Page 8

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  It was getting late and Eric had to return home. On his way, all he thought about were the diaries. He couldn’t believe that Jack and Hector had been sneaking into sheriff’s house and stealing the diaries from his study. For almost an hour everyone sat still, without saying a word, while Jack and Hector told them about the mirror in the sheriff’s house, which was the twin of the one in the room of the Lady of Shallot. They had found it out a long time ago, driven by the curiosity to learn what places they could visit through that mirror. For the past months, the fellows had been using the magical mirror to sneak into sheriff’s house and steal the diaries. De Roy and his late father had confiscated anything that mentioned the witch hunt and had been keeping those papers in their house. Jack and Hector related how they got into the sheriff’s study, how they opened the locked shelves with a picklock, then began describing De Roy's rooms in all detail. The girls felt as apprehensive as if they were in the sheriff's house that very moment and would be caught at any time. Jack and Hector tried to ease their fears with comical stories about sitting in De Roy's armchair or lying down on his couch and then hiding behind the doors when one of the servants would hear noise and come to check the place.

  “There’s this young lady, I think her name is Anabeth, she’s a cook in De Roy’s house. Once she almost stumbled on us in the dark,” Jack said, laughing.

  “Another time sheriff’s groom appeared in the corridor,” Hector said. “What do you think he was doing at night in the house?” he asked Jack.

  “I think he was stealing something.” Jack sniggered. “De Roy’s servants are as good as him. But seeing those two in the dark wasn’t as scary as meeting the Cerberus.”

  “Cerberus?” the girls asked.

  “Sheriff’s governess, old Dora. Now that’s a scary hag!”

  “A creepy gramma,” Hector continued. “Especially in the dark. Her footsteps make no sound, ears hear everything, and she carries a huge chandelier in her bony hand, which even I would have trouble lifting up.”

  The fellows continued the stories about the sheriff’s house and his household servants, laughing and jesting in-between, but their stories were amusing only for Eric, who couldn’t stop chuckling, while the terrified girls told them to never do that again.

  Musing about his friends’ adventures, Eric reached home. Albert and Riona were in the living room, and though they were trying to talk quietly, Eric could tell that they were arguing again.

  He went to his room and got into bed. The disturbing thoughts returned and took over his mind, torturing him for long hours, until he finally sunk into sleep. In the middle of the night, he woke up from a sound near the open window. Something quietly crept inside. Half asleep, Eric tried to move, but felt too much drowsiness to fully wake. He barely managed to raise his heavy eyelids to see a blurred image above his face. She smiled sweetly, her face so dear and eyes so soft. Eric smiled back and closed his eyes. His lips whispered her name, and his head began spinning. He felt the heaviness again; something was pressing his chest and making breathing hard, and the giddiness was unbearable. Eric couldn’t open his eyes, but he could feel the vision’s hair tickling his neck and chest. Then his hands and feet became weaker, until the lethargic feeling took over him, and Eric fell asleep.