The Awakening Evil Read Free Page A

Why?”
    I came to visit Mrs. Teasedale because she knows so much, Sarah thought. But now that I am here, I feel almost frightened to hear what she will say.
    â€œLiving alone in that big castle of a house.”
    â€œI’m not alone,” Sarah replied, forcing a smile. “I have Thomas.”
    â€œYes,” Mrs. Teasedale said quietly. “That is better than being alone … I suppose.”
    What was she hinting at? Sarah wondered helplessly. How could she find out what Mrs. Teasedale knew?
    â€œYou must be a brave and bold young woman,” Mrs. Teasedale said, clucking her tongue.
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Sarah asked.
    â€œTo marry a man you had never even met.”
    â€œI suppose so,” Sarah agreed.
    Her gaze drifted briefly to the window behind Mrs. Teasedale. In the distance she glimpsed the turrets of her own home. She shivered.
    Sarah took a swallow of hot tea. “Actually, Mrs. Teasedale, besides paying a social call, there is something I wanted to ask you.”
    â€œOh?” Mrs. Teasedale studied Sarah with shrewd eyes.
    Sarah forced herself to go on. “On our last visit, you began to tell me something of, uh … my husband’s family. I wondered if you would mind telling me more about the Fears.”
    Mrs. Teasedale took a sip of tea. “Mrs. Fear,” she finally said, “have you ever asked yourself why Thomas Fear, a rich and handsome young man, would arrange a marriage with a woman from another town? A woman he had never met? Surely you can see that there is only one possible explanation for such a strange event.”
    â€œAnd what explanation is that?” Sarah asked. Her voice had become almost a whisper. For Mrs. Teasedale was asking a question she had asked herself many times.
    Mrs. Teasedale smiled sadly. “No woman from these parts would have him. And do you know why?”
    Sarah set down her teacup. Her hand shook. Hot tea sloshed onto her skin. But Sarah hardly felt it.
    â€œWhy?” Sarah whispered. Now she would learn the truth. Now she would learn the secrets Thomas had been keeping from her.
    â€œThe Fear family is cursed,” Mrs. Teasedale answered.
    Sarah opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
    â€œSome people say that hundreds of years ago a Fear had a young girl burned at the stake. The Fearsmanaged to convince the whole town that she practiced the dark arts. But she was innocent. The girl’s family put a curse on the Fears, a curse that is still strong and powerful.”
    Mrs. Teasedale’s eyes were bright with excitement.
    She’s enjoying herself, Sarah realized. She’s enjoying telling me these horrible things. What an awful woman.
    â€œOthers claim that the Fears practice the dark arts themselves. That they have brought suffering, madness … and death into the lives of too many people to count.”
    Sarah squeezed her eyes shut. Then she forced herself to open them and look at Mrs. Teasedale. “Go on,” she said.
    â€œI do not know if the stories about the dark arts are true. Or if there was a girl who was burned. But I firmly believe the entire family is cursed. And that evil follows them.”
    Mrs. Teasedale reached across the table and took Sarah’s hands. Sarah could feel the old woman’s fingers shaking.
    â€œAnd I also firmly believe if you do not leave that house, you will die there before much time has passed.”

Chapter
3

    S he’s a vicious, gossiping old woman, Sarah thought. It was cruel of her to tell those stories to a young bride. Cruel.
    I’m not going to die. That’s impossible.
    Then she remembered Michael. He almost died. Thomas almost killed him.
    Sarah’s heart began to pound. It thundered in her ears, drowning out all other sound.
    Sarah stood. “I must go.”
    â€œI’ve upset you. I’m sorry,” Mrs. Teasedale said.
    â€œNo, no. I just … I just have another engagement.”