Jess heard Emma saying as she walked into the kitchen. "Oh, hi, Jess. I finished early, and I was just saying to Rob that he should come with us to Altenbury Hall."
Jess's eyes widened as she stared at Emma, but she just stared right back at Jess, smile firmly in place. "Are you serious, Emma? It's not a bloody family picnic we're going on." Emma just smiled more at that, and Jess was seriously beginning to wonder if her friend was high, or drunk, or something.
"Hey!" Matt shouted from the hallway. "I got Miriam to cover at the museum, seeing as it was quiet, and you finished early." Matt stopped and kissed Emma before nodding at Rob.
Emma leaned into Matt and said, "I told Rob he should come with us."
Matt looked down at her, then over to Jess, who glanced at the three of them staring at her and felt like she had entered a parallel universe.
Before she could say anything, Rob spoke. "Look, I'm not stupid. I know something's going on. The whole village knows you were attacked, Matt, and I suspect you might have been too, Emma," he said, studying her.
He turned to face Jess. "I've known you and Matt for years, but if you don't trust me, with whatever this is ..." He waved his hands in the air, taking a deep breath before he carried on. "If you don't trust me, just tell me, and I'm out of here."
Jess knew what he meant, and she did trust him, in so far as he was Matt's friend. Actually, it was herself she didn't really trust, not when it came to Rob.
She held out her hand towards the chair. "Sit down." She took a seat herself, and Emma sat opposite her, still smiling. Jess looked at Matt, who was now sitting huddled up to Emma, because this wasn't just her story to tell.
It began when Emma moved back to Altenchester, when she had started having visions about James and Matt. And then, when Emma and Matt got together, Matt had been attacked, several times. But whatever had attacked him had killed James. And now, Jess was having visions. Ones that involved Rob.
Jess took a deep breath and held it. Slowly, she released it, turning to Rob.
"It wasn't just a dream." And, once again, Jess found herself explaining her vision.
***
Rob followed Matt and Emma down Altenbury Lane. Jess walked beside him, a healthy gap between them. He slid his gaze in her direction, but she was looking straight ahead, seeming determined if not a little nervous. He wanted to touch her, reassure her, but he thought that was probably the last thing she wanted. Ever. He'd meant what he had said, though; he would protect Jess, look out for Matt—hell, even Emma. They were his family, had been for years, and Emma too now. His mum had died two years before, and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen his dad. Didn't want to ever again.
"Wow, the oak tree looks like it's doubled in size," Emma remarked, drawing his attention back to them.
"It's just because it's starting to grow its leaves again," Jess said. And then stopped abruptly before she walked into the back of Emma. "What have you stopped for?"
But Emma just stared at the tree, then slowly lifted her arm and pointed to it. "Has that always been there?"
Jess turned to look at what Emma was pointing at. "What, the tree?" she asked.
Emma shook her head. "No, that face. The carving."
Jess let out a little laugh, her shoulders lifting with the sound. Dimples formed beneath her cheeks, next to her mouth. Rob tried to remember the last time he'd seen or heard Jess laugh and realised she didn't do it anywhere near as much as she should.
***
"That thing? It's been carved into the tree for as long as I can remember. Something to do with a local legend, I think. James could tell you, would have ..." Jess didn't know what to say. James had always found stories like that fascinating. Loved scaring her with them, even Matt sometimes. Jess glanced in his direction, and he gave her a sad smile. She wondered if he remembered those times too.
Emma was still staring at it,
Jess's eyes widened as she stared at Emma, but she just stared right back at Jess, smile firmly in place. "Are you serious, Emma? It's not a bloody family picnic we're going on." Emma just smiled more at that, and Jess was seriously beginning to wonder if her friend was high, or drunk, or something.
"Hey!" Matt shouted from the hallway. "I got Miriam to cover at the museum, seeing as it was quiet, and you finished early." Matt stopped and kissed Emma before nodding at Rob.
Emma leaned into Matt and said, "I told Rob he should come with us."
Matt looked down at her, then over to Jess, who glanced at the three of them staring at her and felt like she had entered a parallel universe.
Before she could say anything, Rob spoke. "Look, I'm not stupid. I know something's going on. The whole village knows you were attacked, Matt, and I suspect you might have been too, Emma," he said, studying her.
He turned to face Jess. "I've known you and Matt for years, but if you don't trust me, with whatever this is ..." He waved his hands in the air, taking a deep breath before he carried on. "If you don't trust me, just tell me, and I'm out of here."
Jess knew what he meant, and she did trust him, in so far as he was Matt's friend. Actually, it was herself she didn't really trust, not when it came to Rob.
She held out her hand towards the chair. "Sit down." She took a seat herself, and Emma sat opposite her, still smiling. Jess looked at Matt, who was now sitting huddled up to Emma, because this wasn't just her story to tell.
It began when Emma moved back to Altenchester, when she had started having visions about James and Matt. And then, when Emma and Matt got together, Matt had been attacked, several times. But whatever had attacked him had killed James. And now, Jess was having visions. Ones that involved Rob.
Jess took a deep breath and held it. Slowly, she released it, turning to Rob.
"It wasn't just a dream." And, once again, Jess found herself explaining her vision.
***
Rob followed Matt and Emma down Altenbury Lane. Jess walked beside him, a healthy gap between them. He slid his gaze in her direction, but she was looking straight ahead, seeming determined if not a little nervous. He wanted to touch her, reassure her, but he thought that was probably the last thing she wanted. Ever. He'd meant what he had said, though; he would protect Jess, look out for Matt—hell, even Emma. They were his family, had been for years, and Emma too now. His mum had died two years before, and he couldn't remember the last time he had seen his dad. Didn't want to ever again.
"Wow, the oak tree looks like it's doubled in size," Emma remarked, drawing his attention back to them.
"It's just because it's starting to grow its leaves again," Jess said. And then stopped abruptly before she walked into the back of Emma. "What have you stopped for?"
But Emma just stared at the tree, then slowly lifted her arm and pointed to it. "Has that always been there?"
Jess turned to look at what Emma was pointing at. "What, the tree?" she asked.
Emma shook her head. "No, that face. The carving."
Jess let out a little laugh, her shoulders lifting with the sound. Dimples formed beneath her cheeks, next to her mouth. Rob tried to remember the last time he'd seen or heard Jess laugh and realised she didn't do it anywhere near as much as she should.
***
"That thing? It's been carved into the tree for as long as I can remember. Something to do with a local legend, I think. James could tell you, would have ..." Jess didn't know what to say. James had always found stories like that fascinating. Loved scaring her with them, even Matt sometimes. Jess glanced in his direction, and he gave her a sad smile. She wondered if he remembered those times too.
Emma was still staring at it,
Similar Books
Thirty
Lawrence Block
Mr. Badger and the Difficult Duchess
Leigh Hobbs
The Prophet's Ladder
Jonathan Williams
Origin in Death
J. D. Robb
It Lives Again
James Dixon
Lyrec
Gregory Frost
The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885
Pierre Berton
Stardawn
Phoebe North
Markram Battles: Omens of Doom (Part II)
M.C. Muhlenkamp
Torn
Kelly Fisher