Джерри Хилл - The Zeiko Place

Dr. Gilbreath stood behind them, waiting. Beth subdued a yawn, as she, too, waited for Ronnie. Only Andi stood removed. She did not need to see the scene again. It was still too fresh in her mind.

“Okay, there,” Jamie said, pointing. “When Andi first opens the door, you can just about make out the woman,” she points again. “Right there, see?”

“It’s just a shadow,” Ronnie said.

“Yes, but it’s obviously something foreign in the bathroom.”

They watched as Jamie walked into the bathroom, then saw the door slam shut. They all gasped as the aberration appeared outside the door. The force that was holding the door closed.

“Good God, people, do you see that?” Dr. Gilbreath whispered.

Andi trembled, and turned away. Yes, she saw that. Then Jamie was there, gently taking her hand and squeezing. Andi closed her eyes for a moment, trying to chase away the memory of the woman with the severed head — and replace it with one much more enjoyable. A naked Jamie Tucker.

“I’m exhausted,” Jamie said. She motioned with her head to the door. “Let’s try to get some sleep. It’s going to be a long night.”

Andi raised her eyebrows.

“Halloween. Full moon tonight.”

Andi sighed. Yes, Halloween. And a full moon. Dr. Gilbreath expected this to be the most active night. Could it possibly get anymore active?

“I’m not certain I can sleep,” she finally said. “Daylight or not.”

“Come on. We need to try.”

“She’s right. I think we all need to try and get some rest,” Dr. Gilbreath said. “I suspect we will be very busy tonight.” She turned back to Ronnie. “I assume you’ve already burned copies of this latest video?”

“Doing it now.”

“Good. You never know when your hard drive could fail. We’ll get out of your hair. You’ve had less sleep than the rest of us, Ronnie. Don’t stay up all day monitoring the cameras. We need you fresh for tonight.” She clapped her hands twice. “Okay, ladies. Out, out, out. It’s already nearly ten. I think we need to be ready to go by five. Not a lot of time to rest.”

“What about lunch? Or dinner?” Jamie asked. “I can’t remember the last time I ate.”

“Oh, yes, Dr. Tucker and her bottomless stomach. We’ll order something from town. Beth can run in and get it this afternoon You don’t mind, do you dear?”

“Of course not, Dr. Gilbreath.”

“Okay. See you no later than five.”

Andi sat on the edge of her bed, waiting. When Jamie simply closed the door, Andi cleared her throat.

“Can you lock it?” she asked quietly.

Jamie smiled, but nodded. “Sure.”

“I know it’s silly,” Andi said.

“It’s not silly. Everything that’s happened, it’s still unbelievable to you.” She shrugged. “I’ve been with these guys before and this is still unbelievable to me.”

“I don’t know how I’m going to write a story about this. I don’t know where to begin.”

“Yeah. It’s a lot for a newspaper article. That’s why I’m devoting a book to it.”

“So, as far as haunted places go, the Zeiko House is not all that famous, right?”

“No. And mainly because it’s been a private residence. A lot of the so-called haunted places are hotels, or bed and breakfasts, or other public places where you have lots of sightings. Here, it’s just more rumor than anything else.”

“Rumors and ghost stories passed down through the years.”

“Yes.”

“Hard to believe they ended up being true.”

Jamie nodded, then pulled the covers back on her bed. “We need to get some sleep, Andi.”

“Yeah, I know.” Andi did the same after shedding her shorts. She took a deep breath, glancing once at the opened window. “I’m almost afraid to close my eyes.”

“We’ll be fine.”

But thirty minutes later, Andi was still shuffling on the twin bed, her eyes going again and again to the window.

“Andi?”

“Hmm?”

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing.” She heard Jamie sigh, then a rustling of covers.

“You know, you can always. . sleep with me.”

“What?”

“If you’re scared, why don’t you just come over here with me.”

“Oh. . I. . I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Well, because.”

“Neither of us is going to get any sleep with you tossing about like you’ve been.” Jamie sat up. “Andi, come on.”

Against her better judgment, Andi tossed off her covers and walked the few feet to Jaime’s bed. Their eyes met, then Jamie gave her a crooked smile.

“Don’t hog the covers.”

“Funny.”

But Andi slid under the covers, moving closer to Jamie and her warmth, then dutifully turning her back to Jamie, but enjoying her closeness. She gasped when she felt Jamie move next to her, wrapping one arm around her.

“See? You’re perfectly safe,” Jamie said quietly. “Get some sleep.”

But sleep was the furthest thing from Andi’s mind. Who would have thought? A week ago, she was dreading this assignment, hating the thought of spending any time with the insufferable Jamie Tucker. But here she was, in her bed no less, at the very house that started it all.

She remembered the night so well, her trying to hide the enormous crush she had without appearing to be a total idiot in Jamie’s presence. And even though they’d already crammed eight girls into Connie’s parent’s sedan, Andi was only too happy to comply with Jamie’s request. “Here, you can sit on my lap.”

Yes, she remembered the hands that had guided her hips, the hands that stayed right where they were, as if resting on Andi’s hips were the most natural thing in the world. And she remembered those hands moving to innocently brush the skin at her waist, sneaking under the edge of her shirt. How she managed to survive the ride, she had no idea. But by the end of the night when they all separated, Jamie’s eyes held her, and Andi realized in that moment that her secret was out. Jamie knew.

And two nights later, Jamie showed up at her house, unusually nervous as she asked Andi over to play video games. Andi’s parents had waved her on, telling her not to be too late coming home. But Jamie’s parents were nowhere to be found. “They went to a dinner party.”

Andi squeezed her eyes shut, memories colliding as she remembered that fateful night. A movie replaced the video games, and Jamie turned the lights down. Andi remembered how nervous she’d been, sitting there on the sofa with Jamie. They never talked about what was happening, about what was going to happen. As young and inexperienced as Andi was, there was no mistaking the look in Jamie’s eyes. And when Jamie moved closer, Andi didn’t shy away. Their first kiss — Andi’s very first kiss — was tentative, hesitant. “Is this okay?” Jamie had asked. Andi could only nod.

It was a complete blur as to how they moved from the sofa to Jamie’s bedroom. But she remembered with delicious clarity the sight of Jamie pulling the shirt over her head, revealing Jamie’s small breasts to her. Then those hands had come to Andi, and before she knew it, they were both naked, both lying on Jamie’s bed.

Andi squeezed her eyes shut, hoping Jamie couldn’t hear — feel — her thundering heartbeat.

It was a night Andi remembered with fondness. . and with bitterness. It was the most magical of nights. . Jamie touching her, her touching Jamie. Her first orgasm. . well, her first orgasm that wasn’t self-induced. And her first exploration of another woman’s body. She remembered how it felt the first time her fingers moved into Jamie’s wetness, the first time she slipped inside her, the first time she heard another woman scream.

She didn’t want to remember the bitterness that followed, only a few days later. She only wanted to remember the pleasure.