The House By The River: A Paranormal Horror Novel

Chapter 8

Matt was first to go. Before a question was asked he was already on his feet. He flew from the table to the stairs and up. Emmy was close, racing behind her husband to see what their eldest daughter was screaming about. Jean was glued to her seat for a time eyes following her parents. Emmy was halfway up the stairs when she realized her error and raced back down to get Jean.

Something passively caught Matt’s eyes as he whizzed by Jean’s room. Matt was already about to open Gina’s door when he paused. While he questioned what it might be, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up involuntarily. Emmy was just cresting the stairs when he reached Jean’s door frame. As soon as he stepped in, the hairs on his hands and nape stood up, stronger this time.

He was immediately afraid. In the back of his mind, he asked himself why. He walked in slow, measured steps, meticulously scanning the entire room for anything that might justify his actions. Nothing. There was nothing. The windows were closed and locked, the entire room was clean. There was nothing amiss.

He felt stupid at being afraid and not knowing why he was afraid. The hairs on his skin that stood on its ends gave rise to goosebumps. He rubbed his forearms as he exited his daughter’s room. Emmy met him and gave him a questioning look.

“What is it?” Emmy asked.

Matt just shrugged his shoulders and hurriedly went to Gina’s room, Emmy and Jean behind him. Gina shrieked again.

“Gina?” he called loudly as he opened the door.

No answer. The room was silent. His eyes immediately found the bed. In it was Gina, huddled under the covers, back to the wall, shaking. He hastily went towards Gina’s bed, his hand reaching out to touch her face.

“Gi-” he quickly withdrew his hand in surprise.

No sooner had his hand touched his daughter’s face when Gina bolted to a sitting position, scooted to the far side and pushed her back against the wall, a look of deep fear engraved in her eyes. She stared at the far side of the room, to the opposite end. Then, to her father, then to another side of the room as if she was wary of something. Something that spooked her.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” asked Matt, trying to get his daughter’s attention, “It’s me baby, what’s wrong?”

“Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.” Gina kept repeating, her eyes still darting from one place to another.

“Baby, it’s me,” Matt repeated, reaching out to hold her daughter.

“MOMMY!” Gina screamed, squeezing her eyes shut, as her father’s hand touched her skin, making Matt pull back once more.

“I’m here honey, I’m here. Mommy’s here,” said Emmy in a reassuring tone, dropping Jean on the floor before approaching Gina.

“MOMMY!” Gina screamed repeatedly.

“I’m here baby,” said Emmy, grabbing her daughter by the shoulders and pulling Gina into her arms.

Gina fought, trying to break away from her mother’s embrace, still calling out to for Emmy. Emmy kept reassuring her daughter, again and again until Gina’s calling toned down and eventually stopped.

As soon as she stopped, Gina raised her head and gazed at her mother’s eyes which were already looking back at her, concern written all over Emmy’s face.

“Mommy?” Gina asked, her eyes squinting, as if she did not believe what she was seeing, as if she vaguely recognized the person holding her.

“Yes hon, it’s me. Mommy’s here,” Emmy replied, touching both sides of Gina’s face. Her voice communicating the same concern she had, written on her face.

Gina took another look at the surroundings, then looked at Matt. She turned her gaze back to Emmy and passed out.

~0~

As the couple scrambled to put Gina in a more comfortable position, Matt was first to notice that the bed was wet. It was not damp, it was wet. All of the areas where Gina was lying were soaked through. Even the pillow was wet. It was as if she had perspired the entire night.

Emmy also discovered that her daughter was running a high fever. It wasn’t just hot, it was raging. Fearing the signs of convulsion, Emmy ran down to get a basin and dumped all the ice the icemaker on their fridge had on it. She filled it a third of the way with water, grabbed some hand towels from the cupboard, and ran back up.

It had been a long time since Emmy Millar prayed earnestly. As she ascended the stairs, she began praying in her head.

Gina was in a delirious state, murmuring unintelligible words. Her eyes opened and closed in erratic intervals. Whenever they were wide open, only the whites of her eyes were visible.

Gina shook almost uncontrollably. Every time she exhaled, her body shook even stronger. Husband and wife speedily tried to give their daughter a sponge bath with the freezing water: Matt on the face and hands, Emmy on the body and feet. As Gina convulsed, they took turns in trying to pin her arms and legs down on the bed.

If Gina knew what was going on around her, she gave no indication.

Jean stood rooted where Emmy set her down, nodding to herself.

~0~

It took close to an hour before Gina’s fever broke. Emmy had the side of Gina’s bed lined with their first aid kit, antipyretic medications, and heaps of towels. They managed to change her mattress with the extra they had, without stirring her from her slumber.

“I think we should get her to a hospital, just in case.” Matt voiced.

“I think we’re in the clear now,” said Emmy, “but I’ll stay here and keep an eye out regardless.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I’ll call you if something changes. Besides, I think she needs a change of clothes.”

“You want me to bring your plate up here or something? Finish your breakfast at least?”

“I’m good for now. You guys should go, finish your meals.”

With Emmy tending to the sick daughter, Matt was left to take care of other matters in the house and to keep an eye on Jean. Matt worried that the younger child would get affected with the events that happened in the morning, he surely was. Thankfully, after assurances and diversions, Jean seemed to have shrugged it off pretty well, although she did have some questions. The little girl was even able to finish her meal.

Though he was usually on the road, Matt has had some experiences with his children having high grade fevers, especially with Gina. Matt knew it wasn’t uncommon for fevers to just manifest in a few hours after seemingly being okay. What baffled him was the screaming and the demeanor. It was almost like Gina was afraid of something in the room that she flinched from the slightest touch. She seemed to not even believe they were already in the room with her. Was hallucinating also an effect?

If I could only look things up right now, he sighed.

After spending some time watching a DVD with Jean, Matt prepared lunch. He had to  make do with what little cooking ability he had to come up with an acceptable meal – fried pork cuts, canned soup, sauteed mixed veggies, and egg omelette containing bits of the remaining veggie bacon from breakfast.

While Gina was unable to eat, Jean ate with gusto while she and his dad watched some cartoons. Partly, it was because her attention was divided. Also, it was because Emmy never allowed eating while watching TV. Meals were always at the table. Snacks while watching TV was okay, full meals were not. That was the rule.

Matt brought Emmy’s portions upstairs when she did not come down. Later, he sat with Jean again for more silly cartoons. At a few minutes to three in the afternoon, with nothing else to do, and anticipating some more cooking for dinner, Matt went to the kitchen to see about which ingredients will be needed while keeping Jean within view. Jean didn’t mind, she was engrossed with television.

Looking up once in a while to see how Jean was doing, Matt was able to finish fixing the meat which he planned to make a stew out of a few hours later. As he started preparing spices and vegetables for another dish, he gazed towards the living room to see what Jean was up to. The little girl had been silent for at least five minutes. Seeing his daughter was still absorbed with the program, Matt continued to dice the shallots into fine squares. Then, Matt froze.

It took him a split second to comprehend what made him stop but once he did, his eyes widened to their limits. Matt gazed in his daughter’s direction. She was still intently viewing the program, the comical sounds from the TV was still droning on. It was the pictures that made him look again.

It was porn. Taboo, disgusting, and hardcore porn. Impossible! It could not be the DVD player, he was sure they had no physical disks with such content. They had no cable, they didn’t have antennas hooked up, and they only got broadcast channels.

What in the hell…?