Page 65 of The Spiral
“That’s where he kept them, after they’d…” I swallow the words, barely able to utter them as I remember the vile images Selma forced through me. “After Selma and Lenon.” His eyes narrow, the door quietly shutting under the weight of his hand. I grit my teeth, ready to defend myself against whatever taunt he might try for. Someone has to believe something. If they don’t then maybe I have to admit Lewis isn’t gone either, and I need him gone. I do. “This was real, Toby. It was. I’m not mad and you’re not telling me I am. I’ll show you if I have to.” How, I don’t know, but I’m not delusional. I saw all this, was part of it with them.
“I’d say you’re quite mad, but keep talking, Mrs. Blisedy.”
My hand flusters on the table, unsure how I prove any of it, and something flicks under my finger and bounces to the floor, metal clattering the tiles in the large porch. The sunlight glints off it as it tumbles, making me squint into the corner as I see it stop. It’s Selma’s ring. It lies there naked of anything. She should have that. Why hasn’t she got that? I reach to pick it up, but Toby’s hand gets there before mine.
“What’s this?” he asks, bringing it to his face.
“Selma’s wedding ring. The crow brought it to me.” I frown. That even sounds ridiculous to my own ears. He raises a brow at me in disbelief. I don’t blame him, but this is true. “It did, Toby. I promise. It was stuck around his leg and I helped get it off. Jack snatched it from me. He was so angry with me for having it. He said he’d never found it, and then Selma came for the first time and I started to understand. Sort of.” He keeps staring at me, seemingly interested, eyes like slits. “I wish I could make you see. The ballroom was covered in fog and the curtains billowed.” My hands flap, mimicking curtains. “It was cold when she came. God he was grouchy with me about that ring.”
He smiles slightly, I don’t know what at. I’m rambling, barely coherently, about billowing curtains and ghosts. I stare through him, trying to find something real to help in my quest.
“Hmm.” He abruptly walks away into the house again, leaving me standing there not knowing what to do as he disappears. I don’t know how to explain this, or even if I should. Maybe I should just go, remember this on my own somehow and go see if Lewis really is dead. “You want a drink?” he calls back. Oh god, yes please.
By the time I’m back to the spiral, he’s in front of me with a bottle of something brown and two glasses, one handed in my direction.
“Up you go then,” he says, tipping his drink to his mouth and pointing up the stairs.
“What?”
“Show me the cage.” I gape, unsure what he wants to see that for. I’m not even sure if I want to see it again in all honesty. How’s that going to help anything? “Let’s see what you think you know about my brother, Madeline.” He sips again and runs his tongue over his lips, the wry smile lingering making him so much more than simply Jack’s twin. “You’ve got fifteen minutes to convince me about ghosts and ghouls before I call the loony bin for your ass. Cute as it is.”
Fifteen minutes.