Page 54 of Hell House
One reaches for me, scratching me on my forearm. I let out a scream and try to double back but my feet are rooted to the spot. What I thought was broken rock turns out to be a wall of skulls embedded into the rock. Some missing jaw bones. Some cracked down the middle. Up and up and up they sit, glaring at me with their missing eye sockets.
“Help us, Salem.” A few of the voices scream. Their demonic faces writhe against the opening.
“Salem, they need you. Put your hand on the opening.”
“No! I can’t. I won’t!”
“DO IT, SALEM!”
The bodies are getting more restless, reaching for me, pulling at my hair, their nails dig into my face as I scream out in pain.
I run my hands over my face and down my arms. Safe. I’m safe. It was just a dream. I’m desperate for a drink of water or something to help calm me down. I gently lift Walker’s arm off of me and tip toe out of his room, careful not to wake him. When I make it up the stairs, I realize I have no pants on. Fuck. Maybe I should go upstairs first.
“Salem?” I jump and spin around finding Pierce staring at me. Last night he was acting like a drunk jealous boyfriend. I wondered if he even remembered. “So, youwerewith Walker last night?” his scruffed up jaw ticks.
I could correct him. Hell, I could defend myself, but this arrogant mother fucker thinks he has some claim on me, just because we kissed a few times? I am not in the mood for alpha male bullshit. I decide to grab a water out of the fridge just when I see the man I met in the library a while back emerge from the living room, looking freshly put together and extra delicious.
“Emmet?” I squeak out as he peruses my bare legs. I feel my face flame with embarrassment as he stalks closer.
“Salem, Salem, Salem. What happened to the rest of your clothes?” His buttery southern voice growls out and it takes everything in me to remain cool and collected like I didn’t just have a mini orgasm from the way he said my name.
“I had a rough night.”
Pierce scoffs audibly to which I roll my eyes at him.
“I was wondering if you’d like to take a hike with me today? Maybe down to the beach? They have kayaks available to rent.” Emmet asks.
“Oh dude, that sounds like an awesome time.” The elusive Sloan says as he wanders into the quickly overcrowded kitchen. “We should definitely go before the weather turns.” He yawns out.
Pierces’s eyes bore into me, waiting for my answer.
“Hey, wildcat.” Walker says, wrapping his arms around me from the back and giving me a hug. Kill me now. Emmet tracks the familiarity of Walker’s movements with a frown puckering his beautiful face.
“We’re going kayaking?” Graham says maneuvering his way to the stove. “Why so many people in my kitchen, huh?”
“Hey, Graham, do you need any help with that? Oh, hey Salem!” Skye says walking up to me. “Where are your pants?”
“I had a nightmare last night and slept walked into the basement. I was just heading up to get some pants on when all this chaos decided to stop me.” I say. Pierce overhears me and flashes me a look of surprise before he excuses himself from the room.
“Well, run upstairs. I’ll save you some eggs and then we can talk about last night.”
“So… kayaking?” Emmet asks, looking like he’s lost his footing.
“Sounds great!”
“Kayaking!” The guys around us cheer. I look to Skye, and we share a laugh. I hightail it up to my room and change.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Skye
On all my adventures with my dad, we never once tried kayaking. Salem is just as lost as I am, while several of the guys grab all the gear. I’d helped Graham pack snacks into something the guys were calling a ‘snacklebox’ which looked suspiciously a lot like a fishing tackle box stuffed with charcuterie like snacks.
Sloan drops his gear and begins stretching out in several yoga poses.
“What are you doing?” Emmet asks, clearly agitated that his idea to go kayaking was hijacked. He fits himself with a lifejacket, accentuating the broadness of his shoulders.
“You ready for this?” Salem asks holding onto her paddle that ends above her head. She’s wearing some borrowed sweats and her hair is tied up in a high pony.
