On Emma's Bluff by Sara Elizabeth Rice, edited by davebccanada (comprehension books txt) 📖

indeed waiting for them when they reached the levee.

"What took you guys so long?" Cindy was out of the jeep and yelling before they had even come to a stop.

Neither Bill nor Emma bothered to reply. "I hope yawl brought flash lights," Emma stated looking out at the blackness of the night. The stars that had been out so clearly earlier in the evening appeared to have vanished under a cloud of ebony night.

"Not to worry. Ole Jim here used to be a boy scout and I ain’t stupid either." Cindy produced two flashlights from the inside of her jacket. Jim and Bill had up to this time only been eyeing each other timidly.

"How's it going there?" Jim was the first to break the uncomfortable silence between the two guys.

"Fine, Jim. It's good to see you." Bill said sincerely.

"Well I am glad you are along too," Jim admitted good naturedly, "I don't think I could handle these two females by myself, at least not if they both started getting the willies on me," he added quickly.

"I brought along refreshments in case this whole thing turns out to be a dud," Cindy said, pulling a bottle of opened scotch from the jeep. "Jim and I have already had our first taste of courage. Why don't you two get a shot before we start off through those woods."

Emma started to decline, but then took in the menacing trees and brush that awaited them and grabbed the bottle from Cindy's hand.

"Slow down, Emma. I don't want to have to carry you out of here," Bill laughed.

"You'

You would love it," she said taking the upturned bottle from her lips and choking. She passed the bottle to Bill. "Phew, that stuff sure is nasty."

"A few more hits like that one and you won't notice the taste at all."

The journey into the swamp was more treacherous than Emma had remembered, and they all soon fell silent as they worked their way slowly through the heavy brush. "Oh shit!" or "What the fuck!" could be heard from the four of them as each battled down the unmarked path.

"Cindy are you sure you know where we are going?" Jim once asked, as they became surrounded by the clinging sticker briars.

"No," Bill answered for Cindy, "She is just taking us way back here to do us all in."

"Bill!" Emma reprimanded him for bringing up such a thought.

"Well at least let Emma and me hold on to that scotch for a while in case one of us gets snake bit," Bill suggested, "And don't worry, baby, I won't let anything get you." With one arm he swung her up and off the ground and closer to his side.

"I get the feeling this is where he always wanted to get her," Jim whispered to his partner.

"You ain’t just whistling Dixie," Cindy agreed. "All right you two this is a group effort so stop the mushy stuff."

"Later," Bill breathed meaningfully into Emma's ear.

The house loomed stark and ghostly pale in front of them as they broke into the clearing.

"Gosh," Cindy gasped, which caused the other three to giggle in relief. "Well you have to admit it Lewis, it looks pretty spooky by this light."

They all agreed solemnly. Jim was the first to move on to the porch. "Are you sure this place is even safe?" He tested his weight on the creaking boards.

"Sure it's safe. Emma and I have been here before and nothing gave way on us then, right Em?"

"Nope." Emma bounded up onto the porch with Jim and did a brief flurry of jumping jacks to show her faith.

"Okay, Em, we all believe you now." Bill reached her and held her arms down to her side.

"You know I was really scared on the way here," Emma said, "but now, well now I feel exhilarated by this old house."

"Give back the scotch, Bill. It sounds like my friend has already had enough." Cindy reached inside his coat pocket to retrieve her scotch and take a stiff slug for herself.

"Hey, don't leave me out." Jim reached for the bottle to take his fair share.

"So, let's have a look inside," Bill declared while sweeping Emma off the porch and into his arms like a new bride.

"Hey guys we did not come all this way just for you two to make out." Cindy scolded.

"That's right. We are here to summon the dead," Emma shrieked dramatically.

Bill pushed the front door with his foot and the group made their way into the house. Their flash lights illuminated the front hall way and the remains of the back window reflected their light right back at them like headlights.

"Eerie," Cindy remarked reverently.

"Ah cut it out, Cindy." Bill prodded her with Emma's out stretched foot. "Hey, any body home in here?" he screamed into the depth of the house.

"For gawd's sake, Bill, you don't want them to answer." Cindy had jumped at the sound of his booming voice in the echoing cavern.

"So where should we set up?" Jim asked.

"Cindy and I have already cased the down stairs. I think it would be neat to try one of the higher floors."

"Great idea," Bill said softly into Emma's ear, "Then maybe you and I can sneak off to ourselves after this is all over." He slid a hand up between her inner thighs making sure she fully understood his meaning.

"I don't know," she whispered back.

"I wish you would quit saying that."

"Saying what?" Cindy turned toward them but merely finished with a "never mind" once she saw Emma's flushed face.

"So here we go." Jim led the way up the first landing of stairs. They stood poised on the first landing. "Bill and Emma, yawl check this side of the hall for a suitable room while Cindy and I check the other."

"Scream if you need help," Cindy said to her friend clearly not referring to the super natural.

"This room is okay by me," Bill said as he lowered Emma and bent to kiss her neck.

"You haven't even looked at it," she complained and stepped back to get a better look for herself. "No, this won't do at all," she remarked taking in the uncomfortable shabbiness of the room. Despite Bill's whining she disapproved of the room next to it as well.

"What do you think?" Jim asked when the four rejoined on the landing.

"Let's try the next floor," Emma said taking off for the stairs without waiting for a reply.

To the girls the third floor proved to be equally as unexciting as the second.

"Just what are you looking for?" Bill asked in exasperation.

"Just the right atmosphere, the right ambiance, like maybe the room that Viola actually slept in, you know," Emma explained.

"What kind of ghoul have I fallen in love with?" Bill asked lightly. Emma did not miss the wording though.

"Who said anything about love, Simmons?" She smiled broadly at him.

"At the rate we are going there will be no loving in this house," Bill sighed.

"Oh, lover, well we will get our chance, I promise."

"Now that's more like it." Bill regained his enthusiasm and began to climb toward the fourth floor.

The fourth floor was the jackpot. The first room they entered, this time as a full team, contained a small single bed and an off angle chest of drawers.

"This had to have been her room," Emma exclaimed.

"Whoop-D-do," Cindy added, out of breath. "So we can stop here. Great I thought you were going to have us up on the roof yet."

"Impressive setting for a séance, " Jim admitted.

"Séance, " Bill groaned, "Can't we forget that nonsense now and relax and finish off that scotch."

Emma tried to look hurt at this statement, but only succeeded in grinning even wider than before. "Come on tough guy, just humor me."

"Aw, all right." He crashed down on the small bed.

Cindy pulled out the scotch and settled herself next to the wall in one corner. After she took a drink she passed the bottle to the others. No one was sure of what to do next. Emma collapsed on the bed next to Bill and kicked off her short boots. Only Jim remained standing and pacing around the tiny room.

"So Emma, what exactly did you have in mind?" he asked.

" First we have to sit in a circle."

"First we have to drink a bit more of this," Cindy corrected her.

"Okay, but after that, we have to sit in a circle and hold hands."

"I came all the way up here just to hold hands," Bill protested. But they all followed Emma's wishes and formed a small circle next to the bed. Cindy made sure they all got a good dose of scotch before Emma ordered them to hold hands. Bill, with his back to the bed and Jim with his back to the door separated the two girls.

"Do we have to hum," Bill teased.

"Shhhh," Emma warned him.

"She's concentrating," Cindy explained to the guys. They hushed and waited for Emma to instruct them. She did not say anything for a long time and the sound of the tree frogs swarmed up to the room. They were all tempted to crack jokes or just laugh to relieve the tension, but none dared, hoping the sooner Emma was satisfied with this séance the sooner they could get back to some real fun. Bill began playing with Emma's fingers hoping to get her interested in something more than the dead when a creak from below startled them all.

"What was that?" Cindy said trying to sound funny. The two boys attempted to look frightened. Emma ignored the three and let her head roll back. The sound came again. This time it was more like a heavy footstep on one of the old floorboards below them.

"Emma, lets cut this out! We've probably done nothing more than conjure up a coon, but I don't like it," Cindy said sounding a bit irritated. Before anyone could say anything else yet another crashing sound echoed in the downstairs hall.

"I don't like this," Cindy repeated.

"Shhhh, drink some more scotch," Jim told her.

Emma pulled slightly away from the group, but careful to not break the ring of hands, and half reclined on the floor.

"Honey, get up," Bill prodded her.

Another creak followed his statement but this time it came from the stairs higher up. It sounded as if someone or something were climbing the steps slowly toward them. The floorboard moans became steady and rhythmical. Now no one spoke for fear of missing the direction of the sounds. Bill leaned toward Emma and rubbed her shoulder with his chin. She merely slipped further from him. Her eyes were completely closed and except for her tense expression it would have been easy to think she was asleep.

When the sound proceeded from the second to the third floor Jim jerked his hand free from Cindy and turned toward the door.

"It's got to be some animal," he said softly.

Cindy and Bill shook their heads in agreement but still refused to break the stillness. On the third floor they heard a door open.

"Oh Jesus!" Cindy could no longer keep the fear from her voice. Emma still did not respond.

The door closed gently as the footsteps could be heard entering the room directly below them.

"Jim, I can't stand this. You have got to go see what it is," Cindy demanded.

"What?" Jim looked at her as if she had just suggested a friendly game of Russian roulette. "She's your nutty friend."

"Hey, yawl calm down. It's nothing." Bill stopped them. "Emma, baby, I think you have had a bit too much to drink, you are passing out." He now actively tried to revive her and she stirred to his nudges.

"What?" she said sleepily.

"Something is stirring around down stairs. Jim and I are going to check it out." Jim looked unhappy with this prospect and Cindy balked.

"Both of you can't leave us here." She grabbed for Jim's arm.

"Aw, Cindy." Bill glared at her. He was frightened too, but he could not believe it was anything more than a case of nerves for them all. "Okay, I'll go by myself." He