Kiss Me, Curse Me - By Kate Shay Page 0,58

his hand on Dyani’s shoulder. “She’s gone.”

“That’s my mamma. She can’t be gone.” She dropped her head onto her mother’s chest and wept. Her pain filled the room, and then men somberly watched the grieving daughter.

It was a day Dyani knew would come and always dreaded: the day her mother would die. But she never thought it would be under such atrocious circumstances. “No, my mamma, my mamma. You can’t go like this. This is too cruel. You don’t deserve this. No one does.” She looked up at the rest of them, her voice dead just like her dead mother. “He’ll have us all.” She wept.

The door to the basement began to shake more as if the force behind it reacted to Dyani’s ominous words. Ed called out for help, and Doby and Patty took their previous spots.

“Hank, get over here,” yelled Patty.

Hank just stood, unmoving, staring at the two women on the floor, dumbstruck by the sudden death.

“He’s useless,” complained Ed.

“Hank, get up, now,” said Doby. “Get it together son. Come on now.” The sheriff used an easier tone than Patty had, which seemed to break through to the boy. Reluctantly looking up at the men, Hank relaxed his grimace and moved forward, prepared to take action.

“Take my place,” said Doby.

Doing as he was told, Hank leaned up against the door, feeling the boom behind it.

“On the count of three, I want the three of you to back away from the door.” Doby got his shotgun ready.

“What are you doing?” said Patty. “You think this is a good idea?”

“What choice do we have? Let’s open that door and see what we’re dealing with here,” Doby took his stance.

“You’re going to get us all killed,” said Ed.

“If whatever it is out there can shake this house and make it look like we’re all at the end here, send this poor woman into a heart attack without laying a single finger on her, then obviously it can get in here no problem. It’s toying with us, don’t you all see that?”

The sheriff’s words struck a chord in Dyani. She sat up and focused on all of them while wiping the hot tears from her red face. “He’s right.”

“What you mean?” said Ed.

“This thing that we are dealing with—I only know the stories. There’s nothing we can do. It’s not finished here. We should just open the door.” Her words were cold and empty. She stared at them.

“I’m not giving up,” said Ed, “and I’m sure as hell not getting off this damn door.”

“Me too,” said Hank.

Patty just eyed the sheriff, as he wasn’t sure.

“Let’s take it out. It’s not expecting this. It thinks we’ll just stay in here. Just open up that door and let me at it.” Doby stood strong and determined.

“Okay. I agree,” said Patty, taking his deputy spot next to Doby.

The two remaining on the door continued to strain under the pressure of the attack.

“I can’t keep this up much longer, Hank; put your back into it.” Ed was strong, but the strength required to win this battle was more than sheer muscle could provide. “Just back away, guys, back away. In fact, Hank . . . just come stand back here beside us.”

“No, Hank. I need you. Stay here,” said Ed.

Hank looked back and forth, finally walking away from the door to join the men of law. Ed cried out in pain under the strain, placed both hands against the door, and shoved back full force.

***

More glass shattered above them. Betty, Doc and the other girls on the main floor looked up at the planked ceiling as they heard screams, chaos, and heavy steps above them.

“What’s that smell?” asked one of the girls.

“Smoke,” said Doc. “They’re setting this place on fire.”

Screaming with outrage, Betty made for the stairs, only to find herself fighting the crowd that was on its way down.

“Get back up there. We don’t run from fire. This is hell. You all stop and get back up there. We can put this thing out.” The group stopped and watched the woman who had always provided them with everything they needed. “What you doing standing there? Move. You want a place to sleep at night, don’t you? If you go out there, they’ll just shoot you dead anyway. The death order has been set girls! And anyway, we just had our plumbing done. Where else are you going to get hot running water? This is practically Buckingham Palace.”

Scampering back up the stairs, the group began to