Free A Family Affair: A Novel of Horror by V. J. Banis Page A

called aloud, but above she heard a rustling that faded into the distance as the woman went on.
    The long dark hair; she had a sudden vision of the mysterious visitor in her room last night. She had not seen the visitor’s face, but she had seen the long dark hair flowing over her robe. She had noticed it and remembered it because it was so like her mother’s hair had been, although ordinarily her mother had worn hers up. But at night it had been down, dark and flowing, its color and lustre refusing to fade despite advancing years.
    She had found her intruder. Whoever the woman was who had just disappeared up the stairs, this unnamed house guest, she was the same who had so boldly made her way into the bedroom the night before. Why, Jennifer wondered?
    Her heart pounding, Jennifer raced up the stairs, rounding the turn at the landing. She wanted to meet this other woman, wanted to see her face to face, and enlist her aid if she could.
    She hurried to the top of the stairs, in time to catch only another glimpse of the stranger, at the far end of the hall, going through a door.
    â€œOh wait, please,” she called impatiently, but the woman was gone. Jennifer quickly went along the length of the hall, frightened without quite knowing why, but eager to catch up to the mysterious stranger.
    All of the doors were closed but one, and beyond that door was another stairway, not like the sweeping graceful stairs that led from the main hall downstairs to the second floor, but a narrow spiraling tunnel that led sharply upward. Jennifer remembered the turret, the little tower that rose over the rest of Kelsey House. These stairs undoubtedly went up to the turret
    The stairs lay in shadows, and she saw nothing, but just as she paused at the bottom, a door above creaked noisily on its hinges. This was the door, then, through which the woman had gone.
    â€œWell, she can’t go any farther,” Jennifer told herself, starting up. She reached the top, and she was in a small, round room; and it was empty.
    Before her another door stood open, and through it she could see the blue of the sky outside. She crossed the room and looked out. A narrow wooden walkway circled about the turret and beyond its rusted railings was the lawn at the front of Kelsey House, sweeping smoothly down toward the woods, and in the distance were the woods themselves, brilliant already with autumn colors.
    A flash of white just out of the range of her vision caught her eye. She looked off to the side. There was no one to be seen, but she was sure the woman was there, hidden from her sight by the curve of the turret.
    Of all the silly things, Jennifer thought, stepping out onto the walkway. Why is she running and hiding herself like this? I’m no threat to anyone.
    The wood creaked and sagged beneath her feet, and she took hold of the narrow rail that provided the only barrier between her and the fall to the ground far below. She started slowly forward, the sharp curve of the structure hiding from her any clue of what lay ahead. There was nothing but the little space in which she moved, one cautious step at a time.
    She paused once, looking down, and was surprised to see the family below. They were all there, so far as she could tell at a glance, on the distant lawn, staring up at her. Unmoving, they watched her move.
    But how on earth had they known she was up here? Why had they left their “breakfast” to come to the lawn and observe her? And why were they watching her in that intent fashion?
    Her eyes on them, fascinated and puzzled by their appearance, she inched slowly forward, continuing around the turret. Their gazes followed her.
    Suddenly the walkway was gone. She brought her foot down to find nothing but air beneath it.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    With a little scream she fell against the wall, clinging to it, her heart in her throat. She had not yet brought her weight down upon that foot; had she done so, she would certainly have fallen to