Дмитрий Леонтьев – The evil will come for you (страница 7)

Without hesitation, fear pounding in her chest, Linda rushed to her husband’s side.

She saw his face was as pale as a corpse.

“William! What is it?” Linda screamed, hysterical. “What happened to you?”

“Linda,” William said, his voice weak and scared, “I can’t feel my right leg.”

Linda immediately pulled back the blanket and saw that the cut on his leg had grown larger and darker.

“I can’t move it,” William whispered, his voice barely audible.

“Oh my God!” Linda gasped, clutching her hair as she stepped back in shock.

“I’m calling an ambulance!” she whispered, her voice trembling with fear.

William lay on the bed, moaning in pain.

“What’s in there? I can feel something moving inside!” he wheezed as he spoke.

“William! My love!” Linda tried to comfort him, but her own hysterical voice only frightened him more.

“I found it!” he shouted hysterically. Linda stared at the sight, her eyes wide with terror.

CHAPTER 5

She took his right foot in her hands and, upon examining it, noticed thin, dark fissures slowly spreading across his skin.

“Linda!” William yelled, panic in his voice. “What’s happening to my foot?”

“Nothing!” Linda stammered, not knowing what was right to say. “I have to call an ambulance!”

Almost black cracks were rapidly spreading up William’s leg. Linda watched in horror as a web of fissures was covering him, and as they spread, William lost all sensation in that part of his body – it became completely numb.

“Linda! Please, call them!” he shouted, terror in his eyes.

“William!” Linda wailed, reaching out to touch him.

The fissures crept higher and higher, moving toward his head. At last, they reached his neck, and William could no longer speak. He was suffocating.

Soon, William’s entire body was covered with the black web of horrifying cracks. He was nothing but a dark shadow.

“William! Will!” Linda screamed, seeing her husband lying motionless and breathless. “Oh my God! Will!” she cried, slapping his face in desperation, hoping to bring him back.

But it was useless. William was like a corpse, lying on the bed with his eyes wide open and his mouth slightly agape.

Suddenly, something crashed in the kitchen with a thunderous noise.

“Who’s there?” Linda shouted hysterically, turning her head toward the door.

When she looked back at the bed, William was gone. The bed was empty.

Linda jumped up abruptly, feeling as though she was losing her mind.

“William!” she screamed. “Where are you?”

Someone nearby in the hallway began to laugh – a mad, hysterical cackle. It was a man’s laugh, and she was sure it belonged to her husband.

Linda slowly turned her head toward the sound. William, looking like a reanimated corpse covered in black fissures, was standing there, laughing maniacally.

“William!” Linda sobbed.

“Linda!” he called out, his voice echoing strangely. “I found it!”

He dropped to his knees and, cupping his hands, poured black water that continued to stream into the room.

* * *

“Linda! Linda!” someone shouted, shaking her awake.

Linda opened her eyes and saw her husband lying next to her, his face filled with concern.

“You had a nightmare,” William said gently, then hugged her.

“I saw something terrifying – it felt so real,” Linda replied, her voice shaky.

“My poor girl,” he said with compassion. “Tell me, what frightened you?”

“How’s your foot?” she asked, changing the subject.

William pulled back the blanket to look at his injured leg. After a moment, he concluded, “It still hurts a little.”

“You shouldn’t go on a trip with a bad leg,” Linda tried to talk him out of it.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’ll be better tomorrow,” William reassured her.

Linda carefully propped up the pillow against her head. William noticed she seemed lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked.

“I… William, I feel like you shouldn’t leave home and go to that place,” she admitted quietly.

“Linda! Why? What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.

“I… I can’t explain it, but I’m sure something bad is going to happen to you,” she confessed.

“Linda, it can only turn out well for us!” he said, trying to calm her down and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. “I’ve been researching the area for years. This is my big chance to finish my dissertation and prove to everyone that my work means something.”

Linda turned away from him.

“I know, but my heart tells me otherwise,” she whispered. “It tells me you could get in trouble.”

* * *

“Linda, this is my only chance. And don’t forget, I’m not going alone – there’ll be three of us.”

After those words, Linda turned back to face him and, looking into his eyes, finally said, “I had a nightmare about you…”

“Linda!” he interrupted gently. “It was just a dream.”

“Something was wrong with your leg,” she continued.

“It’s already 9 a.m.,” William said, not wanting to dwell on her fears. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

“Damn,” he muttered as his sore foot touched the floor.

He stood up, limping slightly, and left the bedroom to make breakfast for himself and his wife.

CHAPTER 6

“Are you sure you want to go on the expedition tomorrow?” Linda asked William as he packed his travel bag with geological equipment.

“Don’t worry, sugar,” he replied without looking up at her.

“Your right foot,” she said, stepping closer.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he answered again. “Did you see my compass?” he asked. When he stood up, he moaned softly.

Linda placed her hands on his chest to make sure he was steady.