CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
The more he thought about Brandt at the séance, the more Gage realized it was a really bad idea. Hell, the séance with just the four of them was dangerous enough. They had to leave. Or at least try. Maybe together it was possible.
After dinner, Gage led the way as the four of them walked to the front gate. Allison and Bryan hung back, already convinced any attempt at leaving was useless. Gage quickened his step. They didn’t have long. Brandt wouldn’t stay in the basement all night. Or his room. Sooner or later, he’d know they weren’t in the house.
Brandt might not be like Riley or Siler House, but he wouldn’t agree to them leaving. Not now.
Not that he could stop them.
Only the house could do that.
But they had to try. He had no doubt the séance would work. The only doubt Gage had was whether they’d survive the aftermath. Brandt was up to something and whatever it was, he didn’t think it would help their plan.
They reached the gates and stood there, staring at them as though electricity ran through each iron bar. On the backside of one of the brick pillars to the right of the gate was a covered box with a button inside it.
“Press it,” Jess said.
The others watched as Gage reached for the button. Why did he feel as though it really would electrify him if his finger made contact?
He paused.
“See?” Bryan said. “It won’t let us leave.”
Allison was nodding in agreement, her arms drawn up against her chest.
“It’s not going to bite us,” Gage said. “Relax.”
“So, press it then!” Bryan insisted.
Gage stared at the small and silver button covered by an aluminum overhang.
It was just a button. Not a keypad like he’d expected. Nothing with a combination to try and figure out.
Press the damn thing already!
He tried not to think of the house or Riley or anything else for that matter. His finger reached just a little closer.
Almost there.
Allison shoved him aside.
“What the hell, Allison?” Gage snapped.
Ignoring him, she stepped forward and pressed the button. Mashed it several times to be exact. They all looked at her, with shock or adoration, Gage wasn’t sure. Maybe a little of both.
Who knew the girl had it in her? Sure, she was prone to outbursts now and then, but usually nothing involving going up against the house.
But the gates didn’t open. No electric current. Just nothing. The gate stood before them. Closed.
Gage jabbed the button himself this time. No sound of anything mechanical clicking into place as it prepared to open the gates, only the persistent choir of nighttime crickets and bullfrogs.
Bryan tried his luck next, followed by Jess. No dice.
“I told you,” Allison said. “The house isn’t going to let us leave.”
Anger began to boil inside Gage. “To hell with that.” He gripped the gates and tugged. When they gates didn’t budge, he tried pushing them. Going over the top was of no use—the bars were all vertical—nothing to get a leg up on.
He stepped back. “Maybe it’s just broken. Or Brandt’s done something to it from inside the house.” He eyed the gate and the surrounding wall. “We’ll go around.”
“In the woods?” Jess asked. “At night? I don’t think so.”
No one else spoke, which probably meant they were agreeing with her. Even Gage had to admit he wasn’t fond of the idea.
That’s stupid! Think of what’s inside that house and then grow some stones, chicken shit.
But he knew he couldn’t leave. If Jess wouldn’t go with him, he wouldn’t leave her behind. Not even to go find help. Who knew how long it would take to find someone? If they thought Riley would be pissed once they freed the twins, how mad would he be if one or even two of them got out and left the others behind? What would he do then?
No. They had to stay together.
“Dude, as bad as it is, we don’t have a choice,” Bryan said. “We’ve got to go back. Just get this over with.”
“It’s had us from day one, hasn’t it?” Jess asked.
Bryan shook his head. “Meaning?”
“She means,” Allison interrupted, “That the house got inside our heads from the first day we stepped foot in the place. We let it. We were either all open to it, or instantly afraid of it. Either way, Siler House played us. It played us against ourselves and our weaknesses.”
“The bond we share,” Jess said, taking Gage’s hand into hers. “It’s using that, too, isn’t it?
Allison nodded. “It’ll hurt any one of us if it thinks another won’t do as it wants.”
Gage glanced at Jess and gave her hand a little squeeze. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her. House or Riley be damned, he wouldn’t. He’d figure something out.
Allison smiled as though reading his thoughts. “But it’s bigger than the two of you. It’s bound the four of us. I don’t know how I know, but if something happens to one of us, it’ll make the others weaker. At least, that’s how the priests broke the demons inside me. One by one.”
Bryan frowned. “You mean, divided, our abilities are weakened somehow?”
She nodded. At one time, he’d have blown off Allison’s words. It wasn’t that he didn’t believe her; it was just that everything had always sounded over the top with her.
Gage sighed heavily and nodded.
He turned and looked up at the house. It sat against a steel-grey sky. Looking at it was like seeing something different for the first time. Something evil like some dark, growing cancer. For once, he thought Allison’s take on the house was an understatement, or maybe that’s because she was trying so hard to reel in the crazy. But even he could see that the place wasn’t just brick and mortar. The house really had fooled them all. It was a living, breathing entity of its own. It didn’t matter if it’d become that way the day Riley came to live here or if it had evolved into a monster since then.
“It’s like it’s watching us,” Jess said as they walked away from the gates.
Gage looked up at the windows. They’d left enough lights on, but he didn’t believe any amount of lighting could chase out the darkness that walked the halls within Siler House.