Page 15 of Hidden Raphael
No.
A twinkle of something shiny flashed in the distance. She reached inside and circled the wall with her hands to find the switch, but there wasn’t one. The candles would have to suffice. She swung the door open fully and stepped inside the small laundry-sized room.
A glimmer of something on a shelf caught her attention.
A gust of wind passed her face and she closed her eyes. A loudboomthen abangcried out and she turned back. The door slammed shut behind her, locking her in the small room. Her candles blew out and left her in total darkness. She held her breath. She couldn't see her own hand in front of her face.
Muffled cries barraged her hearing. The vents must have caught the drafty winds, but the sound sent a chill down her spine. She braced herself. The creak of something metallic clanged on the other side of the room. She narrowed her gaze until her eyes adjusted to the darkness.
The sparkle of something on the shelf flashed in the corner of her eye. She fished out her matches and tried to light one. Her fingers burned fast and she dropped the package at her feet. She grumbled and crouched down to pick the matches up. As she stood, she reached out and used the shelves lining the walls, cluttered with boxes, to stand.
Something flew past her cheek to her right, and she jumped. Green eyes shone in the dark, and her entire body froze. She held her breath to see if the eyes moved, but then she tilted her head. They weren't a natural color. The green was too bright. She stepped forward.
Plastic eyes. She let out her breath as she realized it was a Halloween decoration. This must be where they stored the supplies. Raphael had mentioned that it was a big holiday here.
Kimberly turned to the box next to the black cat, her gaze drawn to a golden medallion. It was probably another prop, but the glimmer winked in the darkness. She pocketed the small piece to study later. She hadn’t seen anything Halloween-related in years, but as a child, she had loved the candy. She should get a candle and return to check. She turned the doorknob, but it seemed stuck. She pulled backward, but the door didn’t budge. She squared her shoulders, clenched her teeth, and tugged. She should have taken the candelabrum with her. This time, the door swung open and she ran into the dark hallway.
Once there, she closed the door behind her and took out the medallion. She held it to the light and caught her breath. It wasn't just metal at all. The medallion was pure gold and speckled with red, green, and white jewels. Were the stones rubies, emeralds, and diamonds? The cross seemed more hand designed than modern manufactured jewelry. She sucked in her lower lip. The amulet appeared like a medieval one that would go past her the breasts with the right chain.
How had she found this in a room full of boxes?
She returned to the kitchen, relit her candles, and then held the candelabrum in her hands as she proceeded up the stairs.
Drafts in the rafters made eerie sounds.Halfway up the stone staircase toward her room, Kimberly sighed to somehow tell herself that ghosts weren't real. Castles made noises. Then she made a circle with her fingers again and breathed.
Footsteps echoed from the floor above her, and the heavy steps grew louder fast. This wasn't the house, and her body tightened. “Hello?”
"Kimberly, is that you?" Raphael's voice answered her and she heard his heavy tread. Not the wind.
She hurried up the last few steps to join him on the main floor. "I'm here."
He turned the corner, near the top of the stairs, and stopped at the railing.
Raphael’s dark brown hair was wet. Her gaze narrowed on the black eye he'd sport in the morning. She had no idea where the nearest bathroom was, so she reached out for his arm and pulled him downstairs toward the kitchen. "What happened to you?"
"I went outside." He followed her without complaint.
At the door, she flipped the lights on. Then she sucked in a breath. His t-shirt was ripped, and his jeans were filthy as they clung to his frame. His puffy eyes and grazed knuckles made it obvious he'd been in a fight. "Why? Did you see Roger?"
“I saw him.”
She went to the refrigerator and found ice. Then she wrapped it in a towel and placed it on his head. “And?”
“I thought I could surprise him, but he’s wiry.”
She couldn’t lose the only person she had on this island. She wet another cloth and handed it to him as her insides tightened. “You knew he was dangerous. I thought you were going to wait until morning. I should go with you tomorrow to watch your back.”
"No, absolutely not. I don't wish to discuss this." He sat on a stool at the counter. "I should go change."
"Wait here." She wrapped some ice in a dishtowel and pressed it gently to his other swollen cheekbone. "Put this on."
"This is a lot of towels, ma'am."
Her hand flew to her hip and she shook her head. "Kimberly is just fine, Raphael."
"I like how you say my name." He smiled, but followed her directions with the towel. "I shouldn't be here."
"Give me your wet shirt. It’s ripped in so many places." She held her head up. Her face heated a bit as she stared at his hard muscles that the black shirt clung to. His shoulders were so large. She swallowed and said, "I want to check you for wounds."
