Hush Little Baby - Chapter 5,6,7.

CHAPTER 51

Beth clutched the handmade book to her chest as she walked through the hallway.  A couple of policemen were packing boxes of papers in the foyer; they nodded as she passed them.2

Jim was still asleep on the sofa in the study.  Beth shook him awake.  3

“Jim wake up I have something to show you.”  Jim stirred yawning loudly and sitting up.  He looked at Beth, a smile creasing his lips as he saw that she had showered and changed from her grotty housecoat.  4

“What’s the matter love?”  Beth sat down beside him and showed him the diary.   5

“I found it in the Library.  I think it has something to do with the babies in the attic.  Read it Jim, let me know what you think!” Beth said in breathless excitement.  Jim opened the book carefully and started to read.  His eyes scanned the pages; the oils from Beth’s hands had raised the pencil scratches and enabled Jim to read even more of the words.6

June 2nd 19017

I managed to sneak out of the attic tonight and make it down to my Uncle’s study.  The house was in silence, my feet hardly making a sound on the servant’s stairs.  I stole a pencil from the writing desk along with some more paper to make pages in my journal.  Upstairs Baby Joshua sleeps; he is growing more and more ill with each passing day.  I pray to God that he lives – these past few months since his birth I have been neglected and I relish this neglect.  I cannot bear to think of what will happen if he dies and I am once again invaded and abused.  Please God let him live, I beg of you.8

He sat in the same position for over half an hour while he read the book.  His eyes softened and she saw tears welling in them as he finally took and deep breath and leaned back against the sofa.9

“This is bloody awful, how could they have gotten away with this?” He rubbed his hand across his mouth and shook his head sadly.  He opened the book again and turned to an entry dated 10

September 30th 1901.11

He comes, hot, perspiring and smelling of cigars and whiskey.  She stands in the corner and watches. She the red haired witch; she who calls me her broodmare.  Night after night they torture me this way.  I have no rest, not until she is sure that I carry a babe in my womb.  She will visit, feeding me treats and forcing foul potions between my lips to ensure this child is strong. Since Joshua’s death I no longer care if the child is born wrong.  I wish for the child to be born with shrunken limbs and bulbous head, the product of hate and violation and not of love.  I pick at the paint on my bed and consume the flakes.  I eat foul things like the bait they leave out for the mice and rats.  I starve myself, until they have to force feed porridge between my lips. This ensures that Baby is born before its time or not at all. In this way I keep another babe from falling into their clutches and ending up like me alone and unloved.12

Beth sighed touching Jim’s arm gently.13

“We have to give this to the police Jim.”  Jim got up from the sofa and dragged his hand through his hair.  14

“This is so awful, but we need to know everything we can about this before we go to the Police.”  He sat back down opening the book again.  He read the last entry dated February 6th 190415

February 6th 190416

I am so weak I can hardly lift the pencil to write. The new Baby will be coming soon.  This really is more than my body can take.  I have birthed eight children in the past four years; all of them have died.  God is punishing me for my part in this, of that I am sure.  Otherwise he would have sent an Angel to end my suffering. 17

There is no God! Let the Devil take me and do what he will!  I curse you my Uncle, I curse you my Aunt – Let no one who lives in these walls be safe from my wrath.18

Jim felt tears of pity filling his eyes.19

“She was so desperate. How could someone have done to this to another Human being?” Beth shook her head sadly, feeling tears pricking at her eyelids.20

“Take the diary to the Police, Jim. Put her suffering to rest at last.” Jim nodded, getting to his feet.  He closed the diary and held it against his chest.21

He walked out into the hallway and approached the two policemen.22

“Can you tell me where detective inspector Robinson is please?”   One of the policemen pointed up the stairs.23

“He’s looking at the crime scene at the moment.”  Jim nodded, running up the servant’s stairs.   When he reached the nursery there was a tall policeman flanking the doorway.24

“Hello, Mr Harper, can I help you?”  Jim nodded.25

“Can I have a word with Inspector Robinson please?”  The Policeman lifted the yellow do-not-cross tape and went into the room.  Jim followed him not caring that this was out of bounds to him.  The policeman didn’t notice that Jim had followed him either.26

The room had changed a great deal in the four days since the bodies had been discovered.  It had been painstakingly emptied of rubbish apart from a large trunk and some dirty clothes in the corner near the window which they still had to sort through.  The room was full of light as huge halogen lights on poles illuminated the floor as the forensic team worked.  Two of them, dressed in white paper suits were kneeling on the floor going through the dust on the floor for any clues.  Inspector Robinson was stood near the door looking over papers that were clipped to the clipboard in his hands.  He looked up as Jim got nearer and folded the clipboard under his arm.27

“Hello Mr Harper what can I do for you?”  Jim held out the diary.28

“Beth found this dairy and I think it could shed some light on the bodies in the attic.”  Inspector Robinson took the diary and opened it, starting to read.29

As Jim watched, the inspectors face changed as he became more and more engrossed in the little diary.  Finally he closed it up, and looked up at them.30

“Where did you find this?”  He asked turning the book over in his hands.31

“Beth found it in a little cupboard in the library.” Jim said.32

The Inspector put the book in the inside pocket of his overcoat and nodded at him.33

“Yes, this could be very conclusive.  We may have found the reason behind the bodies in the attic.”  He turned away from them.34

“Thank you so much Mr Harper, we’ll get back to you once a thorough examination of the find can be done!”  Beth came up behind them, and Jim put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze.35

“That’s it, that’s all you are going to do?”  Beth demanded her anger getting the better of her. The Inspector looked down his nose at her.36

“We have procedures Mrs Harper, we need to ascertain that the evidence is indeed of a significant age to prove it was written when the author said it was. This takes time.”                                                                                       37

He turned his back on them and Jim draped his arm around Beth’s shoulders.38

“Come on Beth.”  Beth shook off Jim’s arm and stormed out of the room.39

She was angry and she didn’t know why.  Jim finally caught up with her in the kitchen.  She was sitting at the kitchen table angry tears coursing down her cheeks.40

Jim stood behind her and enfolded her in his arms.41

“Don’t take it to heart, Beth.  He has a job to do as well.”  Beth bit her lip to try and stem the tears.42

“I know Jim, but I feel like I am letting her down.”  Jim shook his head.43

“Beth, she has waited 100 years, another couple of days won’t make much difference to her.” Beth pulled her sleeve across her wet eyes.44

“Ok.  Did you speak to them? How long do they think they will be?”  Jim shrugged.45

“As long as it takes I suppose.”  Beth swung around in the chair.46

“I’m sorry Jim.  I was the one who had to have this place, it’s my fault you’ve been put through this.”  Jim planted a kiss on her forehead.47

“Don’t be silly, we stick together no matter what!” Beth smiled and hugged Jim close.48

“Thanks Jim. How do you fancy getting out of this place for the evening?” Jim smiled and nodded.49

“Sounds great, we can just go for a long drive if you like?”  Beth nodded.50

“Anywhere really, anywhere but here.” 51

CHAPTER 652

Three days later the police finally withdrew from the attic and the house as a whole.  Beth and Jim were happy to see them go.  No one had discussed the matter of the diary.  It was as if the matter was closed.  It infuriated Jim and filled Beth with a deep sadness.53

The attic floor had been swept clean. The police forensic team, looking for anything incriminating, had torn down the old wooden shutters. 54

The attic was bare apart from an old trunk in the corner of the room, which the police had dismissed as unimportant. DCI Robinson had been interested in the trunk for a time, until other things had distracted him. Beth and Jim now stood in the doorway to the attic room surveying the huge space before them.55

“Do you think this is where they kept her Jim?”  Beth asked, happy for the comfort of his warm arm around her shoulders.  Jim shrugged.56

“I don’t know, it’s probably best that you don’t think about it Beth.  I don’t want you to make yourself ill about this.  There can be no justice after all these years.” Beth felt the familiar tears welling in her eyes and she moved out of his arms and turned into the nursery.  The toys and rocking horse had been pushed into a corner to make room for the footsteps of the many policemen.  All her hard work had been destroyed in an hour.  Beth couldn’t help the tears overflowing.  This room had been her dream; she had truly imagined rocking her children to sleep in the rocking chair.  Now it was ruined, dirty. 57

Beth flopped into the rocking chair and put her head in her hands and cried.  Jim knelt in front of her lifting her face until she was looking at him through tear-stained eyes.  He kissed her and she didn’t push him away.  She didn’t push him away as they lay on the white painted floor of the nursery and answered the need that they both felt.58

Afterwards they said nothing as they dressed.  Jim helped her to her feet and squeezed her hand. Beth looked up at him and smiled.  A part of her felt dirty and sordid for what they had done in there, next to the room that had held Isabel and the murdered children.  But another part of her was happy, happy that finally the spell had been broken, and that love could be shown there.  Slowly they walked out onto the landing and past the still open door of the smaller room.  There was some black bin liners in there, holding rubbish the policemen had accumulated in their 9 days of occupation, and the trunk in the corner near the shuttered windows.  Beth ignored them and walked down the stairs, there would be time to tidy the house another day.59

* * * * * * * * * * * 60

Days after the police had vacated the house; Beth still felt their presence near.  The phone number to house had been changed to prevent news crews and cranks from calling Beth and Jim and harassing them, but this didn’t stop the Police from calling them and asking more questions.  The matter of the diary didn’t come up until nearly a week after it was found.61

Detective Inspector Robinson knocked on their door on a cold November morning.  Beth was the only one at home.  He refused the chair that she offered, but accepted the coffee that she gave.62

“I’ll come right to the point, the diary that has been found is consistent with the age it says.  Tests have been run on the paper and the pencil and they are from circa 1900.”  Beth let out a breath in a long burst, she hadn’t even realised that she had been holding it.63

“So she did write it?” Beth said quietly almost to herself.64

“Well obviously I can’t say if that is the case, but the tests do prove it was written by someone in the time period specified.” He changed his mind and sat down on the sofa beside her.  He placed his cup on the glass coffee table in front of them.  65

“So what happens to the diary now?”  Beth asked.66

“Well it is being kept as evidence as the moment.  I must mention to you Mrs Harper that because of the time that has gone by and the ultimate death of the perpetrators of the crime, the crown prosecution service have decided to hold an inquest and then close the case down.”  Beth nodded; this was the best that she could have expected, as Jim had said no one would stand trial for the crimes.67

“When will the inquest take place?” Beth asked taking a drink of her steaming coffee.68

“November 22nd, so we have 3 weeks to try and investigate what happened before the case is closed forever.”  Beth looked up at DCI Robinson and nodded.69

“Well I will help you however I can.”  He smiled.70

“Well there is the matter of fact, we could do with having a good rummage around, seeing if there is anymore evidence like the diary hanging around, and I didn’t manage to get into that trunk in the attic room.”  Beth shrugged; she wasn’t looking forward to going back up those stairs again.  She had gone out of her way not to go in that                                                        part of the house.  Jim’s lovemaking had managed to chase away some of the ghosts haunting her, but not all of them.71

“Alright, do you want to wait until Jim gets in from work, or do you want to go and have a look now?”  Beth asked wanting so much for him to say he would wait.72

“The sooner the better I think, Mrs Harper.”  He rose from the sofa and Beth noticed for the first time how tall he was.  She led the way up the narrow stairs, their shoes echoing as they climbed.  When she pushed open the door, the room was clean and tidy and all of the furniture was back in its proper place.  Beth frowned puzzled.  Jim must have done it when she was out, although she couldn’t remember going out on her own for a few weeks.73

The gaping hole that led into the attic loomed in front of them.  As the shutters had been removed, there was plenty of light in there.  DCI Robinson led the way, helping her over the threshold and it’s wooden step.  He took a crowbar out of his pocket and bent down in front of the truck.  He put the long part of the crowbar against the lock on the trunk.  A sickening sound emanated from the trunk as the ancient wooden box finally gave way. He lifted the hinged lid.74

The smell was the first thing that she noticed, a horrible rotting, odour that permeated every fibre of Beth’s being.  She coughed, feeling physically sick.  DCI Robinson reached inside his jacket for his mobile phone and tapped out a number.75

“Hello, this is Robinson.  Looks like we have found another body!” Beth, who had avoided looking, peered into the trunk and what she saw nearly caused her to faint on the spot.76

Lying on her back with her knees drawn up to her chest was the body of a female.  She had long black hair that was still attached to her skull.  The body had mummified, and it was possible to see the fingernails and the eye lashes.  Lying between her legs was the body of a grotesquely deformed baby girl, still attached to its mother by its umbilical cord.  The woman looked to be aged around twenty, but Beth couldn’t be sure.  She couldn’t stop looking at her; she inched closer and reached out to touch the dead girls face.77

The skin was dry and leathery, and didn’t feel like human skin at all.  DCI Robinson reached for her wrist and pulled her away.78

“Please don’t touch the body, Mrs Harper, not until we have made a thorough examination.”  Beth edged away turning her back on the trunk and the policeman knelt in front.79

Beth shuffled her way out of the attic, dumb with shock.  She fell into the padded rocking chair in the nursery.  She could hear the policeman on the mobile phone in the echoing attic room. So the mystery was solved Isabel was lying dead in the trunk, had been for a very long time.  80

“I can’t believe I missed it, my head is going to roll for this!” Beth looked up as DCI Robinson walked into the nursery.  He was clutching his phone so tightly that his knuckles were white.  Beth tried to think of something to say to make him feel better, but when she thought about it, she realised she didn’t really care. 81

He perched himself on the windowsill the antenna of his mobile phone in his mouth likes a child’s dummy.  Beth got up to go, she didn’t want to be here anymore.  This house was full of murder and despair and the sooner she left here the better.  She wandered out onto the tiny landing, the door to the smaller room was ajar and Beth frowned puzzled.  She was sure she had closed it tight, because if it wasn’t the door had a tendency to swing on it’s old hinges and bang.  Beth closed the door with a loud bang and turned towards the stairs to go down them.  As she went down the first stair she walked into a wall of frigid air.  Beth’s breath caught in her throat and she stopped, her heart hammering wildly. Invisible hands grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and pushed her forward. Before she knew what was happening she was falling down the remaining stairs. Beth screamed in alarm as she landed heavily hitting her head on the wall.82

DCI Robinson rushed from the nursery and saw her lying at the bottom of the stairs, blood trickling from a wound on her temple.  He started to run down the stairs, but as he reached the middle, an invisible wall hit him, stopping him from getting past.  He raised his fists punching at the air trying to force his way through. He threw his full weight at it and it pushed him back onto the stairs. He strained again, pushing forward. The wall collapsed and he fell forward, grasping the wall to stop him falling.  He ran down the stairs and knelt on the floor next to Beth’s unconscious body.  He checked her for broken bones before he lifted her bleeding head into his lap. A substantial pool of blood had formed on the wooden floorboards. DCI Robinson felt her pulse; it was weak, but still there. He reached into his jacket and tapped out numbers on his phone.  His breath was ragged after his ordeal on the stairs, as he told the despatcher on the call what he needed.  He rested his back against the cool wall, still cradling Beth’s head.  For the first time in a very long time, he felt very scared.  He couldn’t explain away what had happened to them both, and his scientific mind was crying out for an explanation.  He looked up the staircase.  The door to the nursery was open and light was spilling onto the small landing, the door to the little bedroom was swinging violently on its hinges banging forcefully.  His heart began to beat faster and faster in his chest. His eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to see anymore.  The air around them grew frigid and it hurt him to drag a breath into his lungs.  He kept his eyes tightly shut, not wanting to see what was drawing near to them.  He longed to leave Beth where she was and run away, like a frightened child, but he knew he couldn’t leave her, as injured as she was. 83

He forced himself to open his eyes.  Walking slowly down the stairs was the shimmering figure of a young woman, long dark hair rippling in an invisible breeze.  Her eyes looked down at him, sadly, as she lifted her hand and reached forward to touch him.  A feeling of unbearable cold filled him and his breath caught in his throat.  He couldn’t move, couldn’t breath, and couldn’t speak as her hand touched his face.  Slowly she pulled away, and her image burst over him like a bubble filling him with desolation and despair.  Huge racking sobs tore through his body as he began to cry. 84

He didn’t know how long he sat there crying before the Policewoman and the paramedics arrived. They removed Beth’s from his grasp as he clung to her.  The policeman helped him to his feet and led him out of the house to the waiting ambulance.  He knew then that he would never step foot inside the Corry Mansion again.85

Chapter 786

Jim sat quietly by Beth’s bedside as the monitor beeped in time to her heartbeat.  He still didn’t know what had happened in the house; No one could get any sense out of the Policeman, who they had found clutching Beth’s unconscious body.  He had had to be sedated.  There was a mummified body found in the attic, its skeletal arms clutching the body of her deformed child.  The policemen had returned, searching the house for anymore of the same.  Jim had not been home to shower or change in 2 days.  He had stayed sitting by Beth’s bedside waiting for a change, but there had been none.  The Doctor’s had operated to removed a huge blood clot from her brain and she was now in a coma, thick bandages wrapped around her head.87

Sat next to him was Maggie and Tom, Maggie was sipping a scalding hot cup of coffee.  Tom sighed and pulled his hand through his hair.88

“It’s that bloody house, Jim.  It’s a bloody death trap!” Maggie nodded but said nothing, her lips touching the rim of the polystyrene cup.  Jim shook his head.89

“It was an accident, I’m sure it was!  Beth loves that house!”  Jim got up from the bedside and walked around the bed. The stench of his own unwashed body mingled with the smells of disinfectant and medicines, causing bile to rise in his throat.  He looked down at his clothes and sighed.90

“I really need to take a shower, change my clothes.”  Maggie lowered the cup from her lips.91

“Why don’t you go home and have a shower, we’ll stay here. We have your mobile number if we need to contact you.” Jim bent down and kissed Beth’s cool cheek.  He turned his back and walked out of the room, fighting the urge to turn back and sit back next to her bedside.92

The drive to the house took 20 minutes, but it felt like hours to Jim.  He couldn’t wait to get back to the hospital. He ran up the path to the house and opened the door, looking down at the rose key that Beth loved so much.  He felt a tear roll down his cheek, Beth loved this house so much; but he hated it, hated it more than he hated anything in his life!  He longed to sell the house and move back to the dingy two up two down they had moved from that summer. At least that house had a good atmosphere. When they lived there they hadn’t had much money, but they had been happy, and so much in love. 93

His emotions began to get the better of him and he fought the urge to scream out his anger.  The tears ran down his cheeks like little rivers, dripping on to his grubby shirt.  He didn’t even wipe his eyes as he started to walk up the staircase. 94

He wandered through the upstairs and along to their bedroom.  The bathroom was reached through a door inside the bedroom and he stripped off his clothes and left them where they fell, walking through into the bathroom.  He reached into the glass cubicle and turned on the water, steam rising quickly, he climbed inside and closed the door.  The hot needles hit his tired skin and his body sagged enjoying the warmth of the water.  He reached for the bar of soap on its holder and started to scrub his body clean. 95

He stood for a time, just relaxing as the water pulsated all over him.  The hot water made him feel a little dizzy and he put his hand onto the glass door to support himself.  Suddenly he pulled back as if burnt.  The glass door was like ice.  He touched it again to check, it was still very cold.  The condensation from the hot shower was causing little rivulets of water to cascade down the inside of the door.  He reached for the shower and turned it off.  The temperature in the shower plummeted and goose pimples covered his wet body, he shivered involuntarily.  He pushed the door open and hopped out on to the freezing tiled floor.  The bathroom was filled with a mist and Jim could see his breath in the frigid air.96

He felt his heart beating in his chest and he ran, naked and wet, out of the bathroom and into the bedroom.  The bedroom was freezing; he reached for his bathrobe lying on the bed and wrapped it around himself.  He plopped down on to the bed, very puzzled and a little scared.  He looked down at his hands and they were shaking.  He tucked them in the pockets of his robe trying to get them warm.97

Suddenly a force hit him and pushed him back on to the bed.  He tried to get up, but the invisible hands held him in a vice like grip.  Terrified tears trickled from the corners of his eyes.  His mind desperately trying to find a rational explanation. Icy fingers pulled at the belt on his robe until it was lying open, his naked body on show.  Jim closed his eyes in terror, not wanting to see what would happen next.  Frozen hands caressed his chest, moving lower. Jim screamed in terror.98

“NO!” The hands stopped their ministrations, and the pressure that had held him down to the bed eased. Jim sat up and pulled the bathrobe around him.  The cold in the room evaporated, the warmth from the central heating seeping into his cold body.  He looked down at his body, tiny finger sized bruises covered his chest and his shoulders from the fingers that had held him down.  He hugged his body in shock, gently rocking back and forth.  He didn’t know how long he sat like that before the phone on the bedside table rang.  He reached for the phone instinctively.99

“Hello?” He asked in a breathless voice.100

“Jim! You had better get down here now.  Beth has woken up and she is asking for you.” Jim’s breath shuddered in his chest.101

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes.” Happiness bubbled up inside him; she was going to be ok.  He closed off his mind to what had happened, not wanting to remember. His mind only able to concentrate on one thing at a time.  He threw on his clothes wanting to be at his wife’s bedside where he belonged.102

* * * * * * * * * * * * 103

It was a few weeks before the hospital would let Beth come home.  When they did arrive home, Jim had almost forgotten about what had happened to him, although whenever he felt a chill, and there were plenty in the old house, he broke out into a sweat.  With having surgery to her head, Beth was having problems remembering what had happened in the few days before the accident.  Jim had not told her about finding Isabel’s body, it had been removed and the police had moved out of the attic yet again. Jim hoped that this was the end to the sorry incident.  He had arranged for the attic, including the staircase and the rooms to be covered over and a false wall put there.  If they had to stay in the house, he would rather they never ventured up there again.104

Beth was not herself.  She found it hard to concentrate and slept almost all the time.  The hospital said this would be the norm for a few weeks until she recovered her memory. A part of Jim hoped that she didn’t remember, he didn’t want her questioning his blocking off of the attic.  If he had his way they would leave now, but Beth had rediscovered her love for the place and had spent a happy afternoon planting winter bulbs around the pond in the garden.  When he looked into her eyes, she had a child like gaze, finding wonder in everything.  Jim was sure she must have suffered some brain damage in her fall.  He had found her in the kitchen dancing along frantically to a song on the radio.  He had laughed, but it had disturbed him.  It was as if she was a completely different person. This scared him, more than he cared to admit.105

Christmas approached and with the flurry of excitement and gift buying.  Beth wanted a huge Christmas tree and she wanted to decorate it in Victorian style.  Jim took her shopping at the nearby shopping mall and she bought beautiful ornaments and decorations for the tree.  They bought a real tree from a tree farm and erected it in the living room.  It was so tall that it almost touched the huge 20-foot ceiling.  Beth decorated it herself standing on a stepladder.  Jim had been scared to watch her, but she had been very insistent that she alone would decorate the tree. When it was finished they relaxed on the sofa, sipping mulled wine and watching the white twinkle bulbs as they flashed on the tree.  A fire roared in the marble fireplace.  Jim closed his eyes and sighed in pleasure.  For the first time since they had moved into the house 5 months before, he felt comfortable and relaxed.  Beth snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his chest.106

“Oh Jim, I’m so happy.” She said as she closed her eyes. Jim hugged her closer to him.  Her thick, black hair hid the stubble, which was growing back from her brain operation.  For a moment he allowed himself a moment to dwell on the past 2 months.  He had almost lost her; just the thought of life without her brought a rush of tears to his eyes.  He sniffed absently lifting his hand to dash away the tears.  Beth lifted her head and looked at him with strange eyes.107

“Why are you crying?” She asked raising herself up until she was facing him.  Suddenly Beth began to kiss at the tears as they fell down his cheeks.  Jim stopped crying in surprise.  Her tongue darted out licked at the remaining tears.  Then she started to kiss him, her tongue deep and probing.  Jim kissed her back, his hands finding their way beneath her sweater and undoing her bra.  It had been months since he had touched her and his body surged into action.  Beth straddled him lifting her arms so he could remove her sweater over her head.  They stopped kissing for a moment and they faced each other panting for breath.108

“Are you sure about this Beth?”  Beth didn’t answer she started to pull at the buttons on his shirt her hands moving across his chest and into the open shirt.  Her mouth claimed his again, deep, hard, teasing.  Jim removed the rest of her clothes until she was naked straddled across his lap, the last barrier was his jeans and he struggled out of them until their hot skin was touching.  He looked up into her eyes, their pupils dark with arousal.  109

Beth positioned herself so he easily slid inside her.  He shivered in pleasure as she started to move slowly.  Jim held her hips trying to control her movements, to make it last.  Beth closed her eyes, her breath coming in gasps as the throbbing pleasure began to take her over. Beth threw back her head in pleasure as her body started to orgasm.  Jim quickly followed, their gasps echoing around the quiet living room.  110

Afterwards they lay still connected a throw from the sofa over them.  Beth’s head lay under Jim’s chin, his hand playing with her long curly hair.  Beth fell asleep, breathing gentle snores. Jim was exhausted, but something made him fight sleep.  Beth had never taken the lead in their lovemaking before; when the Doctors had said she might under go a few personality changes he had not expected this.  This was not the woman he had fallen in love with.  He lifted her off him and laid her gently on the sofa next to him, covering her with the sofa throw.  He pulled his jeans up and stood up.  The fire was dying down in the grate, but it would still be warm for a time.  He walked out of the living room and made his way into the study.111

He had been working on a new software program for one of his clients and he decided to work on that to help him clear his mind.  In the living room Beth slept, unaware that Jim was seriously thinking of leaving her.  Meanwhile Isabel was watching as Beth slept.  It had been easy to use the woman, her mind was damaged from the fall she had taken and it had been simple for Isabel to enter her and control her.  The man was evil, he wanted to leave her, wanted to make her suffer again, like she had suffered before.  Isabel’s face twisted in an evil grin, no it was his time to suffer, his time for pain.  Isabel’s image burst like a bubble as she disappeared to the attic.112

Beth slept on.113