The Awakening Evil Read Online Free PDF Page A

knives, and he fell. Somehow the knives cut off his leg, and he bled to death. And I saw it happen. It was hideous, so hideous I can hardly bear to write about it.
    I couldn’t stop screaming. Thomas called the doctor for me. He gave me something to make me sleep, and I had the most horrible nightmare. In my dream the knives were alive. They flew through the air and attacked Aaron.
    The dream was so real. When I woke up I felt convinced that it had actually happened.
    Liza Teasedale, the woman I mentioned in my last letter, told me some awful stories about the Fear family the same day as Aaron’s accident. She claimed the Fears are cursed and that they may even practice the dark arts.
    I believe Mrs. Teasedale’s stories of dark magic and the horror of witnessing Aaron’s accident mixed together in my nightmare.
    I imagine this letter makes you feel very happy that you are far away from Shadyside. I hope you are enjoying your travels. You must write and tell me all about your adventures at once.
    Love,
    Your dearest friend
    Â 
    Sarah placed the letter in an envelope and carefully wrote the address on the front. It’s such a beautiful morning, she thought. I think I’ll have Phillip drive me to town so I can mail this myself.
    Sarah hurried outside and asked Phillip to bring the carriage around. She enjoyed the short ride. Birds twittered cheerfully in the trees that lined the road.
    â€œI’ll just be a moment,” she told Phillip when he pulled up in front of the general store.
    She posted her letter and headed back to the carriage. She realized she didn’t want her outing to end. She didn’t want to return to the dark, gloomy house.
    â€œPhillip?” she called up to her driver. “You can go on home.”
    â€œI beg your pardon, ma’am?”
    â€œMy husband said he would be at the mill today. I am going to walk over and pay him a visit,” she told him. “I will ride home with Mr. Fear.”
    â€œVery well, ma’am.”
    She felt her spirits rise as the carriage rode away, the horses’ hooves raising small clouds of dust. The covered black carriage had begun to feel as confining as a coffin.
    Sarah started her walk. How would Thomas react when she showed up at his place of work? She had never even considered doing so before now. He was so private about much of his life.
    But maybe this was just the kind of gesture that could help their marriage. She wanted to feel close to Thomas again.
    She had let her imagination get completely out of control. Her belief that she saw knives flying through the air proved that. It had taken Thomas hours to convince her that the flying knives were part of a nightmare.
    She promised herself that she would put all thoughts of curses and the dark arts out of her mind.Thomas had been so worried about her after Aaron’s terrible accident.
    That proved that he loved her. He is a good man, Sarah told herself. He would never want to hurt her. He would never want to hurt anyone.
    Sarah started the steep climb to Thomas’s mill. It was a large white clapboard structure built right up against the waterfall on the outskirts of town. The waterfall drove the mill’s huge wooden waterwheel, which turned the huge granite millstones inside.
    Several farmers rode past her as Sarah strolled onto the mill lawn. Their carts were laden with sacks of flour. She waved cheerfully. The farmers nodded back without smiling.
    This town, Sarah thought. Sometimes she hated living here.
    What if she could convince Thomas to leave? They could go someplace where no one had ever heard of the Fear family. Maybe that would solve all their problems.
    She entered the large, barnlike mill. It was dark inside. The air felt thick with grain dust. It smelled like new-mown hay.
    In the center of the room sat the mill itself—two huge granite wheels. The massive stone wheels filled almost the whole room.
    Sarah inched her way through the dark