Dani's mind whirled. She tried to think of a way to end all of this. She just didn't know how to fight something that could attack you in dreams. She thought of the diaries, and her own dreams, and the maid's tale. Suddenly, it came to her. She held her breath in, and let it out slowly.
Too long have the women of this town been pawns. It was time to turn the tables.
.................................
Elise drew the water in the tub and lit the candles, as Dani had asked. She didn't know what the woman was planning, but Dani had told her to take the night off and leave the Manor for a couple of days at least. The petite blonde squeezed her hand, and wished her good luck.
Dani went into the master bathroom, and opened the floor to ceiling windows on the balcony beyond so the moon shown in on her, and so she could feel the breeze. She slid her clothes off and gazed out toward the churning ocean. She steeled her mind for what she was going to do. Slowly, she slipped into the warm bath water, curling her toes and feeling the clean water slide over her, perhaps for the last time.
When she emerged, she didn't dress. She toweled herself off, and blew out the candles one by one. Her milky skin shone in the moonlight. Her auburn hair dark in the night sky. She casually walked down the stairs and out the back door. The sound of the pounding surf filled her ears. The wind was blowing outward, pushing her to the Sea. She let it take her and guide her steps. Dani slowly stepped down the carved stone steps that led the small cliffs. The surf pounded against the rocks. She carefully gazed off of them, looking for it...
There. A cave on the cliff face was below her. She waited for a huge wave to crash. She closed her eyes, and jumped...
The Sea rose to meet her, and bore her up and directly into the cave. She was deposited, almost lovingly, in a warm moonlit pool. The water in it was heavy. She saw three torches on the cave walls around her. Dani made her way to the edge, and slid out of the pool. The water clung to her like oil. She looked around and found an old tinder box. Carefully, she struck it to the torch, and it lit. She carried it to the others, and lit them as well.
From them she saw that the pool shimmered with a swirling oily sheen, and it wasn't really clear at all. Each spiral had a bubble inside of it. She saw more and more bubbles rising to the surface, creating their own spirals.
She turned from the pool to see what else the cave held. She wasn't surprised to see the door, with the words "Reilly Crypt: East Entrance" carved in stone above it, a mere 10 feet from the pool.
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