Clock and Bell — Susan Claudia

Millburn was the sort of place a young woman might go all the way to England to find - if she were in search of escape from a tragic love affair into the therapy of hard work, as was Celeste DuBraud, a pretty young American nurse. Millburn was a British mental hospital, and Celeste so she thought was to become a member of the staff. But hope quickly turned to horror.

“The door opened. Celeste hesitated, listening. The footsteps could still be heard, climbing. She moved through the opening and quietly closed the door behind her. Turning, she saw a window, tall and narrow, its collage of colored panes brightened by moonlight. Pressing flat against a wall, Celeste fled from the doorway, seeking the darkest darkness.

“She found herself in a corner. Here, the blackness was total. This was where she would make her stand. She crouched, making herself small, readying herself to spring forward and flee if the opportunity came. Cocked and silent, she listened. Nothing. Had the stalker turned back? Too much to hope for. He had probably reached the door and stopped, listening before entering. Or maybe he was still on the steps and she could no longer hear the footfalls because of the closed door that now stood between her and the sounds.

“Time plodded by, heavily pregnant but never conceiving, Celeste's thighs cramped. She adjusted her position, straightening a bit and going forward onto her knees. Why was he delaying? Why couldn't she even hear him anymore? Had he failed to find the door? But surely he didn't think she had vanished into thin air. Was he taunting her, enjoying her fear? Why in God's name didn't he get it over with?