Norman took the glass from the woman's hold and placed it aside. "You have done well by staying alive till I return." He told her. "As a reward, I won't dump your body in the valley for the ghost to feed on." His finger trailed the side of her face, and her entire body shook in fear.
He stood briefly to grab a knife and another tiny cloth from the table, but before returning to the woman's side, his eyes found the portrait of his wife that hung on the wall.
Her smile was wide and beautiful. He stared at it for long as if willing for it to come alive. "She was so kind, yet she died in that accident." A sad smile marred his expression. "She is the only one allowed to have a beautiful smile. Not you, not anyone else." She should have been happy with me.
His unfeeling eyes shifted away from the portrait to the woman, who now scampered to the wall as if that would save her.
Walking back to her, he pushed the cloth into her mouth and said, "Let's begin, shall we?" He smiled.
