43
A crowd assembled close by, more people joining every passing second, muttering incoherently, but Richard sensed their anger, their hatred.
Men hoisted him to his feet, a mere rag, all strength having slipped away. The inevitability of it all overwhelmed him, the futility of any more resistance. They had won. He realized that now.
The face before him told him what he already knew.
There could never be any escape, not until this recurring nightmare had ended.
Edwin’s grandfather grinned; more a snarl really, malevolence etched into every line of his face. “Ah, Richard. We meet again.”
Richard shook his head weakly. “I …I don’t understand.”
A hand came and rested on his cheek. A cool hand, not filled with evil and malcontent like the others. He turned, and large doe eyes looked up
