"Close it!" Sterling yelled.
Workmen lifted the heavy, cracked lid. They moved to slide it back over the coffin.
The shadow fell over Cedric's face.
Hhhhhuuuh!
The sound was terrible. It was the sound of a vacuum seal breaking. A desperate, violent intake of air.
The workmen jumped. The lid slipped from their wet hands. It crashed down, landing squarely on Cedric's shins.
The pain did what the adrenaline couldn't.
Cedric sat up.
He didn't rise gracefully. He jackknifed upward, stiff as a board. His eyes were wide open, the pupils blown so large his eyes looked black.
He stared straight ahead, seeing nothing.
The room went dead silent.
Hermina let out a small squeak and slumped to the floor in a dead faint.
"Cedric?" Beatrice fell to her knees in the water.
Cedric blinked. Once. Twice.
He turned his head slowly. The movement was mechanical. He looked at the water dripping from the ceiling. He looked at the guests cowering by the door.
Then he looked at Delphine.
Delphine was being held by two guards, her hair plastered to her face, her dress torn.
Recognition flickered in his dead eyes. He saw the situation. He saw the threat.
He opened his mouth. His voice sounded like gravel grinding together.
"Let. Her. Go."
It wasn't a shout. It was a command. Low, flat, and hoarse.
The guards dropped Delphine's arms as if she were on fire.
Delphine stumbled forward. She didn't act crazy this time. She ran to him. She grabbed his wet sleeve.
"Bad witch tried to bury us!" She pointed at Hermina's unconscious form.
Cedric looked at Hermina. He looked at Dr. Sterling.
He tried to stand, but his legs failed him. He sat on the edge of the coffin, swinging his legs out.
He stared at Sterling.
"Mr. Hays..." Sterling stammered, backing away. "It was a mistake... the vitals were..."
Cedric raised a hand. Silence.
He turned to the head of security.
"Lock the doors," Cedric said. His voice was weak but carried an unmistakable authority.
The guard hesitated. He looked at Hermina, then at the man who had just risen from the dead.
"Do I look dead to you?" Cedric asked softly.
The guard swallowed hard. He ran to the double doors.
Click. Clack.
The bolts slid home.
They were locked in.
