ARRvol34 master reduced - Flipbook - Page 41
corner of his eye, Lucy looked much bigger than a little girl. She was
watching him almost predatorily, as he had been watching her only
moments before. He caught a glimpse of the ceiling again, of the
rope. What had he done?
“Rats! Did it spoil?” Lucy perched up on her toes to try to get a
look. “Let me see!”
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he
lowered the tin to Lucy’s eye level. She peered in at the contents
and frowned.
“Oh, it’s almost out. Don’t worry about that,” Lucy said dismissively.
“There’s enough for the three of us. My mommy’s probably got that
on her list for the store anyways.”
There was an all-too familiar tightening around his neck, making
it difficult to breathe. None of this was right, none of this was normal. The thing beside him, the not-so-little girl, was watching him
with the ghost of a smile on her lips. Whatever this Boarding House
held did not mean well for him. It was dredging up memories that
should have stayed hidden.
A shuffling sound behind him made him jump and drop the tin.
Behind him, crawling out from the shadows of the faraway hallways,
were the other visitors. All of their faces were tilted skyward, as if
they were searching for light and air. He could see the desperation
in their eyes. He could smell the rot in their skin.
He was not one of them. He couldn’t be.
“Hey,” Lucy said, her voice low, “You can stay if you want. As long
as you make things right before my mommy comes.”
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