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Something clattered to the ground, a shrill, snapping sound that made her whip-turn toward it. About ten feet away, a tin can rolled in a lazy half circle.
Right on cue, her light caught the glint of blinking eyes, gazing out from the shutters. Bingo. Jenny was cornered now. Forgetting the ants, Eve tiptoed over, wrapped her hand around the knob, swung it open, and— Empty.
Where was Charlie?
Relief, warm and soothing, washed over Eve like a tidal wave.
She remembered her father’s three golden rules for a conflict-free meal: No politics. No more than two drinks. And no politics.
A
look that dared Paige to keep on talking. Seconds dragged by like minutes until, at last, Paige looked away and returned to eating, acting like nothing had happened.
Eve supposed she could handle one night of strangers under the roof. Besides, the weather was set to clear by sunrise. Still, she deserved some kind of medal, or maybe a story in the local paper: “Heroic Pagans Shelter Religious Fanatics from Winter Storm.” Either way, this family would be gone first thing in the morning— You sure about that?
Shylo whimpered. The dog stood at the far end of the room, tail straight, nose pointed toward the foyer.
“Alison believed something in the house, or the house itself, was toying with her. Altering her reality, bit by bit.
“I guess.” After another short silence: “What do you think happened with his sister?” “Definitely some kind of psychosis,” Charlie said. Of course, the possibility of anything supernatural hadn’t even broached her stratosphere. Not even for a second.
The pursuers are near,
The whole ordeal would become nothing more than a weird campfire story: the family with the sleepwalking father and the hide-and-seek daughter.
the basement door was cracked open.
two hollow knocks echoed.
There was no way that was a trick of the light.
“Charlie?” He flipped an egg. “She said she had an urgent meeting? Thought she would’ve let you know…”
“I need to borrow a phone.” Thomas shook his head. “We, uh, we don’t have phones.” She blinked at him, unbelieving.
“They— They must’ve switched it out,” she said, sounding unconvinced by her own reasoning. Charlie, despite her stubborn rationality, was clearly spooked. A rare sight. Her eyes, a touch wider than usual, gave it away; she had just witnessed something that didn’t align with her understanding of reality.
All seemed calm. Calm and quiet—both things that only served to heighten Eve’s anxiety.
tucked away the quarter,
