[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Did you ask Caro this?
Michaela nodded. Yes, but we didn t get a real chance to think about
it. She said it started a few months ago. Can you remember anything that
might have happened then?
To Caro, you mean?
Well, mostly, because it s undoubtedly centred around her. But not
just her. Anything at all out of the ordinary that happened then.
Three months ago would have been July. She shook her head. Can t
think of a damned thing.
Michaela s eyes were sore. She squeezed them closed and told herself
she was going to have to go to the optometrist sooner or later. Sooner
would be best. She shut down her laptop. I need a break, she said. And
I need to talk to Caro. The answer s going to lie with her, I m sure of it.
75
Trisha came over and looked at Caro still sleeping on the couch. Why
her, do you think? She s just your usual kid, you know. Brighter than
you want to think about, but she s a good kid.
Michaela nodded. I like her a lot, she said. But the phenomenon are
focused around her, you can t deny that.
Trisha leaned against Michaela. Maybe babe, but I sure don t have to
like it. She pointed at the photo frozen on the screen of Caro s computer.
And I sure as fuck don t have to like that. That s way worse than any-
thing that s happened before.
It s escalating, Michaela said.
What do you mean?
The first time I came here, I saw that shadow in the hallway. I thought
at the time that it was deliberately letting me see it, but I m beginning to
wonder if instead it was taking a look at me. She gestured at the picture.
Now this, it s like they re gathering, and not only gathering, but show-
ing us. Like a show of strength.
Like for some sort of showdown, you mean?
Michaela frowned. I m not sure what I mean, she said. I m pretty
much just thinking out loud. But yeah, you may be right for some sort
of showdown.
I gotta say, Michaela, that doesn t sound good to me. She looked at
Michaela, her face serious. I think we should pack up and get out of
here.
There was movement from the couch and Caro s head appeared.
Where are you going? she asked, sounding panicked.
Trisha shook her head. Nowhere, she said. Nowhere without you
anyway. Michaela and I were just discussing whether we would be bet-
ter off getting out of the house for a while.
Caro came over and shuddered at the picture on her laptop. Where
would we go? she asked.
Michaela interrupted. I don t think we need to go anywhere, she said,
hoping like hell she was right. I think we should just get on with things
like normal.
Trish looked annoyed. Look at that photo, babe. There s nothing fuck-
ing normal about that. I don t know. I really don t know that we should
stay here.
Caro cleared her throat. When she spoke her voice was unsteady. That
photo scares me, she said.
Trisha put her arms around her. You and me both, she said.
76
Michaela stared at the picture. Then at the room around them. Were
the shadows in the picture still in the room? Were they clustered around
the walls and corners, perhaps listening in to their conversation? She
didn t know. She couldn t see anything.
In stories, shadows like those usually cluster around areas where bad
things have happened or are going to happen. They re the spirits that
feed off disaster, and the spirits that take us down to hell.
Trisha and Caro were staring at her in horror. She shouldn t have said
that out loud. She tried to make it better. But that s only in stories and
horror movies. She looked at Caro. You ve read the accounts on those
websites. They re everywhere and nothing ever seems to happen around
them.
But Caro was shaking her head. But we don t know that for sure, she
said. Just because the people who saw them didn t say anything doesn t
mean that nothing happened. They could have gotten sick, or had bad
dreams, or argued with each other, and just never put two and two to-
gether. She turned to Trisha. Why are they here? she asked. Why are
they after me?
Trisha blanched. We don t know they re after you, she said. We
don t know anything about them. She looked at Michaela. But I ll tell
you one thing we are not staying here any longer. No way. Not now
I ve seen that photo.
Caro turned to Michaela. Is that right? Are we going to find some-
where else to stay?
Michaela shrugged. What if they follow us? she asked.
77
Chapter 25
h for fucks sakes, Trisha said. That is not helping, Michaela.
O What re you trying to do scare us half to fucking death?
Michaela looked at Caro who was standing with her sister s arm
wrapped protectively around her, her face frozen in fright. She didn t
want to scare them, not any more than they already were. But she did
think she had a better chance of getting a look at these shadow things if
they stayed here.
I m not trying to make it worse, she said after a minute. How about a
compromise?
Trisha raised her eyebrows.
We stay here tonight, I spend the night keeping watch in Caro s room,
and tomorrow if you still feel the same way, we can get rooms at the
hotel. What do you reckon?
Trisha shook her head. I reckon you re nuts. She pointed at the pic-
ture on Caro s laptop. Do you not see that? Does that not scare the shit
out of you?
Michaela looked again at the photo. It was frightening in some deep,
primal way, but on top of that Michaela felt a far more clear fascination.
That photo was amazing. The whole situation was amazing. She wished [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl exclamation.htw.pl
Did you ask Caro this?
Michaela nodded. Yes, but we didn t get a real chance to think about
it. She said it started a few months ago. Can you remember anything that
might have happened then?
To Caro, you mean?
Well, mostly, because it s undoubtedly centred around her. But not
just her. Anything at all out of the ordinary that happened then.
Three months ago would have been July. She shook her head. Can t
think of a damned thing.
Michaela s eyes were sore. She squeezed them closed and told herself
she was going to have to go to the optometrist sooner or later. Sooner
would be best. She shut down her laptop. I need a break, she said. And
I need to talk to Caro. The answer s going to lie with her, I m sure of it.
75
Trisha came over and looked at Caro still sleeping on the couch. Why
her, do you think? She s just your usual kid, you know. Brighter than
you want to think about, but she s a good kid.
Michaela nodded. I like her a lot, she said. But the phenomenon are
focused around her, you can t deny that.
Trisha leaned against Michaela. Maybe babe, but I sure don t have to
like it. She pointed at the photo frozen on the screen of Caro s computer.
And I sure as fuck don t have to like that. That s way worse than any-
thing that s happened before.
It s escalating, Michaela said.
What do you mean?
The first time I came here, I saw that shadow in the hallway. I thought
at the time that it was deliberately letting me see it, but I m beginning to
wonder if instead it was taking a look at me. She gestured at the picture.
Now this, it s like they re gathering, and not only gathering, but show-
ing us. Like a show of strength.
Like for some sort of showdown, you mean?
Michaela frowned. I m not sure what I mean, she said. I m pretty
much just thinking out loud. But yeah, you may be right for some sort
of showdown.
I gotta say, Michaela, that doesn t sound good to me. She looked at
Michaela, her face serious. I think we should pack up and get out of
here.
There was movement from the couch and Caro s head appeared.
Where are you going? she asked, sounding panicked.
Trisha shook her head. Nowhere, she said. Nowhere without you
anyway. Michaela and I were just discussing whether we would be bet-
ter off getting out of the house for a while.
Caro came over and shuddered at the picture on her laptop. Where
would we go? she asked.
Michaela interrupted. I don t think we need to go anywhere, she said,
hoping like hell she was right. I think we should just get on with things
like normal.
Trish looked annoyed. Look at that photo, babe. There s nothing fuck-
ing normal about that. I don t know. I really don t know that we should
stay here.
Caro cleared her throat. When she spoke her voice was unsteady. That
photo scares me, she said.
Trisha put her arms around her. You and me both, she said.
76
Michaela stared at the picture. Then at the room around them. Were
the shadows in the picture still in the room? Were they clustered around
the walls and corners, perhaps listening in to their conversation? She
didn t know. She couldn t see anything.
In stories, shadows like those usually cluster around areas where bad
things have happened or are going to happen. They re the spirits that
feed off disaster, and the spirits that take us down to hell.
Trisha and Caro were staring at her in horror. She shouldn t have said
that out loud. She tried to make it better. But that s only in stories and
horror movies. She looked at Caro. You ve read the accounts on those
websites. They re everywhere and nothing ever seems to happen around
them.
But Caro was shaking her head. But we don t know that for sure, she
said. Just because the people who saw them didn t say anything doesn t
mean that nothing happened. They could have gotten sick, or had bad
dreams, or argued with each other, and just never put two and two to-
gether. She turned to Trisha. Why are they here? she asked. Why are
they after me?
Trisha blanched. We don t know they re after you, she said. We
don t know anything about them. She looked at Michaela. But I ll tell
you one thing we are not staying here any longer. No way. Not now
I ve seen that photo.
Caro turned to Michaela. Is that right? Are we going to find some-
where else to stay?
Michaela shrugged. What if they follow us? she asked.
77
Chapter 25
h for fucks sakes, Trisha said. That is not helping, Michaela.
O What re you trying to do scare us half to fucking death?
Michaela looked at Caro who was standing with her sister s arm
wrapped protectively around her, her face frozen in fright. She didn t
want to scare them, not any more than they already were. But she did
think she had a better chance of getting a look at these shadow things if
they stayed here.
I m not trying to make it worse, she said after a minute. How about a
compromise?
Trisha raised her eyebrows.
We stay here tonight, I spend the night keeping watch in Caro s room,
and tomorrow if you still feel the same way, we can get rooms at the
hotel. What do you reckon?
Trisha shook her head. I reckon you re nuts. She pointed at the pic-
ture on Caro s laptop. Do you not see that? Does that not scare the shit
out of you?
Michaela looked again at the photo. It was frightening in some deep,
primal way, but on top of that Michaela felt a far more clear fascination.
That photo was amazing. The whole situation was amazing. She wished [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]