A Whispered Darkness by Vanessa Barger Read Free Book Online Page B

before. Eventually I’d slip up and know something I shouldn’t, and the rumors would start. Until then, I could pretend I was normal.
    “Well, I like you.”
    I laughed. “Thanks.”
    He paused in the middle of the room. “Have you noticed Mom lately? She’s seriously wrapped up in this place.”
    I followed him to the door. “I know.”
    Mom had gone from being a little obsessed to borderline freaky. She went into work to set up her schedule and then to stop to talk to the real estate agent about the junk in the house and the keys. She’d shown more interest in the keys than anything else, getting seriously angry when the real estate agent refused to come out to the house. He’d spent fifteen minutes on the phone with her, citing several important appointments which could not be missed. No matter how much she yelled, he wouldn’t budge.
    Mom had muttered some choice words about his work ethic. In the end she decided to wait and get the keys for the extra rooms and talk to him about the junk upstairs when she had to go into work for her first day.
    “I have to tell you, Sis, as far as I’m concerned, school can’t start soon enough. At least then we won’t be trapped in this place.”
    As if she’d heard us talking, Mom’s voice echoed upstairs. “Grant! Claire! Great news!”
    With a half-smile, I clapped Grant on the back. “Me too.”
     
    ***
     
    Mom walked into the living room, brandishing an old skeleton key over her head like a wand. “Tada! Come on, we’re checking out those back rooms.”
    She didn’t give us time to answer, just continued down the hallway. Grant and I followed, exchanging a glance. When we didn’t move fast enough, she called our names again. Once we were within sight, she slid the key in and twisted, throwing the door open dramatically. Cold air blew thin fingers through my hair, stale odors of damp and yellowed paper sticking inside my nose.
    She stepped back, clapping her hands. “Look at it.”
    “I’m not seeing what you are,” I said. “It’s a ton of junk we have to get rid of and clean up.”
    “This is history . Someone’s life in these old papers and boxes,” Mom scolded, moving into the room. For a second, her eyes seemed to change. They darkened, the color almost black. I blinked, and the effect was gone. I shook my head. Too much paranoia.
    Phantom fingers brushed down my spine and I lurched forward, farther into the room. When I glanced behind me, Grant’s face was white, jaw clenched tight.
    He saw me staring and took a heavy step forward, his eyes narrowed on Mom’s shoulders. He released a long breath, and I turned my attention to where he was looking.
    Mom stood in front of the desk, already flipping through a stack of brittle papers. The cold back here brought goose bumps to my arms and I resisted the urge to hug myself. Something watched us back here. There was an uncomfortable itch between my shoulder blades. Whatever was here knew I felt it, and it enjoyed my discomfort.
    Beside me, Grant made a small grunt and spun. Mom looked up with a frown. “What is the matter, Grant?”
    He shrugged, keeping his eyes down. “Spider, I think.”
    “We can’t possibly tackle this before school starts.” I wanted out of here, and I knew Grant did as well. “The first day is tomorrow, and Grant and I still have to sort through the box of school supplies tonight.”
    Mom ran her hands over the edge of a dusty, deteriorating box. “I know.” Her voice was wistful. “But I can get started on this tomorrow while you’re at school. I’m going to be working the night shifts at the factory, so I’ll do it during the day in my free time.”
    “What did the real estate guy say about it? Are we supposed to be saving it for someone?” Grant sounded like it hurt to spit the words out.
    “It’s ours,” Mom hissed. Her fist slammed on the box top, dislodging a puff of dust. There was a hungry, violent edge to the glare she shot the two of us.
    Silence