B007Q4JDEM EBOK by K.A. Poe Read Free Book Online Page A

at least seen a TV before.”
    “I'm 126 years old Alexis, of course I have seen a television,” h e shook his head at me. “I just wasn't expecting it to come on.”
    I wasn't paying attention; I was watching the TV intently. The slick-haired man behind the screen was talking about an incident in Denver, Colorado. My heart was beating rapidly as I stared. Salem came up behind me.
    “What is it?” h e asked, watching the screen.
    I tuned out his voice and heard only the rough voice of the news reporter.
    “Two hours ago, at the Denver Zoo, a black bear escaped its holding pens while a zookeeper was placing food in its enclosur e,” he spoke quickly, “t he woman was found brutally attacked within the bear's exhibit. We are still unsure how the bear escaped.”
    My heart sunk as a picture of a woman was pulled up on the screen. “No!” I screamed.
    Salem's voice reached my ears again. “Alexis...” It was merely a gentle whisper, right behind my ear.
    “No! Don't you dare speak to me or touch me!” I shouted, pushing him away. “Mark did this! I know it!”
    He looked taken aback by my assumpti on. “You think Mark did this?” h e frowned. “We aren't like that, Alexis. There is no evidence that he had any involvement, clearly it was a bear attack.”
    “That doesn't make him innocent! It could all be some sort of cover up!”
    “You a re just upset because he took her from you.”
    “That has nothing to do with it!” Or did it? It was more Paul's fault than Mark’s wasn't it? I fell back on the sofa. “Did it say...did it say if she was still alive?”
    “I didn' t hear anything about her dying,” h e sat beside me on the faux leather couch. “I assure you, it has nothing to do with Mark.”
    “I won't believe it until I h ear it from mom – Janet, I mean, ” This was going to take a while to get used to.
    “Why don't you call her?” h e suggested.
    “Right, ” I nodded, relaxing just a little as I stood up and got the cordless phone from the kitchen. So much for crude accusations the first time I called her after she left. I dialed her cell phone number. It rang once. Twice. Three times.
    “Hello?” a deep male's voice replied.
    “Is Janet there ?” I said.
    “ She can’t come to the phone right now . Who is this?”
    “This is her daughter, ” I said, ignoring the fact that I wasn't her daughter. “Please, put her on the phone.”
    “She's a little groggy right now, but I'll see if she is willing.”
    “Thank you, ” I said.
    Silence followed, and then muffled voices in the background.
    “Alexis?” h er voice was different, scared , weak , “I was about to have Mark call you.”
    “How are you?” I felt relieved to hear her voice, but something about the way she spoke made me uneasy.
    “I have been better , ” I heard her laugh, which was cut through with a hoarse cough and groan. “Happy birthday, sweetie.”
    “Thanks, mom...” I muttered. “Tell me what happened.”
    I heard the muffled voice of Mark in the background but I couldn't decipher what he was saying. “I was feeding the brown bears, when one of them must have gotten loose-”
    I broke her off suddenly. “The newsman said black bears.”
    “Right...” she trailed off, “black bears. My mind is a bit hazy right now.”
    “Did Mark do something to you?” I asked anxiously.
    “Of course not!” h er voice sounded unconvincin g, almost as anxious as my own, “h e's right here with me in the hospital, making sure I'm taken care of.”
    “How badly were you hurt, are you going to be okay ?”
    “It's not as bad as the TV might make it sound. It's just a few scratches really .”
    “The news reporter said you were brutally injured.”
    “The TV was over-exaggerating.” Janet's voice was replaced by the deep male again. “Janet needs her rest. I'll have her call you back when she is feeling better .”
    He hung up. I crumbled onto the sofa, bawling my eyes out in frustration.
    “What did she