The Burning Girl by Lisa Unger Read Free Book Online Page B

eight-year-old, a superstar reader, stellar student. Eloise badly wanted this not to be happening, and a very base part of her thought about trying to talk the girl out of it.
    She could say something like: “We all have dreams, they don’t always mean anything. This was just a coincidence.” But that would be a lie. The truth was that, at Agatha’s behest, Eloise had done some research into her genealogy. Whatever it was, it came through her mother’s side. It wasn’t an accident. It was in her DNA. The history was an ugly one, and Eloise had not shared it with Amanda.
    “Well, Finley,” Eloise said, “it’s so sweet of you to worry about your Mimi, but I’m okay.”
    “Mom’s upset,” said Finley. There was a note of prepubescent disdain, however slight. The girl was blonde like her mother, with big dark eyes. She was tiny and pale, but as powerful as a stick of dynamite, and funny, and wild. “She doesn’t like it. But it’s not our fault.”
    Eloise smiled. Children were so much more accepting of their circumstances than adults. Adults railed and raged, tried to change, control, and deny. Children had no idea how things were supposed to be . They only knew how things were. They worked with that.
    “Is this the first time something like this dream has happened?” Eloise asked.
    “Maybe,” Finley said. She sighed. “I don’t know. Sometimes I see things.”
    Eloise put her head in her hands. She was glad Finley wasn’t there to see her face, which must have registered her fear, her sadness. She wouldn’t have wished this on anyone.
    “What kind of things?”
    “People,” she said. “Dreams that come in the daytime. Dreams that aren’t about me. But I don’t fall down like you do.”
    Oh, Lord , thought Eloise.
    “Finley, listen to Mimi,” she said. “Try not to pay too much attention to the dreams just yet, okay? They’re not bad or wrong. Just try to ignore them for now.”
    “I do,” she said. She was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing. She was used to it, apparently. “I can’t remember them when they’re over. Except for the one about you.”
    “You saw me fall?”
    “Yeah,” she said. “I was in the bathroom with you.”
    She seemed like she was going to say more, but then she didn’t. Eloise heard her yawn. It was late.
    “We’ll have to talk about this more,” said Eloise, trying to sound light, unconcerned. “Maybe I’ll come visit you.”
    “Okay,” Finley said. She sounded tired now.
    “Go to bed,” said Eloise. “It’s a school night.”
    “Okay,” she said. “But Mimi?”
    “Yes, kitten?”
    “Stay away from The Burning Girl.”
    Eloise’s whole body tingled. “I will.”
    Eloise talked to Amanda, who was apoplectic with worry and sadness. How can this be happening? This is a nightmare? Oh, God, Mom, what should I do? But there was none of the blame Eloise expected. Of course, Eloise was doing enough blaming for both of them. What was she carrying in her DNA? How much harm would it bring to her family? What would it mean for Finley, starting so young? She really needed to talk to Agatha. Eloise would call her in the morning. And she had to make plans to go out to see her daughter.
    • • •
    Ray spent the night. And in the morning, Eloise smelled burning toast and heard him crashing around the kitchen. He always tried to make breakfast, which was sweet. But the food he prepared was terrible; he had absolutely no experience in the kitchen. Eloise even had to teach him how to run the dishwasher.
    She was groggy, her head pounding. Thoughts of Finley and Ella and The Burning Girl were on an endless loop in her worried mind.
    What had she been supposed to do? How had she failed? She had failed before, been wrong before, been unable to determine the reason for her visions. She had often tried to help people who didn’t want to be helped. She was getting better at letting go, but it wasn’t easy. It’s just like being a doctor , Agatha had