Read Online After Dark by James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall - Free Book Online Page B

thing I kept one hand free. Otherwise you’d be stuck out here for who knows how long.”
    â€œYou’re a genius, bro,” he said, marching inside and down the hallway to the kitchen.
    â€œSarcasm isn’t your thing, John-John,” I said, following behind him. “Leave that to me and Lilith.”
    â€œWhat?” Lilith grumbled. She was standing in the far corner of the kitchen, in front of a door that was only about four feet high. The paint cans she’d been carrying were at her feet, and she was holding a flashlight.
    â€œDid those cans get too heavy for you, Lilith?” I asked.
    â€œI’ve finished four triathlons this year, Charlie. I think I can handle it.”
    â€œDid you carry any paint cans during your precious triathlons?”
    She frowned and handed me the flashlight. “Here — you have an extra hand.”
    â€œAnd a good thing, too,” I said. “Otherwise, who would be here to carry flashlights and open doors?”
    Lilith growled a little, opened the door and then picked up her paint cans. “After you,” she said, nodding into the darkness.
    I turned the flashlight on and aimed it inside. About twelve wooden planks, masquerading as stairs, led down to a dirt floor. The ceiling over the stairs was only slightly higher than the door, maybe five feet high, and the walls were so close together that Johnny and Lilith would have to walk sideways in order to get the cans down the stairs. It looked more like a narrow chute than a stairway.
    â€œMove it, bro,” Johnny said, nudging me forward.
    â€œHow long since anyone’s been down there?” I asked.
    â€œGo!” Lilith barked, and pushed forward until I was forced to step through the door and onto the first stair. It creaked and bent a little under my foot, but it didn’t break.
    â€œI don’t think we should —” I started, but they were pressing in from behind, so I had to keep going.
    I moved quickly, the stairs groaning under me, and was surprised when I reached the bottom without a broken ankle. It smelled like dirt down there, but it was damp and cool, which was a nice break from the heat.
    â€œWell,” I said, “I guess we can leave the cans here.”
    â€œNot here,” Lilith said. “We keep going until we get to a door.”
    â€œYeah, Mom gave me the key,” Johnny added.
    â€œAnd you’re going to follow orders like a good little Johnny, aren’t you?”
    â€œKeep moving!” Lilith barked.
    I shuffled down the passage for about twenty feet before I had to take a left. The stone walls seemed like they were closing in on us ever so slightly with each step. By the time we finally arrived at an ancient-looking wooden door, I was feeling a little cramped and a whole lot claustrophobic.
    â€œDo you have the key?” I asked.
    There was no way for Johnny to squeeze by me, so he handed it over. The key was long, made out of iron or steel and felt cool and significant in my hand. I’d just slipped it into the keyhole, when a small herd of mice darted across my foot and went squealing down the passage behind us.
    â€œI think we’re going to need to buy a cat or three before the guests arrive,” I said.
    â€œJust open the door,” Lilith snapped.
    I opened it, and we shuffled into a room that felt big. I couldn’t really tell how big because it was pitch-black inside, except for a thin slash of light that seemed to be floating in the far right corner. Below it, the dirt floor was cut by a similar slash of light.
    â€œThat’s got to be the door to the backyard,” Lilith said, putting her cans down and snatching the flashlight out of my hand.
    â€œWhy didn’t we just come in there?” I asked.
    â€œBecause it’s bolted from the inside,” Johnny said, dropping his cans and following Lilith.
    â€œOf course it is,” I said, putting down my can of paint and