somewhere.”
They searched all around the doorframe and then went back into the kitchen to look. There was a key rack hanging near the back door, but it was empty.
“Well, I guess it’s the back door, then,” Daisy said, giving up on the search. “At least we know that one’s open, since we couldn’t lock it without a key.”
Molloy knew Daisy didn’t want to go out back, didn’t want to have to pass the woodbox. She didn’t blame her. But what choice did they have?
Daisy, her face pale, shrugged and went straight to the back door. Saying, “Here goes nothing!” she released the chain and turned the doorknob.
Although Daisy tugged on the door, it didn’t open.
“What’s going on?” Molloy said, moving forward to stand at Daisy’s side,
Daisy went through the same ritual she’d performed on the front door, to no avail. The door was immovable.
Without even turning around, Daisy sagged against the door and said, “It’s not going to open. It’s either locked from the outside or nailed shut.”
“Nailed shut? On the outside?”
Daisy turned around, her face red from her efforts. “That’s what it feels like. There were a lot of old, deserted buildings in my neighborhood. When the absentee owners got tired of us kids hanging around their property, they came over and nailed all of the doors and windows shut.” She added grimly as she walked to the sink to stare at the wall of windows behind it, “If someone had been inside those buildings when the boards went up over the doors and the nails went in,” turning again to direct a level gaze at Molloy, “they would have been trapped.”
“Trapped?” Molloy stared at Daisy. “But …”
“It’s probably not nailed shut,” Daisy said quickly. “But it sure is locked. And it wasn’t when we came back in from the woodbox. I’ll have to go out a window.” But the look on her face was not optimistic as her eyes returned to the windows.
“Check them,” Molloy urged, guessing what Daisy was thinking. “At least check them.”
Daisy hauled a wooden chair over to the sink and stood on it to examine the windows. Her shoulders slumped. She turned her head toward Molloy who was standing behind her aiming the flashlight forward. “Well,” Daisy said, her voice bleak, “now we know what all that hammering was.”
Disbelieving, Molloy rushed to join Daisy at the sink, climbed up on the chair beside her, leaned forward anxiously to see for herself.
Every window had been nailed shut.
Daisy jumped down, hurried to the door, removed the tape holding the frying pan, peered out through the hole. “It’s not barred,” she said as she taped the pan back into place. “There wasn’t time to nail a board across the door. But it is locked, which means someone has a key. Someone who doesn’t want us leaving,”
Then she turned around to face Molloy. Leaning against the door, her face drained of color and looking pinched, Daisy said wearily, “We can’t leave. We’re trapped in here.”
Chapter 13
I ’M IN CHARGE NOW.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone here in this dismal place. I’m here. I’m right here, listening, even watching sometimes. Like now.
The girl with the frizzy blonde hair all wet and curly around her face looks mad. The other girl, the pretty one in the long skirt, looks like a trapped animal.
They can’t believe the windows are nailed shut.
They’ll start looking for another way out now, but they won’t find one. This is my territory, and I know my way around. Wherever they are, I’ll be somewhere else. Except, of course, when I’m picking them off, one by one, like apples from a tree.
This might be fun, after all. Hadn’t planned on it, of course. But now it feels kind of like a game. Entertainment for a rainy night. If they hadn’t come along, what would I be doing? Hanging around this place waiting for the roads to open.
I know exactly which one to get rid of first. It’ll be as easy as stealing grapes at the
They searched all around the doorframe and then went back into the kitchen to look. There was a key rack hanging near the back door, but it was empty.
“Well, I guess it’s the back door, then,” Daisy said, giving up on the search. “At least we know that one’s open, since we couldn’t lock it without a key.”
Molloy knew Daisy didn’t want to go out back, didn’t want to have to pass the woodbox. She didn’t blame her. But what choice did they have?
Daisy, her face pale, shrugged and went straight to the back door. Saying, “Here goes nothing!” she released the chain and turned the doorknob.
Although Daisy tugged on the door, it didn’t open.
“What’s going on?” Molloy said, moving forward to stand at Daisy’s side,
Daisy went through the same ritual she’d performed on the front door, to no avail. The door was immovable.
Without even turning around, Daisy sagged against the door and said, “It’s not going to open. It’s either locked from the outside or nailed shut.”
“Nailed shut? On the outside?”
Daisy turned around, her face red from her efforts. “That’s what it feels like. There were a lot of old, deserted buildings in my neighborhood. When the absentee owners got tired of us kids hanging around their property, they came over and nailed all of the doors and windows shut.” She added grimly as she walked to the sink to stare at the wall of windows behind it, “If someone had been inside those buildings when the boards went up over the doors and the nails went in,” turning again to direct a level gaze at Molloy, “they would have been trapped.”
“Trapped?” Molloy stared at Daisy. “But …”
“It’s probably not nailed shut,” Daisy said quickly. “But it sure is locked. And it wasn’t when we came back in from the woodbox. I’ll have to go out a window.” But the look on her face was not optimistic as her eyes returned to the windows.
“Check them,” Molloy urged, guessing what Daisy was thinking. “At least check them.”
Daisy hauled a wooden chair over to the sink and stood on it to examine the windows. Her shoulders slumped. She turned her head toward Molloy who was standing behind her aiming the flashlight forward. “Well,” Daisy said, her voice bleak, “now we know what all that hammering was.”
Disbelieving, Molloy rushed to join Daisy at the sink, climbed up on the chair beside her, leaned forward anxiously to see for herself.
Every window had been nailed shut.
Daisy jumped down, hurried to the door, removed the tape holding the frying pan, peered out through the hole. “It’s not barred,” she said as she taped the pan back into place. “There wasn’t time to nail a board across the door. But it is locked, which means someone has a key. Someone who doesn’t want us leaving,”
Then she turned around to face Molloy. Leaning against the door, her face drained of color and looking pinched, Daisy said wearily, “We can’t leave. We’re trapped in here.”
Chapter 13
I ’M IN CHARGE NOW.
Don’t worry, you’re not alone here in this dismal place. I’m here. I’m right here, listening, even watching sometimes. Like now.
The girl with the frizzy blonde hair all wet and curly around her face looks mad. The other girl, the pretty one in the long skirt, looks like a trapped animal.
They can’t believe the windows are nailed shut.
They’ll start looking for another way out now, but they won’t find one. This is my territory, and I know my way around. Wherever they are, I’ll be somewhere else. Except, of course, when I’m picking them off, one by one, like apples from a tree.
This might be fun, after all. Hadn’t planned on it, of course. But now it feels kind of like a game. Entertainment for a rainy night. If they hadn’t come along, what would I be doing? Hanging around this place waiting for the roads to open.
I know exactly which one to get rid of first. It’ll be as easy as stealing grapes at the
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