Read Online Dollhouse by Anya Allyn - Free Book Online

imagine each square meter of hill as a search area, we checked each square thoroughly—looking for rock formations for edges that looked artificial or cut, or anything that looked like it had been covered over.
    For a while there, I almost convinced myself I was on some heroic quest—here to avenge the disappearance of my friend, to uncover every stone. The next hour, I knew I was just a stupid kid in the midst of an endless, rolling set of forests, and that was all.
    Lacey caught sight of Ethan running through the forests. We followed after him. Somehow, the rest of the day became all about following Ethan. We watched as he roamed the forests and climbed trees. We'd lose sight of him of him and find him again. We saw that he spent a lot of time high up in branches, though we didn't know what he was spying on.
     
    * * * *
     
    A bone-wrenching scream shocked me awake. I sat bolt upright, gulping quick breaths.
    Lacey drew her sleeping bag up around her chin. “You scared me! What’s up?”
    Ashen light filtered through the plastic window of the tent. It was morning, and it seemed I’d barely been asleep.
    “I thought I heard—something.” I rubbed my forehead. “Must have been dreaming.”
    Lacey and I pulled on our runners and crawled out of the tent. Outside, the world was tinted dark gray. Ethan splashed his bare torso with water at the river. His back and chest already looked thin and rangy.
    Lacey poured a tiny packet of long-life milk into a tiny packet of Coco Pops, and mixed it together with a spoon. She ate without expression, as though eating were a mere inconvenience.
    Ethan turned and gazed at me and Lacey for a moment, like an animal caught in a spotlight. He strode up to us, the whites of his eyes clear and large in the deep light. “I’m tracking Henry the rest of this week. Don’t get in my way or alert him that we’re here. And quit following me, will you?”
    Lacey tossed her empty cereal packet in the trash bag. “I’ve spotted you following us, too, from time to time."
    I stared at Ethan. I hadn’t even noticed him behind us at all yesterday.
    He shrugged at Lacey, avoiding my gaze.
    Lacey gave a low sigh. “This is pointless. We just spent a day chasing each other around out there in the forests.”
    "Yeah," I agreed. "None of this is helping to find Aisha."
    A humorless smile inched across Ethan's face. “Good. Let's agree on staying far away from each other.” 
    Lacey moved off to rummage for something in the tent.
    I laced my shoe. “Ethan, why are you following Henry? He wasn’t even here when Aish went missing.”
    “So what?” Ethan said. “Maybe he had something booby-trapped.”
    “That’s nuts. No one even comes this way.”
    “Maybe he was trying to trap animals—but he got Aisha instead.”
    I considered this for a moment. “It would be illegal to trap animals here. And anyway—that’s pretty far-fetched.”
    “Just do what I ask, and stay away. Let me do what I’ve got to do.”
    “We’ll do better. We’ll come too. Then we can't get in each other's way because we'll all be together.” I held Ethan’s gaze.
    The words had spilled out unchecked.
    Lacey stood behind me—her furry anorak in her hand.
    “What? Us? No way, Hosea.” Lacey marched into the forest.
    I found her with her back against a tree, struggling to do up the stuck zipper on her jacket. Her eyes were red.
    “I’m worried Ethan might crack and hurt Henry.” I fished a beanie from my pocket and pulled it over my ears. “He's been pretty weird. I just want to help him get through this. As a friend.”
    “I think we should pack up our tent and move it to another part of the forest.” Lacey’s voice trembled. “Leave Ethan to whatever crazy plan he has cooked up.”
    “Ethan’s hurting. Maybe pain just makes you act the way he has. I don't know.”
    She searched my face. “I’m starting to wonder if you like Ethan—as more than just a friend.”
     Biting my upper lip, I dug my