Read Online Into the Forest Shadows by J.A. Marlow - Free Book Online Page A

with a text editor.
    A new window appeared in the middle of the
screen.
    "Sorry to disappoint you, Shadows. Go back to
your allies and inform them you failed. All the information you
seek has been destroyed. And, Travis, dear, if you are reading
this, a bit of advice: Stay away from my daughter and
grand-daughter. Or several planetary authorities might learn about
activities you would prefer no one know about."
    Kate quickly closed the window and backed out
of all the files.
    "What is wrong?" the fake Grandma asked.
    And Kate knew she was fake. Her real Grandma
could have moved in and out of the system in her sleep. The voice,
the way of talking, the way she guarded the door.
    "A glitch," Kate said quickly. "I'm running a
utility to see if a storage drive failed."
    She started a utility she knew wouldn't help
anything, but it displayed a large colorful moving graph that would
fool the person behind.
    "Wonderful, dear."
    Her real Grandma erased everything, on
purpose. Where was Grandma now? Who was the imposter behind her? Or
creature? And what did Grandma mean by "Shadows"? The questions
made her shiver.
    The program dinged as it reached one of the
levels.
    Somehow she had to get out of this house and
before Ayden returned with Bunbun.
    But how to get out of the room and alone long
enough to make her escape?
    Kate stood up, pushing a key to make the
computer emit a noise. "There, that will take a few minutes."
    "Success?" Grandma asked.
    "I won't know until this is done," Kate moved
forward with sure steps, hoping her face didn't betray her
nervousness. "Bathroom time. I'll be right back."
    The fake Grandma backed up, glancing down the
hallway, "Ah yes. The bathing room."
    "Maybe you could make some tea while we wait?
We can drink while we wait on the computer," Kate said, making it
to the safety of the main hall bathroom.
    Kate closed and locked the door behind her
quickly without waiting for an answer. She flipped on the light and
turned on the fan. Only then did she give a sigh of relief.
    Part one finished. Now to get out of the
house.
    She tried her phone one last time. Nope, no
signal. She put it away.
    She turned on the water at the faucet and
moved to the window at the back of the sprawling bathroom. She
pushed aside the bright-colored curtains and stood on an upended
garbage pail.
    With the windowsill digging into her stomach,
she pulled, pushed and wriggled her way through. She kicked out
with a leg, tipping over the other side.
    Kate caught herself with her palms in the
dirt. One leg came free. She braced herself and kicked free her
other foot. She rolled through the flower bed.
    Now to get away from the house. Kate crouched
down and started running past the darkened windows, glad hardly any
lights illuminated the outside. She went around the back side of
the tree, staying away from the front where the fake Grandma might
be lurking.
    Once around the house she straightened and
broke out into a full run out into the main orchard. She tripped on
a root, caught herself, and kept running. Her eyes scoured the
orchard for Ayden.
    No sign of any bunts. Did Grandma have one of
the Trailing Willows in her orchard? She didn't recall seeing any,
but then she'd had no reason to look for them. Now the trees around
her took on a whole new meaning.
    No sign of Ayden anywhere. Kate continued
deeper into the orchard.
    "Bunbun, stop playing," she heard Ayden
say.
    She turned towards his voice, tripping over
one of Grandma's many sensor units.
    "Kate, is that you?" Ayden called out.
    "Keep your voice down," Kate hissed. She
stumbled again and found her footing only after digging a hand into
the dirt.
    "I should have known. Only you are so noisy
going through the woods," Ayden said. She found him kneeling next
to the roots of a tree. "Why are you out here?"
    Kate leaned up against the tree. "Something
horrible has happen."
    A little squeak from the roots and Ayden's
hand shot out. "Got you! Now, no more playing, Bunbun. Good