Read Online Rosecliff Manor Haunting by Cheryl Bradshaw - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cheryl Bradshaw
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“You’re busted, Viv! I got you! Boo-yah!”
Vivian’s head poked out from behind a painting of a fruit bowl slanted against the wall. “Take a chill pill, Grace. It’s just a stupid game. Don’t be such a cheese weasel.”
“Yeah, but I gotcha. You’re it!” Grace’s exuberance changed when her attention deviated to an object in Vivian’s hand. “What’s that?”
Vivian flattened one hand over the other, concealing the item between them. “What’s what?”
“What you’re holding in your hand. What is it?”
Vivian jerked her hand behind her back. “It’s nothin’. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worried . Tell me what it is.”
A boy popped out of a cardboard box a couple feet in front of Vivian. At least, Addison assumed he was a boy. He had light brown hair, parted in the center with layered, backward-facing curls framing his face. His long, feathered bangs fell over his eyes, making it impossible for Addison to get a good look at him. He patted down his back pockets, stuck out a hand, and said, “Hey, that’s mine. Give it back!”
“Give what back?” Vivian sneered. “ Thisss ?”
“You shouldn’t have … you shouldn’t have taken it. It’s not yours.”
“I didn’t take anything. You dropped it when you were hiding. I picked it up. Finders keepers.”
“It’s … that’s … not for you. Don’t open it.”
Vivian’s shoulders bobbed up and down. “Too late. Already did.”
The boy’s face reddened. “I’m not playing anymore, Viv. Give it back. Now. Stop horsing around.”
Vivian giggled, whinnied, and galloped to the other side of the room. The boy followed. Addison looked on, hoping to catch enough of a glimpse of the boy’s face to determine he was Derek. Vivian was right. He was taller, and older than the girls by a few years or more. His high-pitched voice indicated he hadn’t matured yet.
Vivian stuck a hand out the attic window, dangling the item between two fingers. “You want it? Come and get it!”
“Stop it,” the boy said. “It’s not funny.”
Vivian lowered her hand so it couldn’t be seen, looked at the boy and said, “Oopsies.”
The boy raced to the window, a look of relief on his face when she lifted what appeared to be folded paper over her head and said, “Psyche!”
“Give it, Viv. Give it here!”
The boy’s tone had changed. It was different now. Hard. Demanding. And something more.
Furious.
Vivian gripped the paper, waving it over her head. The boy careened into her and reached out, snatching the paper away at last and shoving into his back pocket. The weight of his body too heavy to sustain, Vivian stumbled back, her hand grasping for the wall as her body fell out the window. She started to say, “Help!” but it was too late. She slid out the window and was gone.
The boy backed away, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Grace ran to the window and looked down. “You killed her! You killed my sister!”
“No … I … it was an accident. Grace, please. I didn’t mean to …”
“You killed my sister! I’m telling!”
Addison was so caught up in the vision, she almost didn’t hear her name being called. “Addison …. Addison! Someone’s coming.”
No, not now. Not when she was so close. She needed to see the rest, see how it all ended.
“You have to hide!” Vivian warned. “Hurry!”
Addison lifted her hands from the window frame. The attic door opened and Rose walked in, a Winchester bolt action rifle aimed at Addison’s chest. “Don’t move.”
“Rose, I—”
“I knew it! I just knew there was something off about you!”
“Please. I meant no harm.”
“How did you get in here … into my house, into my attic?”
“Through an open window.”
“I don’t have open windows. All of my windows are sealed and locked. Unless …” Rose’s voice trailed off, pondering the possibilities. “I should have known. You opened one of them earlier today, didn’t you? What were you trying
Vivian’s head poked out from behind a painting of a fruit bowl slanted against the wall. “Take a chill pill, Grace. It’s just a stupid game. Don’t be such a cheese weasel.”
“Yeah, but I gotcha. You’re it!” Grace’s exuberance changed when her attention deviated to an object in Vivian’s hand. “What’s that?”
Vivian flattened one hand over the other, concealing the item between them. “What’s what?”
“What you’re holding in your hand. What is it?”
Vivian jerked her hand behind her back. “It’s nothin’. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worried . Tell me what it is.”
A boy popped out of a cardboard box a couple feet in front of Vivian. At least, Addison assumed he was a boy. He had light brown hair, parted in the center with layered, backward-facing curls framing his face. His long, feathered bangs fell over his eyes, making it impossible for Addison to get a good look at him. He patted down his back pockets, stuck out a hand, and said, “Hey, that’s mine. Give it back!”
“Give what back?” Vivian sneered. “ Thisss ?”
“You shouldn’t have … you shouldn’t have taken it. It’s not yours.”
“I didn’t take anything. You dropped it when you were hiding. I picked it up. Finders keepers.”
“It’s … that’s … not for you. Don’t open it.”
Vivian’s shoulders bobbed up and down. “Too late. Already did.”
The boy’s face reddened. “I’m not playing anymore, Viv. Give it back. Now. Stop horsing around.”
Vivian giggled, whinnied, and galloped to the other side of the room. The boy followed. Addison looked on, hoping to catch enough of a glimpse of the boy’s face to determine he was Derek. Vivian was right. He was taller, and older than the girls by a few years or more. His high-pitched voice indicated he hadn’t matured yet.
Vivian stuck a hand out the attic window, dangling the item between two fingers. “You want it? Come and get it!”
“Stop it,” the boy said. “It’s not funny.”
Vivian lowered her hand so it couldn’t be seen, looked at the boy and said, “Oopsies.”
The boy raced to the window, a look of relief on his face when she lifted what appeared to be folded paper over her head and said, “Psyche!”
“Give it, Viv. Give it here!”
The boy’s tone had changed. It was different now. Hard. Demanding. And something more.
Furious.
Vivian gripped the paper, waving it over her head. The boy careened into her and reached out, snatching the paper away at last and shoving into his back pocket. The weight of his body too heavy to sustain, Vivian stumbled back, her hand grasping for the wall as her body fell out the window. She started to say, “Help!” but it was too late. She slid out the window and was gone.
The boy backed away, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Grace ran to the window and looked down. “You killed her! You killed my sister!”
“No … I … it was an accident. Grace, please. I didn’t mean to …”
“You killed my sister! I’m telling!”
Addison was so caught up in the vision, she almost didn’t hear her name being called. “Addison …. Addison! Someone’s coming.”
No, not now. Not when she was so close. She needed to see the rest, see how it all ended.
“You have to hide!” Vivian warned. “Hurry!”
Addison lifted her hands from the window frame. The attic door opened and Rose walked in, a Winchester bolt action rifle aimed at Addison’s chest. “Don’t move.”
“Rose, I—”
“I knew it! I just knew there was something off about you!”
“Please. I meant no harm.”
“How did you get in here … into my house, into my attic?”
“Through an open window.”
“I don’t have open windows. All of my windows are sealed and locked. Unless …” Rose’s voice trailed off, pondering the possibilities. “I should have known. You opened one of them earlier today, didn’t you? What were you trying
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