people even though she couldn’t see them. She couldn’t see anything other than the eyes staring lifelessly at her.
It wasn’t until Meg felt a hand on her shoulder that she could move again, blink again.
“Are you okay?” T.J. said. His arm slipped down to her waist and she let her body sag into it. She found his eyes—eyes that could feel and sense and see. She began to tremble.
“Yeah.”
“Liar.” He picked up the comforter and hauled it over her shoulders.
“What happened?” Kumiko’s voice was high and pinched. “What the fuck happened?”
Vivian stood with her back to the body, refusing to look at it. “You were her roommate. Did she say anything?” Any trace of her emotional outburst from the night before had vanished, and the old, harsh Vivian was back.
Kumiko shook her head. “She was already in bed when I got up here last night. I thought she’d passed out.”
“You didn’t hear her get out of bed?”
“I …” Kumiko glanced at Gunner. “I didn’t sleep there.”
Vivian clicked her tongue. “Well, that’s just perfect.”
“Hey,” Kumiko barked, getting up in Vivian’s face. “I’m not her mom. How was I supposed to know she was that far over the edge?”
“We need to call the police,” T.J. said.
“There’s a phone in my room.” Vivian spun around and disappeared into the master bedroom.
“Where did she get the rope?” Ben said. He stuck his head into the stairwell and gazed up to the roof beams of the tower. “And how did she get it strung up there?”
“Why are you guys yelling? I was trying to sl—”
Meg registered Minnie’s voice and looked up in time to see her friend descend the stairs from the garret. Minnie stopped dead in her tracks on the second-to-last step, one hand brushing her light blonde hair away from her face while the other clutched Meg’s hooded sweatshirt around her chest. Meg could see the realization of the scene dawn on her, as Minnie’s eyes traveled from the body up the rope to the wooden beams of the tower, and back down.
Ben pushed past Meg and T.J. and sprinted up the stairs toward Minnie. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out as her body crumpled into unconsciousness. Ben caught her just in time.
“She’s okay,” he said, lowering Minnie’s body to the stairs. “Just fainted.”
Meg wanted to go to her. But she couldn’t move, wouldn’t move. Not with T.J.’s arm around her.
“Dude,” T.J. said, motioning to Gunner. “See if there’s a note or something?”
It took Gunner a moment to process, then in typical wordless Gunner fashion, he disappeared into Lori’s room. His hand brushed against Kumiko’s arm as he passed her. She paused for half a second, then followed him inside.
“You’re still trembling,” T.J. whispered, his mouth just inches from her own. “Can I do anything?”
Meg caught her breath. T.J. was so close to her, as if he wanted to protect her. It was a new sensation for Meg, who spent most of her time trying to protect her best friend from the things in the world that might trigger her crippling anxiety and bipolar disorder. And now here was T.J. looking out for her for once.
“Fine,” she said, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. “I’m fine.”
“The phone doesn’t work,” Vivian said. She sounded slightly out of breath.
Nathan folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “That’s not good.”
“Wha … what happened?” Minnie said. Her voice sounded weak.
Ben propped her up. “You fainted.”
“I did?” Minnie sat up and looked past the body, finding Meg on the landing below. “Why?”
Meg opened her mouth to respond but she literally had no words. Thankfully, Minnie would have plenty, and Meg cringed as she watched Minnie’s eyes find the dangling body and the horror of it came rushing over her once again.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Minnie’s voice crescendoed with each repetition. She pointed a shaky hand
It wasn’t until Meg felt a hand on her shoulder that she could move again, blink again.
“Are you okay?” T.J. said. His arm slipped down to her waist and she let her body sag into it. She found his eyes—eyes that could feel and sense and see. She began to tremble.
“Yeah.”
“Liar.” He picked up the comforter and hauled it over her shoulders.
“What happened?” Kumiko’s voice was high and pinched. “What the fuck happened?”
Vivian stood with her back to the body, refusing to look at it. “You were her roommate. Did she say anything?” Any trace of her emotional outburst from the night before had vanished, and the old, harsh Vivian was back.
Kumiko shook her head. “She was already in bed when I got up here last night. I thought she’d passed out.”
“You didn’t hear her get out of bed?”
“I …” Kumiko glanced at Gunner. “I didn’t sleep there.”
Vivian clicked her tongue. “Well, that’s just perfect.”
“Hey,” Kumiko barked, getting up in Vivian’s face. “I’m not her mom. How was I supposed to know she was that far over the edge?”
“We need to call the police,” T.J. said.
“There’s a phone in my room.” Vivian spun around and disappeared into the master bedroom.
“Where did she get the rope?” Ben said. He stuck his head into the stairwell and gazed up to the roof beams of the tower. “And how did she get it strung up there?”
“Why are you guys yelling? I was trying to sl—”
Meg registered Minnie’s voice and looked up in time to see her friend descend the stairs from the garret. Minnie stopped dead in her tracks on the second-to-last step, one hand brushing her light blonde hair away from her face while the other clutched Meg’s hooded sweatshirt around her chest. Meg could see the realization of the scene dawn on her, as Minnie’s eyes traveled from the body up the rope to the wooden beams of the tower, and back down.
Ben pushed past Meg and T.J. and sprinted up the stairs toward Minnie. She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out as her body crumpled into unconsciousness. Ben caught her just in time.
“She’s okay,” he said, lowering Minnie’s body to the stairs. “Just fainted.”
Meg wanted to go to her. But she couldn’t move, wouldn’t move. Not with T.J.’s arm around her.
“Dude,” T.J. said, motioning to Gunner. “See if there’s a note or something?”
It took Gunner a moment to process, then in typical wordless Gunner fashion, he disappeared into Lori’s room. His hand brushed against Kumiko’s arm as he passed her. She paused for half a second, then followed him inside.
“You’re still trembling,” T.J. whispered, his mouth just inches from her own. “Can I do anything?”
Meg caught her breath. T.J. was so close to her, as if he wanted to protect her. It was a new sensation for Meg, who spent most of her time trying to protect her best friend from the things in the world that might trigger her crippling anxiety and bipolar disorder. And now here was T.J. looking out for her for once.
“Fine,” she said, not sure if she was trying to convince him or herself. “I’m fine.”
“The phone doesn’t work,” Vivian said. She sounded slightly out of breath.
Nathan folded his arms and leaned against the wall. “That’s not good.”
“Wha … what happened?” Minnie said. Her voice sounded weak.
Ben propped her up. “You fainted.”
“I did?” Minnie sat up and looked past the body, finding Meg on the landing below. “Why?”
Meg opened her mouth to respond but she literally had no words. Thankfully, Minnie would have plenty, and Meg cringed as she watched Minnie’s eyes find the dangling body and the horror of it came rushing over her once again.
“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” Minnie’s voice crescendoed with each repetition. She pointed a shaky hand
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