Read Online The Piper by Lynn Hightower - Free Book Online

Olivia ran behind her, vaguely aware of the short, beige carpeted hallway, the beige walls, the whole beige beige beige that she always hated in every new house she’d ever lived in with Hugh.
    They passed Charlotte’s bedroom first, door open to reveal a double bed, neatly made, blonde oak furniture, solid and dull, and on the walls, more beige. The next bedroom was painted lavender, and little Cassidy was curled up on a white canopy bed, sucking her thumb, watching cartoons on the television propped on the little white dresser. Olivia curled her lip. She refused to allow Teddy a television in her room, and she had a horror of pastel walls.
    The screaming stopped.
    The door to the third bedroom was closed. No noise, no light. Charlotte opened the door.
    Three little girls were sitting in a circle, holding hands, a lit candle flickering, next to Teddy’s pink cell phone. Teddy’s face was tear streaked, and her cousins, Janet and Annette, looked solemn and wise.
    â€˜What’s going on here?’ Olivia flipped on the light.
    â€˜
Mommy
.’ Teddy, the baby of the group, scrambled to her feet, and grabbed Olivia around the waist.
    Charlotte snatched the candle up and blew it out. ‘Janet, what the hell are you doing? Where did you even get matches? What are you girls doing with a candle burning? You know better than that.’
    Annette pulled her knees to her chest, pushing hair from her eyes with trembly fingers. ‘You got to have a candle, it’s a seance.’
    Charlotte opened the blinds that were shut tight against the light, and closed the window, snapping the lock. ‘A seance? Are you kidding me? Why were you screaming?’
    Teddy looked up at Olivia. ‘Janet says our house is haunted. She says the house killed Uncle Chris. She says we have to stay
here
, because it’s not safe to go home. We need to go and get Winston, Mommy, he’s there all alone.’
    â€˜
Janet
,’ Charlotte said. ‘How could you?’
    Janet straightened her back and folded her arms. Her hair looked oily and unwashed. Unhappy girl, Olivia thought. Unhappy and angry and sad. She needed to be patient with Janet. Chris’s little girl who had almost died.
    â€˜It’s
him
again, Mama,’ Janet said. ‘It’s just like I told you. He’s after Teddy now. He’ll get her, too, if we don’t watch out. Once he starts watching you, it’s hard to make him go away. So we were asking Daddy to come and help. But Daddy didn’t come.
He
came instead.’
    Charlotte pressed both hands down on Janet’s shoulders. ‘I cannot believe you would pull something like this after everything we’ve been through.’
    Olivia watched her niece, waiting for the tears. There were none today and there had been none at Chris’s funeral. Nothing but pale, thin lipped anger.
    â€˜I’m not pulling anything and I didn’t make it up. Somebody has to take responsibility here. Somebody has to fight back.’
    â€˜
Janet
.’
    â€˜He was here. He texted us. Look at Teddy’s phone.’
    Olivia folded her arms. ‘I don’t know about you, Charlotte, but I’m feeling old. Remember the good old days when people used a Ouija board for this stuff?’
    â€˜This isn’t funny, Livie.’ Charlotte had the phone and she was pushing buttons, studying the screen. Olivia put a hand on Teddy’s shoulder and looked over Charlotte’s shoulder.
    I AM HERE
    daddy? ??? who r u?
    DL I AM HERE
    what u want
    THERE IS ALWAYS REPRISAL THERE IS ALWAYS REPRISAL TORMENTS ILLNESS POSSESSION OF YOUR HOUSE
    Vile words, Olivia thought. Vicious, childish and malign. She snatched the phone from Charlotte and looked down at Janet. Her hands were trembling. ‘Did you do this, Janet? Did you set this up to scare Teddy?’
    Janet folded her arms. And turned her back.
    â€˜Charlotte?’ Olivia said. ‘Will you talk to your