asked at the same time.
“ I don’t know. It sounded like something ....”
Analise swallowed and tears began to slide down her face again. Gracie could feel her daughter trembling and wrapped her arms around her.
“ It’s okay. You’re safe, honey.”
“ It sounded like something was in the hole.”
“ The springs?” Eddie said sharply.
She nodded. “And then Brendan went to look. I told him not to. I was so scared. It was so...I told him to come back and then all of a sudden he shouted to run. We got in the truck and started to drive and we saw the lights. We thought it was the town, and we turned, but we couldn’t find the way and ... and ...”
She glanced from one face to another, as if expecting someone to be able to fill in the blanks for her.
“ That’s all I remember.”
Eddie nodded, looking over her head at Gracie. “You did fine, sweetheart. You did fine.”
“ I’m so tired.”
“ We all are. Gracie, why don’t you put her to bed then come back down. I still need to talk to you,” Eddie said.
Gracie nodded and helped Analise to her feet. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said.
Gracie tried to smile as she led her daughter up the stairs. But she’d lived in Diablo Springs too long not to be shaken by Analise’s story. Her daughter had seen the Dead Lights over the springs that much was certain.
But what had they heard in the dark?
Chapter Eight
UPSTAIRS in the hallway, Analise said in stage whisper, “Who is that guy with the tattoos, Mom?”
“ Someone I used to know.”
“ Yeah, well he looks at you like he doesn’t want to be a ‘used to’ anymore.”
Gracie stopped the, really? before it got to her lips—but just barely. Schooling her expression, she said, “No, he doesn’t. He looks like that all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Gracie ignored the glance Analise gave her and kept walking. She paused and took a deep breath as they turned left toward Grandma Beck’s room, thoughts of Reilly and how he was looking at her banished. “As unbelievable as it is, turns out Grandma Beck leased all the rooms tonight. We’ll have to share hers.”
“ I don’t want to sleep in her room,” Analise said, her voice thick with emotion. “She died. Tonight.”
“ I don’t think she died in there, Analise.”
“ It doesn’t matter. I won’t sleep there.”
Gracie brushed her hair back from her face and counted to ten. The past few hours felt like they’d lasted weeks. “There were only the two rooms up here that were for us,” she said wearily. “Hers and mine, and I doubt mine is still kept.” She stopped at the door to what was once her bedroom and opened it. Her “See?” died on her lips as she looked inside. The room was exactly as it was when she’d left. Not even dust had moved in to change it. Gracie gripped the door frame, staring at this metaphor for her relationship with Grandma Beck with a feeling akin to dizziness. She’d thrown her out, but preserved the memory of her.
Analise entered with a look of wonder, for the moment her fear forgotten. There were posters of David Bowie, the Go-Go’s, and Dirty Dancing on the walls and a twin bed with a bright purple comforter butted up to a table in the corner. A picture window overlooked a huge mesquite in the front yard. In the daylight they would be able to see the ruins from here. Now it was just a dark void in the distance. A vinyl beanbag chair sat next to a stereo with a turntable. There was still an album on the post and three stacked beneath. The last she’d listened to was Scandal. She remembered singing “Goodbye to You” as she’d stormed from the house. Attached were headphones the size of an airplane operator’s. Yearbooks and photo albums stood in line on her bookshelves, along with her favorite stories from kindergarten up. She’d always kept her books. Green Eggs and Ham shared a row with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and The Stand.
“ I don’t know. It sounded like something ....”
Analise swallowed and tears began to slide down her face again. Gracie could feel her daughter trembling and wrapped her arms around her.
“ It’s okay. You’re safe, honey.”
“ It sounded like something was in the hole.”
“ The springs?” Eddie said sharply.
She nodded. “And then Brendan went to look. I told him not to. I was so scared. It was so...I told him to come back and then all of a sudden he shouted to run. We got in the truck and started to drive and we saw the lights. We thought it was the town, and we turned, but we couldn’t find the way and ... and ...”
She glanced from one face to another, as if expecting someone to be able to fill in the blanks for her.
“ That’s all I remember.”
Eddie nodded, looking over her head at Gracie. “You did fine, sweetheart. You did fine.”
“ I’m so tired.”
“ We all are. Gracie, why don’t you put her to bed then come back down. I still need to talk to you,” Eddie said.
Gracie nodded and helped Analise to her feet. “I’m sorry, Mom,” she said.
Gracie tried to smile as she led her daughter up the stairs. But she’d lived in Diablo Springs too long not to be shaken by Analise’s story. Her daughter had seen the Dead Lights over the springs that much was certain.
But what had they heard in the dark?
Chapter Eight
UPSTAIRS in the hallway, Analise said in stage whisper, “Who is that guy with the tattoos, Mom?”
“ Someone I used to know.”
“ Yeah, well he looks at you like he doesn’t want to be a ‘used to’ anymore.”
Gracie stopped the, really? before it got to her lips—but just barely. Schooling her expression, she said, “No, he doesn’t. He looks like that all the time. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Gracie ignored the glance Analise gave her and kept walking. She paused and took a deep breath as they turned left toward Grandma Beck’s room, thoughts of Reilly and how he was looking at her banished. “As unbelievable as it is, turns out Grandma Beck leased all the rooms tonight. We’ll have to share hers.”
“ I don’t want to sleep in her room,” Analise said, her voice thick with emotion. “She died. Tonight.”
“ I don’t think she died in there, Analise.”
“ It doesn’t matter. I won’t sleep there.”
Gracie brushed her hair back from her face and counted to ten. The past few hours felt like they’d lasted weeks. “There were only the two rooms up here that were for us,” she said wearily. “Hers and mine, and I doubt mine is still kept.” She stopped at the door to what was once her bedroom and opened it. Her “See?” died on her lips as she looked inside. The room was exactly as it was when she’d left. Not even dust had moved in to change it. Gracie gripped the door frame, staring at this metaphor for her relationship with Grandma Beck with a feeling akin to dizziness. She’d thrown her out, but preserved the memory of her.
Analise entered with a look of wonder, for the moment her fear forgotten. There were posters of David Bowie, the Go-Go’s, and Dirty Dancing on the walls and a twin bed with a bright purple comforter butted up to a table in the corner. A picture window overlooked a huge mesquite in the front yard. In the daylight they would be able to see the ruins from here. Now it was just a dark void in the distance. A vinyl beanbag chair sat next to a stereo with a turntable. There was still an album on the post and three stacked beneath. The last she’d listened to was Scandal. She remembered singing “Goodbye to You” as she’d stormed from the house. Attached were headphones the size of an airplane operator’s. Yearbooks and photo albums stood in line on her bookshelves, along with her favorite stories from kindergarten up. She’d always kept her books. Green Eggs and Ham shared a row with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, and The Stand.
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