Read Online Wolf House (Potter's Story) by Tim O'Rourke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Tim O'Rourke
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were falling so fast through the air that I thought we were going to crash straight into the…
14
I woke with a start. I was having one of those dreams where you fall off the edge of a cliff and wake up just before you smash into the razor-sharp rocks below. Except I hadn’t been falling from a cliff in my dream, I’d been falling through the sky with Murphy.
Looking around the filthy room and judging by the light that spilt through the grubby window, I could tell that I must have slept most of the day away, as my room was growing dark again. Annoyed at myself for sleeping so long, I knew I didn’t have time to waste. I’d already been here one whole night and day and had found out nothing about this wolf. Another child had been murdered and Murphy and Luke were still being held hostage by Harker.
I sat up and winced at the pain in my chest. It wasn’t as bad as before, and however much I hated to admit it, Madison had done a good job at cleaning the cuts and bandaging them. My coat was hanging off the wardrobe door, and I put it on. Running my hands through my black hair, I straightened up. I left my room and clambered down the narrow staircase. My stomach grumbled with hunger and I needed some food.
Entering the poky living room, I could see the child’s chair in exactly the same spot it had been the night before. I glanced at the couch, but couldn’t see the body of the boy. Crossing the room towards it, I heard a noise behind me.
“Catch!” someone said, and I turned around to see Drake standing in the doorway of the kitchen as he tossed an apple across the room at me.
Snatching it out of the air, I asked, “Where’s the boy’s body?”
“Buried it,” Drake said, taking a bite from the half-eaten apple he was holding.
“It?” I barked at him. “That was a little boy, not a slab of meat!”
“Whatever,” Drake said, “He’s gone now.”
“And what gave you the right to bury that boy?” I snapped, gripping the apple in my fist. “Don’t his parents have the right to bury him?”
“Harker doesn’t want any more bodies brought back,” Drake said flatly. “He doesn’t want any more attention drawn to this place. He thinks it would be better if the kid’s parents just thought the boy had gone missing – you know, like they never find out what happened to him.”
Taking a step towards him, I hissed, “I couldn’t give a monkey’s fart what Harker thinks. That boy’s parents have a right to know what happened to their son.”
“Perhaps you want to go and dig him up then, and explain to his parents that their son was murdered by a werewolf?” Drake asked, taking another bite from the apple.
“Anything has got to be better than leaving those parents wondering for the rest of their miserable lives what happened to their child!” I spat. Then, grabbing his hand, I shoved the apple into his fist and said, “Keep the apple, I’d rather fucking starve than take anything from you.”
Not giving him the chance to say anything back, I yanked open the front door and stormed out into the front garden. Madison was standing near to the spot where I’d discovered the chair the night before. Hearing the door being yanked open, she turned and watched me cross the front garden and go into the woods.
When I’d gotten far enough away from Drake, I slouched against a tree and pulled a pack of cigarettes from my coat pocket. Lighting one, I inhaled deeply.
“What’s wrong?” I turned around to see Madison standing just a few feet away.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I snapped at her.
“Yeah, there is,” she shot back, moving closer still.
I didn’t want to look at her, I couldn’t look at her. There was something about Madison that made me feel uneasy inside. She reminded me of Sophie. Not in looks, as Sophie had thick, dark brown hair and green eyes; it was the feelings Madison somehow stirred in me that reminded me of Sophie. I hadn’t had such feelings since that night I’d
14
I woke with a start. I was having one of those dreams where you fall off the edge of a cliff and wake up just before you smash into the razor-sharp rocks below. Except I hadn’t been falling from a cliff in my dream, I’d been falling through the sky with Murphy.
Looking around the filthy room and judging by the light that spilt through the grubby window, I could tell that I must have slept most of the day away, as my room was growing dark again. Annoyed at myself for sleeping so long, I knew I didn’t have time to waste. I’d already been here one whole night and day and had found out nothing about this wolf. Another child had been murdered and Murphy and Luke were still being held hostage by Harker.
I sat up and winced at the pain in my chest. It wasn’t as bad as before, and however much I hated to admit it, Madison had done a good job at cleaning the cuts and bandaging them. My coat was hanging off the wardrobe door, and I put it on. Running my hands through my black hair, I straightened up. I left my room and clambered down the narrow staircase. My stomach grumbled with hunger and I needed some food.
Entering the poky living room, I could see the child’s chair in exactly the same spot it had been the night before. I glanced at the couch, but couldn’t see the body of the boy. Crossing the room towards it, I heard a noise behind me.
“Catch!” someone said, and I turned around to see Drake standing in the doorway of the kitchen as he tossed an apple across the room at me.
Snatching it out of the air, I asked, “Where’s the boy’s body?”
“Buried it,” Drake said, taking a bite from the half-eaten apple he was holding.
“It?” I barked at him. “That was a little boy, not a slab of meat!”
“Whatever,” Drake said, “He’s gone now.”
“And what gave you the right to bury that boy?” I snapped, gripping the apple in my fist. “Don’t his parents have the right to bury him?”
“Harker doesn’t want any more bodies brought back,” Drake said flatly. “He doesn’t want any more attention drawn to this place. He thinks it would be better if the kid’s parents just thought the boy had gone missing – you know, like they never find out what happened to him.”
Taking a step towards him, I hissed, “I couldn’t give a monkey’s fart what Harker thinks. That boy’s parents have a right to know what happened to their son.”
“Perhaps you want to go and dig him up then, and explain to his parents that their son was murdered by a werewolf?” Drake asked, taking another bite from the apple.
“Anything has got to be better than leaving those parents wondering for the rest of their miserable lives what happened to their child!” I spat. Then, grabbing his hand, I shoved the apple into his fist and said, “Keep the apple, I’d rather fucking starve than take anything from you.”
Not giving him the chance to say anything back, I yanked open the front door and stormed out into the front garden. Madison was standing near to the spot where I’d discovered the chair the night before. Hearing the door being yanked open, she turned and watched me cross the front garden and go into the woods.
When I’d gotten far enough away from Drake, I slouched against a tree and pulled a pack of cigarettes from my coat pocket. Lighting one, I inhaled deeply.
“What’s wrong?” I turned around to see Madison standing just a few feet away.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I snapped at her.
“Yeah, there is,” she shot back, moving closer still.
I didn’t want to look at her, I couldn’t look at her. There was something about Madison that made me feel uneasy inside. She reminded me of Sophie. Not in looks, as Sophie had thick, dark brown hair and green eyes; it was the feelings Madison somehow stirred in me that reminded me of Sophie. I hadn’t had such feelings since that night I’d
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