watching her.
You’d think she’d be more cautious . . .
Especially after what happened to her own sister.
But that was a long time ago.
Maybe Rory feels safe, now.
Foolish Rory . . .
She’s always been a little reckless.
A mosquito buzzes loudly, seeking a patch of exposed flesh that will make a tender landing site.
Careful not to rustle the bushes when you move your hand.
Okay, good, now wait until it lands on your arm .
Slap!
There. The mosquito has been satisfyingly annihilated, leaving behind a barely perceptible smear of blood.
But it’s there.
Blood.
The slightest sight of it, the faintest smell of it, brings back memories that won’t stay buried forever. Memories of what happened here in Lake Charlotte ten years ago.
No! No! Please, I don’t want to think about that again—
But it’s too late.
The gory images come rushing back, along with the ghastly stench of rotting flesh and the hideous screams of tortured girls who should have known better.
They just should have known better.
And now, with the memories, come a flash of rage.
It was their fault. All of them. Not mine .
They ruined everything .
I only did what I had to do .
And I’ll do it again if I have to .
In the kitchen, Rory suddenly turns on the faucet . The rush of water spills out the open window as she starts scrubbing her hands, standing at the sink, scrubbing, scrubbing . . .
Yes, keep at it, Rory. Dried paint isn’t easy to get off your hands .
Neither is dried blood .
And believe me, Rory—I know .
C HAPTER F IVE
“P lease come with me, Rebecca . I mean, I’m totally begging you.”
“I told you, I can’t, Molly.” Rebecca folds her arms across her chest and tries not to meet her best friend’s gaze. But Molly’s in her face, standing less than a foot away on the other side of the Wasners’ screen door.
“Why can’t you?”
“Because . . . I’m busy,” Rebecca lies. “I have to help my mother with some things around the house.”
“Your mother isn’t even home. She goes to Bingo at Holy Father every Friday night and you know it, Rebecca.”
“Well, I told her I’d do some stuff while she’s gone.”
“Come on, Rebecca,” Molly pleads, reaching out to open the screen door. She tugs on it. “Why’s the door locked?”
Because I’m in the house alone and I’m afraid, as usual .
Aloud, Rebecca says, “I don’t know. I guess I must have locked it without thinking.” She slides the hook out of its loop and steps back as Molly pushes the door open and crosses the threshold.
“You’ve got to come with me, Rebecca,” she says, putting a hand on Rebecca’s forearm. “I really need you with me.”
“No, you don’t. You’re going to that party to see Ryan, not to hang around with me.”
“But I told you, I need someone to be with while I scope out the Ryan situation,” Molly says patiently. “I mean, I can’t just show up alone like some friendless geek. What’s Ryan going to think?”
Rebecca sighs. “Why do you care so much what he thinks, Molly? You barely know him.”
“I’m in love with him, Rebecca. Totally in love.”
Rebecca stares at Molly, feeling like her best friend has become a stranger. She has the familiar blue eyes and curly dark hair, but she’s no longer the comfortable, reliable person Rebecca has known her whole life.
Rebecca hears a soft meow and looks down to see Sebastian circling her feet. He brushes cozily against her bare ankle, and she bends to scoop him into her arms, resting her cheek against his soft, furry head. He purrs and nuzzles her with his wet, velvet nose.
Feeling fortified, somehow, by her kitten’s affection, Rebecca says firmly, “I’m not going to that party, Molly, and you can’t change my mind about it. My parents would kill me—”
“I told you to say you’re sleeping at my house—”
“And besides that, I don’t want to stand around alone like some dork while you chase after Ryan.”
“I
You’d think she’d be more cautious . . .
Especially after what happened to her own sister.
But that was a long time ago.
Maybe Rory feels safe, now.
Foolish Rory . . .
She’s always been a little reckless.
A mosquito buzzes loudly, seeking a patch of exposed flesh that will make a tender landing site.
Careful not to rustle the bushes when you move your hand.
Okay, good, now wait until it lands on your arm .
Slap!
There. The mosquito has been satisfyingly annihilated, leaving behind a barely perceptible smear of blood.
But it’s there.
Blood.
The slightest sight of it, the faintest smell of it, brings back memories that won’t stay buried forever. Memories of what happened here in Lake Charlotte ten years ago.
No! No! Please, I don’t want to think about that again—
But it’s too late.
The gory images come rushing back, along with the ghastly stench of rotting flesh and the hideous screams of tortured girls who should have known better.
They just should have known better.
And now, with the memories, come a flash of rage.
It was their fault. All of them. Not mine .
They ruined everything .
I only did what I had to do .
And I’ll do it again if I have to .
In the kitchen, Rory suddenly turns on the faucet . The rush of water spills out the open window as she starts scrubbing her hands, standing at the sink, scrubbing, scrubbing . . .
Yes, keep at it, Rory. Dried paint isn’t easy to get off your hands .
Neither is dried blood .
And believe me, Rory—I know .
C HAPTER F IVE
“P lease come with me, Rebecca . I mean, I’m totally begging you.”
“I told you, I can’t, Molly.” Rebecca folds her arms across her chest and tries not to meet her best friend’s gaze. But Molly’s in her face, standing less than a foot away on the other side of the Wasners’ screen door.
“Why can’t you?”
“Because . . . I’m busy,” Rebecca lies. “I have to help my mother with some things around the house.”
“Your mother isn’t even home. She goes to Bingo at Holy Father every Friday night and you know it, Rebecca.”
“Well, I told her I’d do some stuff while she’s gone.”
“Come on, Rebecca,” Molly pleads, reaching out to open the screen door. She tugs on it. “Why’s the door locked?”
Because I’m in the house alone and I’m afraid, as usual .
Aloud, Rebecca says, “I don’t know. I guess I must have locked it without thinking.” She slides the hook out of its loop and steps back as Molly pushes the door open and crosses the threshold.
“You’ve got to come with me, Rebecca,” she says, putting a hand on Rebecca’s forearm. “I really need you with me.”
“No, you don’t. You’re going to that party to see Ryan, not to hang around with me.”
“But I told you, I need someone to be with while I scope out the Ryan situation,” Molly says patiently. “I mean, I can’t just show up alone like some friendless geek. What’s Ryan going to think?”
Rebecca sighs. “Why do you care so much what he thinks, Molly? You barely know him.”
“I’m in love with him, Rebecca. Totally in love.”
Rebecca stares at Molly, feeling like her best friend has become a stranger. She has the familiar blue eyes and curly dark hair, but she’s no longer the comfortable, reliable person Rebecca has known her whole life.
Rebecca hears a soft meow and looks down to see Sebastian circling her feet. He brushes cozily against her bare ankle, and she bends to scoop him into her arms, resting her cheek against his soft, furry head. He purrs and nuzzles her with his wet, velvet nose.
Feeling fortified, somehow, by her kitten’s affection, Rebecca says firmly, “I’m not going to that party, Molly, and you can’t change my mind about it. My parents would kill me—”
“I told you to say you’re sleeping at my house—”
“And besides that, I don’t want to stand around alone like some dork while you chase after Ryan.”
“I
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