House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo Page A

the boxes against only one wall. That would keep half the hallway open to walk. Now, a box lay in that path just beyond the landing.
    â€œXander?” David whispered. He stepped back into his brother. Xander whispered, “Just a box. Someone didn’t stack it right.” Another sound reached them. A scraping that seemed to come from the entryway.
    David pushed back even farther into Xander.
    â€œGet off my foot,” Xander whispered. David didn’t budge. “Maybe it’s Dad.”
    â€œIn the dark?” David said.
    Xander thought about the way sounds couldn’t be trusted in the house. Whatever had made the noise could be anywhere. That made him spin around to look the other direction, toward their bedroom.
    David jumped, said, “What?” He grabbed Xander’s hand.
    â€œNothing. Just looking.”
    A door thunked shut. Somewhere on the first floor . . . maybe. Xander took a step toward their bedroom. “Wait here,” he said. He tried to shake him loose, but David was having none of that. “No way,” David said.
    â€œThen you go. The flashlights are on my dresser.”
    â€œNo way,” he repeated. “Turn on the hall light.”
    â€œI don’t know where the switch is.”
    â€œAll right,” David said. “Stay here.” David released his hand and walked to the bedroom. He looked back every second step. He could have been swimming, turning his head regularly to breathe. He hesitated outside the bedroom, then reached his hand around the frame to flip on the light.
    Moments later, Xander saw the two flashlights come on and shine against the linen closet door.
    When David emerged, Xander asked, “Is the switch down there?”
    The beams flashed around.
    â€œI don’t see it,” David said. He hurried to Xander and handed him one of the lights. They moved down the hall toward the landing. Toria’s door was open. A night-light revealed her sleeping in bed. David cast his light into the room.
    Xander pushed his hand down. “Don’t wake her,” he whispered. At the landing, they leaned on the banister. Xan-der panned his light over the base of the stairs, the few feet of dining room visible to him, and the front door.
    David shined his light directly below, onto the corridor leading to the kitchen. “It’s like we’re in a guard tower.”
    â€œShhh.” Xander’s beam caught the chandelier. A thousand sparkles of white and blue light danced on the walls.
    â€œWhoa,” David said. He added his light to Xander’s. A galaxy of stars exploded around them, swirling over the walls and their faces. Despite their unease, they shared a smile. Then David’s light fell from his hand. It tumbled end over end, until it crashed on the floor way below and blinked out.
    â€œDae—” Xander said and stopped. His brother stared wildly at something past Xander. David reached out. He found the flesh of Xander’s arm and squeezed.
    Xander hissed in pain. He looked over his shoulder, down the hall. Where the corridor made a ninety-degree turn toward the back of the house, a figure stood. Just like the boxes, it was backlit by the night-light. He could make out no features. Whoever— whatever —it was, it appeared huge, but that could have been a trick of the light. “Dad?” he said.
    The figure swayed, seeming to shift its weight from one foot to the other. Its arms became more distinct. Muscular and massive.
    â€œThat’s not Dad,” David whispered.
    Xander turned to swing his flashlight around. At the same time, David grabbed for it. It flipped out of Xander’s hand. He fumbled for it, caught it, and flashed its beam down the hall. The light captured a flash of shoulder, a foot as the person disappeared beyond the corridor’s bend. David’s other hand shot out, and he sank both sets of fingers into Xander’s bare torso.
    â€œWhat was that?”