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be able to keep this secret much longer.”
Russ removed a moist, gooey wad of food from his pocket and placed it on the floor. “Sneaked upstairs to eat the leftover Chinese stuff, didn’t ya? Well, it won’t be necessary to hide much longer. I’ll prepare the way. I promised to see that you were taken care of, and I keep my promises.”
He stood and carefully made his way back to the stairs, smiling slightly at the sound of the creature gorging himself. “She’ll accept what is to come. First I have to clear the way for myself—then you.
She won’t be able to resist. I’ll see to it. And I’ll be back. And this time I’ll bring her with me. It’s time. It’s time that the two of you met.”
*
*
*
She’d been out of his sight for half an hour. It was half an hour too long.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
131
Having just left the basement, he knew she wasn’t down there, and that was the important thing. And he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t bear to be away from her. But he couldn’t have her wandering around the house either. She might stumble upon something he wasn’t quite ready for her to see.
Some sixth sense led him to the attic of the old house. And there she was, in the short, squat room that was little more than thin floorboards, rafters, and walls, sitting in a quiet corner.
Reading.
She didn’t look up as he emerged through the narrow trapdoor, or when he carefully approached, despite the floorboards creaking painfully beneath him. She had a stack of old comic books on one side and a single candle on the other. And she seemed totally absorbed in what she was reading.
“Hey lady. New game? Are we playing hide and seek?
Whatcha doin’ up here? Alone? In the dark?”
She barely spared him a glance before returning her attention to the comic. “For some strange reason, I felt the need for space. And a little privacy.”
“Want me to go?”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
132
“No. It’s alright.” She looked absolutely breathtaking, he thought, curled up in the corner, her body in half-light, half-shadow, her eyes wide and vulnerable. “You really love your sci-fi stuff, don’t you? You must have a couple of hundred comic books up here.”
He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “They’re old. One or two of
‘em might actually be worth something. Just my way of escaping. We all have our ways, don’t we?”
“You’ve saved so much stuff from when you were a kid!” she marveled. “All your school pictures, Halloween costumes, masks, science experiments, report cards—everthing!”
“Is that so unusual? Don’t you have any of your old dolls, toys—
”
“No.” Her voice was clipped and sharp. “Personally, I couldn’t wait to grow up.”
She had crawled into her shell in this little forgotten area of the house. He took another step forward, ready to be comforting, and the floor bowed beneath his foot with a warning whine. “Babe, this isn’t a good place to be. Some of these floorboards are probably rotten.”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
133
“See? There’s a perfect example of why I was glad to grow up.
Nobody bossing you around, trying to tell you what to do. You make your own mistakes, and there’s nobody else to blame.”
“You are a brat. C’mere.” He grabbed her by her arm and hoisted her to her feet, scattering the comic books. “Let me show you something.”
Russell rarely came up here, had never much cared if the attic remained unfinished or if bits of it were slowly decaying. He’d been busy making a living, and it was only used for storage anyway. Now he rather regretted it. His childhood memories, bits and pieces of his father’s futile dreams, carvings left unfinished by his grandfather, and some of the finest wood planks and boards Russ had collected over many years were here, neglected and abandoned.
But right now he was looking for one thing, one very special piece of
Russ removed a moist, gooey wad of food from his pocket and placed it on the floor. “Sneaked upstairs to eat the leftover Chinese stuff, didn’t ya? Well, it won’t be necessary to hide much longer. I’ll prepare the way. I promised to see that you were taken care of, and I keep my promises.”
He stood and carefully made his way back to the stairs, smiling slightly at the sound of the creature gorging himself. “She’ll accept what is to come. First I have to clear the way for myself—then you.
She won’t be able to resist. I’ll see to it. And I’ll be back. And this time I’ll bring her with me. It’s time. It’s time that the two of you met.”
*
*
*
She’d been out of his sight for half an hour. It was half an hour too long.
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
131
Having just left the basement, he knew she wasn’t down there, and that was the important thing. And he wasn’t so far gone that he couldn’t bear to be away from her. But he couldn’t have her wandering around the house either. She might stumble upon something he wasn’t quite ready for her to see.
Some sixth sense led him to the attic of the old house. And there she was, in the short, squat room that was little more than thin floorboards, rafters, and walls, sitting in a quiet corner.
Reading.
She didn’t look up as he emerged through the narrow trapdoor, or when he carefully approached, despite the floorboards creaking painfully beneath him. She had a stack of old comic books on one side and a single candle on the other. And she seemed totally absorbed in what she was reading.
“Hey lady. New game? Are we playing hide and seek?
Whatcha doin’ up here? Alone? In the dark?”
She barely spared him a glance before returning her attention to the comic. “For some strange reason, I felt the need for space. And a little privacy.”
“Want me to go?”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
132
“No. It’s alright.” She looked absolutely breathtaking, he thought, curled up in the corner, her body in half-light, half-shadow, her eyes wide and vulnerable. “You really love your sci-fi stuff, don’t you? You must have a couple of hundred comic books up here.”
He shrugged, slightly embarrassed. “They’re old. One or two of
‘em might actually be worth something. Just my way of escaping. We all have our ways, don’t we?”
“You’ve saved so much stuff from when you were a kid!” she marveled. “All your school pictures, Halloween costumes, masks, science experiments, report cards—everthing!”
“Is that so unusual? Don’t you have any of your old dolls, toys—
”
“No.” Her voice was clipped and sharp. “Personally, I couldn’t wait to grow up.”
She had crawled into her shell in this little forgotten area of the house. He took another step forward, ready to be comforting, and the floor bowed beneath his foot with a warning whine. “Babe, this isn’t a good place to be. Some of these floorboards are probably rotten.”
THE LAST MAN ON EARTH
Raine Weaver
133
“See? There’s a perfect example of why I was glad to grow up.
Nobody bossing you around, trying to tell you what to do. You make your own mistakes, and there’s nobody else to blame.”
“You are a brat. C’mere.” He grabbed her by her arm and hoisted her to her feet, scattering the comic books. “Let me show you something.”
Russell rarely came up here, had never much cared if the attic remained unfinished or if bits of it were slowly decaying. He’d been busy making a living, and it was only used for storage anyway. Now he rather regretted it. His childhood memories, bits and pieces of his father’s futile dreams, carvings left unfinished by his grandfather, and some of the finest wood planks and boards Russ had collected over many years were here, neglected and abandoned.
But right now he was looking for one thing, one very special piece of
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