Snared by Stefan Petrucha Page B

and finally answered.
    â€œHey,” Mark said, his voice quiet and sounding very far away.
    â€œHey.”
    â€œCan you hear me?”
    â€œSure,” Lindsay replied.
    â€œI have to be quiet. Doug went out for a while, but Jack’s napping in the next room. I can hearhim snoring. Sounds like a hog with asthma.”
    Lindsay laughed and threw a look at the porch of the neighboring house.
    â€œSo what are you doing?” Mark asked.
    â€œSitting on the porch, having some tea.”
    â€œNot out with Barbie?”
    â€œAfter last night…I don’t think so.”
    There was a brief silence on the line. “What happened last night?”
    â€œYou don’t know?”
    â€œLindsay, I haven’t been out of the house in a week. I’m a little out of the loop.”
    So she told him about seeing Ev between their houses, how she was sneaking up to his window. How she totally freaked at what she saw.
    â€œWell, that explains a lot,” Mark said. “I was in the living room, watching TV, when Doug and Jack went charging through like a couple of startled water buffalo. I didn’t know what was going on, but the cops showed up in the middle of the night and really made a stink.”
    â€œThe police were there?”
    â€œYeah. I thought Jack and Doug called them. I figured they caught someone trying to break in. I didn’t know.”
    Lindsay felt awkward saying what she was about to say, but she had to. “I thought Ev might have seen them…you know…hurting you or something. She really looked scared.”
    â€œNo. Nothing like that. They did send me back to my room though, like I was the one that did something wrong.”
    â€œWhat do you think she saw?” Lindsay asked.
    â€œDon’t know. Jack and Doug have done some really weird stuff. They perform these rituals sometimes. I don’t know what they’re trying to accomplish, but it can be pretty creepy to watch.”
    â€œRituals?”
    â€œYeah. They’re both totally into the occult. I’ve never seen them sacrifice a goat or anything, but they take it seriously. Like I said, some of that junk is just full-on creepy.”
    Suddenly Lindsay thought about the burner with the dreadlocks. He’d been on that side of the house, moving close to Mark’s window. What if he’d seen the same thing as Ev?
    They’re real! God protect us. They’re real.
    â€œBut why were they doing it in your room?”
    â€œI don’t know,” Mark said. “But I’m kind of freaked out now. I mean, especially if your friendwas all psych ward over it.”
    Lindsay didn’t know what to say. The occult? She remembered the tattoos on Jack’s back. Were they magic symbols? Some cult pattern?
    â€œYou know, Lindsay, it might be better if you took this phone back. If they find it on me, you could get into some real trouble, and I don’t want that. Things have always been weird around here, but it feels like something is going to happen soon, something bad, and I don’t want you to be hung up in it.”
    â€œNo,” Lindsay said. “You keep it. You might need it.” “I don’t think it will help, but I do like chatting with you.”
    â€œMe, too.”

10
    For two days, Mark’s guardians didn’t leave the property, but he managed to find time—when they were outside or napping or watching TV in the next room—to call and quietly chat with Lindsay.
    She was thrilled every time the Treo rang. Whether she was on the beach with her parents or in her room, IMing with Kate or Trey, she stopped everything to take his calls. Her parents commented several times on her good mood, and she did all that she could to assure them it was the vacation and nothing more. No way could she tell them about Mark.
    And he was so great. He was funny and romantic, and one day, when Jack and Doug were outtinkering with their car, Mark played