Barbara's eyes flew open, filled with horror. She stared at Bryn; then her eyes nervously scanned the room, and then she stared at Bryn again.
"Bryn!"Her voice was a terrified whisper. "Someone must have been in here! Someone had to hit me from behind!"
Bryn swallowed as the terror washed over her again. Yes, it was obvious. Someone had been in the house. They had struck Barbara on the head. Then they had left--or had they?
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"Oh, God!"Bryn whispered.
Barbara started to rise. "We've got to call the police right away."
"No!" Bryn almost screamed the word. As Barbara stared at her as if she had gone crazy, Bryn lowered her voice to a whisper again. "No...wait. Let's...let's check out the house. The boys..."
"I think we should get on the phone right away--"
"No, Barb, please! I just... Wait. Wait and I'll try to explain. Just first..."
She stood up and started for the stairs, walking backward as she kept a pleading eye on Barbara. "The boys...I can't call the police. Oh, God, I know how this sounds. I realize you've just been criminally attacked and that we should call the police, but--"
"Wait up, Bryn! Where are you going?" Barbara asked.
"I have to check on the boys!" Bryn whispered, tears forming in her eyes. If she was lucky, her mysterious caller had knocked Barbara out,then destroyed her room. And another phone call would come.If she wasn't lucky...
"Wait for me, Bryn Keller!" Barbara called softly. "You're not going up there alone!"
"Get the broom!"
"The broom?"
"It's my best weapon."
"A knife--"
"We'd wind up dead!"
Apparently Barbara saw the sense of it. She hurried into the kitchen and brought back the broom and the mop--a lance for each of them.
Their eyes turned simultaneously up the stairway. It was dark; the bathroom light wasn't on. Bryn had never felt greater terror in her life than when she looked up into that realm of shadow that promised nothing but a never-ending nightmare.
"Go!" Barbara whispered.
Bryn took a step. Barbara followed.Another step. Barbara coughed softly, and Bryn almost screamed.
Her heart pounded painfully and seemed to lodge in her throat.
She took another step, and another; Barbara was with her, a shadow glued to her back.
"Do you see anything?" Barbara demanded.
"No!"
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"Keep moving."
Bryn took another step. They had almost reached the landing when suddenly a figure loomed before them.
Bryn and Barbara screamed together, knocking each other with the broom and the mop as they tried to raise them.
The reply to their scream was a terrified little echo, and then the sound of a child crying.
Bryn stood dead still. "Adam?" she queried softly.
"No, it's Keith. You scared me, Aunt Bryn!" An accusing hiccup and sob followed his words. "The light is out. I have to go, and I can't find the bathroom."
Bryn raced on up the stairs, breathing a sigh of relief. She fumbled her way into the bathroom and turned on the light. The hallway no longer appeared ominous, and if Keith was fine, so were Brian and Adam.
"Here, honey. Barb and I won't forget to put it on again."
Barbara--white and shaky, but poised--managed a smile that was only slightly sick. But as soon as the little boy had closed the door behind him, she whispered to Bryn, "I had that light on, Bryn Keller! You know I always leave the bathroom light on for the boys."
"I know, I know!" Bryn wailed. "Just let's finish checking the house, and I'll try to explain."
"This is one you're going to have to explain, Bryn! I still have a lump the size of an egg on my head! And the way I see it, we're going to have to call the police."
"Just wait till you hear everything, please?"
"Let's check out your bedroom."
They both poised with their household lances before her closet door, but when they had glanced at each other and nervously thrown it open, they found nothing but Bryn's clothing.
And nothing had been done to her room. Not a thing was out of place.
"I don't think there's anywhere else anyone could be hiding. We were running all around the kitchen.And the parlor. The bathroom is certainly too small to hide anything but a gremlin."
"I think you're right. Except for the darkroom," Bryn murmured, chewing on her lip.
"We'll go and check."
Bryn nodded. "Just let me tuck Keith back into bed." Keith was rubbing his eyes and heading for the stairs rather than his bedroom. Bryn caught his shoulders and propelled him in the right direction. "Get back in bed. Good night now, sweetheart."
He kissed her dutifully and crawled into his bed. Unease suddenly pricked Bryn's spine and she spun to stare at the boy's closet. But the door was open, and she could see that the closet wasn'tharboring Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html