Girl in the Shadows (Shadows 2)

"Who is it?"

"Destiny and she saw it all. She'll tell the police if you don't leave me alone." I said,

"Destiny? What the... open this door." she demanded, and shook it hard. "Do you want me to have Skeeter break it down? He can do that and you'll have to explain it to my mother,"

"Leave me alone. I'm calling Trevor if you don't go away," I said. They didn't know his mother had died and he was gone.

She stopped shaking the door.

"I'm telling you she has someone in there," Skeeter insisted, his voice high and frantic.

"Good for her. I'm going back to bed. Skeeter. I'm not in the mood to start dealing with Trevor and all this in the middle of the night. Who cares about her?"

"Will you stop. I'm tired. dammit."

I held my breath and listened. I heard Rhona walk away and then I saw Skeeter's face in the cracked opening.

"Tell your friend I'll be waiting for her in the morning," he said. He pulled back and returned to their bedroom. I closed the door completely, but left the chair there. I stood waiting for a while to be sure he wasn't coming back. I could hear them arguing in their room. Rhona was mad at him for going into my bedroom. He kept saying it wasn't a big deal. Finally, they were quiet.

How fortunate for Echo that she couldn't hear what went on tonight. What a frightening experience it would have been for her, too. I thought, and returned to my bed. I was still shaking so hard, my teeth were clicking like an old typewriter. I had held my breath so long, my chest ached. I looked at Destiny.

"Thank you," I said, and put on my nightgown again. I sat there for a moment just catching my breath and then I realized that in the morning Skeeter would be charging in here looking for her. Who knew what he would do when he discovered he had been frightened by a trick mannequin? In a rage he might damage or destroy her, I thought. Fear of that kept me awake. I had to think of something.

A good half hour or so later. I got out of bed as quietly as I could and took the chair away from the door. I opened it slowly, inches at a time, to keep the squeaking of the hinges down to a minimum. Then I lifted Destiny from the chair and, moving almost in slow motion, carried her out and into Echo's room.

She was fast asleep and of course wouldn't hear anything. I went to her closet and, first putting Destiny down softly on the floor, opened the sliding door, Then I pulled the clothes forward to make some room and as carefully and surgically perfect as I could, inserted her in the corner of the closet.

"Just for a little while," I whispered, and slid the clothing back to cover her.

I closed the closet door and tiptoed over the floor. It creaked. and I stopped often to listen and be sure neither Rhona nor Skeeter heard. They were in a dead sleep finally, thankfully. so I made my way back to my room. I got into bed. I was so exhausted, nervous, and frightened that I couldn't fall asleep for the longest time. I did just before morning and I was in a dead sleep, dead to the world. Echo had to shake me hard to get me to open my eyes.

Her first question was, "Will Grandma be coming home today?"

I told her I didn't know, that we'd see when we got to the hospital.

She told me she was hungry and she would start breakfast for us. I nodded. groggy and achy. My eyelids wouldn't stay open. She shook me again to tell me she would bring up a cup of coffee for me. I smiled at her, but closed my eyes again and in an instant. fell back asleep.

The next time she shook me, she had a cup of coffee in hand. I thanked her and pulled myself up to a sitting position. She wanted to know if I wanted scrambled eggs. She liked making them. I said yes, even though eating anything was the furthest thing from my thoughts. She turned excitedly and hurried out and down to the kitchen. I sipped some coffee and sat there with my eyes closed.

"Where the hell is she?" I heard next and woke up again. I had fallen asleep sitting up. I looked at Skeeter. He was in his underwear, his hair falling around his face, his eyes bloodshot.

"Huh?"

"Where's who?" I said.

"Very funny." He looked around the room and went directly to the closet, shoving the door open. "Where'd she go? Is she still in the house?

Downstairs?"

"No," I said. "No one else is here."

"Skeeter!" we heard Rhona shout. "Get the bitch to bring me a cup of coffee."

He stared at me. "Who was she? Is she related to Trevor, a sister or a girlfriend? I'm going to go ask him."

"I wouldn't tell Trevor that you came into my room last night," I said. "That might not go over so well for you."

Where I found the courage. I do not know, but I did know I had to put on a good act or I would be at his mercy. He pointed his right forefinger at me, but he didn't say anything for a moment. Then he nodded and smiled.