Lottie’s hands shook as she opened up the bag and her eyes widened. This time, they brimmed with delight. The bags were filled with clothes, books, toys, and games. It wasn’t the number of presents a child got that made a good childhood, it was things like love, attention, and safety that mattered. But seeing the sheer excitement on their faces brought joy to every single one of us standing in the room.
We all went for a swim, then I left them baking cakes and cookies with Georgie, Josh, and Mary. I’d rather pluck every single hair off my body than cook.
They came to find me again about mid-afternoon, wanting to play hide-and-seek. They agreed that they could only hide downstairs and only inside the house. I closed my eyes and counted to fifty, listening to the patter of feet as they whizzed in one direction, changing their minds and rippling in another. I heard Billy whisper to Georgie, who was watching television in the second sitting room, but I feigned not knowing andwandered from room to room, calling their names. The sitting room was the third one I checked.
“I’m seeking a small boy with brown hair and a little blonde-haired girl. Have you seen them?” I asked Georgie, noting the movement of the curtain and little socked feet beneath it.
She looked up and grinned. “No, haven’t seen anyone.”
The curtain wobbled again. “I guess I’ll just have to check the whole room, then.” I checked behind the couch and announced loudly, “No, not here.” Then I checked by another curtain. Billy giggled and I pulled back the curtain to his shrieks of laughter.
I laughed and ruffled his hair. “Found you. You can help me find Lottie.”
Grinning, he clutched my hand, and we walked through every remaining room. No Lottie. The only room we hadn’t checked was the basement. The slightly ajar door and the light filtering gave away where she went.
Something stirred in the back of my mind. Something cold and dark. I had always had a profound adverse reaction to basements. As if the walls were traps and the stale air carried terrible secrets.
I knew why. It always came back to the same old chestnut—darkness. My logical mind could process it all it wanted. I could tell myself there was nothing down there, but the subconscious would conjure images of the monsters lying in wait. Images were hard to defeat.
My heart battered against my chest as I leaned forward and pulled the door open. My eyes registered the shape as my body grew chillingly cold. The presence lurched up the stairs. Startled, I gasped and jumped back.
Challis smirked as he took my reaction in. His dark eyes were brighter than normal, and there was a warm glow around his pupils. He’d just fed.
Unease curled in my stomach. “Is Lottie down there?”
He shrugged as he stepped into the foyer. “I’m not willing to say. It’s called hide-and-seek, is it not?”
“Challis, don’t be an—” I stopped myself before I swore. “Is she down there or not?”
“I didn’t see her.” He would know; he’d smell her and hear her. His smirk grew as my eyes narrowed. “You will have to look for yourself.” He turned his attention to Billy. Billy stared at him with a scowl on his face. “That’s how the game works, isn’t it, buddy?” He winked.
“Asshole,” I muttered under my breath as he strode through the foyer.
I edged forward and stared at the stairwell, heavy gray brick winding down like a dark throat. There were no monsters there. They were childhood stories, the stuff of myth, not real. Still.
Billy tugged at my hand to move, but I remained glued to the spot. “She’s down there,” he whispered.
“Lottie,” I called out. “Lottie, come out, honey. Game’s over now. We know you’re in the basement.”
The sound of my voice chanted against the thick walls.Chantedseemed about right,as if a catastrophic urging to a grim prophecy. A warm squirm of panic churned through my stomach.
That’s where the monsters live, a voice whispered.
“Amy, let’s go.”
I licked my dry lips. I knew it was irrational—there were no monsters in the basement because they lurked on the streets. But I couldn’t help feeling that if I went down there, something bad—something horrible—would happen. I’d be strapped down, pinned, and?—
Hands on my arms. Faceless figures rushing at me through the dark.
“Amy.” Billy tugged my hand.The images fled and I was back hovering at the edge of the stairs. Was it amemory? No, Irealized immediately, it was a nightmare rearing its ugly head in the broad light of day, as if having them at night wasn’t fucking bad enough.
“Lottie,” I called out louder.
“Come on,” Billy said, then letting go of my hand, he began to step down.
“No.” I grasped his arm, stopping him mid-step.
He frowned up at me. “She’s there though.”
