“It was just a game, Kate. They did that to scare us. Besides, a ghost couldn’t do… that.” I don’t really know exactly what happened to Corey. The police are keeping the details to themselves, which is probably for the best, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t talking. Every time I pick up my phone, I have a new notification, and most of them are our classmates speculating about what happened to Corey and Emma.
It was announced on the news today that her parents are going to remove Emma from life support. She hasn’t shown any brain activity since she’s been at the hospital, and if you believe the rumors about what happened to her, she’s better off dead anyway. People are saying she was skinned alive. I shudder just thinking about it.
“Who do you think you saw in the window?” Kate is picking at the side of her thumb, peeling away the skin from her nail and leaving behind little bloody patches.
“I don’t know, Kate, but it wasn’t a ghost.” I gently push her hands apart.
“We didn’t close out the game.” She moves to start pulling at the skin on her lip again.
“You just called it a game, that’s all it is. Some cardboard and plastic.” I’m telling her everything I want to hear in hopes I’ll believe it too.
“Who do you think that guy was, the one whose name they kept saying?”
“Theo?”
Kate gasps and raises her hands as if she might try to stop me from speaking his name, but it’s already out of my mouth.
“I don’t know, and there’s really no way for us to find out now.”
“Did you tell the cops about… everything?” Kate asks.
“Yeah, pretty much. How about you?”
“I told them everything.” Her eyes get wide as she looks down at my porch. “Do you think he’s going to come after us, whoever it is?”
“I think they would be too afraid to get caught. Plus, it’s not like we know who he is or anything about him. His issue had to be with them, right?”
“Right,” she agrees, but I’m not convinced she believes it, and I don’t know if I believe it either.
A horn honks, and Kate lets out a little yelp when she jumps. I lay my hand on her shoulder, then point to the car with my other hand. “It’s your mom.”
She closes her light brown eyes slowly, and her shoulders slump. “I’m going to head home. I’m tired. I haven’t been sleeping well. See you later, Lethe.”
“Bye, Kate, text me.” She doesn’t even look back before lumbering across the street.
I glance at the stairs after I close the door behind me. The house is quiet. I even hold my breath, expecting the creak of footsteps to come again, but it’s blessedly silent. “Lethe, is that you?” Mom calls casually.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” Instead of walking straight down the hall, I head through the dining room and into the kitchen for a drink of water I wasn’t thirsty for until I needed an excuse not to walk past the stairs.
“Did Kate go home?” Mom asks when I lean against her office doorframe.
“Yeah,” I reply, even though she already knew the answer.
“She’s having a hard time.” Her eyes meet mine as if she’s talking about me too, but trying not to say it.
“Yeah,” I agree again.
“I want you to know you are safe, sweetheart. You can talk to me whenever about whatever, no matter what.” She drops her chin and stares into my eyes, imploring me to understand.
“I know, Ma.”
There’s a short pause, like she’s giving me time to talk to her, but I don’t. Eventually she says, “I got a hold of your dad. He’s coming home. It may take a few days, but he’ll be here.” Her eyes are still turned down a little, but there’s a small, genuine smile on her lips. It’s been months since he’s been home. I’m sure she’s happy to see him. I am too, but there’s always this weird adjustment period when he gets home because he’s gone so much. “He said he’s staying home for good this time,” she tells me.
I’m sure she can tell by my doubtful expression that I don’t believe it. It’s not the first time he’s made that promise. “Cool. You said you’re ordering pizza?” I change the subject.
“Yeah, what sounds good?”
CHAPTER4
