Page 34 of The Little Shop of Curiosities, The Music Box Part 2

“Like an avatar,” Harrison murmurs.

“I’m confused.” Tristan frowns.

“You’re confused.” Danny sighs. “Try attempting to follow this conversation when you can’t hear half of it.”

I feel for Danny. I sometimes forget he can’t hear or see Dusty.

“Sorry, baby.” Tristan winces. “I’ll fill you in later, I promise.”

“Go back to what you were saying,” I say to Dusty. “About physical manifestations.”

“If you have a powerful supernatural presence or awareness that doesn’t have its own corporeal form, it can sometimes project that awareness into a proxy. I don’t mean it can possess an existing form, I mean it can create its own for a short period of time, kinda like what Harrison said. An avatar.”

“I’ve felt a presence in this place,” Harrison says quietly.

“So have I,” I admit.

“Me too,” Tristan adds.

“I think, given the fox’s proximity to this place, it’s certainly possible that there’s something in this place it belongs to.”

“How the fuck do you know this shit?” Chan exclaims.

“Spirit Guide Sunday School.” She shrugs. “I’m technically still a trainee. This was one of the mandatory lectures. Malevolent and benevolent manifestations of non-corporeal entities and their preferred forms. There’s also a handbook, but that’s propping up one of the legs on the coffee table at my place in heaven.”

“You’ve got your own place in heaven?” Tristan asks.

“Of course I do. What, did you think I was homeless?”

“No, I thought you lived with us, given your near permanent residency,” he replies.

“Permanent residency?” She smirks. “Well, don’t I just feel like Celine Dion in Vegas.”

“Um, guys?” Danny interrupts. “Are those the creepy shadow things you were talking about?”

We all turn to look where Danny’s pointing, and sure enough, it looks like winding black shadows are seeping through the solid wall.

“Those are them.” Chan’s eyes widen as he begins to back down the corridor and towards the stairs. “I say we hotfoot it out of here. Anyone care to join me in the quickstep?”

“Works for me.” Tristan hurries down the corridor after him.

“Me too.” Danny nods quickly. “You need help with Harrison?”

“I’ve got him,” I reply, wrapping my arm fully around his waist and pulling him down the corridor.

“Dusty!” Tristan calls back, and when I look over my shoulder, I see her staring at the shadows now writhing through the wall like smoky tentacles. “DUSTY!” Tristan yells loudly, and when she finally turns to follow us down the stairs and out of the bookshop, her expression is extremely troubled.

Something in my stomach tightens.

Why would something she said was pretty much harmless make her look that worried?

9

It’s late and the sky’s dark by the time we leave the bookshop, but all my attention is on Harrison, who still looks pale. We’re all a little unsettled by what happened in Viv’s shop. I always knew that place was hiding a lot of secrets and skeletons, but I’m starting to realise we haven’t scratched the surface yet.

Chan left with Danny and Tris—I think back to their place. He certainly didn’t look as if he wanted to be on his own, and Aidan’s probably still there from earlier anyway.

Dusty follows along. She never strays far from either Chan or Tristan or, more often than not, both of them. Which leaves Harrison and me, and I have no intention of letting him out of my sight tonight. Every time I close my eyes, I see him with chalky white skin and blue lips, staring blankly at a bare wall.