Maybe. But he could get to us just as easily. Look, you cant help them right now, but hes got no good reason to hurt them. Itll be okay.
Shane was the optimist. That was how you knew things were really bad. . . . Claire forced a smile, opened her eyes, and tried to be a brave little toaster. Yeah, she said. Yeah, itll be fine. No problem.
His dark eyes searched hers, and she knew that he could see she was lying. But he didnt call her on it, probably all too familiar with the concept of denial. So, he said. Care for a nice, civilized game of chess?
A thump, and the unmistakable sound of a muffled giggle, drifted through the ceiling from the second floor. Approximately where Eves room would be.
Hey! Shane yelled up. Turn down the porn soundtrack! Trying to concentrate here!
More laughter, quickly stifled. Shane focused back on Claire, and Claire felt her lips curling into a more genuine kind of smile.
Chess, she said. Your move, tough guy.
Another thump from upstairs. Shane shook his head and tipped over his king. What the hell. I surrender. Lets hook up a video game and kill some zombies.
More laughter, quickly stifled. Shane focused back on Claire, and Claire felt her lips curling into a more genuine kind of smile.
Chess, she said. Your move, tough guy.
Another thump from upstairs. Shane shook his head and tipped over his king. What the hell. I surrender. Lets hook up a video game and kill some zombies.
ly stifled. Shane focused back on Claire, and Claire felt her lips curling into a more genuine kind of smile.
Chess, she said. Your move, tough guy.
Another thump from upstairs. Shane shook his head and tipped over his king. What the hell. I surrender. Lets hook up a video game and kill some zombies.
In the morning, it was ... The morning. For a precious few seconds when Claire woke up, nothing was wrong, nothing at all. Her body hummed with energy, and the birds were singing outside, and the sun burned in warm stripes across her bed.
She squinted at the alarm clock. Seven thirty. Time to get up if she intended to make it to her first class and still have any margin for coffee.
It wasnt until she was in the shower, and the hot water was pounding sense back into her head, that she realized that all was not well. Her parents were in town. Her parents were on the radar screen of the monsters.
And her parents wanted her to move back in with them.