Blood in the water

The storm clouds slid apart as we neared Fear Island, and rays of yellow sunlight slanted down on the bare trees. Shielding my eyes with one hand, I could see a couple of small summer cottages, boarded up for winter, with their tiny docks empty.

I’m going to have an awesome time, I told myself. I’ve left Mac behind and I’m going to a party in an island mansion, and stay up all night, and make new friends, and maybe get close to Brendan Fear, and have a total blast.

And somehow … this time I really believed it.

As Randy guided the boat around the curve of the island, the Fear house came into view, rising above the trees like a dark tower. Brendan’s house was not a summer cottage. It looked more like a castle. It was at least three stories high, built of black stone that glowed under the sunlight, tall windows, all dark, a slanting red roof with chimneys poking up all up and down its length, and balconies that jutted out toward the trees.

I really am entering a different world, I thought, gazing over the glare of the water at the incredible mansion.

“Cute little cottage,” Patti said, snapping a photo with her phone. “Think there’s enough room for a party?”

“I’ve lived in Shadyside my whole life, but I’ve never seen this place,” I said. “I knew the Fears were rich. But I never imagined…”

The boat rocked in the water, slowing as we approached the wooden dock. I turned to Eric. “You and Brendan come here a lot, right?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Believe it or not, that humongous castle is just Brendan’s summer house. They closed it up in September. Brendan and I hang here a lot. It’s seriously boring.”

“Boring?”

“There’s no Internet. No WiFi. No bars on your phone. It’s like … welcome to caveman days.”

I laughed. “That could be a good thing.”

A gust of wind blew his hair straight up on his head. “It’s a good place to film a horror movie,” he said, pushing the wild tuft of hair back down with one hand. “Big rooms filled with heavy, old furniture. Long dark halls twisting this way and that. It’s supposed to be a summer house. But the whole place is dark and depressing.”

He pointed. “See all those huge windows? I mean, even when it’s sunny out, the light doesn’t seem to come in.”

“Weird.”

His eyes grew wide. “There are long, creepy shadows everywhere. And the shadows seem to move on their own. And I’m always hearing horrible howls from up in the attic.”

I laughed. “Now you’re just trying to scare me—aren’t you?”

He grinned. “You think so?”

The boat bumped hard against the wooden dock. A few kids cried out in surprise. Eric pretended to fall off his seat and landed on his butt on the deck. He really is like a five-year-old. He’s kind of cute, but he’s a big baby. And he always has to be the center of attention.

Kerry helped pull him to his feet. Randy leaped onto the dock and tied the catamaran to the pilings. We scrambled to climb off. The spray from the lake air made my face feel cold and damp. I took a deep breath and inhaled a wonderful sweet aroma from the trees.

“See you guys later,” Randy said, helping April off the boat. “Antonio and Miguel will guide you up to the house.”

Antonio was a tall, lean young man with tiny dark eyes, a sharp nose, a shiny round stud in one nostril, and black hair pulled behind his head in a ponytail that fell down his back.

Miguel was older, shorter, and pudgy, an African American with a broad forehead and a lot of white in his hair. They both were in uniform—black dress shirt, black tie, and black slacks. They both had little white nametags on their shirt pockets.

“They must be new,” Eric whispered in my ear. “I haven’t seen either of them before. The Fears have so many people working for them.”

“But the house has been closed, right?” I said. “They just opened it for Brendan’s party today.”

Eric nodded. He darted over to Geena and put his arm around her. “I see you watching me, Geena. You can’t take your eyes off me, can you? Maybe you and I can sneak away later. Maybe do some nature walks on the island? Are you into nature like I am?”

She laughed. “That’s a maybe, Eric.”

“You mean it’s a yes?”

Geena shook her head. “A maybe is a no. ”

“So it’s a yes,” Eric said.

“No.”

“I’ll take that to be a yes.”

The sky darkened again, and the air grew cooler. Behind us, the boat rose up, then splashed down as waves washed hard against the narrow dock.

“Okay, guys. Let’s get to the house before the rain comes,” Antonio shouted. He had some kind of foreign accent. Italian, I think. He pointed to a dirt path that led through the tall grass, away from the shore. “It’s a short hike through the woods. Be careful to stay on the path. There are a lot of snakes.”

“What kind of snakes?” Patti asked.

“The kind you don’t want to meet,” Antonio replied.

We all started toward the path. I stopped when I heard a shrill scream.

I turned back in time to see Randy fall. One foot was caught in the tie rope, and he screamed again as he stumbled off the dock. I gasped as his head hit one of the tall log pilings. It made a sick thud.

His white cap landed upside down on the dock. Arms slumped at his sides, Randy dropped into the churning lake water.

Screaming, shouting in shock, we went running to the dock. Antonio and Miguel were already on their knees, peering into the water. They tried to wave us back. “He’ll be okay,” Antonio shouted. “He’s a good swimmer.”

“Back, everyone,” Miguel ordered. “Get back.”

No one moved. My heart was pounding in my chest. I struggled to catch my breath.

And then I uttered a choked cry as a circle of bright red rose up in the dark lapping water. The red tint spread quickly, washing with the waves.

“Blood! It’s his blood!” Geena shouted.

“Where is he? Why isn’t he coming up?” Delia cried.

I’d been holding my breath the whole time. I forced myself to breathe. My legs suddenly felt weak. No sign of him.

Antonio began to wave frantically. “Get up to the house! All of you! Miguel—take them to the house. I’ll deal with this. Everyone— move!” He tugged his shoes off, then started to strip off his clothes.

“He’ll be okay. Randy’ll be okay,” Miguel kept repeating. He frantically began moving us off the dock. “Come on, everybody. Antonio will pull him out. No worries. Really. No worries.”

I had no choice. I had to follow the others to the path that led to the house. But as I stepped off the dock, I turned back. And saw the water so crimson, rippling red, the blood spreading in the waves and around the dock. And no sign of Randy … just Randy’s blood, billowing up from down below.

10.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20