Girl From the Tree House, стр. 50

When I look out the window, I see nothing, but a pale full moon covered by a thin haze of dark clouds painted across the sky as if the artist ran out of patience and hastily finished his work. Shadows chase each other as clouds rush across the sky, pursuing an invisible destination or fleeing an invisible master.

No wonder that at night, the woods look threatening. Trees and flowers that create a rich, colorful tapestry after a sweet-smelling downpour on a summer’s day, loom at night like hooded, sinister mercenaries at the edge of our clearing.

Prince has left his mat in the corner and stands by Maddie’s side, a low growl rolling from his throat, his ears flipping back and forth on the search for a sound. I open the window and lean out. All I hear is the hoot of a night owl in the distance. Amadeus appears at my side.

“Let me take this.”

“Somebody there?” He shouts into the darkness with a stern, commanding voice that advertises the total absence of fear. It’s a blessing he took over because I would not have been able to pull it off. I’m not even sure I would have had a voice at all. I strain to listen. The night is without any sound. The still, crisp air is heavy with the pungent smell of the forest and wet soil. Shouldn’t I hear at least some sounds of nightlife in the woods?

Amadeus closes the window, opens the front door, and shines a weak light from the oil lamp into the garden. Prince barks and sniffs at the ground. Then, without prior warning, he barks and races into the dark. A staccato of footsteps and crunching over forest floor echoes through the night and a few birds, disturbed by the chase, take flight.

I hear Prince yelping in pain, a car door is slammed shut and a motor is howling in first gear as it speeds away.

“Prince,” I call for him and run in the direction I saw him disappear. I stop after a few steps when he appears from the trees. He’s okay. Limping, but okay.

“Good boy. What a brave good boy you are.” Maddie kneels and puts her arms around him. He licks her face. I let him, happy that he’s okay. I check for blood but can’t see anything. The intruder must have hit him with a stick or thrown a rock at him. I only hope Prince got his teeth into the thug.

Inside the house, I comfort Maddie, who is still shaking. “Sweetie, tell me why you came down in the middle of the night?”

“I had a thcary dream. They take me to the white house.”

“They?”

“The man in the black thuit. He looks in the window and calls for me.”

“I’m glad Prince and I were here to make sure he didn’t take you. Can you promise me never to leave your bed without telling a grown-up? We don’t want you to get hurt.”

“You not listen. I talk about the white house and nobody listens.”

“You mean the one in the newspaper?”

“Yes, that one. That is the bad house. That is where they hurt naughty little girls and little boys.”

“But you are not a naughty little girl.”

“I tell them, but they not listen. They thay me is naughty.”

“Do you want to tell me what happened in the white house?”

“I thcared.”

“Of course, you are. I’m a little scared too, but we have Prince here. He’s a good boy and protects us.”

“Mummy and Daddy live in the white house. I not want to go back.”

“You don’t have to. I promise.”

“But the man in the window. I know him. He wants to take me.”

“That you told me about him is a great help. I will talk to the others and make sure this man, or his friends will not hurt you ever again.”

“Daddy has the key to the big, thcary room”

“Darling, do you know that Mummy and Daddy died and went to heaven?”

“Yes. No. I don’t remember.”

“Mummy and Daddy died before we went to live with Horace and Helen.”

“But that’s a long time ago”

“A very long time. You don’t have to fear Daddy anymore.”

“But the man in the window was always with him in the thcary room.”

“Thank you for telling me that, I will make sure that he won’t hurt you.”

“You could ask Luci. Luci and Amadeus together are very, very strong.” She sobs and her eyes roll upward. “Make them stop. I don’t want to go. Please, Daddy, don’t tie me up.”

She’s crying and shaking and tears stream down her face. Then Maddie collapses to the ground and is lifeless. I touch her and get a fright. She’s cold as an ice block. Where is everybody when I need them? I need someone who is able to be with Maddie. Toby answers my call. He appears and takes Maddie’s hand.

“I told her not to leave the room, but the newspaper frightened her. Do you promise we never have to go back to the white house?”

“I’ll do all I can. Why are you here?”

“Daddy and the uncles hurt Maddie with their pokey bits. I come and take her away. Because I’m a boy, they won’t hurt me.”

“I’m so glad you can take Maddie away.”

“I don’t want us to go back there.”

“We won’t. I promise.”

“I’m a big boy, I can help.”

“Yes, you can.”

“And I can make myself tiny so that you don’t see me.”

Toby yawns and rubs his eyes. The little fellow has shown so much courage, he brings tears to my eyes.

“I know you are clever like that. Off to bed now with the two of you.”

I watch him slink up the stairs with Maddie in tow and my heart follows them. Only when I see them slip into their bedrooms, do I take a seat at the table. We have to do something. Someone from the past has found out where we live. I’m afraid we are underestimating the power our enemies wield. We need a plan that goes beyond