Page 122
I didn't hear any more sounds so I turned back to him.
"I have something to tell you. Harley, something that is going to make you very unhappy. but I couldn't permit myself to leave here tomorrow without you knowing it all."
"What is it?" he demanded, his face becoming fully awake now, his eyes widening.
I took a deep breath and sat beside him on the bed.
"When you were away, I had nothing to do but explore the house," I began.
"And you found Suzers holy room, I know."
"No, she showed me that, but that's not it, even though it's plenty weird."
"What then?" he pursued with some impatience.
"I found this door in the hallway and opened it thinking it was just a closet, but it was a door to a small basement room. I went down the stairs to look around."
"Oh, so you were the one who left the light on," he said. remembering Suzes accusation.
"Yes,"
"Well, why didn't you say so?"
"Let me finish. Harley."
"I'm waiting for you to finish,' he said, his impatience growing. "It's late and I can hardly think. So what did you find, some voodoo doll or
something?"
"Worse, Harley. I found a newspaper article about your father. It told about his being chased after committing an armed robbery."
"Mv father?" He started to smile.
"And his death,' I added, "He had an accident fleeing from the police."
His smile held a moment and then evaporated as he shook his head.
"What are you talking about. Summer? You sound crazy. You having a bad dream or what?"
"I wish it was only a had dream. I'd be very happy. Harley."
"I don't understand. How can my father be dead and be here in the house at the same time? Is he a ghost, someone Suze brought back from the dead?" he asked with a smile.
"No, Harley. The man in this house is not your father. He's your grandfather," I told him. "The newspaper article makes that perfectly clear."
He stared without speaking. Then he looked away for a moment as if he hoped that when he looked back at me. I'd be gone and all this was just his dream.
"You've got to be mistaken." he said finally. "You just didn't read it right. Maybe it was a cousin or someone with a similar name or..."
"I did read it right. Harley, and there are pictures down there, too, pictures of your grandfather and your grandmother and your father when he was a little boy. There's a picture I believe is your father on the wall as well. Don't you see? It explains why he's so old now."
"No." Harley said, shaking his head vigorously. "you're wrong. Summer. You've got to be wrong. He talked about my mother. He knew all about her."
"Whatever he knew. he knew from listening to your father talk about her.'
"Why would he do this? It doesn't make any sense. Summer," he insisted.
"I don't know his reasons. Maybe he's ashamed of it all Maybe what happened left him so empty inside, he grabbed onto the opportunity to have you. Maybe Suze told him some mystical reason and performed some voodoo ritual. Who knows? The thing is it's all so strange and I didn't want to leave you without you knowing,"
Table of Contents
- Page 1
- Page 2
- Page 3
- Page 4
- Page 5
- Page 6
- Page 7
- Page 8
- Page 9
- Page 10
- Page 11
- Page 12
- Page 13
- Page 14
- Page 15
- Page 16
- Page 17
- Page 18
- Page 19
- Page 20
- Page 21
- Page 22
- Page 23
- Page 24
- Page 25
- Page 26
- Page 27
- Page 28
- Page 29
- Page 30
- Page 31
- Page 32
- Page 33
- Page 34
- Page 35
- Page 36
- Page 37
- Page 38
- Page 39
- Page 40
- Page 41
- Page 42
- Page 43
- Page 44
- Page 45
- Page 46
- Page 47
- Page 48
- Page 49
- Page 50
- Page 51
- Page 52
- Page 53
- Page 54
- Page 55
- Page 56
- Page 57
- Page 58
- Page 59
- Page 60
- Page 61
- Page 62
- Page 63
- Page 64
- Page 65
- Page 66
- Page 67
- Page 68
- Page 69
- Page 70
- Page 71
- Page 72
- Page 73
- Page 74
- Page 75
- Page 76
- Page 77
- Page 78
- Page 79
- Page 80
- Page 81
- Page 82
- Page 83
- Page 84
- Page 85
- Page 86
- Page 87
- Page 88
- Page 89
- Page 90
- Page 91
- Page 92
- Page 93
- Page 94
- Page 95
- Page 96
- Page 97
- Page 98
- Page 99
- Page 100
- Page 101
- Page 102
- Page 103
- Page 104
- Page 105
- Page 106
- Page 107
- Page 108
- Page 109
- Page 110
- Page 111
- Page 112
- Page 113
- Page 114
- Page 115
- Page 116
- Page 117
- Page 118
- Page 119
- Page 120
- Page 121
- Page 122 (Reading here)
- Page 123
- Page 124
- Page 125
- Page 126
- Page 127
- Page 128
- Page 129
- Page 130
- Page 131
- Page 132
- Page 133
- Page 134
- Page 135
- Page 136
- Page 137
- Page 138
- Page 139
- Page 140
- Page 141
- Page 142
- Page 143
- Page 144