Page 7 of Artifice

She had to know the story behind the eye staring at her now.

Swallowing hard, Olive started down the hall.

The eye continued to stare at her.

Her muscles stretched taut with anxiety as she wondered what she might discover.

She took a hesitant step forward, the wood floor creaking beneath her.

Two steps later, the lights flickered overhead.

Her heart pounded harder.

It was just the storm, she told herself. Just the storm.

Finally, she reached the doorway.

The person behind the door didn’t open it wider. But that eye watched her every move. Up close, it almost looked like a pool of black.

She repressed a shiver.

Based on the height and wide-eyed expression, Olive figured this must be a child.

That was probably it. This person was most likely an innocent child who was just as curious about Olive as Olive was about him or her.

“Hi, I’m Liv.” She bent down slightly and lowered her voice. “Is everything okay?”

No response.

“I saw you looking at me, and I was worried. Do you want to talk?”

The eye blinked.

She leaned closer. “You don’t have to be afraid of me.”

More blinking.

Had she broken through?

She waited for whatever this person would do next.

The door started to ease open.

She held her breath as she waited to see the face of an innocent but scared child.

Instead, a shriek cut through the air.

The noise sounded otherworldly—high-pitched, loud, almost frantic.

Olive drew back, her pulse pounding in her ears.

The child slammed the door shut.

Before Olive could figure out what was going on, footsteps rushed down the hall behind her.

Margaret appeared, a scolding look on her face. “I didn’t think you’d wander off.”

She said the words as if she were reprimanding a student.