Page 64 of The Vanishing Place

Adam wrapped his arms around his head and pushed his back against the living room wall. It was bad.

Bad. Bad .

Dad crashed and swore his way around the house. Anger bloated under his skin, making his cheeks and eyes red, then it burst out. The air cracked as Dad hurled a stool at the wall, and Daniel flinched in the corner.

Daniel never flinched. Daniel never got scared.

Adam squeezed his eyes shut, then pushed his arms against his ears. He didn’t like it. He wanted Dad to stop shouting—to stop yelling bad words.

“How old’s the prick?” demanded Dad.

Daniel mumbled something.

“Speak up, boy.”

“Nineteen,” said Daniel. “Cameron’s nineteen.”

There was a pause, and Adam opened his eyes. But Dad’s face was all wrong.

“She was fifteen.” Dad smirked. “Just fifteen when he put that bastard thing in her.”

He laughed, a terrifying hollow sound, and Adam thought he might spew.

“That boy’s going to rot in jail.” The horrible smile grew on Dad’s face. “Fucking pedophile,” he spat. “The pigs’ll get him, you’ll see, and they’ll mess that boy up inside. With any luck, they’ll beat the fucking life out of him.”

He pointed a shaking finger at Daniel.

“Hell’s waiting for him,” he leered. “For him and his devil spawn.”

Daniel straightened up. “What about Dinah?”

Dad’s expression changed, his teeth vanished and his face turned to stone. Then he walked over to Daniel and placed a hand on his shoulders.

“The wickedness of the outside world has polluted your sister’s mind.

She’s been lured and corrupted by opponents of God’s truth.

” He moved closer to Daniel. “Cameron’s words dripped into her like poison, leading her toward hell.

And when your sister was at her most naive, Cameron filled her with the devil. ”

Daniel nodded.

“We must protect her from this immoral world.” Dad spat as he spoke, his face shiny with sweat. “We must show her a life of purity…a life free of sin.”

Daniel nodded again.

“Only by separating ourselves from the evils of the outside world can we save your sister.”

Daniel’s head kept nodding. Up and down.

“Tomorrow,” Dad continued, “we’ll start anew. Away from here. Somewhere new. Away from the temptations of outsiders.”

Adam pressed a hand against his mouth, keeping the frightened sounds in. Stay. Stay. He didn’t make a noise, didn’t move a muscle. He made himself small and invisible, so that Dad wouldn’t remember he was there.

“Go.” Dad pointed toward the hall. “Your sister needs you to be strong for her now.”

He kissed Daniel’s head, then Daniel walked out.

Adam gripped his shins, his heart racing, as the room silenced around him. The slap of Daniel’s footsteps softened as he moved farther away, then they stopped, and a bolt slid open with a clang.

Dinah’s room .

Adam bit into his tongue at the first scream and dug his palms into his ears. He closed his eyes, his cheeks wet with tears, and when he opened them again, Dad was staring at him.

“You failed her.” Dad pointed at the door. “Listen,” he yelled. “ Listen! Those screams are because of you. Because of your disobedience and your weakness.”

Adam sniffed, his stomach too sore to breathe.

“I expected better of you, boy.”