Page 85 of Level With Me
Blake pointed with one hand, his other slipping over the small of my back. It was a subtle, barely-there move, but the rush of tingling it sent through me distracted me enough that I looked at him instead of the vent.
His mouth turned up in the slightest smile. My chest clenched.
Stay. I want you to stay.
“What is it?” Griff asked from behind us. “A box?”
I dragged my attention from Blake back to the vent. He couldn’t stay. And I didn’t want to insist he did. I wouldn’t do that.
Jude looked over his shoulder at Griff. “Seriously, man? A box?”
“I don’t have my glasses on,” Griff grunted.
“Since when do you wear glasses?” I asked him, incredulous.
Griff kneeled down between me and Jude, squinting inside as if he hadn’t heard me.
Even with me this close, it was shadowy in there, with little light hitting it as the window was on the same wall. I pulled out my phone, flipping on the flashlight and shone it in. It was a small rectangle.
“Looks like a book,” Blake said.
Griff pulled something out of his pocket—a utility knife, I saw now—and in a few quick moves, he’d popped the grill off the wall.
Jude reached in and pulled the thing out. It was small, about 4x6 inches, and thick with dust.
My stomach flittered with excitement. “Is that a—”
“Holy shit, it’s Eleanor’s diary!” Jude exclaimed.
“You haven’t even opened it,” Griff said.
Jude blew hard on the cover. Dust exploded in a plume around us and the three of us leaned back, cursing and waving at the air in front of our faces.
“Jesus, Jude,” Griff coughed. He went to grab the book, but Jude was quick and held it away.
I rolled my eyes, then sneezed. I would have stood up, but I wanted to see what was inside as badly as Jude did.
When Jude opened the cover, the first thing we saw was an inscription on the inside of the front cover.
Property of J.E.Q.
“Who’s J.E.Q.?” Jude asked, his voice strung with disappointment.
“Who knows?” I said.
Blake tipped his head at Jude. “Keep going. Let’s see what else is inside.”
Jude turned the page. There was writing inside, but it was illegible. Not because it was blurred or faded, but because the writing wasn’t in English. It wasn’t in any language I recognized.
“What the hell?” Jude said.
“Let me see,” Griffin said.
But just then, a soft creak sounded.
Not in this room. We all looked at each other.
“Did you hear that?” Jude whispered.
