I didn’t argue, moving straight to his side without hesitation. “That’s her, Hugh.” I took his outstretched hand in both of mine and burrowed into his side. “That’s the scary lady.”
“I see her,” he replied, attention trained to the stranger watching us through the tree line at the end of the cul-de-sac. Snatching the stick out of my hand, he pulled me close and wielded it in front of us. “Don’t worry. I’m here.”
“I think she’s a monster,” I admitted with a shiver. “She has sharp claws and everything.”
“She’s not a monster,” he replied, slowly walking me backwards toward his driveway. “She’s a weirdo.”
“But you can really see her, right?” I continued to probe, needing his validation, as he backed us up his porch steps. “I’m not dreaming, am I?” Feeling panicked, I clung to his hand. “This is real, isn’t it? We’re really here?”
“Yeah, Liz,” he confirmed, sounding so steady and sure of himself that I felt better. “I’m right here with you, I promise.”
When we reached the front door, Hugh pushed me inside before following in after me and slamming the door shut. “Caoimhe!” he roared, still holding the stick. “Come here fast!”
My sister was babysitting for Sinead today, and when she poked her head around the living room door, she looked annoyed. “What?”
“The scary lady’s back!” I choked out. “She found me.”
My sister rolled her eyes. “Liz, we’ve talked about this a million times. There is no scary lady.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but Hugh got there first. “I don’t know about scary ladies, but there’s a creepy woman at theend of the street,” he said, once again tucking me into his side. “I saw her myself, Caoimhe. She’s been watching us.”
Caoimhe stared at Hugh for a long beat before laughing. “Yeah, okay, guys, pull the other leg.”
“Do you see me laughing?” Hugh snapped, pointing to the door. “She’s right down the street, Caoimhe. At the end of the cul-de-sac. In the woods.”
“You’re serious?”
Hugh nodded. “Deadly.”
“Oh my God.” My sister’s smile fell. “Where’s Claire?”
“Upstairs with Gibs.”
“Okay. Okay.” Nodding to herself, she moved for the door, looking like she might puke. “Both of you stay in the house,” she instructed before swinging the door open. “Do not follow me.”
The moment she charged out the driveway and bolted toward the end of the street, we, of course, rushed outside to see.
“Where did you see her?” Caoimhe demanded when she returned a few minutes later.
Standing at the end of the driveway, we pointed toward the tree line at the end of the cul-de-sac. “Right over there.”
“There’s no one over there,” she snapped, sounding frustrated. “If you two are playing some pathetic prank on me, I’m going to be seriously—”
“She was right over there, Caoimhe,” Hugh interrupted, sounding equally frustrated. “This is not a prank.”
“Yeah, well, it sure looks like one because there is nobody in the wood, Hugh.”
“Then she must’ve disappeared again,” I offered, trembling. “The scary lady is good at doing that. She can just go poof and disappear into—”
“Oh my God, give it a rest with the scary-lady bullshit,” Caoimhe roared, glaring at me. “It’s bad enough you’ve warpedyour own mind with crazy bullshit, but you’re warping his now, too.”
“Hey!” Hugh snapped, stepping in front of me. “Your sister didn’t warp my mind, Caoimhe. I saw the woman with my own eyes.”
“Sure you did, right along with Saint Patrick himself and the Easter Bunny,” she shot back sarcastically, stomping back to the house. “Pull a stunt like that again, Hugh Biggs, and I’m telling your parents.”
“She doesn’t believe me, Hugh,” I said when my sister slammed the front door behind her.
“It doesn’t matter what she believes,” he growled, tucking my hand in his as he glowered at his closed front door. “You’re telling the truth.”
