Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 4

What a contrast a day made.Somehow, in the hot, hazy August sunlight the -next morning, Mary-Lynnette couldnt get serious astir(predicate)checking on whether Mrs. Burdock was dead. It was just too ridiculous. Besides, she had a lot todo-school started in just e verywhere deuce weeks. At the beginning of June she had been sure summer would lastforever, sure that she would neversay, Wow, this summer has g adept by so fast. And now here she stoodin mid-August, and she was saying, Wow, its gone by so fast.I need clothes, Mary-Lynnette notion. And a parvenue backpack, and notebooks, and some of those olive-sizedpurple entangle-tip pens. And I need to make tick get all those things, too, because he wont do it by himselfand Claudine will never make him.Claudine was their stepmother. She was Belgian and very graceful, with curly dark haircloth and sparklingdark eyeball. She was only ten years older than MaryLynnette, and she looked even younger. Shed beenthe familys housecleaning helper when Mary Lynnettes mom front got sick five years ago. MaryLynnette ilkd her, but she was hopeless as a substitute mother, and Mary-Lynnette normally ended up takingcharge of marker.So I dont have time to go over to Mrs. B.s.She spent the day shopping. It wasnt until after dinner that she thought ab unwrap Mrs. Burdock again.She was helping to dear dishes bulge of the family means, where dinner was traditionally eaten in front ofthe TV, when her father said, I heard something today about Todd Akers and Vic Kimble.Those losers, jell muttered.Mary-Lynnette said, What?They had some pattern of accident over on Chiloquin Road-over between Hazel Green Creek andBeavercreek.A car accident? Mary-Lynnette said.Well, this is the thing, her father said. Apparently in that location wasnt any damage to their car, but theyboth thought theyd been in an accident. They showed up at home after midnight and said that somethinghad happened to them out there-but they didntknow what. They we re missing a a a few(prenominal)(prenominal) hours. He lookedat Mark and Mary-Lynnette. How about that, guys?Its the UFOs Mark shouted immediately, dropping into discus-throwing position and wigglinghis plate.UFOs are a crock, Mary-Lynnette said. Do youknow how far the little green men would haveto travel-and theres no suchthing as warp speed. Whydo plurality have to make things up when theuniverse is just just blazing with incredible things that are real-She halt. Her family was tone ather oddly.Actually Todd and Vic probably just got smashed, she said, and put her plate and glass inthe sink. Her father grimaced slightly. Claudine pursed her lips. Mark grinned.In a very real and literal sense, he said. We hope.It was as Mary-Lynnette was walking back to the family room that a thought struck her.Chiloquin Road was right off Kahneta, the road path her own house was on. The road Mrs. B.s house wason.It was only two miles from Burdock Farm to Chiloquin.There couldnt be any connec tion. Unless the young womanfriends were burying the little green man whod abductedVicand Todd. still it bothered her. Two really strange things happening in the homogeneous night, in the same area. In a tiny,sleepy area that never saw any kind of excitement.I know, Ill call Mrs. B. And shell be fine, and thatll prove everythings okay, and Ill be able to laughabout all this.But nobody answered at the Burdock house. The phone rang and rang. Nobody picked it up and theanswering machine never came on. Mary-Lynnettehung up feeling grim but oddly calm. She knew whatshe had to do now.She snagged Mark as he was sack up the stairs. I need to chat to you.Look, if this is about your Walkman-Huh? Its about something we have to do tonight. Mary-Lynnette looked at him. What aboutmyWalkman?Uh, nothing. Nothing at all.Mary-Lynnette groaned but let it go. Listen, Ineed you to help me out. Last night I saw something weirdwhen I was on the hill. She ex unor give earnteded as succinctly as possib le. And now more weird stuff with Toddand Vic, she said.Mark was shudder his head, looking at her in something like pity. Mare, Mare, he said kindly. Youreally are crazy, you know.Yes, Mary-Lynnette said. It doesnt matter. Im still going over there tonight.To do what?To check things out. I just want toseeMrs. B. If I can whistle to her, Ill feel better. And if I can findout whats buried in that garden, Ill feel a wholelotbetter. perhaps they were burying Sasquatch. That government study in the Klamaths never did find him,you know.Mark, you owe me for the Walkman. For whatever happened to the Walkman.Uh Mark sighed, whence muttered resignedly.Okay, I owe you. But Im telling you right now,Im not going to talk to those girls.You dont have to talk to them. You dont evenhave to see them. Theres something else I wantyouto do.The sun was just setting. Theyd walked this roada hundred times to get to Mary-Lynnettes hill-the onlydifference tonight was that Mark was carryinga pair of prunin g shears and Mary-Lynnette had pulled theRubylith filter off her flashlight.You dont reallythink they offed the old lady.No, Mary-Lynnette said candidly. I just want to put the serviceman back where it belongs.You want what?You know how you have a legal opinion of the way theworld is, but every so often you wonder, Oh,myGod, what if its really different?Like, What if Im really adopted and the population I think are myparentsarent my parents at all? And if it were true, it would change everything, and for a thin youdont know whats real. Well, thats how I feel right now, and I want to get rid of it. I want my old worldback.You know whats scary? Mark said. I think Iunderstand.By the time they got to Burdock Farm, it was full dark. leading of them, in the west, the star Arcturusseemed to hang over the farmhouse, glittering faintly red.Mary-Lynnette didnt bother trying to deal withthe debile gate. She went to the place behind theblackberry bushes where the picket fence had fallen f lat.The farmhouse was like her own familys, but with often of Victorian-style gingerbread added.MaryLynnette thought the spindles and scallops and fretwork gave it a whimsical air-eccentric, like Mrs.Burdock. Just now, as she was looking at one of the second-story windows, the shadow of a movingfigure fell on the roller blind.Good, Mary-Lynnette thought. At least I know somebodys home.Mark began hanging back as they walked down the weedy path to the house.You said I could hide.Okay. Right. Look, wherefore dont you take thoseshears and severalize of go around back-And look at the Sasquatch severe while Im there? Maybe do a little digging? I dont think so.Fine, Mary-Lynnette said calmly. because hidesomewhere out here and hope they dont see you when they come to the door. At least with the shears you have an excuse to be in the back.Mark threw her a bitter glance and she knew shedwon. As he started off, Mary-Lynnette said suddenly,Mark, be careful.Mark just waved a dismissive han d at her without turning around.When he was out of sight, Mary-Lynnette knockedon the front door. Then she rang the doorbellitwasnta button but an actual bellpull. She could hear chimes inside, but nobody answered.She knocked and rang with greater authority. Every minute she kept expecting the door to open toreveal Mrs. B., petite, gravelly-voiced, blue-haired,dressed in an old cotton housedress. But it didnthappen. Nobody came.Mary-Lynnette stopped being polite and began knocking with one hand and ringing with the other. Itwas somewhere in the middle of this rage ofknocks and rings that she realized she was frightened. authentically frightened. Her world view was wobbling.Mrs. Burdock hardly ever left the house. She everlastinglyanswered the door. And Mary-Lynnette had seenwith her own eye that somebody was home here.So why werent they answering?Mary-Lynnettes heart was beating very hard. She had an uncomfortable falling sensation in her stomach.I should get out of here and call Sheriff Akers. Its his bloodline to know what to do about things like this.But itwas hard to work up any feeling of sanction in Todds father. She took her alarm and frustration out onthe door.Which opened. Suddenly. Mary-Lynnettes fist hit air and for an instant she felt sheer panic, fear of theunknown.What can I do for you?The voice was soft and beautifully modulated. Thegirl was just plain beautiful. What Mary-Lynnettehadnt been able to see from the top of her hill was that the brown hair was aglow with rich chestnuthighlights, the features were classically molded, the tall figure was graceful and willowy.Youre rowan, she said.How did you know?You couldnt be anything else Ive never seen anybody who looked so much like maneuver spirit. Youraunt told me about you. Im Mary-Lynnette Carter, Ilive just up Kahneta Road. You probably saw myhouse on your way here. rowan looked noncommittal. She had such a sweet,grave face-,and skin that looked like white orchidpetals, Mary-Lynnette t hought abstractedly. She said, So, I just wanted to welcome you to theneighborhood, say hello, see if theres anything you need.Rowan looked less grave she almost smiled and her brown eyes grew warm. How slight of you. Really.I almost wish we did need something but actually were fine.Mary-Lynnette realized that, with the utmost civility and impregnable manners, Rowan was winding up theconversation. Hastily she threw a new subject into the pool. There are triplet of you girls, right? Are yougoing to school here?My sisters are.Thats great. I can help show them around. Ill be a senior this year. Another subject, quick,MaryLynnette thought. So, how do you like Briar Creek? Its probably quieter than youre used to.Oh, it was pretty quiet where we came from,Rowan said. But we love it here its such awonderful place. The trees, the little animals. . . She stone-broke off.Yeah, those cute little animals, Mary-Lynnette said. Get to the point, her inner voices weretelling her. Her tongue a nd the roof of her mouth felt like Velcro. Finally she blurted, So-so, um, how isyour aunt right now?Shes-fine.That instants hesitation was all Mary-Lynnette needed. Her old suspicions, her old panic, surged upimmediately. reservation her feel bright and cold, like aknife made of ice.She found herself saying in a confident, almost chirpy voice, Well, could I just talk to her for a minute?Would you mind? Its just that I have something sort of important to tellher. She made a move as if tostep over the threshold.Rowan kept on blocking the door. Oh, Im sosorry. Butwell, thats not really possible rightnow.Oh, is it one of her headaches? Ive seen her in bed before. Mary-Lynnette gave a little reverberantlaugh.No, its not a headache. Rowan spoke gently, deliberately. The truth is that shes gone for afew days.Gone?I know. Rowan made a little grimace acknowledging that this was odd. She just decided totake a few days off. A little vacation.But-gosh, with you girls just getting here Mary- Lynnettes voice was brittle.Well, you see, she knew wed take care of thehouse for her. Thats why she waited until wecame.But-gosh, Mary-Lynnette said again. She felt aspasm in her throat. Where-just where did shego?Up north, somewhere on the coast. Im not sure of the name of the town.But . . . Mary-Lynnettes voice trailed off. Back off, her inner voices warned. nowadays was the timeto be polite, to be cautious. Pushing it meant showing this girl that Mary-Lynnette knew something waswrong with this story. And since somethingwas wrong, thisgirl might be dangerous.It was hard to believe that while looking at Rowanssweet, grave face. She didnt look dangerous. ButthenMary-Lynnette noticed something else. Rowan was barefoot. Her feet were as creamy-pale as therest ofher, but sinewy. Something about them, the way they were placed or the clean definition of thetoes, made Mary-Lynnette think of those feet running. Of savage, primal speed.When she looked up, there was another girl walking up behind Rowan. The one with dark golden hair.Her skin was milky instead of blossomy, and her eyes were yellow.This is sparrow hawk, Rowan said.Yes, Mary-Lynnette said. She realized she was utter(a). And realized, the moment after that,that shewas scared. Everything about Kestrel made her thinkof savage, primal movement. The girlwalked as if she were flying.Whats going on? Kestrel said.This is Mary-Lynnette, Rowan said, her, voice still pleasant. She lives down the road. Shecame to see Aunt Opal.Really just to see if you needed anything, MaryLynnette interjected quickly. Were sort of youronly neighbors. Strategy change, she was thinking. About-face. Looking at Kestrel, she believed indanger. Now all she wanted was to keep these girls from adjudicateing what she knew.Youre a friend of Aunt Opals? Kestrel asked silkily. Her yellow eyes swept Mary-Lynnette,first up, then down.Yeah, I come over sometimes, help her withthe-oh, God, dont say gardening-goats. Um, Iguess she told you that t hey need to be milked everytwelve hours.Rowans expression changed fractionally. MaryLynnettes heart gave a violent thud. Mrs. B. wouldnever,everleave without giving instructions aboutthe goats.Of course she told us, Rowan said smoothly, justan instant too late.Mary-Lynnettes palms were sweating. Kestrelhadnt taken that keen, dispassionate, unblinkinggaze offher for a moment. Like the proverbial birdof prey staring down the proverbial rabbit. Well, itsgettinglate and I bet you guys have things to do. I should let you go.Rowan and Kestrel looked at each other. Then theyboth looked at Mary-Lynnette, cinnamon-browneyes and golden eyes fixed intently on her face.Mary-Lynnette had the falling feeling in her stomach again.Oh, dont goyet, Kestrel said silkily. Why dontyou come inside?