take the box up with her to her room and read a little more of The Magician’s Nephew before Garty woke up.
She reached the top of the stairs before she realized she was spilling cereal across the house. She held up the box and discovered there was a hole torn from one corner. She examined the hole closely. A mouse? It didn’t look gnawed on, but, just the same, she wasn’t really hungry anymore. She held her hand over the hole to prevent further spillage, and followed the scattered line of Cheerios—like a path of breadcrumbs—back to the kitchen. She tossed the box of cereal in the garbage can beneath the sink and then fetched a bowl from one of the top cabinets so she’d have a place to pick up her mess on her way back to her room.
A loud chattering of birds outside startled her and she leaned up to the kitchen window. She was just in time to see a flock of black birds taking to the skies from a tree at the forest’s edge. Closer to the house, a man was working in the garden. A gardener? She’d been here for a couple of weeks now and she’d never seen a gardener. The man looked up and his eyes met hers. His face was pink in the morning light. He smiled widely and nodded at her, then he stood from where he’d been crouching and walked around the house and out of sight.
Kayla stepped back from the window. She began to retrace her steps, bowl in hand, but there were no Cheerios on the floor. She scowled and stepped more slowly. She made it all the way to the stairs without finding a single piece of cereal. She tried the stairs: nothing there either. It was as if the house, delighted to discover a rare treat sprinkled on its floor, had simply absorbed them, cleaning itself.
She rushed up the stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
* * *
A few minutes later, Garty tapped on her door and then stepped inside her room. His eyes were tired slits and he swayed on his feet a little.
“Kayla?” He sounded groggy. “Are you okay?”
She looked at Garty and she knew, then, somehow, that he was her brother—her real brother. “I don’t know,” she said. “Something’s not right.”
Garty walked over and slid to the floor with his back against the bed. He turned his head so she could see him speak. “What were you saying last night? I can’t remember now…”
“The box of masks?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“It doesn’t matter, I guess. They’re just creepy.”
“You mean like Halloween masks, those stinky rubber ones?”
“No. They’re made from wood.”
Garty stared at his hands. “Huh,” he said.
Silence. Kayla fidgeted on the bed.
“Do you want to get out of this place for a little while?” Garty said. “I was going to walk into town today. See if there’s anything to do in this shithole. You can come with me if you’d like.”
Kayla smiled, she couldn’t help herself. “Yes! That sounds great!”
“Sweet. But first, let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving.”
* * *
By the time they reached the living room, they could already smell the food: waffles and bacon, just like Kayla had imagined, but there were also over-easy eggs, and spiced apple cider, and steaming hash browns. For Garty there was coffee, and there was also hot chocolate. There were two places set at opposite ends of the table and sitting on the empty plates at each there was a note: one said Garty , the other Kayla .
Suddenly very hungry, Kayla took her seat at the table and began to crunch bacon before she’d even considered her note. She looked up and realized Garty was still standing in the doorway.
“What the hell is this?” Garty said.
Kayla didn’t know what to say. Garty was strange. “It’s breakfast,” she nodded at the table.
“But where did it come from?”
“Cassie made it. Like she always does.”
Garty shook his head. Reluctantly, but she could tell he was hungry too, Garty took his seat. He blinked a couple of times and then picked up his note and read it. He
She reached the top of the stairs before she realized she was spilling cereal across the house. She held up the box and discovered there was a hole torn from one corner. She examined the hole closely. A mouse? It didn’t look gnawed on, but, just the same, she wasn’t really hungry anymore. She held her hand over the hole to prevent further spillage, and followed the scattered line of Cheerios—like a path of breadcrumbs—back to the kitchen. She tossed the box of cereal in the garbage can beneath the sink and then fetched a bowl from one of the top cabinets so she’d have a place to pick up her mess on her way back to her room.
A loud chattering of birds outside startled her and she leaned up to the kitchen window. She was just in time to see a flock of black birds taking to the skies from a tree at the forest’s edge. Closer to the house, a man was working in the garden. A gardener? She’d been here for a couple of weeks now and she’d never seen a gardener. The man looked up and his eyes met hers. His face was pink in the morning light. He smiled widely and nodded at her, then he stood from where he’d been crouching and walked around the house and out of sight.
Kayla stepped back from the window. She began to retrace her steps, bowl in hand, but there were no Cheerios on the floor. She scowled and stepped more slowly. She made it all the way to the stairs without finding a single piece of cereal. She tried the stairs: nothing there either. It was as if the house, delighted to discover a rare treat sprinkled on its floor, had simply absorbed them, cleaning itself.
She rushed up the stairs and to her room, slamming the door shut behind her.
* * *
A few minutes later, Garty tapped on her door and then stepped inside her room. His eyes were tired slits and he swayed on his feet a little.
“Kayla?” He sounded groggy. “Are you okay?”
She looked at Garty and she knew, then, somehow, that he was her brother—her real brother. “I don’t know,” she said. “Something’s not right.”
Garty walked over and slid to the floor with his back against the bed. He turned his head so she could see him speak. “What were you saying last night? I can’t remember now…”
“The box of masks?”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“It doesn’t matter, I guess. They’re just creepy.”
“You mean like Halloween masks, those stinky rubber ones?”
“No. They’re made from wood.”
Garty stared at his hands. “Huh,” he said.
Silence. Kayla fidgeted on the bed.
“Do you want to get out of this place for a little while?” Garty said. “I was going to walk into town today. See if there’s anything to do in this shithole. You can come with me if you’d like.”
Kayla smiled, she couldn’t help herself. “Yes! That sounds great!”
“Sweet. But first, let’s get some breakfast. I’m starving.”
* * *
By the time they reached the living room, they could already smell the food: waffles and bacon, just like Kayla had imagined, but there were also over-easy eggs, and spiced apple cider, and steaming hash browns. For Garty there was coffee, and there was also hot chocolate. There were two places set at opposite ends of the table and sitting on the empty plates at each there was a note: one said Garty , the other Kayla .
Suddenly very hungry, Kayla took her seat at the table and began to crunch bacon before she’d even considered her note. She looked up and realized Garty was still standing in the doorway.
“What the hell is this?” Garty said.
Kayla didn’t know what to say. Garty was strange. “It’s breakfast,” she nodded at the table.
“But where did it come from?”
“Cassie made it. Like she always does.”
Garty shook his head. Reluctantly, but she could tell he was hungry too, Garty took his seat. He blinked a couple of times and then picked up his note and read it. He
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