Something squirms in my belly as I say, “S-seven.”
“Seven.” He nods like I’ve shared some powerful secret. “You seem older sometimes. Older than my sister, anyway.”
I look over my shoulder just in case Briar snuck out of her room after us. My heart is pounding harder. My toes curl against the carpet, slick with sweat.
“That’s a good thing,” he insists. “You aren’t naïve like her.”
My tongue struggles to copy the strange word. “N-naï—”
“Silly,” he says sternly. He leans down, bringing his face close to mine. “You aren’t silly. I think you know what a real monster is. Don’t you?”
I shake my head.
“Don’t lie.” Robert brushes my cheek again, forcing me to face him. “Tell me.”
All the things Mother always warned me about gnaw at the back of my mind.Never stay out late. Never come upstairs without permission.She never told me not to talk to Robert, but…
“Sometimes I hear noises at night,” I admit.
When he cocks his head, I realize I was whispering.
“What kind of noises?” he prods, his voice louder than mine.
“Shouting. Yelling. Screaming—”
“Shh!”
I jump as Robert presses his thumb against my lips. Noise echoes at the top of the staircase. Someone’s coming.
Before they appear, Robert grabs my arm and steers me into the kitchen. “Here.” Upon letting me go, the older boy rummages through a cupboard for a glass and fills it with water from the tap. When he hands it to me, I frown in confusion.
“I think she wanted milk—”
“Wait.”
I stiffen at his playful tone, alarmed when he draws the cup beyond my reach. Robert is too serious for games. He doesn’t even like to play checkers with Briar. He must be mocking me. Though why?
“You’re smarter than Briar,” he declares. “Aren’t you?”
“I-I—”
“I’m going to show you a real monster,” he says over me, leaning in close. “They aren’t like they seem in fairytales. Are you brave enough?” He grabs my arm before I can decide and presses the cup of water against my palm, forcing me to take it. “Come on.”
He leads me past the kitchen and down a narrow hallway, but my steps falter over the icy concrete floor. I’m not allowed this far, this deep into the basement. My stomach starts to hurt, like it does when Briar makes me bend the rules—such as staying in her room too late. If someone catches me, I might never be allowed upstairs again.
“In here.”
Up ahead, Robert stops beside a door. Another man is already standing there and my heart sinks.
“Relax,” Robert says, dragging me closer. He eyes the man, his head held high. “You won’t tell anyone we were here.” His voice rings with authority and the man nods. Then he opens the door and nudges me closer, his hand on my shoulder. “Look…”
My heart pounds as my eyes adjust to the darkness. Monsters have teeth and sharp claws. They thrive in the dark. They growl and prowl and…
They aren’t small. Monsters aren’t supposed to be hunched on the floor, with delicate limbs and pale skin.
I always thought Briar was the prettiest person I’ve ever seen, but the girl huddled in a dark room is beautiful. Long, dark hair falls over her like a cape, obscuring most of her tattered, gray shirt and jeans. She’s young, maybe even the same age as Robert.
“Go on,” Robert goads, pushing me closer.