I woke all at once, sitting up at almost the same moment my eyes opened. I was still fully dressed, wearing what I had worn to chase after Maeveen. My room was empty, and the house was quiet. A little sunlight spilled across the sill of my casement window. Noon, I thought, or just after.
I looked around for my phone, and saw a book on my nightstand, with a large bookmark sticking out. The bookmark turned out to be an index card, covered in fancy handwriting, which I recognized from Maeveen’s death-book.
Spenser is at school. I told him you weren’t feeling well, and called in sick for you. There are muffins in the refrigerator downstairs. I’m up in the attic. Come find me when you’re ready to talk. –M
The book was a collection of essays by J.R.R. Tolkien. I glanced briefly at the passage the bookmark had indicated. Faerie is a perilous realm, it read, and in it are pitfalls for the unwary and dungeons for the overbold… In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveler who would report them.
I found my phone under the book, with about fifty unanswered texts, mostly from Katy. I considered again calling a cab, escaping back to the Woo’s house, but I was calmer now, and I wanted to know more first. I texted Katy just to let her know I was okay. Then I looked at Maeveen’s note again, and made a face. Come find me when you’re ready to talk, she’d written. Well I would, but I wasn’t ready yet.
I went downstairs and had breakfast, with nice, normal muffins. Then I had a long shower with nice, normal body wash, and nice, normal shampoo. I took my time getting dressed, brushing my hair, and putting on makeup like battle armor. Just in case, I took all my clothes and packed them in my suitcase. Then, and only then, did I go up to the attic to find Maeveen.

Copyright 2015 Christopher Russo.  All rights reserved.  No part or whole of this text may be reproduced in any form without permission.