The Hunt of Altswood High (The Altswood Saga #1)

Chapter 7 - Echo

Chapter 7 - Echo

There was a knot in my stomach, strung so tightly I could barely walk. Yet I still continued down the road to Manny Angra's house.

Pristine white complexes sat behind carefully trimmed shrubs along the entirety of this road. I could hear the beach crashing against the shore from here, so I figured this was also near the edge of the island, like my house was. I had never wandered around to this side of Altswood before. The yards and the space was glorious, but the houses looked almost identical. They were so large I wondered how the rooms could possibly all be occupied.

I watched the numbers on the mailboxes pass, recalling Gabriel's instructions.

"Manny's house is number 39, Rose Road," he had said. Then, felt the need to clarify, "Altswood."

"No kidding."

"Knock on the door rapidly five times, then kick it once."

I nodded. "Knock five times. Kick once."

He grinned. "Don't break it, though."

"I'll try my best."

I glanced up from the pavement of Rose Road now, regretting that I ever said I'd keep playing.

33... 35... 37...

I stopped outside the fences of house number 39, debating if it was too late to run off. I had stopped by home to tell Dad where I was going, but he wasn't even there. After checking all the windows and doors were locked, I had left again and texted Dad that I wouldn't be back until "late" because I was hanging out with "friends." 

He offered a short response: HAVE FUN. There were also many, many smiley faces. Dad wouldn't be as happy when he learned I was taking part in illegal activity and the only friend I'd made so far was Gabriel and maybe that Kaydee girl I spoke to for five minutes who wore her lipstick wrong. She introduced herself, right? That counted as friendship.

"You are so lame," I mumbled to myself, opening the fence latch. Hollow echoes vibrated from the ground as I took the path to the front door, reminding myself to breathe.

Manny Angra opened the door almost immediately after my kick, and I nearly stumbled in fright.

"Come in," he said.

Manny looked different to the arrogant boy arguing with Maddison in the garden. His skin was pale despite his naturally dark hue, sallow around his cheeks and hollow under his eyes. His black hair shone strangely with oil, as if it had been unwashed for several days, and simply combed roughly.

I stepped into the bright hallway, offering a small smile. The windows on the arched ceiling was letting in concentrated beams of light. I had to squint slightly, though it didn't seem to bother Manny.

"Luca, is it?" he asked absently.

"That's me," I said, glancing around. "You've got a nice place."

I expected a laugh in return, maybe even a forced, pity one. Instead, Manny Angra frowned.

"It could be better," he said, voice low.

I winced, the knot in my stomach growing.

Thankfully, I was saved from an response I couldn't provide when we stepped into the lounge and Gabriel spotted me.

"Fern!"

There had to be over fifty kids in here, but it wasn't crowded one bit. I made my way to where Gabriel was, on the couch, along with a group of six others. They were all smiling warmly, as if what we were doing right now wasn't totally illegal. I couldn't get over that. This was illegal. And I was here anyway.