The girl in the attic

(5) The girl in the attic

The girl in the attic

Chapter 5

Katie's POV

I watched as he searched for me through a hole in the wooden wall. I had managed to get down from the ladder but knew there was no way I was going to be able to get away with my leg hurting so badly. I hid in the only place I knew he would never find me. The barn had a small crawl space underneath that they used to use for storage but not anymore. The door to the crawl space was in the wall at the back of the barn but you wouldn't be able to see it if you didn't know it was there. There was just enough space for me to sit in the little area behind the door that led to the crawl space.

He looked worried and like he really wanted to help me but I couldn't let him find me again. I held my breath until he finally gave up and left the barn. He was about to close the door behind him when I let out my breath and I saw him stepping back into the barn. At first I thought he might have heard me but then he did the strangest thing. He placed the medical kit that he had with him on the floor and then he left. I was puzzled by his behavior, did he know I was here and wanted to set a trap for me or was he just being nice? Nobody has ever been nice to me except for Mikey so I wasn't sure.

The little space I was hiding in was small and uncomfortable but it would have to do for tonight, I couldn't dare to go out there and get caught.

Preston's POV

I left the medical kit in the barn hoping that she would come back and use it if she was still in the area. I'm not sure how she managed to disappear so quickly with that hurt leg of hers but I couldn't find her anywhere. She had obviously somehow managed to get away or she had a really good hiding place. One thing was for sure, she didn't want to be found.

I made my way back to the house feeling irritated and tired. Who was this girl? and why was she acting so strange? I slowly walked up the stairs and was about to go to my room when I changed my mind. The girl was in the attic and there had to be some clue as to who she was or what she was up to in there. I climbed up the ladder leading to the attic and walked over to the corner where I had seen the mattress before but everything was gone. There was no sign that anybody had been there earlier tonight.

I shook my head in confusion as I made my way back down the ladder but then something on the floor caught my attention. I hurried down and realized it was a photo so I picked it up. I could clearly make out Lina and the girl I had seen in the barn earlier. They both looked much younger but there was no mistaking that it was them. Next to Lina stood a man I had never seen before and in her arms she held a baby. They all had smiles on their faces, they looked like a perfectly happy family.

Could she be Lina's daughter? I asked myself as I stared at the picture. Lina was definitely acting strange when I went to the barn earlier tonight to find the intruder and that would explain how everything in the attic had mysteriously disappeared. I considered running downstairs and demanding answers from Lina but changed my mind. There was something really strange going on here and I didn't want to say anything until I was sure what it was.

Feeling tired I headed to my room and collapsed on my bed. Tomorrow I will do some research and find out what is really going on.