SONG RECOMMENDATION: Devil's Playground by the Rigs
Mara has been left home alone countless times before, but she's never heard whistling upstairs before today.
It starts low, a whispery croon that she almost misses. She's studying again, or trying to; her history grade is falling steadily, and she can't afford to fail her next test.
It carries over from the room beside her, and she startles. It's a tune she vaguely recognizes, a children's song, something to do with a weasel...
Mara forces herself to stay completely silent as the whistling grows louder. It's clear there's an intruder in the house now; she's never been paranoid, never imagined things. Mara is calculated, logical, practical-- her mind doesn't play tricks on her.
Footsteps in the hall. Creaky, heavy. Mara's breathing is shallow, and a knot tightens in her chest. If only she hadn't left her phone downstairs.
There's always the window, but her room is on the third story of the house. Her eyes dart around the room for anything she can use to defend herself; a pair of scissors on her desk, maybe. She grabs them hastily, hand clammy and slick with sweat.
She's making a beeline for the closet when her door swings open.
The figure is clad in black; an ebony waistcoat, dark slacks (freshly ironed), polished boots. Mara's stomach turns. Panic turns the edges of her vision fuzzy, and she fights to stay alert.
Be smart, Mara.
"If you want money, there's a safe downstairs with--"
"Stupid girl." His voice is a rasp, raw and emotionless. Her breath catches in her throat. Her parents won't be home for hours; their board meeting is at least 45 minutes away. If she flings herself out the window, she'll die in an instant. The safety scissors slip from her grasp.
Stupid girl.
The man raises a hand and flicks his wrist. The world ripples, and suddenly everything seems very far away, like she's viewing it from deep underwater.
All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun...
Mara's overhead light flickers violently, and she can feel her feet lifting off of the ground. She wills herself to breathe. This has to be a dream. It has to.
She inhales shakily.
"Who are you?" She demands with as much courage as she can muster. The figure sidles closer, and the coppery smell of blood wafts towards her.
"You don't want to know."
Pop Goes the Weasel crescendoes over the rush of blood in Mara's ears as the bedroom carpet rushes up to meet her.
YOU ARE READING
Beyond the Veil
Mystery / ThrillerJust before she's whisked away to the prestigious Brookewell Academy for Talented Youth nestled in the mountains of North Carolina, Ruby Wilson's best friend Mara vanishes from her hometown. It's a shock to her system that leaves Ruby reeling, but...
