Page 29 of June First

“Brant, come on,” Monica calls out to him. “We were just having some fun. You don’t have to get all weird about it.”

Wendy crawls over to the opening, shooting a glare toward her friend. “You wench…that was so evil. What’s the matter with you?”

“Whatever.”

Both girls climb out of the tree house, then Theo scurries to follow behind them. “Hey, wait for me…”

They all leave.

They all leave me up here.

Raindrops are my only friend as I look around at the shadows and lantern light. The wind howls, the tree branches scrape the roof. My mind spins with frightening things, like boogeymen and black bats. Tingles race up and down my spine, and tears wet my eyes.

I’m afraid. I’m all alone.

I want Theo.

I want Brant.

Crawling on my hands and knees, I make my way over to the tree-house door and peer down over the edge. It’s so high up—I’ve never climbed down all by myself before.

Maybe I should call for help. Maybe I should wait for someone to fetch me. My dad says I should never use the ladder without a grown-up.

My fingers curl around the blankets, my heart thumping hard against my chest.

I think I’m going to wait up here. They’ll come back.

They must.

But then the wind howls again, hissing like a snake, and I panic. I’m stolen by blind fear; all I want to do is run inside and bury myself in my Winnie the Pooh bedcovers, clutching Aggie in my arms. Pivoting around, I slide backward on my belly until my feet poke over the ledge.

I lower myself out in an attempt to climb down the ladder.

Only, a terrible thing happens.

I miss.

I miss the first step.

And then I’m falling, my scream the only thing howling louder than the wind.

7

CAST THE FIRST STONE

BRANT, AGE 12

“Cover your ears.”

My father’s last words echo in my mind, and I lean back against the brick siding, pressing a palm to each ear, as if I’m still trying to keep them out.

Boom!

A gun.

Blood, fear, deafening silence.

A hideous purple tie coiled around my mother’s throat.