Page 19 (1/2)

‘But it’s not fair,’ Odile was saying Madeleine said soh Clara couldn’t make it out and if she slowed down ht doesn’t nore formore loudly now

‘For God’s sake, Odile, don’t be ridiculous,’ said Madeleine, clearly and not very kindly It was a side to Madeleine Clara had never heard before

Clara was paying so ht into a dark figure in front of her Gilles Then she looked up

They were there

EIGHT

They huddled together in the cold and dark Their flashlights bounced wildly over the decrepit house The ‘For Sale’ sign had fallen over and lay like a to her torch around more decay became apparent The house was abandoned, she knew, but she didn’t think houses fell to ruin quite this fast A few shutters were hanging loose and knocking gently against the brick Soed like sharpened teeth Clara spotted so white curled up by the foundation of the house and her heart skipped a beat So dead, and skinned

Reluctantly shestones heaved and uneven As she got closer she stopped and looked behind her The rest were clustered at the roadside still

‘Co to us?’ Myrna asked, frozen She too was staring at the patch of white curled against the base of the house

‘No one here but us chickens,’ said Gabri

‘What is that?’ Myrna inched down the path until she was standing next to her friend She pointed and noticed her finger itching Was her body sending out a signal? A Morse code? If so, Myrna knehat it was saying Run

Clara turned back to the house, took a deep breath, blessed her food, and walked off the path The earth was squishy underfoot and seemed to hiss at her every step Myrna couldn’t believe what Clara was doing and wanted to run forward and grab her friend back, and hold her and hug her and tell her never to do that again Instead she just watched

Clara approached the house and bent down Then straightening up she walked more swiftly back to the relative safety of the walk and Myrna

‘You won’t believe it, but it’s snow’

‘It can’t be All the snow’s long gone’

‘Not froe old-fashioned key, long and thick and heavy