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Prologue

Edilean, Virginia

1993

In all of her eight years, Kim had never been so bored She didn’t even know such boredo garden around the old house, Edilean Manor, and play, but as she to do by herself?

Teeks ago her father had taken her brother off to so,” herto stay in their house alone for four whole weeks That night Ki They didn’t usually fight—not that she knew about—and the word divorce ca without her parents

But the nextsee the best, but her mother shushed him

It was that afternoon when her mother told her that while her father and brother were away they were going to stay in an apartment at Edilean Manor Kim didn’t like that because she hated the old house It was too big and it echoed with every footstep Besides, every time she visited the place there was less furniture, and the emptiness made it seem even creepier

Her father said that Mr Bertrand, the old man who lived in the house, had sold the faet a job to support himself “He’d sell the house if Miss Edi would let him”

Miss Edi was Mr Bertrand’s sister She was older than he was, and even though she didn’t live there, she owned the house Kim had heard people say that she disliked her brother so much that she refused to live in Edilean

Ki Edilean, since every person she knew in the world lived there Her dad was an Aldredge, from one of the seven fa to be proud of All she thought was that she was glad she wasn’t fro, scary Edilean Manor

So now she and herin the apartment for thole weeks and she was horribly bored She wanted to go back to her own house and her own rooo, heraway for a little while and it’s just around the corner, so you don’t need to take that” “That” was prettyKim owned, like books, toys, her dolls, her many art kits Her mother seemed to consider it all as “not necessary”

But at the end, Kirabbed the bicycle she’d received for her birthday and clarips She looked at her mother with her jaw set

Her dad laughed “Ellen,” he said to his wife, “I’ve seen that look on your face a thousand tihter will not back down I know from experience that you can yell, threaten, sweet talk, plead, beg, cry, but she won’t give in”

Herhusband

He quit so?”

“Go where, Dad?” Reede asked At seventeen, he was overwhelo aith his dad No women Just the two of them

“Wherever we can find to go,” his dad mumbled

Kiot to take her bike to Edilean Manor, and for three days she rode it nonstop, but now she wanted to do so else Her cousin Sara came over one day but all she wanted to do was explore the ratty old house Sara loved old buildings!