Free Tainted Grace by M. Lauryl Lewis Page A

stopped, even though the sky looked dark enough to pour for days.
    Emilie and I started walking toward the others. Gus and Boggs were busy shaking hands with the man Bill’s age, Jack, and Susan was standing beside Nathan. He had his arm comfortably around her. There was an air of excitement as we approached. A good excitement for a change.
    “And this is Emilie…and Zoe…” said Gus.
    “We should get inside, out of sight,” said Jack. “We can talk in there.”
    “Should we empty the van?” asked Susan.
    “No. No, I suppose we won’t be here long enough for that,” answered Bill.
    “Let’s go in and talk,” said Jack, his tone curious.
    Gus nodded. “Sounds good.”
    As we proceeded toward the front door, rain started to fall again, heavily. Wind whipped by, stinging my face.
     

CHAPTER 7
     
     
     
    The inside of the house was sparse. The walls were white, or some shade thereof. It was difficult to be certain because lighting was dim and dried blood stains marred many of the surfaces. Thunder sounded overhead, causing the windows to rattle. Hail began falling, making distinctive ping-ping-ping sounds on the metal roof. Curtains were drawn, but the windows weren’t boarded.
    “Welcome, everyone,” said Bill with a grin. “It’s small, and cold, but it’s home.”
    “Thanks,” said Boggs.
    “We should get below. I always feel vulnerable up here,” said Jack.
    “Righty-O,” answered Bill. “Just follow us,” he said, addressing our group of five.
    The others had already started walking toward the back of the house. We followed quietly. We were led past an old china cabinet. The sides and doors were warping from moisture and cold. Pictures still hung on the wall, probably of whoever had lived here. I briefly studied the faces of an older man and woman in one of the larger photos. They were both void of smiles and from the faded sepia coloring I guessed the photo was quite old. We walked on carpeting that was worn from foot traffic. We passed two open doors. Peeking inside, I noted that both rooms were empty. No furnishings. It seemed so cold and impersonal compared to the cabin we had just left behind.
    At the back of the house, we were led to a doorway. It looked like any other door you might find in a house, except that it was reinforced with sheet metal and looked beat-up.
    “This will lead us below,” explained Nathan to Susan. “Things look better down in the basement.”
    The house had looked like a single story from outside. Tricky.
    Aldo reached forward and turned the knob, then swung the door wide. Abbey went first, disappearing down a staircase into the abyss below. Kelsey followed.
    “Abbey doesn’t like to be up here very much,” said Bill. “None of us do, but she gets really antsy.” He motioned us forward. “The steps are steep, so do tread carefully.”
    Emilie went next. I followed her, careful to walk slowly. My eyes began to adjust to the dimness. I could hear Boggs behind me.
    From above, Bill called down. “When you get to the bottom of the stairs you’ll be turning left. Walk down the hall and you’ll see the main room.”
    Once we had descended the stairs, Emilie reached back and found my hand. The hallway was lit by a single candle sitting on a small end table off to one side. It seemed slightly warmer than the upper level of the home, but maybe it was just an illusion or wishful thinking.
    Before long we came to the end of the hall, and could hear the two sisters talking quietly. Their voices were filled with excitement. Emilie and I walked into what looked like a rec-room. It was furnished with a long sectional “L” shaped sofa, a couple of recliners, and a few bean bags scattered about. Candles were lit at various points around the room. The walls were covered in wainscot. It felt homey, in its own way. It reminded me just a bit of the basement in Boggs’ parent’s house, except all of the lower story windows here were covered with miscellaneous boards