Free A Silent Terror by Lynette Eason

thing.”
    “Well, my guess is that he didn’t get whatever he was looking for Friday night.”
    She looked up at him, fear flowing freely. “So, I guess that means he’ll be back, huh?”

SIX
    Monday morning Marianna hurried to school, anxious for the day to be over so she could see Twister. She’d missed his comforting presence. Joseph had volunteered to pick up the dog for her and have him waiting at her parents’ house since she had basketball practice this evening. Twister would greet her when she walked in the door later tonight.
    After she and Ethan had finished eating the day before, he’d driven her home to retrieve some of her things and taken her to her parents’ house. Her mom welcomed Marianna like a long-lost child even though she had just spent Saturday night there, while her father’s furrowed gray brows told her he worried silently.
    In the classroom she flipped on the television so the kids could watch the morning news. It was filled with mostly political happenings owing to the upcoming election, and her students found it fascinating to be informed of the latest in the process. Oh, they didn’t understand it in detail, but they knew it was a big deal and therefore wanted to be involved. Marianna was happy to oblige. She and the other teachers had even arranged to have a mock election day for the entire school, with several voting booths loaned to the school by the local voter’s registration office. The workers had agreed to volunteer and run the day like a normal voting day, even having the students register to vote just like any other citizen. The only difference was no one had to meet the age requirement. Everyone was really excited about it, even the staff members.
    Josh entered the room and handed over another computer part.
    Marianna went to her desk, pulled open the drawer and realized she’d left his box in the other teacher’s classroom. Making a mental note to get it later, she dropped the part into the drawer and said, “Thanks, Josh.”
    “Welcome,” he signed. Then looked at the television. His eyes went wide and he signed, “Daddy!”
    “What?” Marianna glanced up at the screen and noticed a well-dressed man in his mid-forties speaking to the reporter to his right.
    Josh jumped up and down, causing the room to shake, his large frame causing the effects of a small earthquake. Books tumbled from the shelves, and the desks danced across the floor. Marianna went to him and laid a hand on his arm. “Josh, calm down.” Josh stopped but didn’t take his eyes from the television.
    “Daddy,” he signed again.
    Sure enough, that was his father. Marianna had met the man only once at the beginning of the year. The campaign manager for one of the gubernatorial candidates, he would be campaigning from Charleston this week, only about three hours away. Marianna wondered if the man would try to make it down to visit Josh before heading off to the next city on the list. Hmm, probably not or she would have been notified by now. Closed captions played at the bottom, displaying the conversation taking place between the reporter and Josh’s father.
    No wonder Josh lived with his grandparents. His father was a busy man, and his mother had died a few years ago.
    “…overhead transparencies?”
    The question came from the door, catching Marianna’s attention with the noise. Misty Williams, late twenties, tall, red hair, green eyes.
    And a teacher with an attitude. Why the woman had taken a dislike for Marianna was beyond her.
    “I’m sorry?”
    Misty rolled her eyes, then stomped into the room to pull open a file cabinet.
    Marianna felt her jaw drop but swallowed her desire to snap the woman’s head off. As if she didn’t have enough stress in her life right now without adding Misty’ s nastiness to it.
    “Excuse me.” Marianna stepped forward and placed a hand on the drawer. The woman’s gall was unbelievable.
    Misty stopped her search. “Transparencies. Jean said you have