Free After Dark by James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall Page A

“I’ll call you in for lunch.”
    Johnny got busy hosing the paint off using the high-pressure sprayer, while Lilith and I took off the leftovers with our scrapers. About ten minutes into the job, I was drenched again, in a combination of sweat and the blowback from Johnny’s sprayer. Five minutes after that, my arms felt like wet noodles, and my shoulders were starting to cramp up. Pieces of gray-white paint were sticking to me like giant flakes of dandruff, and I was seriously considering taking a break, when Johnny turned the sprayer off, the engine rumbled to a stop and I heard a high-pitched whine coming from somewhere down the road.
    â€œWhat’s that sound?” Johnny asked.
    â€œI’m not sure,” I said, taking a few steps toward the road. It sounded like a lawn mower engine that was about to explode, and it was getting closer.
    â€œSounds like a —” Johnny started, and then Miles roared into the end of our driveway on a miniature motorcycle, about half the size of a regular motorcycle, that looked like a bunch of old pipes, pieced together. He left the asphalt, hit the gravel, skidded, straightened out and then shot into the front yard. I ran to the corner of the inn just in time to see him hit something hidden in the grass and go flying over his handlebars.
    â€œSnap!” Johnny said, running up beside me.
    â€œMiles?” I yelled.
    Miles sat up and shook his head, like he was trying to clear some water out of his ear.
    â€œAre you okay?” I asked, running over to him. His minicycle was lying about ten feet behind him in the grass, wedged up against a large branch that had fallen off of one of the trees.
    â€œI need to buy a helmet,” he said. He looked a little dazed, but other than that, he seemed fine.
    â€œThat was a humongous wipeout, dude,” Johnny said, helping him up.
    â€œI’m okay,” he said, shaking his head.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” I asked.
    â€œI wanted to see if your uncle came back.”
    â€œI don’t think he did.”
    â€œI need to find out what happened to him last night.”
    I wiped a few flakes of paint off my arm and stretched out my shoulders. They felt shaky. Summer was not supposed to be about getting covered in paint chips and working until your shoulders were quivering uncontrollably. Summer was a time for sleeping and swimming and watching three really bad horror movies back to back to back. Summer was a time when you should be able to go check on your crazy uncle Hal, just to make sure he was okay.
    â€œYou know, Miles,” I said, turning around, “that’s an excellent idea. I’m taking a quick break, everyone.”
    Lilith, who had been standing a few feet behind us, stepped in front of me. “Hal didn’t come back.”
    â€œMiles, this is my sister, Lilith.”
    â€œHi,” Miles said, but Lilith didn’t look at him.
    â€œHe didn’t come back.”
    â€œYou can’t know that for sure, Lilith.”
    â€œI do.”
    â€œWell, I’m going to check on him, just the same. So, if you’ll kindly excuse me,” I said, brushing past her. “Come on, Miles.”
    â€œMom said it’s important for us to give Uncle Hal his privacy,” Lilith said, marching along beside me.
    â€œI thought you just said he wasn’t home. How can I disturb him if he isn’t back yet?”
    â€œThe mindful warrior does not stir the wasps’ nest,” Lilith said, but she’d stopped following me.
    â€œWe’re just going to check to see if he’s in his room, Lilith — that’s all,” I said, marching onto the porch. “We won’t bother any wasps.”
    â€œYour sister’s quoting Richard Harker,” Miles said. “He’s one of my heroes.”
    â€œYou need to find a new hero, Miles,” I said, going through the front door and starting down the hall to the