Free Psychopathia: A Horror Suspense Novel by Kate Genet Page A

a boat, launching it out onto the waves – the tide was high – but it was a wasted, confused thought, because the person screaming was under his bed. Was under there right now, waiting for him to go back in there so they could watch him, watch him with cold blue eyes that saw everything.
    He blinked, and the screaming stopped. Everyone stood still, tensed , waiting for another cry to echo over the waves, but it didn’t come. He felt Tully sigh in relief, felt the small movements of the group as they breathed easily again, shuffled their feet, felt themselves back on solid ground. Matt turned towards the house, and the others followed him. Toby turned around, but he eyed the house, saw the blank windows and looked inside, into his bedroom and under the bed. Was it still under the bed? Was it still there waiting for him? Maybe it had climbed the walls, clung now to the ceiling, looking down at him, eyes glowing, unblinking.
    Tully touched him again, and he jumped.
    ‘Are you okay? Let’s go inside.’ She cast a nervous glance at the water behind them. ‘I don’t like it out here.’
    Toby didn’t like it out there either, but he hesitated on the threshold to the house, feeling as if he was stepping, not into the house he’d hardly thought about since they moved in, but into the giant maw of something waiting to chew him up and swallow him down.
    ‘Close the door, Toby. Lock it. I don’t want whatever was screaming like that, to come in after us.’
    ‘It was a wounded animal, had to be,’ Matt said, turning the kitchen light on. Funny how everyone always congregated in the kitchen, whether there was something to celebrate, or hide from, everyone always went to the kitchen.
    Lara was frowning down at her camera screen. ‘It didn’t sound like an animal. It sounded like a person. A woman.’
    ‘A really scared woman.’ That from Tully. She looked over at her brother and Toby saw her brow wrinkle. ‘Are you all right, Toby?’ she asked.
    His head stuttered up and down in a nod. Licking his lips, he found a few more words. ‘Yeah, why?’
    Her gaze lowered and he followed it to his crotch. His pants were wet, and now he could smell the astringent reek of urine. Swallowing, he flicked a glance at his sister, then tucked his head down and left the room.
    His bedroom door was closed, and he hesitated, leaning his head against it, pressing his ear to it in case he could hear it in there. But he wouldn’t be able to hear them. It would be standing motionless on the other side of the door, its own ear pressed to the wood, breathing in time with him, undetectable.
    But that was ridiculous. What he’d seen under the bed didn’t breathe. Hadn’t had to breathe for a long time, if he had to guess. He shoved the door open and snapped the light on, his own breathing rapid, pulse jumping around his temples.
    The room flooded with yellow light, but not before he thought he caught a glimpse of it. Not on the other side of the door like he’d thought, but up there on the ceiling, suckered to the corner of the room, upside down, peering down at him, disjointed, misjointed, staring at him.
    But there was nothing there. Of course. He was imagining things. Maybe. Eyes hot and gritty under his lids, he inched his gaze around at the room, not liking the darkness clustered in the corners, under the bed. He reached forward, snatched some clothes out of the washing basket on the floor – clean washing, fortunately – and backed out of the room, snicking the door closed without turning off the light. He stepped back and looked down at the yellow strip of light under the door and nodded. It was good like that.
    He went into the bathroom to wash the piss from his legs and change his pants.
     

10.
     
    ‘Damn.’ Tully reached for the dish cloth and wiped up the spilled coffee. She’d been jittery all week. Since the séance. Or whatever you called what had happened with the homemade Ouija board.
    Above her, the light hummed and