Free Welcome to the Dark House by Laurie Faria Stolarz Page B

could talk to Harris.”
    “And Harris is…”
    “Huh?” I say, suddenly realizing that I said the thought aloud. I’m aching to pull
     out a couple of hairs by my temple, where there’s an inch and a half of fresh growth.
     I’ve been resisting the spot for months. “Harris is my brother.”
    A bell rings somewhere. If only this were ancient times and the ringing signified
     my death.
    “That must be Midge,” Ivy says.
    I venture to touch the area by my temple; it’s on the opposite side from where Ivy’s
     sitting.
    “I think we’re supposed to be meeting in the theater,” she says.
    I poke my fingers beneath the wig, able to get a solid grip on a few strands in the
     time that it takes her to blink. I give them a light tug—not too strong, just enough
     to feel a tiny jolt. “Go ahead,” I say, nodding toward the door. “The others will
     be waiting.”
    “What are you thinking?” she asks, placing a hand on my back.
    I stop. My heart hammers. I release the grip on my hair, unsure if I’ve been caught.
    “You think I’m just going to leave you here?” She grins. “No way. I’m not going anywhere
     without you.” Her words make me tear up again. I’m not used to showing emotion in
     front of anyone, and the fact that I am—and that she genuinely seems to give a shit—only
     makes the tears flow more.

S HAYLA IS SUCH A TEASE , but she’s also really cute, so it’s hard to get her out of my head. I chase her
     into a theater room with Garth close at our heels.
    The room is huge. A large screen hangs down, covering one wall, and there are four
     rows of movie seats, complete with cup holders and chairs that tilt back. I sit down
     in one of the seats. Shayla sits down too. But she picks the front row, away from
     me. And Garth parks his ass down beside her.
    I can’t tell if he’s into her too. Or who she might be digging. She seems to be in
     love with just about everyone and everything, which in one way is totally annoying.
     But in another way it’s kind of cool. I mean, it beats being around a bunch of oil-skinned
     cynics who think they got a raw deal in life.
    Midge comes into the room. “Everyone take a seat. I’ve got a special surprise.” She
     jingles her bell, commanding our attention.
    But then Ivy busts in, snagging it away. “I found Taylor’s cell phone,” she says,
     holding it up.
    Natalie and Parker file in behind her.
    “Wait, she doesn’t have her phone with her?” Shayla asks.
    “Taylor used a pay phone to call me,” Midge says. “Now…can we get back to business?”
    Surprisingly—because she seems completely neurotic—Ivy backs right down. While she,
     Parker, and Natalie take seats in the back row, I move to the seat beside Shayla,
     hoping she’s glad that I did (and hoping even more that Garth can take the hint).
     Shayla smiles at me, and I don’t know what it is—how cute she is or her constant cheery
     disposition—but I can’t help smiling back, even though I know I should be playing
     it cool.
    “So, let’s get started,” Midge says, a syrupy-sweet smile on her round, puffy face.
     “You may have noticed some sticky-wicky things happening here at the Dark House. I
     don’t want to give too much away—that’d be like finding out what’s wrapped beneath
     the Christmas tree before it’s time to open the gifts. But, mark my words, there’s
     more to come.”
    “Meaning that we can sit back, relax, and enjoy the show, so to speak?” Parker asks.
    “Enjoy it all!” She extends her arms outward like she’s one of the models on a game
     show, presenting a brand new car. “Welcome to the Dark House, where you’ve come to
     stay, and we hope you’ll play!” She bares her teeth like a rabid dog. Her eyes look
     freakishly wild, like they might even be dilated—like she’s about to hack off all
     our fingers.
    Midge points at the movie screen behind her, the lights go out, and music begins to
     play. It sounds like an old-fashioned