The Dream Thief by Kari Kilgore (books for 10th graders txt) 📕

"I think my complete lack of experience with pregnant women is showing," Karl said. "So I proclaim you both perfectly healthy. Seriously, I've bothered you long enough. You already said you didn't sleep well last night."

Karl stood, too distracted by the absurd thoughts running through his mind to keep still. He held out his arm so Rethia could lean on him to get to her own feet.

"To tell you the truth, I just needed a bit of peace and quiet," she said, grinning. "I should get back downstairs. Mother's trying to help by sending Janie, but our little sister can drive me crazy. She's Mother made over."

"That she is," Karl said. "Feel up to dinner at the big house tonight?"

"You know what?" she said. "That would be a nice change of pace. Let her know we'll all be there, will you? Including you, that makes five unexpected guests and no chance to plan ahead. Mother will be delighted."

Chapter 13

Karl paced around his boyhood bedroom, feeling like he'd never sleep again as long as he drew breath. Not a thing had changed since he'd moved out at eighteen. The plaster walls were the same dark blue he'd painted them at twelve, and white pinholes from several posters still clustered in rectangular patterns. He doubted anyone made the climb up here to notice unless they had to.

None of those posters had been worth saving, mainly because Karl didn't care any more about his surroundings as a kid as he did in his own apartment. He hung a few because he felt like he should. He’d only bothered to change them when they got frayed enough for his mother to complain.

The room was only a few of his adult strides across, with four small windows breaking the curved walls. He'd asked Andy a few months ago why he'd never moved upstairs to get away from the clatter and drama of two younger sisters. Andy made the excellent point that as the only boy left at home, he had a much larger room to himself on the third floor. He also didn't have to climb down narrow wooden spiral stairs in the middle of the night to get to a bathroom.

The biggest problem about being in his parents' house, one he hadn't counted on when he decided to come home, was not having George or anyone else to talk to.

His gut feeling, the same one that had alerted him to trouble the night before, was certain Rethia's restless night had not been random. He kept coming back to the ’ster, Building before it could have possibly known how.

All of this was assuming monsters knew how to Build, something Karl had never considered before, and he didn't want to consider, ever. He didn't have room for one more thing to worry about. He nearly jumped out of his skin when someone knocked on one of the wooden stairs.

"Yeah," he said. "Come on up."

"You got some kind of parade going up here, big Brother?" Andy was smiling, but he was dressed and ready for bed. "Your sisters are about to organize a lynching party. They sent me to give you a chance to beg for mercy."

"Shit, I'm sorry, Andy. I'm so used to my apartment, I never even thought."

"Quite all right by me." Andy sat on the one chair that would fit into the room, a wooden desk chair Karl had long since outgrown. "I was getting a kick out of listening to Janie complain. Lucy was just glaring at the ceiling when Janie called me in, but I think she's trying to curse you. Something on your mind you didn't want to tell me earlier?"

"A lot on my mind I wish I could tell you or anybody else now," Karl said, sitting on his squeaky old bed. "I can't ’til I figure at least part of it out. I wasn't kidding. All George and I can find are hints. Anything you didn't want to tell me earlier?"

"Same thing as before," Andy said. "A couple of people have gone out to the Columns this week, but you already know that. You sure whatever you found has been going on for a long time? Maybe this is something different."

"I'm not sure about anything," Karl said. "Less than I was a week ago. Maybe I should just get out of everyone's hair and go."

Andy snorted. "One thing I am sure of, Karl, is Mother would fillet you and serve you up for Sunday dinner if you just disappear like that. She's too excited to have you here even for the night."

"I know," Karl said. "I didn't think I could possibly feel guiltier about never visiting. Just one more thing I'm wrong about. At least I'd keep everyone fed for a while."

"I know I'd get sick of the leftovers." Andy got to his feet and stretched, his fingertips just brushing the ceiling. "I might catch you yet."

"I'll keep it down up here," Karl said. "I promise. See you tomorrow, kid."

After trying his best to sit still, probably for at least three minutes, Karl walked over to the window at the front of the house. At least he could get a little bit of fresh air. Something else he'd forgotten was how stuffy the top level in a house could get, even with four windows. His overheating brain wasn't helping.

Before he'd talked to Rethia, he'd thought the ’ster coming from his sister would be the worst thing he could imagine. Now he was terribly afraid it had somehow come from her baby, trying to Build in the womb.

Was that even possible?

He shook his aching head. So many things he didn't know. And the list was getting longer, not shorter. He'd just about decided to try lying down again when movement caught his eye.

The streets below were empty, dimly lit with everyone in Alterra once again asleep but him, but he was sure he'd seen something. A couple of blocks down, not far from his usual