Malice by Heather Walter (young adult books to read .txt) 📕

She remained motionless, stuck in statue form.

Mike ran back through the house, shoved open the front door and collided with someone who had been standing on the porch. Papers flew everywhere, and Mike spun wildly, tripped, and tumbled over the railing into the bushes below.

“Ow, fuck!” Mike crawled free of the bushes to find that Beth was busy picking up the papers. She was on her hands and knees, her white skirt hiked up over her ass, revealing a bright red pair of panties that matched her top. Mike scrambled up the stairs and grabbed a handful of her papers. “I am so sorry!”

“Don’t worry about it Mr. Ra-Mike.” Beth blushed and accepted the papers.

Mike knelt to grab another one, struggling to focus on the words. They seemed to swim in front of his eyes, but Beth snatched it away from him before he could get a better look at it. Her bun had come undone, and a large strand of hair hung free down the back of her neck. “I thought I would drop by and bring you some paperwork, but I’m afraid it’s gotten all out of sorts.”

“Oh, yes, right. Come in.” Mike helped her to her feet, staring at the way her breasts strained the buttons of her blouse while she stood. He’d started to follow Beth inside when he saw that the porch swing was unhooked. “I’ll meet you in the kitchen,” he told her, then picked up the swing and reattached it.

“Cecilia, where are you?” he asked, giving the swing a gentle push. He was answered only by the harsh metallic screech of metal on metal.

Beth stood in the kitchen, leaning against the table. Something about her stance immediately unnerved him-it was too familiar. Did she remember what had happened yesterday? “I didn’t think you were coming back until Friday,” he said.

“I don’t think we scheduled anything that far out,” Beth told him. “I’m just bringing by the paperwork I mentioned yesterday, as well as an offer from the Historical Preservation Society. These very nice ladies call me on almost a daily basis to see if you will sell.”

Mike stared at her. “You mean the offer I turned down earlier this week?”

“Mike, are you feeling okay?” Beth moved closer to him, lines of concern crossing her face. “You told me last night that you weren’t certain if you were going to keep the place.”

“Last night?” Mike felt the world spin around him. “Like, you remember being here yesterday?”

“Of course I do. I showed you around, you really liked that big tub. I said I would check in on you.” Beth put her hand against his forehead. “You don’t feel like you have a fever.”

“Yeah, well I suddenly feel very unwell.” Mike sat down at the table. He felt like he was standing at one end of a very long tunnel, watching reality turn around him.

“Here, let me get you some water.” Beth walked around the counter and he heard the faucet turn on. She swore, and the click of her heels announced her return a few moments later. “I had an accident,” she said, gesturing at the large wet spot on her blouse. The red fabric of her blouse was suddenly transparent, revealing the dark black bra underneath. “I’m such a klutz.” She pinched the top of her blouse with one hand and shook it. Two buttons came undone, revealing the upper curve of her breasts.

His cock twitched slightly, but he was too upset to care. “Thank you,” he said, taking the glass from her hands. She gave him an odd look, then grabbed the papers on the table.

“So, I guess I’ll go back to the office then,” she told him. “Do you need me to take you to the doctor or anything? I can bring you some food later, or we could meet for dinner?”

“No, I’m fine.” The words were easy to say, but Mike was anything but.

Beth frowned as he walked her to the door. When he opened it, she leaned against the frame, her body suddenly close. “Seriously. Can I do anything for you?” She winked.

“I’m good.” He needed to figure out what had gone wrong.

Beth pouted and stepped onto the porch. Mike didn’t bother following her-he shut the door in her face.

THE HOURS TICKED BY. Mike spent the first hour in the back trying to get Abella to snap out of her slumber, and decided that whatever had happened wasn’t going to suddenly undo itself.

In the garage, Tink’s nest underneath was empty except for a couple of boxes of newspaper that had become so wet, Mike couldn’t read what was written on them.

Back in the house, he tried to find the secret cave in the blue room, but was unable to figure out how to open it. A hammer to the drywall revealed nothing behind it but insulation and dead bugs.

Mike masturbated twice in the tub, unable to come or summon Naia. He tried it in the fountain, frantically jerking himself as he wandered in large circles, calling the nymph’s name. He even checked the greenhouse, but the door was locked, and he couldn’t find a rock heavy enough to shatter out the glass. It seemed like every time he found one that would work, it was suddenly too small.

Mike went into the basement and found the piece of chalk underneath the freezer. He drew the door on the wall, then knocked three times, then twice more. When nothing happened, he did it again. Convinced that he had screwed up the door, he redrew it over and over again, his knuckles becoming raw from the now frantic pounding on the concrete. The piece of chalk quickly became a tiny nub which he slammed against the floor, breaking it into several pieces.

“What the fuck?!?” Mike slammed into the freezer, tilting the whole thing over in anger. He gave it a kick, sending a jolt of pain through his foot. “Ow, fuck!”