Chapter 3
The words hit Elaine hard, as though someone had just smacked her in the chest. She just stood there, staring blankly at her aunt. They both stood it silence, each waiting for the other to speak. Aunt Judy was examining Elaine's face, for any sign of expression, but there was none. Elaine just stood staring and Aunt Judy started to grow impatient.
Finally, Elaine broke the silence. "Then where are they?" she whispered, almost to herself.
Aunt Judy's face looked very pale, and her lips were trembling, as though she were afraid to speak. "They were m-m-murdered." she said and burst into tears.
Elaine just stood there in shock unable to move or speak.
"Come with me." her aunt said through sobs and grabbed Elaine's arm. She led Elaine up the stairs and down to her own bedroom. She threw open the door. Elaine looked into the room, which was painted light yellow and contained a bed, a dresser and a separate desk. Aunt Judy released Elaine's arm and ran over to the desk in the corner of the room. She opened the last drawer, which Elaine saw was empty, except for a box. Her aunt grabbed it and threw it onto the bed. Then she went to her dresser and started digging through her jewelry. Elaine sat on the bed and examined the box. It looked as though it were ancient. It was a dark red with gold and green designs painted on it. Her eye caught a glimpse of a lock, holding the box shut. She looked around to her aunt, who now held up a key. Aunt Judy was taking deep breaths, as if she were scared of whatever was in the box. She pushed the key into the lock and turned it. When she heard a click, she pulled it out and took off the lock. Elaine noticed how carefully and slowly she was doing this, almost like she could damage the box. She lifted the lid and pulled out a chain from which hung a gold heart- shaped locket, the same locket that had hung from the doll's neck in Elaine's dream.
The words hit Elaine hard, as though someone had just smacked her in the chest. She just stood there, staring blankly at her aunt. They both stood it silence, each waiting for the other to speak. Aunt Judy was examining Elaine's face, for any sign of expression, but there was none. Elaine just stood staring and Aunt Judy started to grow impatient.
Finally, Elaine broke the silence. "Then where are they?" she whispered, almost to herself.
Aunt Judy's face looked very pale, and her lips were trembling, as though she were afraid to speak. "They were m-m-murdered." she said and burst into tears.
Elaine just stood there in shock unable to move or speak.
"Come with me." her aunt said through sobs and grabbed Elaine's arm. She led Elaine up the stairs and down to her own bedroom. She threw open the door. Elaine looked into the room, which was painted light yellow and contained a bed, a dresser and a separate desk. Aunt Judy released Elaine's arm and ran over to the desk in the corner of the room. She opened the last drawer, which Elaine saw was empty, except for a box. Her aunt grabbed it and threw it onto the bed. Then she went to her dresser and started digging through her jewelry. Elaine sat on the bed and examined the box. It looked as though it were ancient. It was a dark red with gold and green designs painted on it. Her eye caught a glimpse of a lock, holding the box shut. She looked around to her aunt, who now held up a key. Aunt Judy was taking deep breaths, as if she were scared of whatever was in the box. She pushed the key into the lock and turned it. When she heard a click, she pulled it out and took off the lock. Elaine noticed how carefully and slowly she was doing this, almost like she could damage the box. She lifted the lid and pulled out a chain from which hung a gold heart- shaped locket, the same locket that had hung from the doll's neck in Elaine's dream.