There was no telling what time it was. Moonlight pieced through the cracks, splintering inky darkness. It was cooler, Shawn sitting still with his brother's warm back against his own.
"What are you thinking about? Figure a way out?"
"No. Not really." The returnee wrapped cold arms about his chest.
"I still think we should hold off for a few more minutes. Give Uncle Tommy-"
"Uncle Tommy won't be coming." Shawn's voice held a finality that wasn't reassuring.
"Is there something going on between you two? Something you haven't told me?" Danny's clothes rustled in the stillness.
"Just leave it."
"What was it? The 4400's-or Kyle-it had something to do with Kyle, didn't it?"
"It doesn't matter now."
"Crap! I'm stuck here because of you. The least you could do is tell me why Uncle Tommy isn't going to save our butt's."
Shawn sighed, a soft breath in the darkness. Danny's ears strained to catch the barely audible reply that followed.
"We didn't get along."
"That's drastic. Real drastic, Shawn."
"I knew you wouldn't understand."
Danny sat motionless, feeling the cold, hard floorboards underfoot. The lumpy mattress creaking as Shawn withdrew into the corner. "Don't do that."
The returnee didn't bother to respond.
"Shawn, you keep losing me. Like there's a part of you that holes up inside, and I can't seem to get through. Stop it."
"Everything's different, Danny. Nothing's the same." Shawn's eyes widened, staring at something in the distance.
Danny rubbed his forearms, warding off the chill. It did nothing to warm the coldness creeping along his spine. Shawn was starting to scare him. "Hey, let's check for that loose board."
The taller brother watched Danny's stockier frame slip from shadow into pale moonlight. There probably wouldn't be a way out. Shawn had been running for a long time. And now all he really wanted was to lie down. Lie down and give up. His eyes were so heavy, they just wanted to close.
X
"He doesn't look so good."
"Thanks for the observation." Danny paused, running his fingers along the wall.
"Sick or something?"
"I know what I'm sick of."
"You two aren't going to make it. Even if you do manage to get outside, you'll never find your way through those trees."
"Thank you again, Josh." Pressing into the pulpy wood. "Next time I need some advice, I'll ask for it."
"You don't even begin to see the whole picture." Derisive snort. "Couple of kids."
"Leave it. Just leave it." Shawn cut into the argument, rubbing a hand across his face.
"Shawn, you're right. These boards are rotten." Danny's relief was so great, he had to sit down. "Want to check them out?"
Shawn moved stiffly, but his dark eyes had lost some of the far away quality. They seemed to focus, a bit of a smile curving his sensitive lips upward. "What? Do I look that bad?"
"No." Danny had to blink, repressing tears.
"We'll make it out okay." Shawn touched the younger Farrell's shoulder with a look of concern.
"I know that." Shrugging aside. "Let's get moving."
X
"You probably don't have more than five minutes before some one comes to check on us." Josh glanced from one brother to the other, disappointed at their lack of response. A piece of debris flew by his ear, too close for comfort.
"Sorry." Danny didn't even bother to mask the amusement in his voice.
"Just wait. They're going to make you pay for trying to escape." Josh settled back against his mound of blankets.
His fellow returnee's ominous prediction seemed to jolt Shawn into a higher state of awareness. Scrabbling, fingers slipping along the scratching wood. He discovered a board with three nails already rusted out. Someone must have tried patching, and their handiwork was far from professional.
"Danny. We've got it."
Together they pried the heavy sheet of wood away from the wall. It revealed a small hole about the size of a watermelon.
"Shawn?"
"We have to work at it with something."
"What about the mattress? One of the slats, or a spring-"
"Got it." The returnee was already flipping the dusty bed over.
"Slow down." Danny shoved his brother, not ungently. "We have to save something for outside."
Two spots of color, high on Shawn's cheeks, attested to that. Danny wished they'd never shared the messy sandwich with Josh.
"I think this will work." In the light of victory, Shawn's whole face seemed to change, shedding the gray pallor that had haunted it. He started for the hole, but a hand closed around his arm.
"I'll take first turn.You listen for the goon squad."
Danny's suggestion didn't sit well with Shawn-after all, he was used to taking charge. But little brother had changed somehow. There was a steadier look about him, determination underlining every movement.
The returnee took a deep breath. "Okay."
X
The darkness seemed to swirl about, golden speckled clouds of nothingness. Danny's muffled grunts, the steady scrape scrape of crumbling wood. Shawn lie with his ear pressed to the trapdoor, shivering with cold and adrenaline. Blood throbbed against his temple, echoed by the quick beating of his heart.
Playing cowboys and indians in the dimly lit attic. Shapes of trunks and the dressmaker's dummy, foreign shadows that lent an intangible air of mystery. Danny would be the one to rush screaming from any number of horrific creatures. Strangely enough, Shawn was never privy to the countless apparitions. He used to wander the dusty corners, strands of cobwebs caressing his face like fingers. All he met were overstuffed chairs and boxes spilling out tarnished keepsakes. He'd always wanted to see a monster. Not touch it, or get eaten up or anything. Because Shawn was the only kid on the block that hadn't at least glimpsed a monster.
"Hey!"
The urgent whisper made Shawn sit up so fast, splotches of red stained his vision.
"Why aren't you paying attention?"
"I am."
X
Thanks to all my reviewers-I have quite a few. Pleasantly surprised! My apologies to everyone, but I haven't been able to use a computer lately. I have had time to type this up because it's so small. But it should look good next week, because some of my family have to attend some kind of military drill. I will write a real chapter then. And thank every one of you individually!