Chapter 2: Strange Boy

The ghostly quiet of the house made Alyssa nervous. Her mother had been taking in lodgers since Alyssa was a little girl, and even when they were in another part of the house, their voices could almost always be heard at any time of the day. Had they all decided to go out somewhere together?

Just another unanswerable question, Alyssa sighed as she started up the steps. Her footsteps were muffled by the soft carpet as she slowly ascended to the second floor. When she reached the landing she paused, her memory of the house still sharp and clear. She glanced to her left at the door at the far end of the hall; though she couldn't see it clearly from here, she knew the brass plate on the door read 'Philip'. The bedroom had been locked since her father's death. Alyssa had never seen what was beyond that door.

She wasn't interested in that now, her mind returning to the idea that her mother's room might hold some clue. She knew it was straight ahead and down the hall to the left, but she was torn between checking there first, or paying her own bedroom a visit for the first time in three years.

She was still trying to decide when a hand rested on her shoulder, making her shriek in surprise.

Alyssa whirled to the sound of soft laughter. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Heart still pounding, Alyssa looked the mysterious speaker over. Unlike the previous person she encountered, there wasn't anything odd or frightening about him. He was slender and fair, and dressed in a simple blue suit that resembled a school uniform. Hair the color of sunshine framed his face. His pale blue eyes, like his smile, were gentle.

"Sorry," he said again. "I must walk softer than I thought."

He was standing on the second to last step, which shortened his height and put him at eye-level with her. Alyssa held his gentle gaze for as long as she could before dropping her eyes.

"Who...?"

She was having trouble finding her tongue. Probably because she had spent the last three years in an all-girl school and hadn't had much chance to talk to boys her own age. At least, that was the excuse she gave herself to explain away her fluttering heart.

The boy placed a hand on the railing as he smiled at her. "Please excuse my manners," he said, apologizing again. "I'm used to this part of the house being empty at this time of day. I shouldn't wander around like I own the place—it's yours, isn't it? You're Nancy's daughter, Alyssa."

Hearing her own name snapped her out of her odd moment of bashfulness. "That's right," she confirmed, nodding. "I came to..."

Alyssa stopped. She really wasn't sure what she was doing here. It was her own home, yet she felt like a stranger within its walls.

"I—sort of decided to surprise my mum," she faltered. "She didn't know I was coming...so I seemed to have missed her."

The boy nodded absently. He looked like something else was on his mind, as if his thoughts had wandered while she was speaking. Probably thinking how odd it was for her to show up after being away for three whole years, Alyssa thought with a sniff.

Unless he knew nothing about that. "Have you been here long?" she asked.

Instead of answering, the boy moved aside and gestured to the stairs behind him with a smile. "This isn't a very comfortable spot to carry on a conversation. Let's go downstairs and have a seat, so we can get to know each other properly."

"Oh. Right."

Alyssa felt silly and awkward, talking to one of her mother's guests on the stairs like she had no idea how to be a proper hostess like that. The fact that the boy led the way like it were his home instead of hers only added to this feeling.

When they reached the dining room, Alyssa did her best to take charge of the situation. Putting on her friendliest smile she said, "Sorry, I seem to have forgotten my manners—I didn't even ask your name."

The blue eyes grew even softer as he smiled down at her. Off the stairs, she just fell short of eye-level with his throat. He seemed a little older than she was, probably seventeen or eighteen. There was an air of wisdom around him, too, as if he had seen and knew more about the world than most twice his age. It made her a little nervous, but there was also something comforting about it.

The boy held out his hand. "You can call me Edward. It's a pleasure to meet you, Alyssa."

Alyssa lightly touched his palm, and his fingers closed around her hand firmly. "Has my mother talked about me a lot?" she asked, trying to meet his gaze and failing.

"All the time. She's very proud of you."

Alyssa could just imagine her mother rambling on about her only daughter to all of the guests. Her ears grew warm, but not from embarrassment.

Edward uncurled his fingers from hers and pulled out one of the dining room chairs. Alyssa went and sat in the chair across from him. "In answer to your previous question," Edward began, "I've only been here for a few weeks. It already feels like home, though; your mother is very kind."

Alyssa pictured her mother, always doing things for others, and nodded mutely. Now that her question was answered, she found she didn't have anything else to say. She fidgeted in her chair, feeling embarrassed.

Edward didn't seem to notice. "I must confess: I'm not a normal lodger. I don't have any money worth mentioning, but your mother lets me stay anyway. I hadn't anywhere else to go, you see, so she took me in."

That sounded like something her mother would do. Forgetting her nerves, Alyssa surveyed the older boy with renewed interest. "Where is your family? If you don't mind me asking."

Edward shook his head. "It's quite all right. I lost them so long ago I can barely remember them anymore. I've traveled all over since I was small, going from different orphanages and foster homes. Out of all the places I've been to, I think I like this one best."

Alyssa grew quiet as she tried to picture what a life like this must be like. Sometimes she felt alone, but she was never really alone. She still had her mother—and her grandfather might come back someday. She couldn't imagine what it was like to have no family at all.

"My father died when I was just a baby," she heard herself say softly. "I was so small I don't remember him at all. And my grandfather left one day and never came back. We hope he'll come back safe, but..."

She trailed off, not sure why she was telling him these things. Even with her losses, she always had a safe place to stay. Her troubles didn't sound anywhere near as unhappy as having no family and no place to call home.

"I'm sorry," Alyssa said quickly. "I didn't mean—I hope I didn't sound like I was trying to belittle what you just told me."

But Edward was smiling at her. "Not at all. In a way, you've been just as much an orphan as me these past three years."

Alyssa's heart sank; so he knew about that after all. He didn't look like he thought it was odd, though, and he continued to smile as he reached across the table and rested his hand over hers.

"I think you're very brave, coming all this way by yourself. It must have been an awful disappointment to find out that your mother isn't here."

Alyssa dropped her eyes again, but only for a moment. "There's something I want to ask you about that. Did she leave today, maybe sometime this morning?"

Edward withdrew his hand and thought for a moment. "I believe she did. At least, I saw her go out, and I'm pretty sure she hasn't come back since then."

Alyssa slumped back on her chair, feeling more puzzled than ever. The man in black hadn't been lying, then, but who had called the boarding school? For a moment, her thoughts turned wild and she thought maybe he had been the one. But why?

Sitting up straight again she asked, "Do you know who the strange man staying upstairs is?"

The question made Edward's smooth forehead wrinkle slightly as he frowned. "You mean the one in the dark coat? I don't believe he's a guest here."

"But you've seen him."

"Quite a lot, actually. He's been hanging around outside for about a week, but today was the first time I saw him inside. He was leaving just as I came in."

Alyssa was relieved. At least she wouldn't have to worry about running into him again. But her relief was short-lived as it occurred to her that the strange man lurking around might have something to do with her mother's sudden absence. She pushed her chair back and stood.

"It's been lovely talking to you," Alyssa said as she started for the door, "but I really want to find out just where my mum went."

Edward stood as well, a look of understanding on his face. "I'll be off to my room, then. I won't be going anywhere, so feel free to ask if you need anything."

Alyssa thanked him before hurrying back up the stairs. It was a comfort knowing that there was someone around she could turn to, but she wasn't sure just how big of a help he would be. In her experience young boys weren't all that reliable.

Back in the upstairs hall, Alyssa made her decision on a whim and turned to the right. She expected the door to be locked, but the knob turned easily, and she stepped across the threshold and entered the bright, colorful space that was her bedroom.

Everything was exactly as she remembered it. The same patterned wallpaper, the same rug on the floor. The main color was mauve, one of Alyssa's favorites. The soft color looked nice with the wood floor and paneled walls. The bright red sofa and chair looked a little out of place, but they had been in her room since she was small, and she liked them just fine.

As she went to pick up a stuffed rabbit from her dresser, Alyssa noted how clean everything was. The entire room had been dusted recently—very recently, as if her mother had been expecting her to come.

She knew, Alyssa thought. She knew I was going to come back.

As she set the toy down and turned away from the dresser, she was again struck by how strangely silent the house seemed. It almost seemed unnatural; there wasn't even a whisper of wind or the hint of birdsong. On impulse, Alyssa went over and switched on the television set, just to make some noise.

Instead of forming a picture, the screen showed lines of static. An annoying hiss pulsed from the speakers. "Guess it isn't hooked up to receive a signal," Alyssa muttered, switching it off again. She regretted speaking out loud; every sound she made seemed strangely close, as if the noises didn't travel like they were supposed to. Sounds within the house didn't travel outside, and no sound from outside was able to come in.

Alyssa have herself a shake; that was just silly. She turned away from the malfunctioning television and left her bedroom through the door to the right. Beyond her room was a small sitting area with a table, chairs, and a pleasant fireplace, and beyond that was the hallway that led to the upstairs guest wing.

She wasn't particularly interested in poking around over there, and she started down the long hallway that led to her mother's room. As she passed by the fireplace, something caught her eye that made her pause.

There was no fire lit, an odd sight this time of year. Her mother was always picky about keeping the large house warm—only she wasn't here right now, Alyssa reminded herself sadly. Still, there should at least be some wood in the fireplace, but there wasn't even a pile of ashes, as though someone had come by recently and removed everything, right down to the last dust particle.

Curiosity getting the better of her, Alyssa went over and knelt down for a closer look. She reached out and ran a finger along the brick wall, but there wasn't a speck of soot to be found. And the bricks looked odd, too; she didn't remember them being white. Alyssa poked them with her finger and was surprised when they clattered a little.

Puzzled, Alyssa peered closer and noticed that the bricks didn't look like they were cemented together, just stacked in place. Wondering who would go through the trouble and why, Alyssa gently pressed her hand to the white bricks. The stack shuttered and toppled over with a crash.

The young girl stared, a bit stunned, at the pile of brick and dust she had made. Behind the pile was a hole where the wall once was, just big enough for a person to crawl through. Crouching low, she saw what looked like another room, hidden within the walls of her home.

This day just kept getting stranger.