Page 136 of The Vanishing Place
1993
“Adam! Adam!”
He ran up the stairs, following the sound of his sister’s screams.
“Adam!” she yelled again.
Dinah’s voice was too loud and too frightening. Adam didn’t want to get too near to it. He didn’t want to see what was behind her door. Something horrible and not allowed. But he kept running.
“Adam, I need you to unlock the door.”
“I’m not supposed to,” he panted.
“Please. Please,” she begged. “Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong with the baby.”
A horrible sound erupted from his sister—a squeal of fear and pain, like when Dad kicked the neighbor’s dog—and Adam covered his ears.
“Stop it.Stop it,” he said.
But Dinah got louder. She kept groaning and screaming and crying.
“Stop making those noises,” he shouted. “You’re scaring me.”
“It hurts,” she sobbed. “I think I’m dying. I think the baby’s dying.”
Adam pressed up against the door.
“Please…please, Adam.”
He wasn’t allowed to open the door. Dad and Daniel had gone fishing, and Adam was in charge. But he didn’t want Dinah to die. Dad would be angry if he let Dinah die.
Dinah spluttered and howled, and Adam started to shake. He dug into his pockets for the key, then he prodded it at the keyhole. He couldn’t keep his hands still with all the groaning. But eventually, the key turned and Adam fell into the room.
Dinah was on the floor, balled up, and her skirt was wet, like she’d peed herself.
“Thank you, Adam,” she panted. “Thank you.”
Adam didn’t like looking at her when she was like that, all wet and gross.
“Something’s wrong,” she moaned. “I need you to get Cameron. I think the baby’s coming…but it’s…it’s too early. The baby’s going to die.” She screamed again and clutched at her fat belly. “It’s too early.”
Dinah rocked, wet and disgusting and sweaty, then she groaned.
“Stop doing that,” Adam snapped.
“It hurts too much. I need you to get Cameron.”
Fear froze Adam’s legs and muscles.
“Please,” Dinah screamed.
He couldn’t move.
She pushed herself up, planting her hands in a disgusting puddle of something, then she took a big breath.
“Please,” she said again. Less scary. More like Dinah. “I need your help, Adam. Can you do that for me?”
He nodded.
