Page 133 of The Vanishing Place
“Tia?”
“He’s here.” Tia’s eyes snapped toward the door. “He’s back.”
“It’s okay, we can—”
“Oh god. He’s going to know.” Tia started to shake. “He’s going to know I broke his rules.”
“Tia, listen to—”
“Oh god, he’s going to kill us.” Her voice had faded to nothing. She started to cry. “I can’t…not again…”
“Tia? Tia?” Effie reached out. “You need to stand up now and walk out. Then you need to lock the door behind you. Can you do that?”
“The door?” she spluttered.
“Yes. You need to go—now.”
“Yes, I…” Another sob. “I can…”
“You’re okay.” Effie squeezed her wrist. “You’re going to—”
The pounding of heavy footsteps sounded, mounting steps.
“Oh god.” Fear pulsed through Tia’s voice. “It’s too late. He’s going to find me in here.”
Then there was the squeak of wooden floorboards—he was on the deck.
“Go.” Effie pushed at the air with her hands.“Go.”
Tia stumbled over to the bedroom door, and a breath of light moved through the room as she pushed the door wide. Then, with a thump, it closed again.
Please be okay.
Effie hugged her arms around her body, doing her best to stay quiet, and waited for the murmur of voices.
1992
“What’s wrong withyour belly?”
“Adam,” Dinah jumped, pulling the towel around her naked body. “You frightened me.”
“It looks ugly.”
“You should knock.” She grabbed for a cardigan.
“Dad says I don’t need to knock.”
She curled her arms around her fat body, trying to cover the gross lump—something that hadn’t been there before.
“Why’s it all swollen?”
“I’m pregnant,” said Dinah. “I’m having a baby.”
Adam frowned. “How did it get in there?”
“Cameron.” She smiled a stupid smile. “It’s Cameron’s baby.”
Adam grimaced. Thinking about Cameron stretching his sister’s skin to fit a baby in her made him feel a bit sick. “How?”
