Page 41 of Shiver

No longer was she the only one. Tears burned her eyes and ran down her cheeks to commingle with the rain. You were wrong, Papa. I told you I didn’t kill Tommy. I told you it wasn’t me. It was him. “And he’s real,” she yelled into the night sky.

But it didn’t matter. Her papa wasn’t there to hear her.

Out of breath, she stopped running and bent down, bracing her hands on her knees. She looked up as the rain stopped and saw a big black hole in a sky of gray. A temporary reprieve from the downpour.

She was finally free. Someone else had seen him, too. She wasn’t sick, she wasn’t delusional.

“You can run little girl.”

Devra stiffened as a fierce belt of fear constricted her heart. She forced herself to take a deep painful breath. Her mind was playing tricks on her.There was no one there.

“Mac?” she called hesitantly.

She thought again to that afternoon and the chloroform, the daisies. Why had someone gone through so much trouble to take her, then just leave her lying on the grass surrounded by daisies?

No one answered.

“Is anyone there?” She turned around, looking, listening.

“But you can’t hide. Not from me. Not ever.”

The whispered voice stirred her memories. She’d heard those words before. She’d heard that voice before.

No!A deep guttural groan erupted from her chest. She started to run, trying to remember which way she’d come, which was the way back to Riley’s house. But it was too dark. This couldn’t be happening. Not again.

“Devra.” The voice mocked. Coming from nowhere, yet everywhere.

“Leave me alone!” God help her, she couldn’t go through it again. “Riley!” she screamed. She thought she saw lights through the thick tangle of trees and headed for them.Please, Riley, help me.

Laughter sounded all around her.

She pushed her legs harder, running faster. Then felt a hard, bony grasp on her shoulder. She slipped, despair racking her mind. Falling…he had her.

“Peekaboo, Devy. I win.”

Her mind screamed, a single silent yell as she rolled through the wet mud, the leaves catching in her hair, her head hitting something hard with a searing jolt.

Not again.

Chapter 16

When Devra woke,she was lying in her bed and two very concerned faces were staring down at her. She brought her hand up to the cut on the back of her head and winced. “What happened?”

“You fell. How are you feeling?” Riley asked.

“I don’t know.” She pushed herself up against the headboard. “How did I get here?”

Riley’s eyes met hers. “I carried you.”

Confusion tore through her. “But what about him?”

“Who?”

“The devil?” she whispered.

Riley glanced at Tony then turned back to her. “There was no one there. You were alone.”

She stared at him in disbelief. That’s what everyone had said the last time. But they’d been wrong.Hewas there fifteen years ago, and he’sherenow. She wanted to plead her case, to beg them to understand, but those concerned expressions were back on their faces. They were wondering if she’d gone over the edge. They were wondering if they needed to send her to a doctor. Or perhaps even lock her up.

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