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.She satfrozen as they drove to her house.Tom walked her in.Jenny's mother was standing on the threshold of the living room."And just where have you been?" she demanded.She had dark golden hair and aquick temper."It's my fault, Mrs.Thornton," Tom said."It is not his fault.I'm responsible for myself," Jenny said."As long as you're home," Mrs.Thornton said, with a sigh.Her temper, likeJenny's, flared quickly and died more quickly."Are you hungry? Have you haddinner, Tom?"Tom shook his dark head."I'd better be getting home," he said, avoidingJenny's eyes!"Yes, you had," Mr.Thornton said softly but pointedly from his armchair.Jenny's father was a small man, but he had a sardonic eye that could kill fromacross the room."I'm sure your parents are expecting you.And next time, beback before dark."As the door closed behind him, Jenny said with reckless energy, "Thereprobably won't be a next time."Her mother was startled."Jenny?"Jenny turned toward the kitchen, but not before she saw her parents exchangeglances.Her father shook his head, then went back to Time magazine.Her mother followed her into the kitchen."Dear one-you can't be upset because we want you home early.We're justtrying to keep you and Joey safe.""It isn't that." Jenny was struggling with tears."It's just-I think Tom andI are going to break up."Her mother stared."Oh, sweetheart!""Yes.And I just don't know-oh, Mom, everything's changing!" Abruptly Jennythrew herself into her mother's arms.Page 28ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html"Things do change, sweetheart.You're at the age when everything startshappening.I know how scary it can be, and I'm sorry about Tom-"Jenny shook her head mutely.She and her mom had talked about growing upbefore.Jenny had always felt secretly a little smug at how well she washandling it all.She'd had it all planned out: high school with Tom, and thencollege with Tom, and then, in some comfortably fuzzy future, marriage to Tom,and an interesting career, and a world tour.After the tour, babies.Boy andgirl, like that.She'd already conquered growing up: she knew exactly what it was going to belike.Not anymore.Her cozy future was crumbling around her.She drew away from her mother."Jenny.Jenny, there isn't anything you're not telling us-say, aboutZach? Because Aunt Lily is really worried.She says he's been acting sodifferent.He even seems to have lost interest in his photography."Jenny could feel herself stiffen."What kind of anything?" she said."Of course, we know Zach didn't-didn't hurt Summer in any way.But he wasn'tthe one who made up this story, was he? And you all believed it because youcare about him." It was phrased as a theory, and Jenny was horrified."No," she said."First of all, nobody made up the story." Although Mrs.Thornton continued to face her, Jenny noticed that her mother's golden-browneyes went shades darker at that, and seemed to wall over.It was how all theparents looked when the kids talked about the reality of what had happenedthat night.They were listening, but they weren't listening.They believed youbecause you were their kid, but they couldn't believe you.So they ended upstaring at you like polite zombies and making excuses behind their eyes."Nobody made the story up," Jenny repeated tiredly, already defeated."Look-I'm really not hungry."She escaped to the family room, where Joey was playing a video game-but itwasn't escape.The phone rang.She reached for it automatically."Hello?"Shhshhshhshhshhshhshhshhshhshh.Chills swept over Jenny.The white noise went on, but over it there was a whispering."A.ishhshhshht.""Joey, turn the TV down!"The breathy whisper came again, and Jenny heard the psychic's voice in hermind.Vanished."Van-ishhshhshhed," the voice whispered.Jenny clutched the phone, straining to hear."Who is this?" She was suddenlyangry rather than afraid.She had visions of the frosted-blond psychic on theother end.But the voice seemed like a man's, and it had a distorted qualityPage 29ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlto it that went beyond foreign.The word sounded like vanished, but.The phone clicked, then there was a dial tone."What's wrong?" her mother said, coming in."Did someone call?""Didn't you hear it ring?""I can't hear anything over that TV.Jenny, what is it? You're so pale.""Nothing." She didn't want to talk about it with her mother.She couldn'tstand any more questions -or any more weird stuff-or any more anything."I'm really tired," she said and headed for the back of the house before hermother could stop her.In the privacy of her own room, she flopped on the bed.It was a pleasantroom, and normally its familiarity would have comforted her.Michael alwayssaid it looked like a garden because of the Ralph Lauren comforter in rose andpoppy and gold and dusty blue, and the baskets on the dresser twined with silkflowers.On the windowsill were pots of petunias and alyssum.Just now it made Jenny feel-alien.As if she didn't belong to its familiarityany longer.She lay listening to the house.She heard the distant sounds of the familyroom TV cut short, and presently heard splashing noises in the bathroom.Joeygoing to bed.Voices in the hall, and a door shutting.Her parents going tobed.After that, everything was quiet.Jenny lay there a long time.She couldn't relax for sleep; she had to dosomething to express the strangeness she felt inside.She wanted-she wanted-She wanted to do something ritual and-well, purifying.By herself.Then she had it.She went to the door and cautiously turned the knob.Shestepped into the darkened hallway, listening.Silence.Everyone wasasleep; the house had that hushed middle-of-the-night feeling.Quietly Jenny opened the linen closet and fished out a towel.Still carefulnot to make the slightest sound, she unlocked the family room sliding glassdoor and eased it open.A three-quarter moon was rising over the foothills [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]