House of Dark Shadows by Robert Liparulo Page A

grunt and pushed back from him. “So,” he said, “have you picked out a room?”
    â€œWe’re trying ,” David said. “What about beds?”
    â€œYour old beds will be here in a few days. I just have to tell the moving company we found a place.”
    â€œAnd till then?”
    â€œWe’ll stay in the motel.”
    â€œNot here?” Xander asked.
    Dad shook his head. “We have to do some cleaning first, get the utilities turned on, make sure everything’s safe.”
    As if to punctuate his last word, Mom yelled, “Ed! Ed!” All three of them looked one way, then the other. It was impossible to tell where she was. Dad made a decision and ran toward the main staircase. Xander and David followed. Toria came out of her room, knocking David against the wall. They clambered down the stairs together. Dad stepped into the foyer, looked down the corridor to the kitchen, and called, “G!”
    Her voice came back with an edge of panic: “Ed!”
    He started for the kitchen. Xander stopped him. “Dad, in here.”
    Mom stood in the dining room near one of the windows. Dad pushed past the kids to reach her. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”
    She pointed. Dust covered the floors. Most of it had been disturbed by their own shuffling around. Near the walls, in corners, under furniture, it had remained thick and as unbroken as an arctic landscape. Here, in such a spot, were two footprints. They were from bare feet twice the size of Dad’s. The toes were pointed toward the window, as though someone had stood there, watching.

CHAPTER

fourteen
    WEDNESDAY, 5:30 P.M.
    They were sitting at a big, round table in the café. Each of them leaned in toward the center.
    â€œThe door was unlocked,” Dad whispered. “That’s how we got in. Who knows how long the house had been open to anyone who tried the front door?”
    â€œOr how long ago those footprints were made,” Mom added.
    â€œMom,” Xander said, “they were fresh . There was no dust in them, just bare wood.”
    â€œThey were so big,” David said.
    â€œIt was Bigfoot,” Toria said, with a hint of danger.
    â€œToria,” Xander said.
    â€œWell, it was somebody with really big feet,” Mom said, “but I don’t think it was Bigfoot, honey. Not the Bigfoot.”
    â€œBut he lives here,” Toria said. “I read about it.”
    â€œBigfoot’s not real,” David said.
    â€œIs too.”
    â€œOkay, okay. Whether it was a guy with big feet or it was Bigfoot, doesn’t really matter, I don’t want him in my house.
    So, listen . . .”
    The waitress stepped up behind Toria. She smiled inquisitively, taking in their conspiratorial postures. “Ya ready?”
    Dad smiled apologetically. “Not yet. But how about waters all around?”
    â€œGotcha,” she said and wandered away.
    All faces turned back to Dad.
    He said, “Tomorrow we all go over there and start cleaning.
    Xander and I will go through the whole house. Basement to attic. We’ll see if anybody’s there.”
    Toria inhaled sharply and covered her mouth. A bit melodramatic , Xander thought, but that was Toria.
    â€œOr if there are ways to get in we don’t know about,”
    Dad said.
    David said, “I want to search too.”
    Dad shook his head. “I don’t think—”
    Xander touched Dad’s arm and said, “He can do it.”
    Dad studied Xander’s face. Maybe he was trying to gauge whether Xander was sticking up for his brother because he thought David could handle it, or because he was going to use the opportunity to somehow scare Dae. Whatever he saw in Xander’s eyes, he seemed to appreciate it. He nodded, said, “Okay. It’ll be the King boys then.”
    David smiled. “And may God have mercy on anyone we find . . .”
    â€œBecause we won’t!” Xander