crying and stuff, and so Mr. Evreth shot the rabbit. Then he gave it to Zachary, who told everybody he’d killed it. But I’d seen the whole thing.”
“I don’t know,” Penny said. “Caleb
is
back. What if he, you know, put traps back here? Like he did before?”
Benji gave her a cocky look. “That’s why I’m teaching you how to shoot, right?”
“Right,” she said in a hollow voice.
“Come on, don’t worry. I’ll look after you,” he said, and winked.
They had reached the old springhouse. There was a bull’s-eye target pasted to its crumbling side.
“Now this is a real gun, even though it shoots BBs. You can really hurt someone with them, so you have to be careful, okay?” And then he handed her the BB gun reverently.
Penny gripped it gingerly, slightly afraid. “Do youknow some kids named Susie and Jeffy?”
“Kids? From this neighborhood?”
She nodded.
He shrugged. “There was a Jeff, I think, but he was a lot older. Like Toby’s age, maybe.”
“Oh,” Penny said. That was a dead end.
“Why?”
“Nothing.” Penny took a deep breath. “How do I hold this thing?”
He positioned the gun in Penny’s arms, standing behind her with his hand over hers on the trigger. She could smell the scent of peanut butter rising from his skin, and something else, something distinctly boyish. He steadied her shoulder as she looked down the barrel. His cheek was warm against hers, and she felt a funny tickle in her spine, the same exact feeling she had when she got to the good part of a book.
“Okay?” he asked, twisting slightly to look at her, his eyes dark.
“Yeah,” she breathed, fixing her eyes firmly on his. He blinked in surprise and then his lips were hovering over hers, their noses bumping, their lips brushing together, a tantalizing whisper. She stood still for a moment as he moved his lips against hersexperimentally, the bubble-gum taste of them, and then, as if suddenly remembering where they were, she pulled away.
Penny hefted the gun and aimed, narrowing her eyes at the target as if that would make her heart stop pounding. The barrel gleamed faintly in the dappled light from the trees. She was thankful she had something to do, to take her mind off what had just happened.
“Where do I look?” she asked shakily.
“Just line up the sights,” he instructed, all business now.
She squinted hard, narrowing her eyes.
Benji backed away. “Go for it.”
Penny took a deep breath and shot. The gun jumped slightly and bumped against her chin.
“Ow! That hurt,” Penny said, rubbing her chin. “Did I hit anything?”
Benji surveyed the bull’s-eye. It was perfectly clean.
Penny sighed. This was going to take some time.
“Don’t hold it by your chin,” he suggested.
“I figured that one out myself, thanks,” she said sourly.
Benji said earnestly, “Look, try it again and pretend that there’s someone you hate there.You know, like—I don’t know …” he said, his voice trailing off.
Like Caleb,
she thought to herself.
She raised the gun and looked down the barrel, and suddenly he was there, as if conjured, glaring at her, taunting her, his eyes dark and cruel, like he couldn’t wait to get a piece of her, lure her into the woods and hurt her like he had Zachary Evreth. He pulled a long hunting knife out of the leather case on his belt and caressed the shiny point with one long, greasy finger, running it along the edge of the sharp blade. Without warning he lifted his arm, blade in palm, and threw the knife right at her.
She hissed and fired reflexively.
Benji inspected the target.
“Well?” she asked.
Benji smiled approvingly. “Now you’re getting it.”
The house was quiet when Penny got home, hot and sweaty from shooting practice.
“Mom?” she called into the warm house. The kitchen felt like a steam bath. Something was definitely wrong with the air conditioner. She wandered around, grabbing a cookie, pouring herself a glass of juice. The note was
“I don’t know,” Penny said. “Caleb
is
back. What if he, you know, put traps back here? Like he did before?”
Benji gave her a cocky look. “That’s why I’m teaching you how to shoot, right?”
“Right,” she said in a hollow voice.
“Come on, don’t worry. I’ll look after you,” he said, and winked.
They had reached the old springhouse. There was a bull’s-eye target pasted to its crumbling side.
“Now this is a real gun, even though it shoots BBs. You can really hurt someone with them, so you have to be careful, okay?” And then he handed her the BB gun reverently.
Penny gripped it gingerly, slightly afraid. “Do youknow some kids named Susie and Jeffy?”
“Kids? From this neighborhood?”
She nodded.
He shrugged. “There was a Jeff, I think, but he was a lot older. Like Toby’s age, maybe.”
“Oh,” Penny said. That was a dead end.
“Why?”
“Nothing.” Penny took a deep breath. “How do I hold this thing?”
He positioned the gun in Penny’s arms, standing behind her with his hand over hers on the trigger. She could smell the scent of peanut butter rising from his skin, and something else, something distinctly boyish. He steadied her shoulder as she looked down the barrel. His cheek was warm against hers, and she felt a funny tickle in her spine, the same exact feeling she had when she got to the good part of a book.
“Okay?” he asked, twisting slightly to look at her, his eyes dark.
“Yeah,” she breathed, fixing her eyes firmly on his. He blinked in surprise and then his lips were hovering over hers, their noses bumping, their lips brushing together, a tantalizing whisper. She stood still for a moment as he moved his lips against hersexperimentally, the bubble-gum taste of them, and then, as if suddenly remembering where they were, she pulled away.
Penny hefted the gun and aimed, narrowing her eyes at the target as if that would make her heart stop pounding. The barrel gleamed faintly in the dappled light from the trees. She was thankful she had something to do, to take her mind off what had just happened.
“Where do I look?” she asked shakily.
“Just line up the sights,” he instructed, all business now.
She squinted hard, narrowing her eyes.
Benji backed away. “Go for it.”
Penny took a deep breath and shot. The gun jumped slightly and bumped against her chin.
“Ow! That hurt,” Penny said, rubbing her chin. “Did I hit anything?”
Benji surveyed the bull’s-eye. It was perfectly clean.
Penny sighed. This was going to take some time.
“Don’t hold it by your chin,” he suggested.
“I figured that one out myself, thanks,” she said sourly.
Benji said earnestly, “Look, try it again and pretend that there’s someone you hate there.You know, like—I don’t know …” he said, his voice trailing off.
Like Caleb,
she thought to herself.
She raised the gun and looked down the barrel, and suddenly he was there, as if conjured, glaring at her, taunting her, his eyes dark and cruel, like he couldn’t wait to get a piece of her, lure her into the woods and hurt her like he had Zachary Evreth. He pulled a long hunting knife out of the leather case on his belt and caressed the shiny point with one long, greasy finger, running it along the edge of the sharp blade. Without warning he lifted his arm, blade in palm, and threw the knife right at her.
She hissed and fired reflexively.
Benji inspected the target.
“Well?” she asked.
Benji smiled approvingly. “Now you’re getting it.”
The house was quiet when Penny got home, hot and sweaty from shooting practice.
“Mom?” she called into the warm house. The kitchen felt like a steam bath. Something was definitely wrong with the air conditioner. She wandered around, grabbing a cookie, pouring herself a glass of juice. The note was
Similar Books
