A Place So Wicked Patrick Reuman (children's ebooks free online TXT) 📖

“Honey, I don’t think it’s funny. It’s creepy.”

Richard pushed back his smile, trying to be serious. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s probably just the neighbors. They probably knocked but saw we weren’t home so they just left it on the steps.”

“Someone left one earlier as well, but they didn’t even knock. I heard them outside, and when I went out to check, all I found was this.” She turned and pointed at the dish by the sink.

“Hmmm.” Richard looked at it quizzically.

Robbie stared at them, partly interested in what they were talking about but mostly counting down the seconds until he could go back upstairs. He wasn’t even sure why he had come down in the first place. The pain in his stomach, and everywhere else, seemed to be growing by the second. And on top of that, the smell down there on the first floor was only getting worse. He imagined for a second how it might smell in the basement right then and nearly gagged.

“Maybe you should just go next door and ask them if they left one of these,” Richard said.

Lisa nodded. “Yeah. Maybe that’s a good idea.”

“Well, I’ll be upstairs if anybody needs me. I think I got whatever Trevor has because I feel like complete shit,” Robbie said, holding his lower belly like his stomach was going to fall out.

Richard glanced over, looking Robbie up and down. “No offense, but you look like shit, too.”

Robbie started to laugh, but it hurt so he stopped. “Good luck with your investigation, Lisa.” Robbie tried to smile as he turned around and started back up the stairs.

Just as Lisa started toward the door, the handle turned and Paisley walked in. She stopped and smiled when she saw her mom and dad staring at her. “I was at the park,” she said, reflexively, in defense of her having left earlier without saying anything.

Lisa walked up beside her and started putting her shoes back on. “Did you have fun?” she asked.

“Yeah, I suppose. I met a kid there. Turns out there is life on this planet.”

Lisa didn’t understand the comment but didn’t understand half the things her kids said, so she didn’t ask. “I’m heading next door really quick.”

Paisley smiled, noticing Trevor sitting on the couch.

“Hey, Paisley,” he said.

“Out of bed, huh? Feeling better?”

“A little.”

But he was smiling, which was more than she had seen him do lately.

“Yeah,” Lisa said. “He waited until we got to the doctor’s office to decide to feel better.”

“Doctor’s office?” Paisley said.

“I had a surprise appointment today!” Trevor said.

“That’s fun.”

Lisa opened the door, letting in a small gust of damp air.

“You’re going next door, you said?” Paisley asked.

“Yeah, just for a minute.”

Paisley looked toward Trevor. “You wanna go with her?”

“He’s actually supposed to be heading back to bed for rest,” Richard said, joining in the conversation as he entered the doorway.

“I’d love to,” Trevor said. “I’ve done a ton of resting already. Some fresh air would be nice.”

“Fine,” Lisa said. “But hurry and get your shoes on. It looks like it’s going to rain in a minute.”

Trevor hopped up with new agility and quickly pulled on his shoes. The two of them followed their mom out the door, their dad staying behind. Neither of them had asked exactly why they were going next door. Paisley didn’t really care. She was just glad Trevor was looking less deathly. And Trevor, well, he was just happy to be feeling better. His main motivation, which he wasn’t going to mention to his mom, and definitely not his sister, was just to get away, because the moment he had taken a seat on the couch, a new queasiness had come over him. When his sister asked him about going outside, his entire body immediately recalled the relief he had felt when they left for the doctor’s office, the cool air against his skin, blowing through his short hair. He wanted that again. No…he needed it. His body craved it.

Now that he was outside, the two of them trailing their mother toward the neighboring house to the left, he was already feeling better again. It was like magic. If he had told either of them how he was feeling back at the house, they would have demanded he head upstairs and lie down. His sister could often be like their mom in that way, demanding the best of him, wanting him to get better. He loved her for that, but it could be exhausting.

They reached the entry to the house’s walkway and took it up to the door. At their feet was a doormat that read “WELCOME.” Lisa knocked. They waited, Paisley looking up to the sky, at the grey clouds looking even darker than they had earlier at the park.

Nobody came to the door. Lisa knocked again, this time a little harder, wanting to get their attention inside but not wanting to look rude or angry. She waited, hands on her hips, for someone to come to the door. A cool breeze rushed by, sending shivers down all their spines. It was definitely going to rain soon.

Lisa’s frustration was growing. She stepped away from the door. There didn’t appear to be a car in the driveway, but the garage door was shut, so maybe the vehicle was inside it. She looked around, wondering if any of their other neighbors were out, anyone she could question about why people were leaving food on her doorstep but not introducing themselves. It began as a curiosity, but now it was morphing into an anger. Where the hell was everybody and why weren’t these people answering the door? It was summer. Surely somebody had to be home.

She rounded a bush and approached the front windows which she was willing to wager led into