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

choice was to fit both her brother and uncle in the front seat or stick one of them in the trunk, but not only did sticking one in the trunk seem terrible, even inhumane, but she wasn’t sure how she would manage it with all the junk they kept back there.

So she stuck Trevor in the front passenger seat and headed right back inside. Only one person left. She realized as she was heading back up the stairs that she had no idea where the hospital even was. She had GPS, though, and that would have to do. Just as she reached Robbie’s bedroom, she heard a sound, like voices.

She froze, fear swarming her insides. She heard it again. Was it something evil, perhaps the thing that lived in the basement? Despite everything they had learned recently, everything they had experienced, the idea seemed wildly childish.

She followed the sound to the top of the stairs, where she saw an unfamiliar man standing inside the house’s front entrance, a woman alongside him, the two of them talking for a few more seconds before noticing Paisley. When they did, they froze, like Paisley was a wild animal and they were afraid to startle her.

“Paisley,” the man said. “I’m Doctor Ricketson. I’m here to see your parents.”

Paisley almost walked straight for him, eager to get help, to not be alone in trying to save her family, but stopped herself one step down. Why would the doctor have come to their house? She couldn’t say she missed doctor appointments often, but she was fairly certain the doctor showing up at your house was abnormal. Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t sure how normal it was for the doctor’s office to even call and ask why you hadn’t shown up. They usually have multiple patients, many appointments per day, and couldn’t be expected to call them all if they didn’t show up.

Paisley stepped back up to the top of the stairs. The woman had yet to introduce herself, and she didn’t look like it was in her plans to do so.

The doctor stepped forward. “Where are they?” He looked around, from the living room toward the kitchen. “Are they upstairs?”

“Why are you here?” Paisley asked.

“I already told you, I’m here to—”

“No, you aren’t. Doctors don’t make random house calls.”

Through the front windows, Paisley noticed cars parked out front, more than one. Doctor Ricketson noticed her line of vision and followed it outside then returned it back to her with a smile.

“Listen,” he said, moving even closer until he was at the base of the stairs. “I just want to know where your parents are, and the others. Are they still in the house? I was told you were taking them somewhere.”

She forced herself not to look out the window, toward where their vehicle was, full to the brim with her unconscious family members. A third person suddenly walked through the door, joining the others inside the house. This one was a man, but he was dressed funny, in some sort of religious or ceremonial garb. The doctor stepped aside, bowing slightly as the new man came forward.

He spoke, his voice ragged and aged. “Young lady, I know you must be confused—even scared, but I can assure you we are just here to help. You and your family are more important to us than you can imagine.”

She knew exactly what he meant, but based on how slow they were moving, they didn’t know she knew yet. Otherwise, she thought, they would have rushed her by now. She had to think. She had to get Robbie out to the car and then get them all away from here, to the hospital. But these people were blocking the exit, the front one, at least. There was one in the back, but that still meant she would have to get them past the intruders. It didn’t seem possible.

As soon as the old man took another step forward, she bolted for Robbie’s bedroom. She swung the door shut behind her then stopped to find something to block the door with. There was nothing other than the bed itself, the room still being mostly empty. She went around the bed and pushed it up against the door. Her strength, plus Robbie’s weight, might hold the door closed but probably not for very long. She was still exhausted from carrying the others to the vehicle.

She was trapped.

A tear trickled down her cheek. She didn’t know what to do. Trevor, her mom, and her dad were outside, in the car, but out there with those people. Robbie was in there with her, but she had no way of getting him out. She heard them arrive outside the door. She wasn’t sure how they knew she was in that room specifically, but that didn’t matter.

There was a knock at the door. “There is no reason to hide,” the doctor said. “We aren’t here to hurt you.”

“Cut the bullshit,” Paisley yelled between tears. “We already know the truth!”

She wasn’t sure if telling them that was a good idea, but she didn’t care anymore. Everything was falling apart, and it was all because of these sick psychos, and she was so incredibly pissed off.

“You people are fucking insane!”

Silence took for a few seconds before she heard other doors closing down the hall and more footsteps approaching her door.

“Let us in now!” the doctor yelled, all signs of calm obliterated from his voice. “Or we will come in ourselves!”

They didn’t wait. A heavy weight slammed up against the door, shoving the bed back slightly, the bed’s legs scraping against the floor. Then another slam came. She pushed the bed harder against the door, fighting the push. Each time the door inched open a little, she was able to force it back closed. But she knew this couldn’t last.

After a