Hide and Seek

"There's something in there, Kim. I don't know who or what but

something. I think it's got Casey."

She swallowed. "Clan, please don't fool with me."

"I'm not fooling."

"Oh, my god."

"We've got to get help," said Steve.

"No."

I snapped it out at them. The two of them just stared at me. I could

feel panic dart suddenly between us like bats in an unfamiliar room. I

tried to explain, to keep it under control.

"I don't want to leave her. You understand? It's too late. By the

time we got back here, she could be ...."

"Wait," said Kim. "Back up a minute. How do you know there's anybody

in there?"

"How do I...?"

"Yes! How the hell do you know there's anybody in there with her? If

she's alone we can just go after her, can't we? If she's just hurt or

something?"

"She's not alone, Kim."

"How do you know?"

I remembered. And remembering must have showed on me. That feeling of

something just out of reach in the dark. That terrible

communicaiion.

"Believe me. I know."

^^H

I watched her stare into my eyes and shudder.

"I felt it there, Kim. Very close to me. And it was not like us. It

I saw them exchange glances. I knew what they were thinking. If it

was as bad as I seemed to think, Casey could already be dead. But for

me that didn't change a thing. Not as long as I still didn't know.

"You've got it," said Kim. "But what can we do? We don't have guns.

We don't have anything."

"There's stuff in the cellar."

I guess I'd made the rope too tight on her. She rubbed her wrists hard

to restore circulation. She winced and looked at Steve.