Chapter 4

Riley

Leo got grounded for sneaking out and is stuck at his house again. The power keeps cutting on and off. I do not know if we even have a generator, and I would not know how to start one if we did. My phone rings and makes me jump. I answer it.

“Hello?”

“Hey, hun.” Mom’s breathing sounds short and rough. “Put it on speaker. You both need to hear this.” The line crackles and breaks.

“Wait, Mom, it’s breaking up,” I say. Tears push at my eyes. Finn is already next to me with his hand on my shoulder.

“Hon… it’s… breaking… up.”

“No. No. No. No. No.” The words tumble out while I press the phone harder to my ear.

“I… don’t… know if… I’ll see… you again. I love… Riley and Finn. Patricia will take… good care… of you. I love you—” Her scream cuts through the speaker, high and raw, mixed with gunshots. The call dies. Tears run down my face.

“What happened? Mom!” Finn’s voice cracks. He pulls me into a hug and hides his face in my shoulder, crying hard. “Mom—”

“Shh. Finn. Shh. It’ll be—” I cannot finish the sentence. We just heard her scream like that. We have no way to know if she is still alive. Her scream was the worst sound I have ever heard. Our bodies shake while we hold each other. I want to drop to the floor and cry until nothing is left, but I force myself to stay standing.

“Go set up the spare bedroom,” I say, wiping my face fast. “Ms. Patricia will be here soon.” I keep my voice steady so I do not fall apart in front of him. “I need to do something in my room real quick.” I walk down the hall, close the door, and fall onto the bed. The sobs come hard. I press my face into the pillow so Finn will not hear.

When I can breathe again I call Leo even though he is grounded. He answers after a few rings.

“Is everything okay?”

I can only shake my head. When I try to talk, more sobs come out. He stays quiet and lets me cry until my eyes are dry and my throat hurts.

“I think I heard my mom die on the phone,” I say, voice raw. “It happened so fast. I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s okay.” His voice is soft. “I can try to sneak over. My mom took my dad to the hospital. We think that thing got him at work.”

“No.” I sniff. “Ms. Patricia is coming with groceries. Call your parents. Tell them you love them. Do it for them even if you don’t feel like it.” The doorbell rings. I jump.

“I have to go. Be safe.”

“Same to you.”

I check the peephole, then open the door.

“Hi, Ms. Patricia. Come in.” I force a smile.

“Thanks, hun. Can you take these?” She hands me the paper bags. “I’m a little light-headed. Stores were pure chaos. Shelves were empty.” She rubs her temples.

“Sit on the couch. Finn!” I call. “Get Ms. Patricia some water.”

“Oo, that yelling makes my head worse.” She lies on her side, still holding her temples.

“Sorry. Why don’t you take a nap? I can handle things for a while.”

“That would be lovely.” She yawns and her eyes close.

I touch her forehead. It is burning hot. I pull my hand back. She needs rest, I tell myself. I put the groceries away and go to my room with a bowl of chips. I change into soft pajamas. The Maya air is still cool.

I try the laptop. No internet. Mobile data is dead too. By the time I give up it is almost eight o’clock.

I walk toward the kitchen to drop off the empty bowl. A low growl comes from the living room. I stop at the doorway. Something feels wrong.

Glass shatters. I jump.

“Ms. Patricia? Are you okay?”

She stands in the middle of the room. Her skin looks pale with a green tint. Her head hangs low. Blood runs down her arm from a cut that looks like it came from the broken vase.

“You’re bleeding—”

Her head lifts. An animal sound rolls out of her throat. She starts toward me.

“Oh God.” I back into the hallway. I throw the bowl. It misses and explodes against the wall. The noise makes her turn for a second. A dark, soaked bandage is stuck to her upper arm.

“Finn!” I whisper hard. “Finn!”

His door opens. He looks normal. He sees her coming. “Come on, I’ll explain later!” I grab his arm and pull him down the hall. She is right behind us now, growling louder. My heart pounds in my ears. Sweat runs down my back. Finn yanks me into the hall closet and kicks the plastic bins out into the hallway. We slam the metal door shut just as she hits it.

I close my eyes. The picture of her face stays anyway. She throws herself against the door again and again. We press our feet against the metal to keep it shut. Every impact makes us flinch. I put a finger to my lips. Finn nods and does the same. He wraps an arm around my shoulders. I lean into him and jump at every bang. Tears slip down my cheeks.

I turn the phone brightness all the way down and type with shaking hands.

I think she has the sick thing from the news.

He takes the phone and types back.

We can’t stay here. Too dangerous.

He looks at me, face tight with worry, then opens the dialer and calls 911. I shake my head hard, pointing at the door. He ignores me.

“No answer,” he mouths.

My stomach drops. The number that is supposed to save us is not even picking up. We are alone in a closet with something that used to be Ms. Patricia slamming against the only thing between us and her, and no one is coming.