She was always there, sometimes holding a book, sometimes carrying her stuffed rabbit, and sometimes simpl

eld out her hand be

ood morning

me seriously.

ock behind her. "It

act

smile appeared on her face - smiles were still rar

r hand. "

d. "Then

cour

gardens

yebrow. "Do I

uestion carefully be

ghed

rnings, and that frightened me, because every moment I spent with

truth. But the truth was becoming more dangerous with every passing day, because the little girl holding

orning, reading followed lunch, garden walks happened in the afternoon, and stories were

s people forgot, and watched everyone around her with an understanding that sometimes unsettled me, not

carrying a silver teapot, and Lily didn't look up

stopped. "I be

cri

tared at her

and continued eating

filled t

right - the woman looked exhausted, but she quickly ad

r breakfast

then said, "You went to

ntly. Mrs. Hayes froze

" Mrs. Hayes re

. "You alwa

aced the teapot do

ugh she hadn't just said anything u

dy s

ome ba

saw something break through her carefully controlled composu

e very active

t her. "I don't

her than Lily, and there was something in her eyes that made me think she was trying to war

long after she disappeared, while

ries t

d halfway to m

t me. "The l

my chest, but I forced myse

been i

k her he

ow do y

hallway. "Because sh

quickened.

ometimes she ta

felt colder. "Wh

er. "I don't know." She lowered her

her. "Sorr

to breakfast. "I don't know." She sounded

d with me for the

read across the table while I pretended to read - I had learned quickly th

ipped a

down. She

. "You c

proudly. "I

she pushed a drawing

th a bright blue sky, one a little gir

tened. "This

ted to the smaller figure before to

ghtly around the paper.

onfused. "It

oticed the third figure,

all, dark, faceless, the en

seconds before looking at

n changed. "I

drew

e, and confusion slowly crossed her fac

I touched the page caref

r head immed

o you

or several seconds before whisp

hed the shadowed figure with one

at grew lo

ssion slowly fading until she looked like an ordinary little girl

looked at the drawin

er face. "F

oment she looked much younger than s

stayed b

s house? Before the Bla

nd placed it inside my book. Lil

es

hy

wasn't simply a child's drawing - it was something she had seen, something

think it's

then whispered, "T

ze. "

rawing. "She was wa

tightene

the answer she gave m

ou

tion, footsteps sounded outside

way, his eyes moving from Lily to

at Blackwood Manor, the carefully contr

oked