Part 26 (2/2)

She ran to the door, shoved it open, stopping only when she saw her friends snuggled up in front of the TV.

Both of them lunged to their feet.

”Abra!”

”Police.” The room spun again. ”Call the police.”

”You're hurt! You're bleeding!” Even as Maureen rushed to her, Mike grabbed his phone.

”I am? No.” Swaying, she looked down at herself as Maureen grabbed her. She saw the blood on her hoodie, on the pajama top beneath.

Not from the knife, no. Not this time. Not her blood.

”No, it's not mine. It's his.”

”G.o.d. Was there an accident? Come sit down.”

”No. No!” Not her blood, she thought again. She'd gotten away. She was safe. And the room stopped spinning. ”Someone was in Bluff House. Tell the police someone was in Bluff House. He grabbed me.” Her hand went to her throat. ”He was choking me.”

”He hurt you. I can see it. You sit. You sit down. Mike.”

”Cops are coming. Here.” He tucked a throw around Abra when Maureen led her to a chair. ”You're okay now. You're safe now.”

”I'm going to get you some water. Mike's right here,” Maureen told her.

He knelt down in front of her. Such a good face, Abra thought as her breathing labored. A caring face with dark puppy-dog eyes.

”The power's out,” she said, almost absently.

”No, it's not.”

”At Bluff House. The power's out. It was dark. He was in the dark. I didn't see him.”

”It's all right. The police are coming, and you're all right.”

She nodded, staring into those puppy-dog eyes. ”I'm all right.”

”Did he hurt you?”

”He ... He had his arm tight, tight around my throat, and my waist, I think. I couldn't breathe, and I got dizzy.”

”Honey, there's blood on you. Will you let me take a look?”

”It's his. I hit him in the face. I did SING.”

”You what?”

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