Chapter 10
Cody still felt light and refreshed when he arrived home. The state of the house lifted his mood even more—it looked pleasant. Not at all like a dusty prison, as it had when he first arrived, more like something out of a catalogue. The furniture was outdated, but it could probably still count as antique chic. It even smelled nice, he noted when he closed the door behind him. It smelled lived in. Cody disposed of his outdoor gear and went into the living room, from which he heard faint Christmas music. It didn’t bother him.
Candy was on the couch, cross-legged, surrounded by a handful of VHS tapes. Apparently, he had found the family’s movie stash. When he noticed Cody, he looked up.
“Look what I’ve found.” He smiled. “This is my favorite.” He held up an old black-and-white Ch
