CHAPTER ELEVEN
June 30, 2010
Late Afternoon
When Calvin found the key muffled inside a pair of Cleo’s socks, he satisfied himself with holding it tightly between his hands for several minutes, letting his heart race and his veins buzz before re-stowing it in the top dresser drawer. He could return at any time, now that he knew its refuge.
Each thought of Martin alone with their mother raised Calvin’s temperature a few more degrees. When he’d held the key, he’d felt himself cooling, but he’d also felt a pull, like he was a piece of metal swinging toward a strong magnet and the magnet lay in the forest, inside the stone door.
How can Mom believe Martin’s changed?
She’d forgotten how nice Martin got when he wasn’t drinking. Soon the monster would crawl out of its deep hiding place, and
