Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17773 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 89(@200wpm)___ 71(@250wpm)___ 59(@300wpm)
Evie glances back, her brow pinched with worry.
Then she sees me sitting on my butt.
With a cry, she tears away from James to help me up.
Grabbing my hand, she tugs me to my feet.
We both freeze as her mom calls out again. “Evelyn Marie Harper! I know you’re running from me! You better stop running!”
James chuckles.
Still gripping my hand, Evie spins toward him. “Uncle James, you have to help us!”
“Do I?” James grins and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “What did you do this time?”
The fast tapping of heels grows louder, closer.
Evie and I both look at each other, panicked.
We’re going to get caught.
Turning back to our only hope of getting out of this now, Evie cringes as she admits, “I messed with Uncle Simon.”
“Oh?” James asks as he straightens with interest. “What did you do?”
The tapping of heels slows but grows louder.
Her mom is coming up the stairs!
Panicked, Evie’s voice comes out in a rush. “I may have slapped a sign on his back that said he’s a big mean poopy head…”
Not impressed, James looks over our heads. “Oh? Is that all?”
“I may have also used chocolate syrup to draw the big poopy head so he’d think it was poop when he pulled it off!”
“Oh yeah?” James asks, a smirk on his lips as his attention comes back to us.
“Yes!” Evie cries.
“Okay, since you messed with Simon, I guess I can help you out.”
Motioning for us to follow, James turns around and leads us down the hallway.
At first, he walks so slow I fear he’s purposely trying to slow us down so Evie’s mom catches up to us.
Looking over at Evie, I see she has the same worry on her face.
She mouths, “Let’s run past him,” to me.
I nod my head and she squeezes my hand tighter.
We’re about to rush past James when he turns around another corner I’ve never noticed before and stops to pull open a door. “Get in here.”
“Evelyn Marie Harper, I swear! If you don’t come here right this second…”
With no other choice but to do as he says, we run through the door together.
The door shuts a second later behind us.
There’s no light, only darkness.
The door creaks and then James starts to whistle a song I don’t recognize.
“Where are we?” I whisper as I twist around, trying to get a feel for the room.
“I don’t know,” Evie whispers back. “I think it’s a closet.”
My heart is beating so fast the only thing I can hear over it is James whistling.
Until Evie’s mom calls out her name again, sounding closer this time.
I sense Evie squirming beside me. I give her hand a reassuring squeeze and then my nose starts to tickle.
There must be a lot of dust in here…
I try to hold my breath but I can’t stop the sneeze that pops out of me.
James’s whistling grows louder.
“Evelyn Marie—Oh, James... Have you seen Evie?” I hear Evie’s mom ask on the other side of the door.
James’s whistling stops and I hold my breath again. Praying I don’t sneeze again.
“Oh, hi Lily,” he says. “No… I don’t think I’ve seen them. Did you try the nursery?”
Sounding suspicious, Evie’s mom asks, “Them? You haven’t seen them?”
“I mean…’ James starts to stumble.
“What’s behind that door, James?”
“Just some brooms and stuff…”
“And you’re leaning against it because?”
“I was thinking about starting a new business on the side. You know, sexy male housekeeper...”
“Move out of the way, James.”
Sighing, James says, “Sorry, kiddo, I tried.”
Evelyn stomps her foot angrily as the door opens. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him!”
“Evelyn Marie!” Evie’s mom gasps and points her finger at her before jabbing it down at the floor. “You get out of there right now and come here!”
With tears in her eyes, Evie lets go of my hand and lifts her chin in defiance as she walks out of the closet.
Placing her hand on her hip, Evie’s mom takes a deep, calming breath then glares down at her. Pinning her with her sharp green eyes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done, young lady? How much trouble you’ve caused?”
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Evie’s bottom lip trembles but she shakes her head.
“Uncle Simon nearly died of a stroke when he found your sign… and the mess it made it everywhere… I swear, I almost had to call an ambulance…”
James starts to chuckle, and Evie’s mom shoots him a sharp glare.
Pressing his lips together, James straightens and tries not to laugh.
Rolling her eyes, Evie’s mom turns her attention back to her. “Uncle Simon is mad. Madder than I’ve ever seen him. He’s threatening to burn the house down…”
“He’s always threatening that,” James snickers.
Evie’s mom shoots James another glare, stabbing him with her eyes.
James throws his hands up in the air and slowly starts to back away. “Sorry, Lily, but it’s the truth.”