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Back Gallows Hill Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
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After circling the second floor twice, she returned to the lower level and did the same there. The layout was slightly more complicated. Doors that she thought would open into another room sometimes led her to the porch instead. She became lost before eventually finding her way back to the kitchen.

As she’d done on the upper level, she turned out all lights when she left an area. By the time the bells rang, she wanted to only have one or two nearby sources of light that could be put out within seconds.

Finally, she ended up back in the kitchen. She ran hot water into the sink and carefully pulled off her jacket and then the blouse.

She used a damp dish towel to wash the dried blood and sweat off. It felt good to be clean again, even if she couldn’t get under the cast or the bandages on her shoulder. The cast made it nearly impossible to fasten the new bra, but she managed it eventually, then pulled the top over. It was a soft knit, designed to keep her warm through the night and be flexible if she needed to move. The night was turning cold, and she pulled the jacket back over top.

The old blouse went into the bin. She was normally pretty good about getting stains out, but there wasn’t much to be done when it was missing a sleeve. She checked the clock. Only eight fifteen.

It felt later than that. She was already growing sleepy. She set about making another mug of coffee, strong, and carried it into the living room.

Marsh happily flopped onto the rug in front of the television. Margot found the power socket behind the box and plugged her mobile in there. The battery was still at 35 percent, which should have been plenty to get her through the night, but she wasn’t taking chances.

A dark figure existed in the back of the room, reaching nearly to the ceiling. The Watcher, the massive talisman Witchety had built for the home, was still covered by its cloth. Her parents had respected Witchety’s power enough to keep it. They had not been desperate enough to leave it in plain sight, though. Margot was.

She tugged the cloth off the Watcher. Bones and spoons and sharp metal rattled like chimes as they ran against one another. The massive deer skull atop it loomed far above Margot’s head, staring down at her, watching with its black-pit eyes.