“It sounds silly. But … yeah. I do. I knew what happened at the talent show was the instrument’s fault. I thought I’d give anything to find my confidence again, to keep playing my music. But not like this. This is … scary.”

“Agreed,” said Lou. “I … something similar happened with my dollhouse. I started sleepwalking and having nightmares, and I just knew that it was the dollhouse causing it. When my parents tried to get rid of it, it came back. Like magic.”

Sadie’s brow scrunched up in disbelief.

From down the hallway there came the muffled sounds of screaming.

The girls stood and grabbed each other’s hands.

“Someone else is in the house,” said Lou.

“What if it’s another trick? Like the image of your brother in the window?”

“You came looking for me when I was freaking out in the closet. What if this is another kid who needs help? What if they’re hurt?”

CHAPTER 8

AS LOU AND Sadie crept down the hallway, the screaming grew louder, more panicked. It was coming from behind a closed door. When Lou reached for the knob, Sadie gave her a look that asked if she was sure. Lou nodded and pushed the door inward.

Light was flickering from overhead. The sound of a small motor clicked and shuddered. On the far wall, red curtains hung from either side of a large screen. A movie was playing. In it, children were running through dense woods, pursued by someone in a fake-looking monster costume with an enormous papier-mâché mask with giant yellow bug-like eyes and thick fang-tusks that came straight out of its mouth. The movie looked like it had been shot on a phone camera. The screaming the girls had heard was coming from speakers embedded in the walls.

Several rows of seats faced the screen. Gold-painted plaster cherubs decorated the edges of the screen and clung to the walls in bas-relief, as if their playtime had been frozen.

“This is weird,” said Sadie. “I don’t want to be in here.”

Just then, a blond boy sat up from one of the seats and turned toward them. The girls jumped in surprise, but then the boy held up his hands in apology. “I didn’t hear you come in. Sorry to scare you!” He stood and came over, extending his hand. “I’m Cal.” He motioned over his shoulder. “And this is my movie.”

“Your movie,” said Lou, unable to control her sudden scowl. “What does that mean?”

“I made it! Well, me and a group of my friends here in Greencliffe made it. But I wrote the script and directed it.”

“Did you say Greencliffe?” Lou asked. Cal nodded. “Weird. That’s the town where my mom’s family grew up. New York, right?”

“Well … yeah.” Cal looked confused. “That’s where we are right now.”