You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
had seized control of his body long e<strong>no</strong>ugh to rid himself of the<br />
demon in the only way he knew how.<br />
No. Stop. It couldn’t have come to that.<br />
Could it?<br />
Too late. <strong>The</strong> demon was right. I’d lied to Tucker. I didn’t<br />
save him.<br />
Tears were freezing against my face in the cold air. I felt<br />
arms around me, and I didn’t k<strong>no</strong>w who they belonged to, but I<br />
didn’t care. My Tucker, who had been fine only a month ago, had<br />
fallen victim to a monster and it had killed him. I was never going<br />
to hear his voice again. No more witty banter inside <strong>The</strong> End Shelf.<br />
What would happen to his store <strong>no</strong>w, anyway? What would<br />
happen to his apartment?<br />
What would happen to the demon? Where would it go?<br />
“Chelsea, you need to breathe.” Richard’s voice infiltrated<br />
the horrors in my mind, the image of Tucker’s body that was<br />
cemented there. I caught hold of it and let it pull me out of the<br />
depths.<br />
<strong>The</strong> tears didn’t stop, though. I turned around and collapsed<br />
against his chest. “We were too late,” I blubbered.<br />
“I’m so sorry.” Ethan’s voice was a whisper, and when I<br />
opened one eye I saw his face was as wet as mine.<br />
Craig stood grimly by, a cell phone at his ear as he described<br />
to the police what we’d just found. When he hung up, he an<strong>no</strong>unced,<br />
“<strong>The</strong>y’ll be here soon. We need to wait a few minutes.” He turned<br />
his dark eyes on me. “Chelsea, it’s going to be okay.”<br />
We didn’t get back to Richard and Daisy’s house until after<br />
midnight. Gunner was passed out on the couch, Susannah was<br />
<strong>no</strong>where to be found, and Daisy was waiting on the stairs. Richard<br />
had called her to tell her what had happened, and she rushed into his<br />
arms the moment we walked through the door.<br />
Ethan kept his hand on my shoulder, but the tears had dried<br />
up after talking to the police. <strong>The</strong>y handled it so professionally, like<br />
Tucker was just a<strong>no</strong>ther number in the multitudes of young people<br />
who committed suicide every year. <strong>The</strong> whole event was just so void<br />
194