Behind the Bedroom Wall Read Online Free Page B

what?”
    Herr Rehme shrugged. “For love? I don’t know, Korinna, maybe there’s something even more important than that.”
    Korinna silently agreed that love was important. It was love for the Fatherland that had made her turn in her notes on Fräulein Meiser last week. And she loved her parents, and she knew her parents loved her. What could be more important than love?
    She couldn’t imagine.
    â€œWhy was Fräulein Meiser’s father arrested?” she finally asked.
    â€œI don’t know, and I think it’s best not to find out,” her father said somberly. Then his face brightened slightly as he smiled at his daughter. “Don’t you have any schoolwork to do?”
    Korinna stood up. “Yes.” She walked over and gave her father a hug. “I’m glad you’re home, Papa.”

    â€œI am too, Korinna.” He gave her a fierce hug. “Now, go do your homework.”
    Korinna kissed her mother in the kitchen, then went upstairs. Her kitten was sleeping in the middle of her bed. She stroked the silky head once, then picked up her book bag which sat neatly by the side of her bed. For a moment she just stood there. Hadn’t she left her bag next to the Schrank? She always left her bag in the same place, next to the wardrobe, not next to the bed. She shrugged. Her mother must have moved it for some reason. If she thought of it, she’d ask her about it later.
    She took out her books and sat down quietly at her desk, deciding which subject to tackle first. Then she heard it—a soft rhythmic noise that sounded like something trapped behind her wall. Her heart started to race.
    It was the mice in her walls. They weren’t gone after all! She turned to her bed and saw her kitten stretching and washing its paws.
    Korinna’s heart pounded so hard it felt like it was more in the middle of her throat than in her chest somewhere. If only she could find the mouse hole. Her kitten would surely scare the mice away for good!
    She decided the noise seemed to be coming from the middle of her wall. Holding her breath, she pushed away from her desk and tiptoed to her wardrobe. She crouched down. The back panel of the Schrank almost came down to the floor against the wall. Maybe she’d find a concealed mouse hole back
there, she thought. Carefully, she pressed her shoulder against the heavy wooden piece of furniture. It wouldn’t budge. She pushed again. Nothing. It couldn’t be that heavy, she thought with despair. She knew if she could just move her wardrobe, she would find the source of her mouse noises.
    Korinna straightened up and faced the front of the Schrank. She placed one trembling hand on either side of it and pulled. Finally it seemed to be moving! She tugged a little harder, and the wardrobe moved silently away from the wall a bit more, but only on the right side.
    The mouse noises stopped. She grabbed her kitten and clutched the squirming animal in her arms. With a thudding heart, she peered around the right backside of the piece of furniture. But there wasn’t a little mouse hole leading into the wall—practically the entire wall behind her wardrobe was missing!
    Korinna thought her heart would explode in her throat. She dropped her kitten. Frantically she slammed her shoulder against her wardrobe to close up the gaping, black void.
    That was no mouse hole—there was something much bigger hiding back there! She had smelled the rank smell of unwashed bodies, and she had seen the pale glow of skin, and the gleam of eyes.

Chapter Four
    Feet pounded up the narrow stairs, and her parents burst into the room. “Liebling, what is it? Stop screaming!” Her mother wrapped her up in her arms.
    Korinna took a sobbing breath. She hadn’t even realized she was screaming. She pointed a shaky finger. “Back there! Something’s back there!”
    â€œHush, hush,” her mother crooned.
    Korinna tried to pull out