Envious Moon Read Online Free Page B

up here and for a moment I didn’t move. In front of me were wide openings—bigger than doorways—that led to other rooms. Victor had said the library was on the right but as it turned out there were two openings on the right. I figured he must have meant the far right and this was the one I took.
    It was a large room and despite the darkness I could see the books on the wall stacked neatly in ceiling-high shelves. I had guessed right. I went to my knees and began to crawl forward. I felt around with my arms for the carpet and I did not see the small table until it was too late. I bumped it with my shoulder and I heard something tottering. I reached out with my hands, hoping to catch whatever it was but I missed it and a large table lamp crashed to the ground.
    I froze where I was. I did not move. I waited for a minute and then another and I heard nothing except my own labored breath. I went forward again, like a blind man, my hands in front of me. I felt the rough wool of the carpet and with my hands I traced the edge of it to the far right corner. I was as careful as I could be and my only hope was that there was not another table or another lamp to knock over.
    When I reached the corner, I half stood and I began to roll the carpet back as far as I dared. Then I returned to my knees and I began to scour the floor with my hands, moving my palms in circles across the wood like I was waxing it. The fingers on my left hand touched it first. I grabbed it and I knew right away that it was what we had come for. I picked it up and it was thick in my hand. I brought the envelope to my face and I thumbed the bills inside it. I stood now and since it was too big for my pocket, I stuffed it into the front of my jeans, against my bare skin.
    I left the room the same way I had come in. I wanted to run. But I knew this was a bad idea. I needed to keep my head. I needed to get back down the stairs and out in the night where I belonged.
    I crossed the foyer and began down the stairs. One at a time. I reached the landing. The longest part of the stairs were in front of me. It was not far now but it seemed like a long way away. I was looking to see if I could see the front door from here, the door I had left ajar, and if any of the night had spilled into the house. I went to take another step and as I did, the foyer behind me, where I had just left, filled with light.
    My heart rose in my chest. I felt it flutter like a bird. I had been afraid many times but not like this. I was no longer alone and I knew I should run. For some reason I could not move. Ileaned into the shadows and I looked back toward the light.
    And what I saw was a girl, a girl surrounded by golden light and wearing a white nightgown. Through her gown I could see the outline of her legs. I could not see her eyes and I could not tell the color of her hair. But the part of her face that I could see, draped in shadow, was more beautiful than any face I had ever seen. Her high cheekbones and her full lips and her strong nose. Part of me understood that I should not be considering any of this, that I should just run, but something kept me completely still. I had one job in that moment, and that was to move my feet, to get back to the trail, to Victor, and then to the skiff. Back to Galilee. But I couldn’t stop staring at her. I was transfixed. And then she spoke.
    She said, “Who are you?”
    â€œI won’t hurt you,” I managed to say and then I repeated it. “I won’t hurt you.”
    â€œWhy are you here?” she asked.
    â€œA mistake,” I said, and I wanted for some reason to explain it all to her but I knew this made no sense. I wanted to tell her how we thought the house was empty and that the money didn’t belong to anyone. That maybe it would help me get to college. I wanted to say something about how beautiful she was in the golden light and I wanted to ask her the color of her eyes. But I knew that I couldn’t do