Labyrinth Society Read Online Free
Author: Angie Kelly
right now. One of my other foster daughters left recently, and she and Devon were close."
"Why'd she leave?"
"She was eighteen. It was her choice. No one is a prisoner here," she said, shrugging nonchalantly.
"If you all have someplace to go next weekend, I can stay here. You don't have to worry about me. It's okay."
Mrs. Tarpley laughed. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"I heard Devon ask if I was going with you next weekend."
"Uh," she said, sounding slightly flustered. "Um, the girls like to go rock climbing. It's no big deal. Now, you get some rest. Lunch is at twelve-thirty."
I watched her go and got the strangest feeling she'd just lied to me. Then again, I hadn't slept well the night before and was tired. It may have just been my imagination playing tricks on me, because why would Mrs. Tarpley lie about something so stupid? I stretched out across the bed then realized there was something else I'd meant to ask about. But I was too tired to remember what it was.
****
I woke with a start, feeling panicked and not knowing where I was. I'd been dreaming about running through the garden maze trying to catch up with Lily, Tomi, and Devon. But the closer I got to them, the farther away they'd be. I sat up on the bed and groggily looked around for a few minutes before I finally remembered where I was. The clock on the bedside table read 3:25. I'd slept right through lunch and my stomach growled loudly. I got up, ran a comb through my hair, and headed downstairs.
On my way past the bedroom next to mine, I saw the door was half open, and Tomi was sitting on the bed painting her toenails. This must be her room and it was painted a deep midnight blue with a full moon and stars painted on her ceiling. Her bedspread was white; instead of a headboard, there was a beautiful silk kimono with pink, green, and silver flowers hanging from a rod mounted half way up the wall. Her floor was covered in thick, white carpet with large multi-colored throw pillows strewn all over it. I could see a black writing desk underneath one window with a computer sitting on it. Lily was also in the room, sitting on one of the large pillows on the floor. Both of them sat with their backs to the door. I heard my name and paused near the door to listen.
"Do you ever stop worrying? If Mrs. T. says Mia will work out, I believe her," said Tomi, concentrating on painting her toenails.
"Yeah, I guess." Lily sounded unconvinced. "She's so quiet, though, don't you think? It would suck if she gets freaked out easily, especially when we're out on a job."
"Are you serious?" Tomi laughed. "The girl's been in foster care. I bet she's got nerves of steel."
"Oh, don't even go there, Tomi. You don't know anything about being in foster care. Your parents left you to Mrs. T. in their will."
"They named her as my legal guardian in the event of their deaths. You make me sound like a rug she inherited," Tomi said. Lily giggled.
"There." Tomi held out one skinny foot and wiggled her toes. Her toenails were painted a dull green.
"Why is this stuff called magic magenta?" Lily squinted at the bottle of nail polish. "It looks more like pea soup to me."
"Check it out." Tomi clapped her hands a couple of times. The lights in her room went off. Her toes were a brilliant glow-in-the-dark magenta.
Once the lights went out, I hurried past the door and down the steps before they caught me spying on them. I passed the Egyptian mask and again heard a strange deep voice.
"Late!" it said, stopping me dead in my tracks. But there was no one around.
Maybe a TV or a radio was on in one of the rooms off the foyer. I listened and didn't hear anything else. The house was quiet and the kitchen was empty. The morning rain had finally stopped, and the sun had come out, flooding the kitchen with sunlight. I opened the fridge and saw a thick turkey sandwich on a plate covered in plastic wrap with my name on it. There was also a cup of tomato soup. I was so hungry I devoured the
"Why'd she leave?"
"She was eighteen. It was her choice. No one is a prisoner here," she said, shrugging nonchalantly.
"If you all have someplace to go next weekend, I can stay here. You don't have to worry about me. It's okay."
Mrs. Tarpley laughed. "Whatever are you talking about?"
"I heard Devon ask if I was going with you next weekend."
"Uh," she said, sounding slightly flustered. "Um, the girls like to go rock climbing. It's no big deal. Now, you get some rest. Lunch is at twelve-thirty."
I watched her go and got the strangest feeling she'd just lied to me. Then again, I hadn't slept well the night before and was tired. It may have just been my imagination playing tricks on me, because why would Mrs. Tarpley lie about something so stupid? I stretched out across the bed then realized there was something else I'd meant to ask about. But I was too tired to remember what it was.
****
I woke with a start, feeling panicked and not knowing where I was. I'd been dreaming about running through the garden maze trying to catch up with Lily, Tomi, and Devon. But the closer I got to them, the farther away they'd be. I sat up on the bed and groggily looked around for a few minutes before I finally remembered where I was. The clock on the bedside table read 3:25. I'd slept right through lunch and my stomach growled loudly. I got up, ran a comb through my hair, and headed downstairs.
On my way past the bedroom next to mine, I saw the door was half open, and Tomi was sitting on the bed painting her toenails. This must be her room and it was painted a deep midnight blue with a full moon and stars painted on her ceiling. Her bedspread was white; instead of a headboard, there was a beautiful silk kimono with pink, green, and silver flowers hanging from a rod mounted half way up the wall. Her floor was covered in thick, white carpet with large multi-colored throw pillows strewn all over it. I could see a black writing desk underneath one window with a computer sitting on it. Lily was also in the room, sitting on one of the large pillows on the floor. Both of them sat with their backs to the door. I heard my name and paused near the door to listen.
"Do you ever stop worrying? If Mrs. T. says Mia will work out, I believe her," said Tomi, concentrating on painting her toenails.
"Yeah, I guess." Lily sounded unconvinced. "She's so quiet, though, don't you think? It would suck if she gets freaked out easily, especially when we're out on a job."
"Are you serious?" Tomi laughed. "The girl's been in foster care. I bet she's got nerves of steel."
"Oh, don't even go there, Tomi. You don't know anything about being in foster care. Your parents left you to Mrs. T. in their will."
"They named her as my legal guardian in the event of their deaths. You make me sound like a rug she inherited," Tomi said. Lily giggled.
"There." Tomi held out one skinny foot and wiggled her toes. Her toenails were painted a dull green.
"Why is this stuff called magic magenta?" Lily squinted at the bottle of nail polish. "It looks more like pea soup to me."
"Check it out." Tomi clapped her hands a couple of times. The lights in her room went off. Her toes were a brilliant glow-in-the-dark magenta.
Once the lights went out, I hurried past the door and down the steps before they caught me spying on them. I passed the Egyptian mask and again heard a strange deep voice.
"Late!" it said, stopping me dead in my tracks. But there was no one around.
Maybe a TV or a radio was on in one of the rooms off the foyer. I listened and didn't hear anything else. The house was quiet and the kitchen was empty. The morning rain had finally stopped, and the sun had come out, flooding the kitchen with sunlight. I opened the fridge and saw a thick turkey sandwich on a plate covered in plastic wrap with my name on it. There was also a cup of tomato soup. I was so hungry I devoured the
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