The Monster Within Read Online Free Page A

brass hinges on one side, which meant the top opened sideways instead of lifting off. I raised the front edge and tilted it back.
    It wasn’t a medical kit. The box was filled with weird stuff. Red berries, leaves, and herbs I couldn’t identify. I dug deeper, feeling something smooth and cool in my fingers. I pulled it out and gasped. It was a small animal bone. At least I assumed it was an animal bone. Dropping it back into the box, I wiped my hands on my dress. I didn’t want to risk touching any more bones, but I couldn’t help wondering what else was in there. I picked up the box with both hands and gently tilted it so the contents shifted to one side. More bones. Something shiny peeked through the leaves and herbs, so I tilted the box again to get a better look.
    A red stone in a platinum setting rested in the leaves. I knew the stone. It was a ruby. My birthstone. But more than that, I knew the ring. Ethan had given it to me for my birthday just a few months ago. I picked it up and placed it on my finger. A perfect fit.
    Now the question remained. Why was my ring in this box with a bunch of bones? I’d given it back to Ethan two weeks before I died. I wanted him to have it to remember me. He told me he didn’t need a silly ring to remind him of me, but I’d insisted. I couldn’t believe he’d stash it in a box with the rest of this stuff.
    What was he keeping from me?

CHAPTER THREE
    I WAS still staring at the ring when Ethan came back into the cottage.
    “Everything okay in here?” He cocked his head at me. I probably did look a little strange staring at my own hand.
    I held my hand up, facing the ring toward him. “What was this doing in a box under the sink?”
    “What?” He narrowed his eyes and met me in the kitchen, taking my hand in his. “Where did you find this?”
    I pointed to the wooden box on the floor. “Why would you put my ring in a box with animal bones and leaves? What’s going on, Ethan?”
    He bent down and inspected the box. “Sam, I’ve never seen this stuff before. None of it. I couldn’t even tell you what these things are.” He stood up and looked at the ring again. “That can’t be the same ring.”
    If he were anyone else, I wouldn’t have believed him, but I knew Ethan wouldn’t lie to me. We were always honest with each other, which was why I hated keeping the incident at the gas station a secret.
    “Where’s my ring? What did you do with it after I died?”
    “I put it away. I couldn’t look at it. It just reminded me you were gone.” He lowered his head like he was ashamed of seeming weak.
    “That makes sense.” I rubbed his arm, trying to let him know I understood. “But now that I’m back, could you get the ring for me? I’d like to wear it again.”
    He nodded. “Yeah. I left it at a storage place my cousin uses. It’s not too far from here. I could get it in a few days, after we get settled.”
    “Thanks.” I forced a smile and took off the ring, placing it on the counter. If it wasn’t the one Ethan had given me, I didn’t want it. Especially after it had shared a box with animal bones.
    “I’ll get rid of this.” Ethan picked up the wooden box. “I’m not sure what it was doing here anyway. Rick isn’t a hunter or anything. I don’t know why he’d have animal bones lying around.”
    They weren’t lying around. They were being kept in a box. There was a big difference, but I didn’t think insulting Ethan’s cousin was a good idea. If it weren’t for his cottage, we’d be homeless. But more than that, I wasn’t in a position to insult anyone after what I’d done.
    We spent the rest of the day cleaning and painting. By nighttime, the place looked…bad. But that was a step up from uninhabitable, so we were making progress. Ethan had even thought to bring a deadbolt for the front door. There wasn’t much he hadn’t thought of.
    “Hungry?” Ethan asked, bringing in a bag from the car. I recognized it from the gas station and