Centralia Read Free Page A

its wings and flapped them vigorously, threatening to take flight. Quickly he crossed the kitchen and stood before the sliding glass door leading out to the patio.
    Strange   —he hadn’t noticed before, but the scents of breakfast were gone. Not a trace of bacon or toast hung in the still air. He’d forgotten about it until now, so intent was he on finding Karen and Lilly. It was as if he’d imagined the whole thing, as if his brain had somehow conjured the memory of the aroma. There was no frying pan on the stove, and the toaster sat unplugged in the corner of the counter. Prickles climbed up the back of his neck. He slid open the glass door. The morning air was cool and damp. Dew glistened on the grass like droplets of liquid silver. But both the patio and backyard were empty. No Karen, no Lilly.
    Peter slid the door closed and turned to face the vacant house.
    “Karen!”
    Still no answer came, and the house was obviously in no mood to divulge their whereabouts. His chest tightened, that familiar feeling of panic and anxiety, of struggling to open a door locked fast.
    The basement. Maybe they’d gone down there to throw a load of laundry into the washing machine. At the door, facing the empty staircase and darkened underbelly of the house, he called again for his wife and daughter, but the outcome was no different.
    Had they gone for a walk before school?
    At the kitchen counter, he picked up his mobile phone and dialed Karen. If she had her phone on her, she’d answer. But after four rings it went to her voice mail. He didn’t bother leaving a message.
    Peter ran his fingers through his hair, leaned against the counter, and tried to focus, tried to remember. Had she gone out with someone? Maybe Sue or April had picked them up. Maybe they’d planned to drop off the kids at school and go shopping together. They’d done that before. Karen must have told him last night, and he was either too tired or preoccupied with something that her words went acknowledged but unheard.
    He picked up the phone again and punched the Greers’ contact.
    Sue answered on the second ring.
    “Sue, it’s Peter.”
    “Oh, hi, Peter.” She sounded surprised to hear his voice. If she was with Karen, she wouldn’t be surprised.
    “Do you know where Karen and Lilly are? Are they with you?”
    There was a long pause on the other end. In the background he could hear music and little Ava giggling and calling for Allison, her big sister. The sounds stood in stark contrast to the silence that presently engulfed him.
    “Sue? You still there?”
    “Um, yeah.” Her voice had weakened and quivered like an icy shiver had run through it. “I’m going to let you talk to Rick.”
    That sense of panic flapped its wings in one great and powerful burst and took flight. Peter’s palms went wet, and a cold sweat beaded on his brow. “What? What is it?”
    “Here’s Rick.”
    Another pause, then Rick Greer’s voice. He’d be leaving for work in a few minutes. “Hey, man, what’s going on?”
    “Hey, Rick, I’m not sure. Do you know where Karen and Lilly are? Are they okay?”
    The pause was there again. Awkward and forced. Seconds ticked by, stretching into eons. In another part of the house, Avacontinued to holler for Allison. Peter wanted to scream into the phone.
    “I’m . . . I’m not sure I understand, Peter.”
    Irritation flared in Peter’s chest. What was there to not understand? “I’m looking for my wife and daughter. Where are they?”
    “Man, they’re not here. They’re . . . gone.”
    “Gone? What do you mean, gone? What happened?” The room began to turn in a slow circle and the floor seemed to undulate like waves in the open sea. Peter pulled out a stool and sat at the counter. The clock on the wall ticked like a hammer striking a nail.
    Rick sighed on the other end. “Are you serious with this?”
    “With what?”
    “What are you doing?”
    Peter gripped the phone so hard he thought he’d break it. He