The Awakening Evil Read Free

from the wooden floor of the rink.
    Sarah heard gasps from the people surrounding her. Then she heard another sound. A horrible sound. The sound of Thomas laughing.
    Thomas let go of Michael’s hands.
    â€œNooo!” Sarah screamed.
    Michael flew into the air. His head hit the wooden railing with a terrible crack!

Chapter
2

    M ichael crumpled to the ground.
    â€œHe’s dead! Michael is dead!” Margaret wailed.
    Sarah skated over to the rail. She pushed her way through the crowd, and stared down at Michael’s body. Still. So still.
    â€œGet a doctor!” someone shouted.
    Sarah knelt beside Michael. She grabbed one of his hands in both of hers. It felt cold.
    Someone crouched next to Sarah. She glanced over, and saw Thomas. He stared down at Michael—and smiled.
    Sarah grabbed Thomas by the shoulders and shook him hard. “Thomas! Thomas! How could you do this?” she shrieked.
    He stared at her as if he had never seen her before in his life.
    â€œThomas, what is happening?” Sarah cried.
    He blinked rapidly. He shook his head as if he were coming out of a daze.
    â€œMichael!” Thomas wrapped the little boy in his arms and rocked him back and forth.
    And then Sarah heard the most wonderful sound. Michael began to moan.
    â™¦Â â™¦Â â™¦
    â€œIt is simply a crime that you have not come to see me sooner,” Liza Teasedale rasped in her scratchy, old voice. “I enjoyed our last tea party so much.” She ushered Sarah into the drawing room.
    She grasped Sarah’s arm with surprising firmness as she guided her across the plush Persian carpet. “How many times have I invited you to see me since then, my child? Three? Four?”
    â€œOh, I hope I have not passed up as many invitations as that,” Sarah said. “If I have, I must beg you to excuse my rudeness.” She sat down at the small table across from Mrs. Teasedale.
    A maid brought in a silver tray piled high with steaming johnnycakes and set it in front of them. She couldn’t seem to stop staring at Sarah.
    â€œThank you, Regina,” Mrs. Teasedale said curtly, “that will be all.”
    Lowering her gaze, the maid hurried from the room. But not without another quick glance at Sarah.
    This happened wherever she went. Most people intown were fascinated by the Fear family. Fascinated and frightened.
    She’d overheard a few whispered comments about how dangerous the Fears were. How evil.
    She never believed them. Until the day at the roller-skating rink.
    Now she wasn’t sure. Thomas behaved so strangely that day. Sarah didn’t want to believe he would intentionally hurt Michael. But she couldn’t forget how Thomas smiled as the little boy lay motionless on the ground.
    Sarah wanted to know more about the Fear family. She wanted to hear every rumor, every story. She needed to know if anything could explain what Thomas did to Michael.
    That was why Sarah had come to visit Mrs. Teasedale. The woman had been eager to tell her strange stories about the Fears on their last visit. But Sarah kept changing the subject. This time she would encourage Mrs. Teasedale to talk.
    â€œUm, I suppose you heard about my nephew, Michael,” Sarah said.
    It had been several days since the … the accident. But she couldn’t shake the images from her mind. Michael hitting the wall. Michael lying so still. And Thomas smiling down at him.
    Later Thomas told her he felt paralyzed when he was swinging Michael. He said he felt as if he had no control over his own body. But how could that be?
    â€œYes, what a horrible thing,” Mrs. Teasedale murmured.She leaned across the table and laid a hand across Sarah’s. “Is he all right?”
    â€œHe is fine, I am deeply relieved to say,” Sarah told her.
    â€œAnd how are you?” the widow asked. “I worry about you terribly, you know.”
    Sarah felt her stomach tighten into a knot. “You do?