Caddy was still hiding in the corner when she saw the man’s head appear. At first she thought she was imagining things, but the longer she stared, the more she was certain of what she was seeing.
The scrape of boots on wood confirmed her fears.
Someone was joining her in the attic.
The person grunted, straining as he lifted himself up. At the moment, the figure was little more than a silhouette. Was it Noah? Had he found his way back up?
For a split second she considered calling out, but quickly rejected the idea.
Instead, she tucked herself into a ball, wishing she had something better to hide behind. In her current location, the only thing she had going for her was distance. She squinted into the darkness. The man was breathing hard and heavy. It didn’t sound like Noah. She held the knife at arm’s length away from her.
Whoever the person was, she wanted him to know she was armed, that she was willing to fight. She wouldn’t allow herself to be victimized.
She wouldn’t be shot down like her mother.
The man had made it into the crawl space. She saw the shadow turn and survey the attic. The person was holding a rifle. Her hands quivered. If it were her companion, he would’ve called out to her by now. She was sure of it.
Caddy held her breath as the man turned on a flashlight. The beam splayed from left to right, illuminating the raw boards of the ceiling. She watched as it played off the cardboard boxes. The man was still winded, his breath coming in short gasps. She could see his outline in the backlight. It wasn’t Noah, but a man several years younger.
The young man—boy—had blonde shaggy hair and a thin frame, and his eyes swayed nervously from left to right.
Caddy covered her mouth with her hand. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected their attackers to look like, but she certainly hadn’t expected this. The boy searching for her could’ve been one of her neighbors or one of her younger classmates in school. In fact, although she didn’t recognize him, he looked familiar, as though she might’ve seen him before.
Perhaps he’d eaten at her diner; maybe he’d even played for an opposing sports team in one of the neighboring towns.
And now he was trying to kill her.
Caddy had trouble processing the thought. How could the events of the new world have changed this young man so much? Had he always been troubled? A part of her thought about calling out to him, about trying to reason with him. Could he really kill her in cold blood? She didn’t see how that was possible.
Even if she’d wanted to speak, fear had a firm hold on her tongue, and she knew she should remain quiet. There was no telling what this kid might do.
The flashlight swiveled closer.
Caddy buried her head in her arms, as if she could make herself invisible. The knife wobbled in her grip. She had the brief and unreasonable thought that if she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see her. Why couldn’t it work that way? Please don’t let him see me…
She held the position for several seconds.
She peeked over her forearm just as the light stopped its search.
The young man was staring at her.
He remained quiet, studying her in the bright beam. Because of the light, she could no longer see his face, and his silence filled her with terror. Should she get up and run? Should she lunge at him? The young man was between her and the entrance. There was no getting around him.
She remained in place, contemplating her next move, if there was even one to make. Whatever she did next could determine the duration of her short life. Before she could act, the young man spoke.
“I see you,” he said simply.
His voice was monotone, devoid of emotion. As if Caddy were of no more interest to him than the boxes or the ceiling. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words.
Noise rang out below her, and she strained to see past the flashlight. Despite her efforts, everything behind him was a glare.
“Stay away from me,” she managed. She could hear shouting from downstairs, the scuff of boots in the hallway. Her voice grew frantic. “Get out of my house.”
“I can’t do that,” the young man said. “My father died because of you.”
He lowered the flashlight and started to advance.