Now You See Me (9 page)

Whe
n
m
y
parent
s
realise
d
I
n
o
longe
r
la
y
al
l
nigh
t
hunche
d
o
n
th
e
floo
r
wit
h
m
y
eye
s
t
o
th
e
crac
k
unde
r
th
e
doo
r,
desperat
e
fo
r
som
e
glimps
e
o
f
ligh
t,
the
y
stoppe
d
lockin
g
m
e
i
n
ther
e.
I
t
wa
s
n
o
fu
n
fo
r
the
m
afte
r
I
learne
d
t
o
escap
e
int
o
th
e
cocoo
n
o
f
mysel
f.
M
y
othe
r
selve
s.
The
y
though
t
o
f
differen
t
thing
s
t
o
d
o
the
n.
Ne
w
punishment
s
fo
r
m
y
wickednes
s,
t
o
driv
e
th
e
devi
l
ou
t
o
f
m
e
.

I
suppos
e
a
n
estat
e
agen
t
woul
d
describ
e
i
t
no
w
a
s
a
graciou
s
ol
d
farmhous
e,
bu
t
ther
e
wa
s
nothin
g
graciou
s
abou
t
th
e
live
s
w
e
le
d
insid
e
i
t.
Barenes
s
wa
s
th
e
overwhelmin
g
them
e.
Bar
e
board
s,
excep
t
i
n
th
e
livin
g
roo
m,
whic
h
ha
d
a
squar
e
o
f
col
d
brow
n
lin
o;
har
d
woode
n
chair
s—
fou
r
i
n
th
e
kitche
n,
tw
o
o
n
eac
h
sid
e
o
f
th
e
scrubbe
d
tabl
e
an
d
fou
r
wit
h
curve
d
arm
s
i
n
th
e
livin
g
roo
m
line
d
u
p
i
n
fron
t
o
f
th
e
televisio
n
.

Ther
e
wa
s
on
e
cushio
n
o
n
m
y
father’
s
chai
r
neares
t
th
e
empt
y
fireplac
e
wher
e
th
e
radiato
r
stoo
d.
Th
e
roo
m
acros
s
th
e
hal
l
wa
s
alway
s
locke
d.
I
t
wa
s
m
y
father’
s‘
office
’,
wher
e
h
e
di
d
hi
s
far
m
account
s
an
d
hi
s
mysteriou
s‘
business
’.I
don’
t
remembe
r
eve
r
seein
g
insid
e
i
t,
bu
t
m
y
fantasies furnishe
d
i
t
wit
h
dee
p
comfortabl
e
armchair
s
an
d
sof
t
rug
s
lik
e
th
e
room
s
I
sa
w
whe
n
l
wa
s
allowe
d
t
o
watc
h
televisio
n,
whic
h
wa
s
no
t
ofte
n.
M
y
fathe
r
ha
d
rigge
d
u
p
a
tw
o-
wa
y
plu
g,
whic
h
mean
t
h
e
coul
d
remov
e
th
e
powe
r
cor
d
fro
m
th
e
se
t.
Onl
y
h
e
kne
w
ho
w
t
o
connec
t
i
t;
onl
y
h
e
decide
d
whe
n
I
ha
d
behave
d
wel
l
enoug
h
t
o
b
e
allowe
d
a
n
hou
r
o
f
som
e
children’
s
sho
w
o
r
cartoon
s.
H
e
an
d
m
y
mothe
r
watche
d
i
t
ever
y
nigh
t
whe
n
I
ha
d
gon
e
t
o
be
d—
I coul
d
hea
r
th
e
tantalisin
g
sound
s
o
f
conversatio
n
an
d
laughte
r
fro
m
m
y
roo
m,
bu
t
neve
r
wha
t
wa
s
bein
g
sai
d
.

Tha
t
cor
d
cam
e
i
n
hand
y
fo
r
othe
r
thing
s,
to
o,
whe
n
h
e
wa
s
i
n
th
e
moo
d.
Lik
e
whippin
g
m
e
o
r
tyin
g
m
e
u
p
s
o
tightl
y
I
coul
d
hardl
y
breath
e.
Th
e
plug
s
mad
e
quit
e
differen
t
pattern
s
i
n
m
y
fles
h—
on
e
lik
e
th
e
shap
e
o
f
a
thre
e-
legge
d
cra
b,
th
e
othe
r
a
n
ova
l,
blunte
d
a
t
on
e
en
d.I
ha
d
plent
y
o
f
opportunitie
s
t
o
watc
h
th
e
wa
y
th
e
bruise
s
change
d,
ho
w
the
y
woul
d
sta
y
re
d
o
r
angr
y
purpl
e
i
n
th
e
middl
e,
whil
e
th
e
edge
s
heale
d
an
d
turne
d
yello
w
the
n
fade
d,
til
l
I
couldn’
t
distinguis
h
whic
h
plu
g
ha
d
mad
e
whic
h
mar
k
.