Hell's Eyes

BRIANNA SHAFFERY

her growing list of ideas. But Mr. Noblémyn stopped her, catching her hand in his and holding firmly. Glancing back at him, Elsie’s heart wrenched, seeing a glimmer of the Mr. Noblémyn the town of Halberry had once known shining in his eyes. “Will you stay with me? Until it leaves?” he murmured, finding the courage within himself to hold her gaze. “I can stay,” she said slowly, thinking over the promise she was offering. “But I’ll have to leave early in the morning again to stock the bakery. I’ll come back as soon as I can if you want me to.” Mr. Noblémyn quietly agreed to the terms she laid out. Free for the moment, Elsie returned the cinnegal to him and set about collecting the sketches from the walls and scattered around the room. She even managed to convince him to let the light in by opening the windows, saying she would watch for anything that might threaten to come through them. But the only thing that did was the gentle breeze and the dusky light as the sun began to set as Mr. Noblémyn finally fell asleep, his stomach full of cocholee and the cinnegal Elsie had brought for him. Sighing heavily, Elsie wondered whatever she was to do with Mr. Noblémyn when next he woke, or the absurd notion that a nightmare could haunt him even in his waking moments.

10

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker