Force of Nature ▸ House of Anubis [3]

chapter twenty-four. house of lakes

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            Lakehouse Clinic looks exactly as I expected, both on the outside and the inside. I can see this place being at the center of a horror plot. Honestly, they could've done better with the decorating, so at least it wouldn't be as suspicious-looking. Like, place some flower vases as random intervals in the hall at least.

            "Keep walking," Eddie tells the three of us after we get inside. "Keep smiling."

            KT walks close to the wall and almost knocks off a framed photograph, but catches it before it falls. She puts it back on the wall. "I didn't touch it."

            "Pretend like we're meant to be here," Eddie continues.

            "That's a nice thought," I mutter sarcastically through my clearly forced smile.

            Suddenly, out of nowhere appears a man wearing dark blue hospital scrubs. "Can I help you?" Fabian jumps, grabbing onto my shoulder.

            KT clears her throat. "We're here to see Harriet Denby."

            "And you are?"

            Fabian hits Eddie, who lies, "I'm her nephew. Yep, you know, good ol' Auntie Harriet."

            "I see," the orderly says. "In there. On the right." As we start to go where he pointed, he adds, "Not that you'll get much sense out of her, I'm afraid. She's very disturbed, poor thing. Keeps talking about an ancient evil."

            This Harriet Denby may not be as disturbed as this guy thinks. Nonetheless, we laugh at the very thought, like it's the most ridiculous thing we've ever heard in our very short lives. Awkwardly, we walk past him into the hallway.

            Fabian opens the door to her room first, almost freezing when we see the woman in the corner. She's blonde-ish and she's reading a book—Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys. KT closes the door once all four of us are inside.

            Harriet stands, eyes focused on KT. "I knew you'd come," she says.

            "Sorry?" KT says. "I don't think we've met."

            "No." Harriet sits again. I glance at Fabian a little confused. "But I know who you are. You're Robert's great-granddaughter." Suddenly, before any of us get a chance to react to that, her eyes turn to me. "And you're Lily's great-granddaughter. The last descendants of the Frobisher-Smythes and the Henrys."

            One of those, I know to be true. But... KT? Being related to Robert Frobisher-Smythe? Either this woman is really off her rocker or she knows something we don't.

            "I think there's been a mistake," KT says. "I'm not Robert's granddaughter or great-anything. I mean, she is Lily Henry's granddaughter," she points her thumb to me, "but... I'm not. I'd never even heard of him until I came to school in England."