Phantom [h.s]

Eighteen

I sit on the floor of the upstairs hallway, narrowing my eyes at the mysterious hollow wall between the two doors.

There's something so odd about it. Why would there be a random hollow wall in the middle of the hallway? There must be something behind it, but what?

A gentle breeze blows through the open window at the end of the hallway.

I pull a hair elastic from my wrist and pull my hair out of my face, twisting it into a bun.

I stare back at the wall.

I feel like if I stare hard enough at it, the answer will come to me. I will eventually notice an uneven line of wallpaper or the faint outline of a hidden door. However, I've been sitting here for nearly a half hour, and the wall has remained seamless.

But there's got to be something behind it.

Harry said himself that it seems familiar to him.

I widen my eyes.

Harry.

I scramble to my feet and bound down the stairs, almost tripping over myself at the bottom. I grab onto the banister for support before sprinting through the house, towards the back door.

Of course, with my luck, my father is in the kitchen, hanging more pictures.

"Whoa, either you've desperately got to pee and forgot where the bathroom is, or you're running from a wild ostrich." He sets the hammer down on the counter, giving me a joking smile.

"Neither," I say, struggling to come up with a lie. My hand rests on the back doorknob. "I, uh...saw a bunny in the grass out the window."

My dad's eyebrows shoot up. "Ooh, what species? Cottontail? Hare?"

"I don't know, that's what I'm going to find out." I nod quickly, knowing I'm playing right into my father's love for figuring out what species animals are.

"I'll come along." My father begins to step toward the door.

"No!"

He looks surprised at my outburst.

"I mean," I say, softening my tone. "You should stay and finish with the pictures. Lots of noise could scare it, you know."

He nods, walking back to the step ladder. "Of course. See, all those Discovery Channel shows don't go to waste!"

I offer him a quick smile before ducking out the back door and taking off across the backyard.