“Of course, there’d be an easy way to get up there,” she muttered.
She climbed up and peered into the semi-darkness. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust. There were two small windows, one at each end of the attic. They had multiple panes of colored glass, so they didn’t provide much light.
Above her, a string dangled from a bare light bulb. She climbed up a few more steps until she could reach it. When she pulled on it...nothing. The light didn’t turn on.
“Perfect.”
With a deep breath, Ocean kept climbing until she was half way through the opening. The thought suddenly occurred to her that this was a great place for bats. She stopped.
“Hello!” She waved her arms. No bats. No movement. So far, so good.
The attic smelled old. Dust and wood. And something sharp and tangy—like rusted metal. And the scent of mothballs.
The smooth wooden floor looked solid enough. Scattered around the attic were a few mismatched dining room chairs. A tabletop leaned against the far wall, legs stacked beside it. Framed pictures, shrouded in faded bedsheets, stood like forgotten sentinels. Wooden crates, open cardboard boxes, and a pair of antique trunks filled one corner. Some of the boxes had already been rummaged through, with stacks of books and loose papers beside them.
A thin mattress, clearly used as a makeshift sofa, had been folded up and covered with a tattered quilt, then propped against the large brick chimney that rose through the center of the space. Stuffed garment bags hung from a sagging pole strung between the rafters.
Ocean climbed the rest of the way until she was standing. She was surprised how high the roof was above her head.
The light went on. She looked at it, surprised.
“Okay.”
Now she saw it. The cage. It was on the far side of chimney. The door was wide open. Someone had draped it with fake Christmas garlands. Inside lay a small, folded rug and a couple of pillows. There was room for two people in there. More pillows were scattered around it.
Ocean could easily picture Skye and her friends turning this attic into a secret hideaway, smoking weed and talking about boys.
She turned slowly around, taking it all in. Dusty, musty, and totally awesome. This place was dope.
Pulling out her phone, she snapped a few pics and texted them to Ivy. The last time they’d talked, her friend was still in Arizona with her mom.
Check this out
Ocean’s screen lit up instantly.
Where r u??
Grandma clares attic
Cool. How long are you there for
Forever hopefully. Summer in ct ?
Im down
As of two weeks ago, Ivy’s parents still hadn't decided who she was going to spend the summer with.
Get here then. We’ll throw down some blankets. Sneak snacks. Just hang
Ivy’s text reply was quick. I wish. Looks straight out of a movie
Yeah. Secret. Kinda creepy. But def lit. Facetime?
Cant. Out w mom. Pm?
Cool
Ocean tucked her phone into her pocket and walked toward one of the windows, waving a hand in front of her. She hated spiderwebs.
