DE HUG

he grand hall. I deliberately slowed my pace. I kne

ked our path, her face fixed in a false, su

tsy, "Miss Carlee has a few private words

of Carlee's most loyal dogs. In my former days,

nervously, but I sile

sy. "Very well.

me away from the main hall, toward a narrow, spirali

iting for you at t

and poorly lit. And at the first

d "accidentally" trip and fall down the stairs. A broken

feel her quickened breath, her footsteps drawing nea

the staircase, directly in its path, was a large

reaching for my back, pre

ned a stumble, as if my foot had caught on my own hem. I

the open stairwell. I f

forward. She was completely unprepared for my s

ed squarely on th

as her body tumbled like a sack of grain, over my stum

to the banister, loo

fall. She landed directl

came a human torch, her screams inh

burning hair and fl

of cold indifference. This

ped. All that was left in the firepla

ened. Then I screamed for help, my voice filled

cene in the fireplace, their faces turning pale. A few who rushe

he stairs, "shaking" uncontrollably, my fa

. When Carlee saw Betsy's body, she let out a shriek and

ull of confusion and hurt. "Cousin, what are you saying? Betsy told

the crucial question: Why would Betsy, a simple m