Days of Madness 4, Page 2

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  Mrs. Miller hid Lucy-Lou’s second face, combing Lucy-Lou’s thick hair down and maintaining it long. News of her daughter’s disfiguration could ruin their reputation with the church. People might spread rumors of a bastard child or worse, an abomination.

  Only twice had Mrs. Miller seen Lucy-Lou’s second face, the day they brought her home and once during a bath. Near identical to her normal face, its eyes were grayer and slightly misaligned, the nose flatter, and the mouth smaller and pointed, with teeth alike.Mrs. Miller had forgotten about asking Joan if Lucy-Lou’s second face ever ate, but since Lucy-Lou didn’t speak of her other face, Mrs. Miller pretended it wasn’t there. Only, there was no fooling Buster, the new family Schnauzer. He must have spotted Lucy-Lou’s second face immediately, for he wouldn’t go near her.

  “Mrs. Miller?” Lucy-Lou asked, walking into the kitchen one morning.

  “Call me MaryBeth or mother if you’d like.”

  Lucy-Lou started again. “Mother?”

  Mrs. Miller smiled. “Yes, honey?”

  “Buster won’t come out from under the couch.”

  “He’s probably just taking a quiet nap.”

  “But I want to play with him.”

  Mrs. Miller set her rolling pin down and dusted flour from her hands. She walked into the living room, kneeled beside Lucy-Lou, and gazed under the couch. Buster’s bright eyes reflected wide-eyed back at her. He whimpered.

  “Oh, come now, Buster. Get out from under there and play with Lucy-Lou.”

  Buster wiggled back even further.

  “I don’t know, honey. He must be scared. Maybe he’d like a dog treat.”

  “He’s a dumb dog. I hate him.”

  “Don’t say that, my dear. He’ll eventually warm up to you.”

  Lucy-Lou went into the kitchen and grabbed Buster’s food dish. Sooner or later, he’d have to come out, she thought.