Mallory waved a hand in the air dismissively at Eliza’s protest. “I followed them again tonight.” Eliza settled onto one of the stools nearby, staring hard at Mallory – she was wearing a green shirt, and it made her hazel eyes greener – small, still ponds. Mallory looked away, began pacing again.

After a moment, Eliza prodded with, “I take it something weird happened. Again.”

Mallory nodded. “They went to this little motel, and I was trying to listen at the door when they found me.” Eliza quirked an eyebrow again, silently mouthed the word “stalker” but otherwise did not interrupt. “When I was in the room with them, Isaac appeared. But like… literally. Out of thin air.”

“Out of thin air?” Eliza frowned, her arms traveled up to cross in front of her chest as she slightly hunched, looking thoughtful. “We never did see them at the house until we fell through the stairs.”

Mallory nodded, and a strange sense of relief flooded her. She realized some of her anxiety had been in the thought that Eliza wouldn’t believe her at all. She thought briefly of the figure she had spotted at the top of the stairs, but wasn’t sure how that related, and so didn’t bring it up. “They can somehow go invisible.” Mallory threw her hands into the air in frustration, not sure what to even think. “Maybe they’re not even human. Maybe they’re ghosts.”

Eliza shuddered slightly. She hated ghost stories. Seeing this, Mallory teasingly added, “Maybe they’re the Millers.”

“Shut up,” Eliza rolled her eyes. “I don’t think they’re ghosts. I mean, they’ve been coming to school. They caught us when they were saving us, like they have actual bodies. They seem pretty…” her voice trailed off as though she were searching for the right word.

“Corporeal?” Mallory suggested.

Eliza nodded.