Cursed Read Online Free PDF Page B

glanced at Melanie. Her smile was gone and was staring into her tea cup.
    “Oh, well, I just thought since you have lived here for many years that you might have gotten to know him.”
    “Mr. Brown is more of a night owl . . . we tend to go to bed early so our paths don’t cross that often. He is a wonderful landlord though; keeping the place in good repair and Melanie enjoys the flowers and the roses in the summer.”
    Melanie’s smile returned as looked up at Gregory. “Yes, he does always keep beautiful flowers around.” She finally met Sarah’s eyes. “He is a lovely man, just very private. I was sick once and he had to come in to fix something during the day while Gregory was out. He didn’t expect me to be in – Tuesdays are usually my bridge club with the ladies.” Melanie leaned in close and in a conspiratorial tone added, “And we have a little wine.”
    “More than a little, sweetheart.”
    Melanie giggled, “Yes, more than a little sometimes, dear. Anyway, he came in and I caught sight of him in the sunlight.” Melanie shuddered violently. “I always knew he had the limp and hunched body, but I didn’t realize just how bad the scarring was. It wasn’t even just scarring . . .” Melanie shook her head remembering, her golden curls fluttering around her face. “He has some sort of other skin condition, too.
    “I had been in my room and he was working in the kitchen on the sink. Mr. Brown had removed the jacket he wears even in the summer months and was under the sink with just a t-shirt. The scarring was all down his arms and there were lumps and bumps. Like huge boils. The poor man scrambled into that jacket so fast and pulled his military cap down low over his face. But not before I saw that one of his eyes was hooded with skin and the other was such a brilliant blue green color . . . beautiful really. I didn’t know what to do but apologize and scurry back to my room.”
    “Yes, the poor fellow. I’ve never seen him. But everything is always done. He’s friendly with a landscaping company that drops plants and flowers off and I guess bills him. I don’t really know how he survives without ever leaving here. I mean, doctor's appointments, groceries . . . he just doesn’t seem to leave.”
    Melanie and Greg looked at each other and then Melanie promptly smiled and changed the subject with “did you try the madeleines? It was my mother’s recipe.”
    “Thank you, yes, they are delicious.” Sarah sipped the last of her tea and replaced the cup to the saucer, “I should probably get going; it’s late. Can I help you clean up before I leave?”
    “No, dear, I am fine. It gives me something to do.”
    The three stood and Sarah thanked the couple for an enjoyable Sunday afternoon.
    As she climbed the stairs to her apartment, her mind turned back to her landlord. What a terrible thing to live with a disfigurement so severe that he hides . . . how old was he when this happened, she wondered, whatever it was. She fished the key out of her pocket, letting herself into her new apartment leaving her thoughts of the landlord in the hallway.
     
     

Chapter 5
     
    “I understand. . . .Yes . . . no problem.” Sarah was busy taking notes while listening to Izzy’s flu symptoms and directions by phone. Sarah needed to do to complete the project, on time, by tomorrow.
    “I’ve got it Izzy, get some rest.” Sarah hung up and let out a sigh. There was a lot of work to do and it seemed like Izzy hadn’t done much to push the project forward. She looked around her desk and the piles of manila folders, spreadsheets, and yellow post-its on her computer screen and thought back to a few weeks before when it was clean and empty.
    Wrapping her sweater tighter around her she leaned under her desk to turn on the space heater. The warmth spread over her feet and legs and she started working. Pulling apart the work that was already done, she started re-working the project the way she would have done it.
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