The Voice inside My Head Read Online Free PDF

his natural habitat.”
    “Then you need to turn yourself around and go straight on outta here.” She points with her cleaning brush for emphasis. “You’re heading to the dock. You need to take him in the other direction, turn either way when you get to the road, take the first turn and head up the hill, walk for ten minutes till you get past all the houses. Then you’ll come to some pastures; keep walking another five minutes till you get to the forest. I expect your poison frog will be very happy there.”
    “Perhaps it has escaped your attention that I’m only wearing a towel and flip-flops.”
    “Good thing you got your flip-flops. That road gets rough.”
    I try to stare her down, but she meets my glare with a determined one of her own. My best bet is to take him in the direction of the dock behind her. There’s a spindly tree atthe edge of the seawall. I could put him on it. Spidey shifts restlessly under my hand. He’s been upside down for a while now. All the blood is probably rushing to his spidey-head.
    “So you gonna hand over that ugly thing or what?” Setting down the cleaning brush, she puts out her hands and beckons impatiently.
    “You want my poison frog?” I’m certain I’ve misunderstood.
    “No, I want your ugly-ass spider. Gah, I hate those things!”
    “What are you going to do with him?”
    “I’m gonna throw him a party,” she snaps. “The Good Lord was taking a nap when you were born, wasn’t He? Give it here.” She steps closer and snatches the pail out of my hands. “Damn tourists,” she mutters as she pushes past me and stomps down the path, past the rooms, to the front of the property. It’s a short walk. She passes under the entrance arch, with its crumbling cement and exposed iron rods, and disappears around the corner.
    I hesitate for a moment, wondering if I should follow her. She’s probably going to kill him the second she’s out of sight, but Pat’s the animal lover, not me. I don’t suppose one less tarantula is going to do anyone any harm.
    Back in my room, I throw on some clothes and head out to the shop to look for Tracy and Dr. Jake. I still haven’t questioned either of them about my sister. I enter through the back, which is an office behind the shop, and emerge from the door that Tracy and I were staring at this morning. I find her sitting behind the counter, chatting with a guy I haven’t met. Dr. Jake is nowhere in sight.
    “Luke!” Tracy exclaims. She hops off her stool and rushes over to grab my arm and drag me along to the other guy.
    “This is Pete,” she says. She doesn’t say who I am.
    “Hey, man.” Pete holds out a hand for me to shake, which I do. “We’re all really sorry about your sister. Tricia was a great girl, and smart. I thought for sure she’d be running this place someday. She had a real affinity with the fish, like she could see inside their heads. You know?”
    “Yeah, I know. I always wished I had fins and a tail.”
    Pete chuckles.
    I try to look like I’m joking, but it’s so not a joke I don’t know where to begin.
    “So I was wondering what you guys could tell me about her last days. Was she acting strange at all?”
    Pete and Tracy exchange looks. The silence extends beyond awkward.
    “What?” I prompt.
    “Well, you know your sister.” Pete smiles, glances at Tracy and stops.
    “Yeah, I know my sister.” I’m starting to feel annoyed.
    “What about her?”
    “Well, she was kind of wild, man. No offense or anything.”
    “She wasn’t a skank,” Tracy interjects.
    I turn to stare at her.
    “No, not a skank, really,” Pete agrees slowly.
    “What the hell are you two talking about?” I demand. “
Who
are you talking about?”
    They exchange looks again. I’m not much of a brawler, but I size up Fishboy for the first time. I could easily take him. I cross my arms over my chest.
    “I don’t know what you’re implying, but my sister does not sleep around.” I struggle to keep my voice