"Charles L. Grant - Gallery Of Horror" - читать интересную книгу автора (Grant Charles L)

her afternoon nap. Because Iput off going to sleep. Because I hate it.
Along with eating broccoli, and taking colored vitamin pills in little
animal shapes and seeing the dentist and going on roller coasters.

Uncle Gus had taken her on a high, scary roller coaster ride last

summer at the park, and it had made her vomit. He liked to upset her,
frighten her. Mommy didn't know about all the times Uncle Gus said
scary things to her, or played mean tricks on her, or took her places
she didn't want to go.

Mommy would leave her with him while she went shopping, and Janey
absolutely hated being there in his dark old house. He knew the dark
frightened her. He'd sit there in front of her with all the lights out,
telling spooky stories, with sick, awful things in them, his voice oily
and horrible. She'd get so scared, listening to him, that sometimes
she'd cry.

And that made him smile.

"Gus. Always so good to see you!"

"Hi, Sis."

"C'mon inside. Jim's puttering around out back somewhere. I've fixed
us a nice lunch. Sliced turkey. And I made some cornbread."

"So where's my favorite niece?"

"Janey's due down here any second. She'll be wearing her new dress-just
for you."

" Well, now, isn't that nice."

She was watching from the top of the stairs, lying flat on her stomach
so she wouldn't be seen. It made her sick, watching Mommy hug Uncle Gus
that way, each time he came over, as if it had been years between
visits. Why couldn't Mommy see how mean Uncle Gus was? All of her
friends in class saw he was a bad person the first day he took her to
school. Kids can tell right away about a person. Like that mean ole
Mr. Kruger in geography, who made Janey stay after class when she
forgot to do her homework. All the kids knew that Mr. Kruger was awful.
Why does it take grownups so long to know things?

Janey slid backwards into the hall shadows. Stood up. Time to go
downstairs. In her playclothes. Probably meant she'd get a spanking
after Uncle Gus left, but it would be worth it not to have to put on her
new dress for him. Spankings don't hurt too much. Worth it.

"Well, here's my little princess!" Uncle Gus was lifting her hard