Still, something didn’t feel right, as though some invader had spent the predawn hours probing my subconscious mind for information and then left without leaving any prints by which the intruder might be identified. I had no idea what the day would bring, let alone the evening with this Mr. Black. However, Tom and I did not venture out at all with the other boys residing under Mr. Sinister’s care. Sinister was nowhere to be found when I awoke that morning. Tom was sitting by the hearth, prodding a skillet full of sausages and bits of ham. He didn’t look up when I walked into the room to find everyone already gone. “Morning,” I said half-heartedly. Tom simply grunted. Clearly, he wasn’t pleased by the situation we were both in. I wasn’t sure if I should broach the subject of our evening just yet. “Is anyone else here?” I asked. Tom stopped prodding the sausages in order to remove the skillet with a thick rag. He tossed the pan onto the long table. “Sinister’s gone, if that’s what you want to know.”
