I stared at her in horror. Gwynnie grinned. “The basement is filled with people!” she exclaimed. “Dozens of them. They call themselves The Basement Club. They stay down there until we all leave. And then they come upstairs and use our stuff.” She laughed, as if she had just made up the funniest joke. “Stop teasing your brother,” Mom scolded her. “Why are you picking on him, Gwynnie? Can’t you see he’s had a rough time?” “Sorry,” Gwynnie said to me, still grinning. “She’s just nervous,” Mom explained. “She was very worried about you, Marco. Really.” I settled back on the pillow. “The dream… it seemed so real,” I murmured. “Get some rest,” Mom replied tenderly. “You need time to get over this.” She waved Gwynnie to the door. “Your sister and I will go out to the waiting room and let you get some sleep.” “But—when can I go home?” I demanded. “Soon,” Mom promised. “As soon as Dr. Bailey checks you out. He said if you’re okay, you can come home right away.”
