All you have to do is ask

            “Hod, where are you going?” David asked. As soon as they were done talking to Mr. Lords Hod asked to use the bathroom requesting David help him find it. Hod used his cane and David’s arm but as soon as they were out of the room he let go of David arm stood quietly for a moment and then took off down the hall his can swiping furiously from side to side.

            “Hod, I don’t think mister Lords would like us wandering his house. What if we ran into you know who.” David whispered furtively. Hod didn’t answer he just kept walking quickly every once in a while stopping to listen to who knows what, somehow he made turns in the hallway without any help from David.

            David was just about to stop Hod and demand an explanation when he heard what Hod must have already picked up on. As the got nearer to the sound it became clear, someone was crying. Turning one last corner revealed who it was. Sarah, Clair’s 7 year old sister, sat in a corner holding her hand and crying softly. How Hod had heard it David would never know.

            Hod knelt down and slowly reached his hand out feeling around in the air until he found Sarah’s head.

            “Shh… Sarah its Hodur.” Hod said putting a hand on her shoulder. “Sarah, are you okay? What happened?” Sarah looked up so Hod and threw her arms around his neck. She continued to sob into his hoddie. Slowly Hod stroked her hair and made soothing noises to her.

            “Sarah, what happened?” David knelt down in back of Hod so that he was eye level with Sarah. For as long as Sarah had known Hod she had always called him Hodur. While everyone would be playing video games or other activities that required sight, Hod would tell Sarah stories and jokes and make her laugh. David knew that Clair loved her little sister more than anything and he would often catch her smiling at Hod while he did that.

            Sarah looked up at David with big brown eyes, tears coming out of the corners and running down her face. Being from Mr. Lords second marriage Sarah didn’t look like Clair very much with her brown hair and freckles. From what Clair had told him that marriage hadn’t lasted long. Sarah’s mother had been after Mr. Lord’s money. In the end she left and Clair happily raised Sarah. Sarah sniffed loudly before talking in a little voice.

            “I heard you talking about a party for Clair. How she was sad. I wanted to make her happy to. So I went to the pool…” she sniffed loudly again. “and she and she said she didn’t have time for babies! And and I told her I wasn’t a baby and why was she being so mean… and then she took my hand cut it open with her finger.” She grabbed at one of her small hands but there was nothing on it. “she said did I hurt the little baby and then laughed.”

            She buried her head in Hods hoddie again and David strained to hear her through her muffled sobs. “Then she said I can’t go having little kids going around telling tells yet and then my cut was gone.” She sniffled and added. “Then then she said she had to go fix some lose strings and that if I told anyone she would feed me to a troll and then she said she had to go make sure she wasn’t eaten by a troll yet and laughed and then she got in her car and left.” Sarah looked up at David with big hurt eyes. “Did I do something to make her mad? Why is Clair being so mean?”

            Hod pushed Sarah gently away from him and and held her face in both his hands.

            “Sarah can you keep a secret?” he waited for her nod and quite yes before going on. “That’s not the real Clair. That’s not your sister. David and I are going to find your sister and save her from this boggy man.” Sarah looked at Hod with such honest trust that David didn’t say anything.

            “Do you promise?” Sarah asked.

            “We Promise.” David and Hod said together.

            They were able to get Sarah to her room and with a quick word to one of the staff make sure someone stayed with her and warm milk and cookies. True to her word Sarah didn’t say a thing about Clair not even what the not Clair had done.

            Hod was once again walking quickly down the halls, but this time David was not far behind.

            “We can’t leave her with that thing a moment longer.” Hod said coldly.

            “Nope.” David agreed adamantly.

            “We need to find her tonight.” Hod said.

            “Yep” David replayed. After a few more steps David said. “She already left the house.”

            “Yes” Hod replied.

            “How are we going to find Clair right now then we don’t even know where to start looking?” David Responded.

            “Well if you want to play with Richards toys early. I’ll you have to do is ask.” Both David and Hod turned around to see, well in Hods case it was more hear, Ms Lords Holding up a tablet computer.