Chapter 4

Mom’s bright smile froze on her face in an instant.

Her pupils shrank into tight pinpricks, filled with pure, unadulterated terror and disbelief as if she were staring at a literal demon from hell.

Did she recognize me? Or did she recognize the twisted shadow of the monster sitting right next to me?

Before I could process what to do, Mom frantically grabbed the sleeve of the man beside her and spun around in panic.

Her heels stumbled against the pavement as she practically ran for her life, abandoning all composure to duck into a narrow side alley.

She looked like a terrified bird spooked by the loud snap of a gun.

I pulled my gaze back, my whole body shaking uncontrollably.

It was a wild mix of adrenaline and devastating heartbreak.

Mom was right nearby. She was really here. She was alive.

"What's wrong with you? What are you shaking for?"

Dad noticed my sudden reaction and glared at me, suspicion creeping into his voice.

He followed the direction of my eyes, but the sidewalk across the street was already empty.

I bit down hard on the tip of my tongue, using the sharp flare of pain to force myself back into character.

I hunched my shoulders, pulled my knees tight against my chest, and put on my usual pathetic, useless act.

"Dad, I'm just cold," I whimpered, letting my voice crack like I was terrified out of my mind, "The wind under this bridge is so loud. It sounds like ghosts screaming. I'm scared."

Dad bought it.

He flicked his cigarette butt onto the concrete and crushed it beneath the heavy heel of his boot.

"Useless piece of trash! You can't even handle a little breeze? Go to sleep! We gotta wake up early to corner that bitch tomorrow!"

He swore under his breath, rolled over onto his side, and turned his back to me.

I leaned back against the freezing concrete pillar, my heart hammering so hard in my throat I thought it might burst through my skin.

My mind was entirely consumed by the terrified look on Mom's face from a few moments ago.

Her smile tonight was so beautiful.

Just like all the other women in this bustling city, she was confident, radiant, and full of life.

She wasn't like the women locked back in the holler.

Their eyes were perpetually cloudy, their expressions blank, their souls hollowed out into complete numbness.

If Dad managed to drag her back to that place…

No.

Not a chance in hell.

The thought of what I was being forced to do tomorrow made me close my eyes in absolute despair.

By the next morning, I was crouching all alone near the main gate of the university.

Students wearing expensive clothes kept darting curious, disgusted looks in my direction as they walked past.

I wore a torn, oversized jacket, my faded jeans were covered in dried mud, and my hair was a matted mess.

I looked like a total outcast. A walking joke.

I didn't care about any of them. My eyes stayed glued to every single person entering the compound.

Minutes ticked away, dragging into endless torture.

The first bell rang out loud and clear.

The crowd near the entrance thinned out until the heavy iron gates began to swing shut.

My stomach sank inch by inch.

Mom hadn't shown up.

I couldn't just sit here and wait to die.

Taking a sharp, ragged breath, I pushed myself up from the curb.

I fixed my eyes on the security guard standing near the booth.

He wore a dark blue uniform, a peaked cap, and a heavy nightstick strapped to his belt.

Based on everything Aunt Rachel had ever taught me, he was the guy who represented authority and law.

I lunged forward, sprinting straight toward him, and screamed at the top of my lungs like a total madman.

"Arrest me! Hurry up and arrest me!

"I killed someone!"

The guard froze in place, his mouth dropping open.

Just as I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for whatever horror was coming next, a shaky, impossibly familiar voice called out from directly behind me.

"Is that you?"

I spun around.

Mom.

She was standing less than two feet away from me.