AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ah, Mommy.”
My grip on his hand as we exited the ride was likely crushing his fingers. While he didn’t object, I sensed he knew something was off. Thank God he was so young he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what that might be. At least he was still jabbery as we headed for the merry-go-round. I scanned the crowd, fighting the dark urges bursting inside of me. There were so many people here, so many places where the monster could be hiding, watching us and waiting for the right moment to make good on his threat from years before.
Thankfully, there were only a few people in line for the ride and we were able to get on within seconds. “Pick your horse, little man.”
Of course he had to select the largest one, storming toward it proudly. As I lifted him onto the saddle, the vibrations became more intense than before. I kept my hands on my son as the music started, fearful that if I dared blink or take them away, he’d disappear and I’d never find him again. That had been my biggest fear, the reason I’d stayed awake at night. Slow circles were made, allowing me to see a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree circle. There were so many people that it was difficult to see anything.
Maybe I’d been wrong and that guy I was certain I’d seen was just waiting for his kid to exit a ride. Or maybe I was seeing things altogether. Instinct was everything when someone was running or hiding and my gut was telling me that what I’d felt wasn’t wrong.
“Whee!” Dillon said, jerking my attention back to him for a few seconds, but the ominous feeling remained, a moment where time seemed to slow. Even the corny music that was almost identical to the canned circus music of my childhood echoed, shadows forming in front of my eyes.
I missed my mother. I missed my daddy. I missed my life. Oh, my God. I was falling apart, my throat starting to close. I couldn’t do this alone any longer. I wasn’t strong enough. I wasn’t good enough.
As another icy chill crept down my spine like a venomous snake, claws dug in my neck, the sensation of strangulation stronger than it had been in a long time. Time continued to slow until I was the only one moving. As I turned my head, I was able to catch a full glance of the same man in a suit I’d seen before.
Only this time he wasn’t wearing his sunglasses, allowing me to see his dark, vacant eyes as well as the curl of smoke coming from his cigarette.
Rico smoked, even burning me with his cigarette on two occasions. I bore the scars of the burns on my inner thighs. That wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. Oh, God. Oh, God.
Within seconds, I was hyperventilating, the panic so intense I wasn’t certain I’d be able to pull myself out of it.
“Come on, baby.” I yanked him down before the ride was over, grasping his hand so forcefully he cried out in pain.
“Mommy! Want to see de animals.” As he started to cry, I couldn’t breathe. There was nothing so debilitating as a rush of terror shutting down everything.
“We need to go, baby. Mommy isn’t feeling well.” I lifted him into my arms, stepping off the merry-go-round platform, moving in the opposite direction as the man I was certain was following us. Moving quickly, I allowed the crowd to swallow us up.
Dillon was still crying, soon to become as hysterical as I felt.
“It’s okay, baby. We’ll still go out for pizza later. Okay?”
“Pwomise?”
“Yep. I do.” I hated lying to my baby, but I needed him to remain as quiet as possible until I got us somewhere safe. Was there any place or would I need to toss things into my car and leave town? And where would I go? There was nowhere safe in the world where Rico wouldn’t find me. I was certain of that now.
Tears burned my eyes and I slowed down long enough to turn my head. Oh, God. I was certain he was only fifty yards behind us. I picked up my pace, trying to remember every detail of the event space. I’d been here several times before for other reasons and knew a few locations where I could cut through to the parking lot.
By the time I found a location, I was having even more difficulty breathing. I dared to look over my shoulder before making the turn. This time I didn’t see him. That didn’t mean he wasn’t right there. I made the turn, now running with my baby in my arms, fighting sobs that threatened to steal the rush of adrenaline, which was the only way I was able to keep moving.
No. I refused to allow it to happen.
“Mommy. Mommy. Mommy.”
His little cries forced the tears to flow. Once I hit the gravel parking lot, I had a purpose, feeling stronger than I had before. I headed toward where I remembered parking the car, racing past line after line of vehicles. I was close yet my chest continued to tighten. I’d taken risks over the last few days, ones I now regretted with everything I had inside of me.
I’d always believed one day the grim reaper would arrive at my doorstep, not bothering to knock before making his way inside. And once he did, there was no turning back the clock, no chance of escaping the sharp claws of death.
This was nothing more than a reminder of the precipice I’d been on for so long. A ride spinning out of control. A monster set free from his iron cage. The darkness was here, the omnipotent presence all around me. I could feel it. Taste it. The stench was repulsive, so much so I was ready to gag. But I would die protecting my son.
I could see my car just up ahead and sprinted toward it, almost tripping. Panic had a way of reeling you in, grabbing and holding on and that’s what I was experiencing. Only my imagination wasn’t getting the best of me.
The devil stepped out of the shadows, blocking my path. I skidded to a stop, staring into his eyes. His dark and demanding eyes.
Only this devil was someone else, someone I thought I’d cared about. Yet on this day, he wasn’t the man I’d rescued from the shore but someone much darker and extremely dangerous.
“Hello, my sweet Georgia peach. Did you miss me?”
CHAPTER 16
