“Not sure I’ll have the stomach for it,” Oliver mumbled.
“Then we’ll force-feed you.” Alexei smirked.
Oliver didn’t even have a quip for that.
“Together?” I asked him.
His green eyes burst with flame. “Together.”
I nodded, and Oliver reached out with a shaky hand, touching my shoulder.
The lightson my ceiling blinked and sparkled from my rotating nightlight beside the bed, like the stars my mommy and I sometimes stared up at. They switched from pink to purple to blue, then stopped. A moment later, the lights turned off, and the room went dark. I clutched Thumper and pulled the covers up to my chin. Something pushed at my tummy. It was warm, and it felt funny. Similar to the feeling that my mommy’s tea gave me. But she didn’t give me any tea tonight.
A door slammed, and I jumped. The warm feeling shot from my fingers, and a white light hit my bunny’s head. I yelped, throwing him off my bed.
“What was that?” I peeked over the edge at Thumper. He seemed okay.
“Michael,” my mom whispered on the other side of my door. “What are you doing here so early?”
“I decided I wanted to spend the whole day with my daughter. Is that so bad?”
I tucked myself back into bed and closed my eyes, pretending to sleep.
“She won’t wake up for another couple of hours.”
I heard my doorknob twist. “That’s fine. I’ll just sit next to her and watch her sleep.”
No, no. I didn’t want Daddy to watch me sleep.
“Fine. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Daddy opened and closed my door. Then it sounded like he was scratching on the wood. I peeked open an eye. He was writing on my door with a giant white feather, and the letters glowed. Afterward, he turned around, and I quickly shut my eyes.
His boots were loud on the wood and quiet on the carpet by my bed.
“I know you’re awake, Lucille. I felt something come from your room.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and stayed still.
“You did this to your rabbit, didn’t you?” he asked.
I shook my head.
“You know not to lie to me. Now open your eyes.” He used his scary tone. So I did, scooting back.
He held Thumper in his hand, rubbing his thumb against the blackened fur on top of his head.
“Tell me the truth. Did you do this?”
“I—I think so. But I don’t know, Daddy.”
He tossed Thumber against the wall and grabbed my arm, ripping me from the covers.
“That hurts,” I cried, trying to pull free.
“What comes next will hurt even more. Lift your arms.”
I did what he said, my lip wobbling. “I didn’t mean to hurt Thumper.”
