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My mind screamed to run out of there, but I couldn’t move.
I struggled to breathe, unable to call out for help.
Shutting my eyes, I couldn’t erase the image of my father savagely killed, torn apart and left to die.
In a flash, the thumping of footsteps resonated somewhere in the house, growing louder as whatever it was moved closer to the kitchen.
I flinched, trying to squeeze myself into the crevice between the stove and wall, wanting to disappear. What if Papa’s killers were still in the house?
A figure filled the kitchen doorway and I screamed, tears blurring my vision.
Soft hands were suddenly on my arms, words reaching me. “Hush, Gwendolyn. You can’t make a sound.”
Eyes widening, I wiped the tears away. “Mama!’“ Her face was scared, her eyes rimmed red from crying.
I threw myself into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. She lifted me into her embrace and walked me out of the kitchen.
“Now listen carefully. I need you to do something for me, Gwendolyn. Can you do that?”
I nodded, trying to stifle my tears as she lowered me to my feet. We were in the living area with the fireplace and two couches covered in knitted blankets. She was opening up the cabinet doors where she kept the linen. We didn’t own a lot, but she pushed a bed sheet and blanket aside and then looked at me.
“You have to get inside now, Gwen. And don’t say a word.” Her voice trembled, and she kept glancing over her shoulder.
Straining for breath in the smoke-infused air, I stared at her. “What’s happening? Who killed Papa? The fire will be here soon.” My words were running fast out of my mouth.
“Please, sweetie. You need to get inside. They’re already putting the fires out, but something more dangerous is coming back for us.”
“Who?” I choked on my breath, and before I knew it, she’d gotten me to climb into the cabinet that offered me enough space to sit upright.
“Don’t make any sounds. Can you do this for me, Darling?” she whispered in a pleading voice just as a loud bang sounded so near, it might have been inside the house.
Mama flinched, her wide, terrified stare glancing to the hallway, and her hands trembled as she gripped the doors.
“I’m scared,” I whispered.
“They're here,” she mumbled under her breath, then fiddled with the ring on her finger. She took it off and gave it to me. “This is yours now, Gwen. It’s our family ring and you must treasure it. It will always remind you of me.”
She curled my fingers around the ring, then smiled softly and traced a hand over my cheek. “I love you so much, Gwen. I’ll always be with you in your heart, no matter what happens. Please, remember to always fight for what you want. I love you, my sweet angel. Now, cover your ears.”
Without another word, she shut the cabinet doors, and darkness closed in around me. I quickly pushed the ring into the pocket of my pants. But panic engulfed me as my mind raced with who was coming back. The same people who hurt my father?
Thunderous footfalls sounded, and I hugged my knees tightly to my chest.
A sharp screech came from somewhere in the house, and I pressed myself into the corner, shaking.
The floorboards creaked in the hallway, like they always did when anyone heavy walked over them.
Tears rolled down my cheeks, the urge to scream in the back of my throat. But Mama’s words blared in my head.
Don’t make any sounds.
A crashing of wood splintering came from somewhere nearby, followed by my mother’s scream. Glass shattered and I flinched, tears rolling down my face.
Mama! I almost cried out.
Don’t make any sounds.
A loud thump came, like something hit the floor, followed by a squelching, wet noise and a thunderous growl.
