“The fuck you think you’re doing?” I demand, keeping one hand on the door and my body right in the middle of the walkway as I stare up at the imposing man before me.
He doesn’t say a word so I turn my glare on Kelly. “I’m not sure you quite understood,” I tell her, focusing heavily on her eyes and making sure she gets every fucking word that comes out of my mouth. “It’s time for you to fuck off back to wherever the hell you’ve been all these years and screw up some other kid’s life. You’re done here.”
“You see, that’s where you’re wrong,” she tells me, not holding back on her seething attitude as clearly, she doesn’t give a shit anymore. “I got myself clean and now I want my kid back.”
I laugh in her face. “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” I howl as I hear dad going off his rocker through the phone. “There’s no way in hell you’re getting her back. Another few months living with you and she would have been dead. You’re fucking insane if you think that’s about to happen.”
Kelly steps forward, narrowing her eyes on me and desperately trying to look like a boss bitch as her face reddens with anger. “Get my kid. Now.”
I tighten my hold on the door while bringing my phone back up to my ear. “Dad, call the cops now.” I end the call knowing that he won’t hesitate for a single moment as I stare back at Kelly. “Go and jam a needle in your arm, whore.”
With that, I slam the door once again, this time trying a little harder and feeling the instant relief as the door closes. I desperately try for the lock as I hear Kelly’s voice screeching on the other side of the door. “Kick the fucking door down. I want my kid.”
My eyes widen in panic and my hands fumble over the lock but it’s too late, the door gets kicked down in one easy go and the heavy wood comes tumbling down on top of me, smacking me hard in the face as Kelly and the man force their way inside my home.
“NO,” I scream, ignoring the way my head spins and chasing down the hall after them.
I scramble behind them, desperate to save my little sister from their evil clutches. I grab hold of Kelly’s shirt and pull her back with everything that I’ve got. The fabric of her shirt tears and she shakes me off as I continue stumbling around.
I don’t dare give up. I try again and dive towards them as my vision blurs from the hit of the door when the man spins around and grabs me. “I’m getting really fucking sick of you, you little bitch.” A moment later, he slams my head into the wall so fucking hard that it puts a hole in the drywall.
He releases me and my body crumbles to the ground, my head spinning and pounding. My vision blurs and I try to get up, but my head is too heavy. I collapse back down to the ground as the darkness begins to claim me.
No. I need to get up. I need to fight.
Aria is counting on me.
I hear the sound of her bedroom door being kicked in before the sound of her terrified screams come tearing up the hallway. “Ari,” I whimper, my voice barely audible.
“Henley,” she cries. “Henley.”
I hear the exact moment a hand is slapped over her mouth before she’s hauled out of bed. Two bodies rush back up the hallway, barging into me on their way out as the man clutches my terrified little sister. Their bodies blur and my head spins. “No,” I cry.
The last thing I see is the blurry vision of their backs before the darkness completely claims me.