Nakia’s facial expression changes as she stares at her daughter. “Shawna, do you want to tell Brad what happened at school today, or should I?”
Using her fork, Shawna pushes the spaghetti around on her plate. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
Her mother puts her fork down. “What was that, little girl?”
Shawna remains quiet while her mother continues.
“Apparently, Miss Shawna has been pretty productive in art class,” Nakia states, pointing to Shawna’s backpack on the window seat.
Shawna walks over to her backpack and takes out some papers. She comes back to the table carrying the pictures she drew and hands them to Brad. He has a confused look on his face as he studies the drawings. His expression changes to one of horror and disgust.
“What are these? Explain these to me!”
Shawna’s anger starts to build. “I said I don’t want to talk about it!”
Her mother jumps up from her seat. “You better watch your tone, young lady!”
Shawna looks over at Megan for help, but Megan continues what she is doing and takes a bite out of her garlic bread. Shawna stares at her mother, then drops her head.
“Beth likes my drawings.”
Brad slams his fist on the table. “Enough about Beth! She isn’t real, and if she was, she’s not a good friend to get you in trouble.”
“She is to real! I see her, and she talks to me!”
Brad looks at the last drawing, dropping it on the table.
“Oh, my God,” he whispers to himself.
Nakia watches him, concerned. “What is it?”
“Shawna, who is that woman?” he asks, pointing at the picture laying on the table.
Nakia walks around to him to get a better look. “What is it, Brad?”
He ignores her and directs his attention back to Shawna.
“I asked you a question.”
Scared, Megan scoots her chair back from the table but leans over a little to see the drawing.
“Brad!” Nakia yells.
He turns to her with venom in his voice. “What, Nakia?”
She puts her hand on one hip. “I know you didn’t just raise your voice at me?”
He turns back to his stepdaughter. “I’m going to ask you one more time. Who is that woman?”
“HER NAME IS BETH, AND SHE SAYS YOU ARE A BAD MAN!” Shawna screams and runs upstairs to her room.
Brad is right behind her.
Megan looks at her stepmother.
“It’s okay, honey. Please try to eat.”
Megan looks over at the drawing left on the table across from her. It shows a woman in a dress spotted with blood. She has long black hair and long skinny fingers with sharp nails. Her skin is ashen with dark veins running through it.
Megan’s eyes grow larger. The woman moves in the drawing as blood drops out of her mouth. Megan shakes her head to make sure what she is seeing is real and slowly glances over at the picture again, but this time, the woman is still.
****
Shawna runs into her room, slamming the door behind her. Brad approaches her room but stops to take a couple of deep breaths. He doesn’t understand the anger that came over him; however, he has to clear the air with his stepdaughter. He knocks on the door before entering. Shawna is sitting on the side of her bed with the music box on her lap. She looks over at him and closes it.
Brad walks over and sits beside her. “I’m sorry for getting so angry with you. I should have never raised my voice.”
He takes the music box and places it on the nightstand. Then he leans in front of her, taking her hands into his.
“I promise never to yell or speak mean to you again. I just need you to tell me who the woman is.”
Shawna glances up, looking past him. The corners of her mouth turn up into a smile as the woman in the bloody dress appears.
“Her name is Beth, and she is my friend. But don’t worry. She says you both will be meeting soon, and you will know who she is then.”
Shawna continues to stare past him at Beth.
Brad crawls backward away from her as Shawna’s eyes turn a solid, empty black. He stumbles to the door.
“We’ll keep your food warm if you decide to come down for dinner,” he says, then rushes back down the stairs.
When he enters the dining room, Nakia is placing a plate of food in the microwave.
“How did it go? Did you two make up?”
Brad nods. “Yeah. She just needs a little more time alone. I told her that we’d keep her food warm in case she wants to finish her dinner.”
Nakia plants a kiss on his cheek. “I put hers in the microwave, and yours, I warmed up. It awaits you at the table.”
Before going back to his dinner, he glances at the stairs again, wondering what just happened.
****
Nakia finishes putting the dishes away and makes her way into the bedroom to change clothes. After stepping into the bathroom to brush her teeth, she hears tapping on the door, but no one is there when she opens it. Nakia looks over at the bed where Brad is sleeping. With a shrug of her shoulders, she turns and goes back into the bathroom. A shadow appears in the mirror.
“What the hell is that?”
Thinking it’s a smudge of dirt, she walks closer and wipes the mirror, but it stays.
“This is ridiculous. I’ll deal with it in the morning.”
Nakia bends over the sink and starts brushing her teeth. A breeze makes her shiver.
“Nakia,” a voice whispers behind her.
She stands up to see a woman who is drenched in blood pointing at her. Nakia can’t seem to get her legs to move. Her eyes widen as the woman floats toward her.
“We must come together, Nakia.”
She shakes her head, signaling no. “Who are you?”
Beth’s creepy laugh makes Nakia shiver even more.
“I’m the one who will take all
