They were wrong, all wrong. Empty, like her soul had left her body and flown away to heaven.
Until that moment, Bethany hadn’t realized people could die with their eyes open. But she knew that now because the blonde lady was definitely dead.
Bethany whimpered. She didn’t want to go to heaven. Not yet. Not without spending more time with her mama first and the two of them visiting that beautiful island with the clear blue water and white sand she’d told her about.
The doorknob squeaked. Bethany cowered into a ball. Someone was opening the door.
Helen tilted her head close to Bethany’s ear and whispered so softly that Bethany almost didn’t catch the words. “Be very still and calm, no matter what. I’ll get us out of here.”
Bethany nodded, but it was so hard to stay calm, especially when her breaths kept coming harder and faster. She was so scared. For herself and her new friend. Helen was only trying to help, but Bethany knew Doctor Rotten by now. He’d punish the nice woman for fighting him. Afterward, he’d punish Bethany too. Just like he had the blonde lady.
Crack. Thump.
What if he killed Helen too? Bethany’s gut clenched so tight she was afraid she might puke. No. Not Helen. She didn’t want the cop’s mama to fall to the floor and have her eyes turn all blank and glassy too.
The door creaked again. A dark shape flitted into the open space. Helen sprang to the floor and stood tall, putting her body between Bethany and the shadow figure.
Bethany wanted to crawl under the covers and hide. To cover her ears and pretend like everything was fine. That the shadow would go away.
Except, she understood by now that none of those things worked, so instead, she shook off the fear’s icy grip and peeked. Her breath caught in her chest.
She squeezed her eyes shut, opened them again. No. She wasn’t imagining things.
The shape was too short and too curvy to be the bad man.
Her traumatized heart skipped a beat before pounding double time as Bethany’s deepest hope broke free from its cage. Oh, please. Please.
The intruder moved forward and whispered, so soft that the word floated like a sigh. “Bethany?”
A sigh, or a dream. Just to make extra sure, Bethany pinched her arm, hard enough that the pain made her gasp.
The gasp turned to glee as pure happiness bubbled up her throat and spilled out, echoing as loud as a door slam in the quiet night air. Bethany clapped her hands over her mouth, while both Helen and the shadow woman froze.
They looked so silly, like they were in the middle of a game of freeze tag, that another giggle tried to break free. Bethany trapped the hot breath in her palm as joy threatened to spill over.
Helen repositioned herself in front of Bethany, spreading her arms wide. “Who are you?” The whisper sounded like a snake.
Silly Helen. She didn’t need to protect Bethany now.
Too excited to stay still any longer, Bethany scrambled around Helen’s side, pride lifting her chin. Even so, she used her best whisper voice. “That’s my mama.”
“Your...mother?”
“Let’s worry about introductions later.” Mama peered over her shoulder before edging closer. “Right now, we need to get the hell out of here.”
Helen didn’t budge. “And just how do you plan on doing that?”
“Easy.” She put her finger to her lips. “Through the front door.”
Mama took another step forward, and the strip of light from the window washed over her, giving her whole body a soft glow, like an angel or an actual superhero.
Her mama was here. She’d kept her promise, just like Bethany had known she would.
Safe. She was finally safe again.
“Baby.” Her mother held out a hand, and with a tiny sob, Bethany raced forward.
“Mama!”
She reached for that hand, shuddering with relief when their fingertips grazed. Bethany gathered strength in her weak legs, but before she could launch herself at her mama’s chest, a crash shattered the night. Quick as a cat, Mama whirled, and the only thing Bethany’s hand touched was air.
Helen screamed. “Get down!”
Bethany tried to move, but her legs were too stiff, her feet stuck to the floor. Mama grabbed her around the waist, and they flew across the room, twisting in the air as a bang rattled the walls.
The air rushed out of her lungs when she landed on her mother’s chest. She was still gasping as another explosion rocked the room. The doorframe shattered.
Bethany ducked her head to keep splinters from stabbing her face. Too late, because something warm and wet splattered on her cheeks and into her open mouth. The taste reminded Bethany of sucking on a penny or when a tooth fell out, and she stuck her tongue in the empty socket.
Oh no.
Hand shaking, she scrubbed at the liquid and opened her eyes.
She couldn’t see it well, but she knew she’d just swallowed someone’s blood.
Don’t let it be Mama’s.
Bethany pushed up onto her hands and knees and dry-heaved as someone turned the light on in the room. Still gagging and blinking against the sudden glare, she lifted her head in time to catch Helen launch herself, her hands curled into claws, at the person in the doorway.
“You bastard, how dare you hurt my daughter! You deserve to rot in hell for eternity!”
As Helen scratched at Doctor Rotten’s face and neck, Bethany’s mama sprang to her feet and lunged forward, but pulled up short two steps in.
Why? Why is Mama stopping?
Bethany scrambled to her knees, to cheer Mama on, but a flash of metal froze her tongue to her teeth. Her gaze locked on the gun as Doctor Rotten swung his hand wide.
Bethany tried to scream as the gun shimmered in the moonlight before slamming into Helen’s skull with a sickening thud. She flew
