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“You’ve been acting out,” Mama says, taking hold of my wrist. “I don’t know how else to help you and God knows your father’s not here to help. Bastard couldn’t take raising two spoiled and evil little girls, such as yourself.”
She tugs me toward the house and when I realize where we’re going, I fight against her.
My lungs restrict, the air refusing to slip past my throat.
“Missy, tell her I didn’t do it,” I beg, looking back over my shoulder, but Missy just stands beside poor Floof, her gaze unfeeling.
Cold.
Thud.
“Mama, please?” I beg as she tugs me toward that dark place where my nightmares live. “Please.”
Thud.
“It’s time you spent a little while in the closet, Hannah.” Her piercing brown gaze shoots back at me over her shoulder and she only tightens her grip. “Maybe it will fix you.”
Thud.
I blink up at the stars on my ceiling.
Thud.
The knock startles me awake
Something is knocking against a wall.
I scrub a hand over my eyes, sitting up in bed and staring around my room.
Everything’s in place. It’s just Missy and I in the house and there’s a guard outside the gate.
Still, the even thump against the wall continues, like a bass drum from somewhere near.
I suck in a deep breath, slipping from the bed and tugging the flannel tighter around me.
It doesn’t even smell like him, anymore, but it’s become a source of safety in the darkness and I’ll be damned if I play Detective Hannah without it.
I slip into the darkness of the hallway, swallowing the sound of my heartbeat thumping in my ears and listening for the sound.
Missy’s room.
I’ve tried to speak to her this week, but she refuses to come out of her room.
I’ve seen her once and that was only when I caught her sneaking back with something to eat, long after I was supposed to have gone to bed.
Mom’s gone, so she’s no help. I don’t know where Marcus Parker is, but I haven’t seen him since the Christmas gala. EvenMichael has been scarce and he’s staying with his parents in their LA mansion for the holidays.
“Missy?” I tap on her door, but the only answer is a resoundingthud. Carefully, I push the door open and stand back as the darkness looms at me like a monster from within is daring me to take another step. “Missy? Are you okay?”
I’m ashamed of the tremor in my voice because it means that my earlier suspicions are correct.
I’m terrified of my sister.
Cautiously, I take a step into the room, searching for the sound of the banging, but she’s not in her bed. I cover my nose, the sickly sweet scent of something herbal mixed with unwashed skin filling my nostrils.
“Miss—”
I freeze. Missy is on the floor near the corner of her room, a little bottle sitting beside her while she bangs her head against the wall, muttering something under her breath.
