Page 4 of Kane

Police uniform. And he’s holding a gun.

Did he shoot Mama?

Did he kill her?

He points his gun at the closet.

At me.

“Someone in the closet,” he says.

“Detective, we’ve got something down here!” someone shouts.

But Jasper doesn’t answer. He keeps his gun on me and I can’t look away, staring at the barrel like it’s a black hole about to swallow me up.

My leg feels wet and warm, and my heart is racing.

I think he’s going to shoot me.

Part of me wants him to. Because if he shot Mama…

Then I can be like her.

We can be together. Forever.

The door opens and light pours in, blinding me.

Is this the light Mama talks about? The one you see before you die?

I don’t know. All I know is something smells horrible, my pants are wet, and I feel tears pouring down my face and I can barely see a thing.

Where is Daddy?

Where did he go?

Did he leave me here, alone?

“Fucking hell,” Jasper says. “How long have you been in there?” he asks, but I can’t seem to find my voice. Heavy footsteps sound up the stairs, racing with urgency.

“Got three bodies, boss.”

Bodies? In my house? I don’t understand.

But there’s a part of me that does, I think. They said bodies.

Large arms pick me up, and I feel my body shake. The light fades to shadow and shadow fades to light as Jasper’s familiar scent fills my lungs. More warmth spreads in my undies and I’m suddenly very cold. Shivering, almost.

“Kane,” he says, his voice softer, almost a whisper. “It’s okay. It’s me, Jasper.”

My eyes tighten, tears pouring down them.

“I’m here, now everything’s going to be okay. Open your eyes,” Jasper says, but I can’t. Mama said I needed to keep them closed, and I didn’t listen. I need to listen now.

I need to be her best boy, if it’s the last thing I do…

I shake my head. “Mama said no… no matter what,” I squeak.

“Social worker’s here,” someone says.