We down the shots and throw our discarded limes on the plate before us. I intertwine my hand with hers and wait for her to tell me the truth.
Part One
The Past
Chapter Four
EVIE
“Sacrifice” by London After Midnight
“Mom. Dad. I’m home.” I slam the door and hear my parents calling me from the kitchen. I see a young teacher who works with my parents in the kitchen with them.
“Hey, Eves. This is Rebekah. She is one of the new teachers who recently started working at the school.” The young woman, who can’t be over twenty-two, waves at me.
“Hey, Evie. It’s nice to meet you.” She looks like she could be friends with Emma and me from high school instead of teaching in one.
“Hi. So nice to meet you, too.” I look at Mom, wondering what the girl is doing here. Tomorrow is the big day when we leave for Mexico, and we really don’t have time to entertain guests. We should be packing and planning our exit out of here.
Mom senses my thoughts and looks over at my dad.
“Evie, Rebekah here will be house-sitting for us indefinitely. She is new to the area and needs a place to stay. She doesn’t have any family to help her, and I thought since we would be taking asabbatical, we could use someone to care for things while we are gone.”
I shake my head, contemplating this, and agree with a nod that this is not a bad idea. I wonder if she told anyone. Not sparing another thought about this anymore and trusting that Mom has everything taken care of, I look around. “Guys, where’s Emma?” I attempt to walk out and call for her, but my mom stops me.
“Evie, she left a few minutes ago. You missed her.”
My face falls as I hope it wasn’t with who I think it is.
“Who did she leave with, and where did she go?” I say, trying to control my rage.
My parents look at me, and before they answer, I know she’s with Julian. They don’t even have to tell me to confirm what I know to be the worst possible circumstance.
“She’ll be fine, Evie. They just went out to dinner. She’ll be home before you know it, and you guys can get packed together.”
I gulp down the feeling of impending doom I have and chalk it up to my usual anxiety, nothing more. But this feels so different. It feels like something ominous is looming over the house, shrouding us in darkness. I shiver at the coldness that runs through me and my skin breaks out in goose bumps.
“O-kay,” I say, but the words get lodged in my throat, making it hard to get out.
Just then, the doorbell rings, and I look worriedly at my parents. My mother sighs.
“It’s just pizza, Evie. I ordered your favorite. Why don’t you go get your bag packed, and then you can grab a couple of slices and show Rebekah around before Emma gets back.”
Rebekah looks from my mother and then back to me, trying to get a read of the room. If she guessed secrets, so many secrets… then ding, ding, ding, we have a winner.
I nod, wanting to escape the mixed stares I am getting from my parents and Rebekah. I trot up the stairs, quickly close the door, and grab my emergency backpack from the closet. Since my assault a few years ago, I have always been prepared in the event of an emergency, and this threat with Julian on my sister has caused me to take extra precautions.
I’m throwing some of my favorite toiletries I can’t live without into my bag when I hear a thud, as if something has fallen. I stop packing, standing motionless, waiting to hear anything else—voices, footsteps, but nothing but silence.
“What the fuck was that?” I say aloud as I come to my senses and run out of the room, but not before grabbing my backpack and heading down the stairs.
I drop my bag when I get to the kitchen and gasp as I bring my hands up to my mouth in horror at the sight before me. My mom has her face in her slice of pizza. My dad is on the floor, and Rebekah is leaning backward in the chair. I don’t have to look any further because I know with certainty that they are dead.
I stand there in shock, looking at them, unable to move. That is until I see movement in the slider patio door. It opens swiftly, and a black figure enters and shuts the door behind him.
I pick up my bag and run back toward the front door. I’ve seen too many horror movies to know that I will get trapped and suffer a similar fate as my parents if I head upstairs and lock myself in my bedroom, somehow ensuring my demise.
“Evie,” I hear my name called, and that stops me in my tracks. “Wait, it’s me.”
