A step closer, situating me in the center of the room, uncovers what rests in her lap.
Noah.
And a gun.
One of her arms cradles Noah’s head, and her other rests on his stomach with the small gun in her hand. The barrel points at Noah’s sleeping face.
My hands stretch forward as I plead, “Alice, don’t hurt him. Please. Not him.” I’d rip my heart from my chest and serve it to her on a platter if it meant she’d let him go. But it’s as if she can’t hear me…
Just like Seth.
“Rock a bye baby, in the sweet bed,
When the man comes, the child will dread.
When the man leaves, the child will cry,
And down will come Noah, down from the sky.”
With another small step forward, Alice’s hand holding the gun swings in my direction. The black hole of the barrel aims at my chest.
“I’ll give you anything you want. Anything. Just let Noah go.”
Alice’s head steadily turns to me. An ear-to-ear smile covers half her face as if someone permanently etched it into her skin.
Just like Seth.
Her eyes are blown wide, wider than what is normally possible. Healed cuts decorate her arms. Those weren’t there seven years ago.
A crash from downstairs causes me to flinch. It’s followed by shouts.
“Raven! Raven! Where are you?” Griffin’s voice shines a tiny light on the fear darkening my sight.
I open my mouth to answer, but Alice brings the barrel of the gun to her lips, using it like someone would their index finger.
“Shhhhhh.” Then she trains the gun back on Noah, standing with him propped against her shoulder and walking to the open window beside her.
A tremor vibrates through my body, weakening my knees. I have to lock them to keep myself from collapsing to the floor.
Heavy footsteps thunder up the stairs, but their tempo has nothing on my racing pulse.
“Raven, what’s going…” Knox’s words trail off behind me as he and Griffin take in the scene unfolding in Noah’s room.
“Please, Alice. Hurt me. Point the gun at me. Not him.”
She looks down at Noah and continues singing.
“From your slate rooftop, down to the wood.
By now you can tell, I’m up to no good.
One little shove is all it would take,
To see how sweet Noah’s small neck would break.”
Whimpers fall from my quivering lips. “D-don’t. Take me. Please, Alice. Pl-please.” I’ve survived so much, lived through somuch. I’ve been able to keep going, but if I lose him, I won’t come back from that.
I take another step forward, but she stops me with a shake of her head.
