I plead and scream at the monster who grabbed me in the night and pulled me into the shadows with him.
I fight. Bucking and clawing to no avail.
He’s too strong, and I’m much too weak.
His meaty hands wrap around my throat, squeezing tighter every time I attempt to fight him off again.
So I quit trying. I stop fighting. Giving in to the monster as I stare up at the stars, silently begging for it to be over.
His hateful, dark eyes stare daggers down at me, beckoning me to stay quiet. His wicked lips moan in his own twisted pleasure until he’s finished with me. He stands, hovering above me. The zipper to his pants is loud in the deafening silence surrounding us. I can’t move. He puts himself together again, leaving me broken beyond repair on the cold, damp earth with no one but the stars as witness.
“Thanks for that. Get home safe.” He winks at me before strutting back into the light of the world without a care in the world.
The last thing I see is a shooting star, falling to the earth in a heap of flames. I have no wishes left in me. Salt tears streak down my face and into my ears as raindrops cascade softly fromthe sky above.
Maybe they’re weeping for me, too.
I jerk awake, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding with terror. I lurch up, dry heaving repeatedly while being haunted by the aftermath of my nightmare.
It’s been years since this has happened.
After I gave my daughter up for adoption, that nightmare plagued me for years. I felt like it was my punishment for abandoning her, even if I still believe she’s safer without me. They still haven’t caught my attacker, and I won’t risk him ever finding her.
My mind and body felt as if they were constantly reliving that moment every night until I told Lee what happened. Nobody in my life knew about it. I didn’t want them to see me as this poor, broken girl. I’ve been fighting those demons for years, and I’ll be damned if I let that monster define who I am.
After I confided in Lee about the attack, the nightmares stopped.
Until now.
I take a few deep breaths, reminding myself I’m not really back there. That the weight of his body, the stench of his breath, and the pressure between my legs isn’t real. It’s in my head. Only a memory. Repeating my mantras as my therapist taught me years ago.
I reach over, searching for Lee. His presence always seems to ground me faster than my own head does.
My heart grinds to a stop when I don’t feel my husband’s body next to mine. Instead of feeling the warmth and safety he brings me, my hand is met with nothing but air. Panic claws its way up my throat as I struggle to take in my surroundings.
This isn’t my room, and I’m definitely not in bed at Windermere. I’m lying on a firm cot inside a tent, the fabric walls around me glowing with a flickering light.
My head pounds fiercely as I try to stand. The red lacy dress does nothing to protect me from the frigid air. I fall back onto the cot, wrapping the small, pitiful excuse for a blanket around me. A painful moan escapes my lips as my head pounds viciously. Shutting my eyes, I try in earnest to piece together what happened last night while my world spins around me.
Lee.
My eyes fly open again. I jump to my feet, swallowing the bile that still lingers in my throat. The last thing I remember is Lee’s panicked expression when the smoke filled the room.
Who drugged us? Is this another one of Pierce’s games? If so, I’m going to pummel that stupid grin off his face the moment I get my hands on him.
There’s a plastic bag sitting on the end of the cot. I grab it and tear into it. Inside, I find a change of clothing, shoes, a flashlight, and a letter addressed tome. I change into the outfit and slip my feet into the sneakers, tying the laces tight before picking up the letter.
My darling Capri,
This isn’t how I wanted to meet the mother of my only niece, but life rarely works out the way you wish.
Yes, that’s right, my dear. We share more than just our love for the twisted and macabre.
My little brother is the one responsible for your darkest and most coveted secret—your daughter.
You see, my brother was never great at being told no. Unfortunately, you found that out the hardest of ways, and for that, I honestly do apologize. Our father was a wretched man, and his sons take after him in more ways than one.
My father was obsessed with filling in our family tree as best he could, so much so that all the children were required to submit a saliva sample to one of those genetic testing sites that are all the rage these days.
