“Whathappenedto Cyrus?” I howl, my voice splintering into a sob. My nostrils flare, and my face hardens as I contain a scream. A metallic tang floods my mouth as I bite into my lip. My fists squeeze tighter, shaking with the urge to pound against my pop’s chest until he tells me exactly what happened. I need every excruciating detail, even if it tears me apart.
We reach a stalemate, neither of us willing to be the first to back down. Mama’s face is pure dread, watching from the sidelines. I’d forgotten she’s still standing there, surprised she hasn’t fled the room yet. Fresh outrage blooms inside me, whipping my head to her. “Didyouknow about this?”
“You leave Kate outta this!” Pop roars, moving around the table at lightning speed until he’s inches from me. My mama’s face falls into her hands, and she rocks back and forth, beginning to cry. The rage deflates from Pop’s voice like a burst balloon. “I don’t know exactly what happened to him, and I don’t wanna either. Elias said he came home after y’all had a fight, and that’s all I’ve heard of him since.”
“You’re lying!” I shriek, throwing the words at him like daggers. I flail my arms wildly, growing increasingly hystericalas different scenarios play out in my mind. “You expect me to believe that after everything else you lied about?”
“Elias called me up tha next day,” my pop confesses, his face draining of color. “Told me I wouldn’t be seeing his boy around anymore. I didn’t ask questions. I’ve buried enough of his secrets.”
“Elias fucking killed him!” Tears flow down my face like hot, salty rivers. “And you might as well have. You let him fucking get away with it!”
“Don’t you dare curse at me, Jace Anne!” Pop scolds, his spittle landing on my face. “I ain’t gettin’ involved in any more Gibson bullshit.”
“And now Cyrus is dead!” A primal scream bubbles up from my throat. The fragile hold over my temper vanishes. I snatch a plate off the table, slamming it to the floor. Glass shatters, sending small shards ricocheting in all directions. A small piece bounces off Mama’s house shoes, and she yelps as though it’s sliced her foot open.
Time slows, like we’re moving through a room full of molasses. My pop raises his hand, delivering a slap to my cheek. The smack echoes through the room as pain zips through me like a lightning bolt. I stagger backwards, filled with pain from both the action and the shock of who delivered it.
Before I can process what I’m doing, my body turns, and I’m bolting from the room. My original plan turns to ash, burnt to the ground by the sting of my pop’s hand against my face. I manage to have enough wherewithal to grab my boots from the mud rack, but I don’t take the time to put them on before flying out the front door. My bare feet crunch through the fresh snow, the bitter cold stinging them with each step. I don’t know where I’m going, but I know I can’t stay here a second longer. My legs pump faster, focusing solely on putting more distance between me and my pop.
I don’t stop. I don’t look back. I just run.
21
JACE
Every tendon pulls painfully tight, my muscles burning as I push myself to run faster into the woods. The harsh winter air freezes me down to the bone, making my limbs throb as my heart struggles to deliver blood to them. Twisted patches of bramble and broken branches break free from the snow like gnarled hands, reaching to drag me into their frozen tomb until spring. The wind wails, whistling through the trees and begging me to turn back.
I can’t. Iwon’t. There’s nothing left for me there except the same lies, but I refuse to ignore them anymore. The impact of my pop’s palm is still hot, the inflamed skin stinging as my tears slide across it, a painful reminder of what will be back home waiting for me.
Trees surround me, a thick expanse of them stretching out in all directions. Each path forward is indistinguishable from the next. As long as I keep going straight, I’m certain I’ll find the Gibson home. I struggle to get my bearings, fighting to stay present through the turmoil coursing through me. Speaking directly with Elias is my only chance to know the truth. I can’t continue to live underneath the rock of my family’s secrets, constantly suffocated by burdens not my own.
I stop to catch my breath, leaning against a tree. My raspy exhales come out as white plumes, briefly warming my face before they dissipate. With only a thin long sleeve shirt and jeans to cover me, my body shivers uncontrollably. I drop my boots, and my hand spasms from the movement. Gritting my teeth through the discomfort, I slip each one on. Lacing them takes longer, the small motions painful as my fingers grow increasingly stiff. Once my feet are safely tucked into my boots, I wiggle my toes just to confirm I still can.
The glistening white of the pasture is no longer visible behind me. The open space is now filled in by the distorted shadows of the skeletal trees. Soon, the last bit of sunlight will be gone, and the already freezing temperature will rapidly become a death sentence. I need to keep going, hoping I can reach Elias’ place before dark.
As I go deeper into the woods, the light dwindles prematurely. I place my hands against the trees to guide me, stumbling through the snow. Branches crack behind me. I freeze, listening while tendrils of fear spread through my overworked nervous system. I squeeze my eyes shut, continuing forward by feeling alone. The noise draws closer. I try to swallow past the tightening of my throat as my heart pounds. It’s just my imagination, the adrenaline of the confrontation wearing off. I slowly open my eyes, holding my breath to listen without the crackle of my own exhales. I know better than to look behind me, but I do anyway to prove to myself there’s nothing there.
Terror twists in my gut as a large, shadowy figure steps from behind a tree onto the path. “Hey,” it calls in my mama’s voice—but it’s all wrong. The tone is strangled and hoarse, like it’s testing out her voice box.
An involuntary scream breaks out of my constricted throat. My legs turn, and I start to run before my body is fully in the same direction. I stumble, tripping over my loosely tied bootlaces. Before I face-plant on the ground, I regain my balance and sprint forward. Dead branches and thorned vines lash at my skin, ripping my shirt as I force my way through them. The creature closes in behind me, dropping to run on all fours. It shouts to me again in a mockery of Mama’s voice. “Jace.”
Black mist fogs the ground. Shadows race parallel to me, snapping out and attempting to circle around my ankles. I’m barely able to pull ahead of them each time they reach for me, grazing my skin with their icy touch. My pulse hammers against my skull, making my vision blurry. Each gulp of air feels like hot knives stabbing my lungs. “Help!” I scream, urgently searching for an escape route. “Please! Help!”
A yellowish glow appears in the distance, becoming steadily larger as I close in on it. A wave of relief washes over me as I burst through the tree line into a clearing, gasping for more oxygen. A small house rests in the center, smoke trailing from its chimney and light shining through one of its windows. A howl from the woods reverberates through the open air, but nothing follows me out from behind the trees.
“Hello?” I yell, full of hope, racing toward my salvation. “I need help!” My knees buckle, and I fall onto the porch steps. I grasp the wooden railing, my legs wobbling uncontrollably as I stand again. My chest seizes, sending me into a coughing fit as I choke on the air my body screams for.
The front door flies open, the suddenness making me almost fall again. Elias steps out, shotgun held in front of him. His head bobbles, scanning all directions for the intruder. When he finally glances down at the steps, a sickening smile twists across his face. His gun lowers, taking a step toward me. “What the fuck do you want?” he bellows, swaying slightly.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, wheezing between words. “I was just…I was just out in the woods, but somethin’ started chasin’ me.” Elias’ smile crumbles, his eyes darkening as they flit up to lookbehind me. Fresh terror oscillates through me, waiting for the creature to snatch me from behind. I turn my head uneasily, looking over my shoulder—but there’s nothing there save for snow swirling in the wind.
“Did ya see it?” he asks frantically, his question full of intense necessity. When I don’t answer immediately, his voice becomes frenzied. He takes another step in my direction. “I said, did ya see it, girl?”
“No,” I lie, shaking my head. Something out there terrifies him too, and I’m too frightened to confirm what I saw. “I just ran until I got here.”
“Did it talk to ya?” Elias inches closer, the scent of whiskey rolling off him in thick waves. My stomach lurches, bile creeping up my throat. His hands reach for me, the gun dropping between us to hang from its sling. Gripping fistfuls of my torn shirt, he shakes me. “It’s important, Jace! Did it talk to ya? Maybe it sounded like someone ya know?”
“I…” My voice quivers, and I break down. “I…I mean… It sounded like my mama but not right. The voice wasn’t quite right.”
