Page 2 of Reign

She presses a firm kiss to my forehead and stands. Her steps are quick.

Too quick.

I follow her to the door, but she’s faster. The door slams shut.

A key turns in the old lock from the other side.

No.

I grab the knob and twist, but it doesn’t move.

She locked me in.

The lights flicker once, then go out.

I wait for the generator to start humming the way it does during storms.

It doesn’t.

Then the pounding starts at the front door.

I hit the ground the way Papa taught me and crawl to the window. Slowly, carefully, I peek outside.

Two men drag Mamma toward a black SUV.

I want to scream. I want to bang on the glass. I want to tell them to stop.

But Mamma said to call Papa.

I grab her phone and dial.

It rings.

And rings.

They toss Mamma into the car.

Voicemail. I dial again. Voicemail.

“Please, Papa,” I whisper.

The room gets darker.

At first, I keep calling. Again and again and again until the phone feels hot in my hand and my voice sounds funny.

Maybe Papa’s phone is dead.

Maybe he’s driving.

Maybe he just can’t hear it.

I leave another voicemail because maybe this time he’ll hear how scared I sound and come faster.

When the sun starts to go down, orange light spills through the curtains in thin stripes across the floor. I sit with my knees pulled to my chest and stare at them moving slowly, until the room turns dim.

My stomach hurts.

I’m hungry.