Page 107 of Roses and Skulls

I turn the corner and walk alongside a brick building when I find the source of the sound. It is indeed a windchime, hanging from a broken-down porch across the street.

When I hear Draven yelling for me, I glance around, looking for a place to hide. My eyes widen as I backup, staring at the brick wall that was beside me. It’s a sunset, just like the one on my bedroom wall. I choke, covering my hand with my mouth. Mom. Oh God, mom. I need you.

It happened to me too. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I let it happen to me too.

“Jesse?” a man asks from behind me.

When I spin around to face him, his eyes widen. “Shit,” he whispers.

I don’t say anything, I just stare at him in confusion.

He looks confused too.

“Are you Jesse’s daughter?” he asks cautiously.

As I’m nodding, we both turn our heads abruptly, hearing Draven’s call for me.

The man acts quickly, taking me gently by the arm and hurrying us behind the building. His hands shake as he uses his keys to open a door. He ushers me inside, closing and locking it behind us.

It’s dark and I start to shrink away, blinking when he turns the light on.

“Shit,” he says again.

He follows my gaze to the locked door.

“I’m not going to hurt you, honey. I’m friends with your mom. I’ll call her, okay?”

I don’t say anything.

“Here, why don’t you sit, and I’ll get you some water.” He urges me to a chair, smiling kindly as I lower myself onto it.

He walks into another room and comes back with a bottle of water. I take it and sign thank you, not able to find my words.

The man seems to know what I’m saying.

“You’re welcome, hun. I’ll call your mom now.”

My eyes roam over the space and see there are paint cans and boxes of tools, it looks like the back of a hardware store.

“Hey, this is Samuel over in Trap, not sure if you remember me.” He pauses. “Yeah, I’m looking for Jesse and this is the only number I could think of to reach her.”

Samuel seems like a nice guy. I set the bottle of water on the floor and notice the blood on my hands, I pull my knees to my chest and tuck them between my legs. And then I rest my head, trying my best to keep it together in front of Sam.

“Her daughter is here… um, I found her outside the store.” I hear him sigh. “Yeah, Dan. You know I’d do anything for Jess. I’ll keep her safe. See you soon.”

When he gets off the phone, I feel him sit down in the chair next to me. “Dan is coming for you, hun.”

I nod against my knees.

He doesn’t try to talk to me after that. I hear him roll his chair over to a desk and shuffle papers around.

I try to think about what I’m going to tell Dan when he gets here.

I have nothing.

How do I explain what happened?

The blood.

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