Page 117 of Locke 2

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“Kali.”

I dozed off, and there was some respite in that. I didn’t feel the pain when I’d been under, nor did I have to hear the silence as it toyed with me in the dark.

I opened my eyes. Against the backdrop of blackness was my little sister in her blue dress, standing before us. My hold around Lenny tightened.

Wary, I looked up at her. “Aurora, what are you doing?”

“It’s my birthday teacup party, silly,” she said and offered me her teacup.

I raised my sore arm and took it. I brought it to my lips and took a pretend sip. She skipped around the room and then her table appeared. The cake was sitting on it, ready to be eaten.

“It looks like a dream,” she squealed, clasping her hands tightly with excitement.

I cracked a smile. “It was supposed to be a surprise. You wanted a unicorn for a cake, and I just had enough to pay for it.”

“I love it, Kali. You’re the best sister.”

My smile widened. “I’m so happy you like it—”

She disappeared before I even finished, taking with her the cake. My heart dropped. She wasn’t real. I held Lenny tighter. He didn’t stir.

“Are you okay, buddy?” I asked.

He didn’t answer, but his chest moved up and down. I didn’t want to let him go, but I needed to know if there were steps or a ladder of sorts leading to the door. I hadn’t felt it when the doctor had dropped me, and my anxiety hitched when I considered there wasn’t one.

I detached from Lenny and had him lay on his side. Then I stretched my arms out, feeling the cold cement floor. I grittedmy teeth, fighting back a scream as shockwaves of pain cut through me.

I moved inch after inch along the hole, feeling the walls and floor, trying to find something to climb or walk up, but there was nothing.

The scent of my blood was overwhelming, drowning out the smell of soil and mildew. I continued to stretch my hand out, hoping to find something—

“Did you think you could get away from me!” he screamed, his angry face appearing from out of the darkness. I held in my scream and shuffled back, watching as my father stalked towards me, his monstrous eyes peering into mine.

I felt too faint to respond.

My eyes were wide as saucers, my body trembling.

“You’re the only one that made it out,” he barked as he circled around me, his giant frame larger than I’d remembered him to be. He wore the same clothes he’d died in. The jeans and white grimy shirt stained with the blood of my mother and sister.

He stood over me, his face turning vicious as he growled, “But you didn’t really make it out, did you?”

I didn’t answer.

I didn’t want him to know he was right.

He suddenly came at me, his hands stretched out to choke me—

He disappeared into the blackness, and I collapsed on my back, breathing hard and fast, my chest vibrating with silentsobs. I buried my face into my hands, wanting to surrender to the dark and let my father win. I didn’t care. I didn’t want to feel this way again. This fucking hurt, and the regret—

“Don’t cry,” Aurora said, appearing at my side. “It wasn’t your fault.”

I shook my head and dropped my hands to look at her. My breath stilled and I could have died right there at the sight of her. At all the blood flowing down her face. The giant hole in her skull visible. Her blue dress utterly ruined. Her face was pale from death, but she smiled at me anyway, and it was haunting, but I couldn’t look away.

I wanted to shuffle away from her. To not have to see it like I did when I’d stepped into her bedroom to find him dead, to find her body next to him. He’d pulled her out. He’d said something to her—

“What did he say to you?” I implored, desperately. “Please tell me.”

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