Page 5 of Under the Bed

My fingers dig into the latex of his mask, tighter than ever.

Why did you do it?

I’m confused. Everything hurts.

Judge Gwyneth’s voice cuts through my thoughts. “…not guilty on the offenses charged in the indictment for the cause of insanity, as per the plea bargain.”

“No!” a woman screams.

“Our babies!” another wails, her voice shattered.

Did no one tell them how this would end? Like they told us?

“Order.”Bam! Bam! Bam!The judge slams her gavel.

Kaleb starts to turn toward me. Grayson, with a hand on his nape, silently begs him to look straight. Kaleb growls.

“We didn’t agree to this!” The man drowns out the bailiffs.

People talk and shout. They’re so loud. They’re inside my head.

It’ll explode any second now.

“That’s right!” one of the dads to my right shouts. My heart hammers. Kaleb only shrugs. “We get to have a say in this.”

When the screaming and crying continue, the judge slams the gavel again. “Remove them from my courtroom.”

“We’re the victims’ parents,” the first woman calls out. “You can’t throw us out.”

“Out.” The judge jerks her head. Now that I really look at her, I’m sure I’ve seen her around the house once or twice in the past. She’s one of Daddy’s many friends.

“No! No!”

Scuffling. Growling. Crying.

The room is filled with them.

Then it’s quiet.

So.

Very.

Quiet.

“Please rise.”

The three of them are on their feet.

“Kaleb Leo Blackwood.”

His hands move at his front, closing the buttons of his suit jacket.

The one he won’t be wearing much longer.

Instead of fisting his mask, I hug it to my body. Daddy scoffs at my side, but I ignore him.

I’ll pay for it later.

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