Page 131 of Salute, To Bravery
“One.”
I looked around the room and saw nothing I could move.
“Two.”
I looked around for something I could use to protect myself, but all I could find were dolls.
“Three…”
There was a pause, and the foot tapping stopped. I held my breath hoping that he would forget that I was here.
“Open this goddamn door right now.”
I opened my closet door and closed the door when I sat down in the dark. I hated the dark. I hated the unknown.
Tears fell as I heard banging. A shiver ran down my back. The banging continued for what seemed like a long time until the door finally caved.
“Where are you?”
I put my hand over my mouth and looked through the cracks of the door.
He looked underneath the bed, then the other bed where my sister used to sleep.
Then we heard a knock on the front door. My father walked out of the room. A few moments later, I heard yelling.
“You need to stop,” Robert said. “I know that it’s hard, but—”
“You don’t know how hard.” His voice was full of stones, it sounded almost scratchy. “You never will. Now get out.”
“Not until—”
“I SAID GET OUT!”
“Noah,” I heard Robert. “Don’t do this.”
“I have nothing left.”
I heard a boom, and then a crash. I heard another loud sound and another collapse.
The room went silent. I couldn’t hear anyone breathing or walking. After a few minutes of sitting in silence, I got up andwalked out of the room and let out a scream when I saw red liquid spilling out of Robert and my father.
???
I wake up, shaking and sweaty. I looked around my room for any signs of a dead body. My eyes wandered to my large hands, and I realized that I was safe. I wasn’t in my old childhood house. I was in Seattle.
I got up and paced again. I hadn’t had a nightmare in ages. Panic fled into every movement that I made. Calling my father was out of the question; he always had his phone on silent. I wasn’t that close to Leanne yet. Luna—well, she wouldn’t understand. The only person left was Ophelia. My panic started to heighten at the thought of calling her.
What if this is too much for her?
What if she won’t understand?
My mind kept repeating the what-ifs. It felt like I was all alone. I grabbed my phone and went downstairs.
I can do this.
I took a deep breath and called her.
???
