Page 19 (1/2)

Ten Years Prior

PIERCING BLUE EYES FULL OF shock and terror fly open the second I open the closet in her tiny roos and I findso hard, a pink polka-dotted bunny stuffed in her mouth as she tries toof her heartbeat sla a pair of pink paja her warht and I know if I touch her hand, they’ll be as cold as ice

She scoots back further into the closet, bu into a few pink toys that look older than me in her effort to put space between us She pushes the closer, so I proceed with caution

Holy shit, she was here this whole time?

Mygirl was a witness to the devastation just below

“No, hey, I’m here to help; I’m a police officer” I coo at her as I reach a hand out for her Her skin is pale, but you can’t tell due to how red and blotchy her face is The only part of her face that isn’t red are her lips which look slightly blue from the arctic temperatures of her bedrooo down her back and her blue eyes are swi with tears She blinks several times as she lets the bunny fall from her mouth

“Mah pitched and I can hear the tears building in her throat Shebad was happening

But how much does she know?

Did she see the tragedy unfold?

Did she witness her father murder her mother?

I clear ure out how to explain the gruesome scene downstairs to a terrified child

I hear commotion downstairs and I know it’s the fire depart the preot called in over the radio, everyone reported for duty

I’ve been in the police force for just under a year, after gettinga year fucking around, wondering what the hell I wanted to do with est on the force in Ferrell County inside a son The town had a few more than three thousand people and it definitely isn’tbeen born and raised in Portland, but this is where they need me