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It ide open

Gooseflesh traveled up my arms and dread bloo in the splintered wood on the doorfra from inside

It was quiet;

I cautiously approached, diggingI kneithout a doubt that so but I also knew better than to call the police

It had been drilled into e: never involve local law enforceo bad

I paused just inside the kitchen doorway and took in the disrepair The fridge was pulled out from its nook, its contents strewn across the floor, joined bythe cabinets barren

It took h the entire house and make it down the hall toroom had been flipped over

Couch cushions were gutted savagely, and the television screen was s my entry into the house

Dank water from the broken fish tank soaked the Berber carpet and peroldfish lay lifeless, their underbellies turning milk white My aunt’s bedroo it the rest of the way in, preparing myself for the worst

The rooarettes The blood sprayed across the headboard hadThe bullet holes in the back of her head hadin its cavity Her frilly slip was in tatters, barely hanging on her body

Her underas down around her ankles and dark bruises marred every inch of her exposed flesh From where I stood, it looked like the entire left side of her face had been beaten in I backed up, et out of the roo its way up my throat

“This can’t be happening” I choked on a sob and frantically scrolled through my contact list until I found the name of the person I’d fervently prayed I would never have to call

It was on the second ring that I realized I had no idea where my sister was