THE WEATHER THROUGH THE rotted curtains was on the verge of calamity. Raven had been truthful about the threat of oncoming snow. At first when her sister had fled to the small bedroom, Keelyn’s thoughts were on escape. She’d scanned the room for where Raven might have placed the key for the lock to her chain. The dark clouds and hazy sheets in the distance caused her survival instinct to kick in. But even if she broke free, which was better? Alone on the mountain with few clothes and no food and water, or stuck in a hovel with a potential killer?
Then there was the added heaviness in her chest. Keelyn reached under her clothes and felt the edges of the dressing on her left side. Under her skin was what felt like air bubbles and they popped like Rice Krispies when she pressed. She inhaled deeply but the pain at her side stopped her mid-breath.
Had her lung collapsed again? Her heart quickened at the thought of running. Her injury along with the weather was as good a restraint as the shackle on her leg.
Raven’s reaction to learning of the young men’s deaths perplexed Keelyn. Her body language spoke of betrayal and confusion. Nothing made sense anymore, and Keelyn’s usual confidence about her ability to read people began to waver. Then again, psychosis wasn’t supposed to make sense.
Her heart ached for Lee. For his calm presence. For the warmth of his body to take this bone-chilling cold away. In her mind, she pictured his blue eyes, his tousled blond hair, and the ease of his smile.
Keelyn stood from the rocker. Within one step, the chain was taut. When she leaned toward the table, her imprisoned leg in the air as she stretched the length of her body toward her lifeline, her fingers reached the edge but were still too far away to grab the phone. She eased back to think.
The phone sat at the opposite edge.
It was a circular table.
Keelyn leaned out again, nothing as graceful as a ballerina but effective enough for the task at hand. Slowly, she turned the table and kept an eye on Raven for any movement. Through the door, Raven’s crying had ceased, and Keelyn wondered if she had fallen asleep.
A few pulls and Keelyn was able to finger the phone into her palm.
She eased back into the rocker. The phone was turned off. Likely the reason they hadn’t been able to ping her location if Raven sent a few texts then powered it down. The search radius would be large, anyway.
Keelyn turned the phone on, and her heart sank when the four frames came up to insert the access code. What could it possibly be? Keelyn didn’t know Sophia’s birthday. Considering Raven’s feelings about motherhood, the odds of it having anything to do with Sophia would be unlikely.
She’d keyed in Raven’s birthday.
Wrong passcode.
She marched through all the children in Raven’s family, alive and dead.
Try Again.
Parents.
Phone Disabled. Try again in one minute.
Keelyn tapped her fingers on the glass.
What held significance for Raven? When did all her trouble start? It was that day when their father held them hostage. She’d insinuated something unspeakable had happened in the house after Keelyn was rescued.
She keyed in the year.
No.
The date.
Yes.
Anxious energy pulsed through her nerves. She silently fist-pumped her success. Glancing back to the phone, she checked the signal.
One measly bar.
She pulled the phone close and through quick trial and error was able to access the text messages. There were several between Lee and Raven.
There seemed to be a countdown looming. Raven had texted him originally 48 hours. She was malicious with her threats. Taunting Lee to find her. She kept referencing the beginning. The beginning of everything.
How could Lee possibly determine that meant her mother’s childhood home?
Keelyn brought up the keyboard and with numb fingers began to key her location to Lee.
She hit send.
Message not delivered.
Tears broached her lower eyelids. She keyed the message in again.
Message sent.
Relief flooded over her. Accessing the system again, she deleted evidence of her attempts to reach Lee in case it angered Raven. She waited several minutes for Lee to text back. Something to reassure her he’d received her location. That he was on his way.
Nothing.
She dialed 911.
The call dropped.
Raven stirred in the bed. Keelyn powered off the phone and stood. More movement from the small bedroom. Keelyn’s heart fluttered as she reached out and slid the phone across the table.
It teetered close to the edge and threatened to fall off.
Keelyn sat down.
The phone stayed put. Raven turned in her direction.
Their eyes met.
And as the sun finally set and darkness filled the small home, it appeared Keelyn had one day left to live.