| |
I winced as I put the cold rag to my bleeding, scraped-up knee and washed dirt from the wound. I sat on the toilet seat while Tadd, arms folded, leaned against the doorjamb and glared at me.
He walked over and slugged me in the arm. I think he put all his anger and energy into that punch, and he did it while wearing his bulky school ring. It felt like a bullet, and I knew the spot would swell into a large purple bruise.
“That’s for sneaking out of the house. It’s not going to happen again. When you’re done putting Band-Aids on, get your ass to the living room.”
When I got to the living room, he made me sit in a corner, away from the TV. “Don’t move from that spot!”
“What if I need to pee?”
“I’ll bring you a bucket.”
I sighed and did my time. I sobbed on the inside, not wanting him to see, as I thought about Dawn and the trouble she was in. The whole town would be in an uproar looking for her. I only hoped they had the sense to go to the Crooked House first.
But there I sat, grounded to a corner—helpless. With nothing but my worry to keep me company, I wondered what Beaumont’s plan was. It was crazy to think that while under so much scrutiny he would risk everything to continue to steal people, including children, and bring them to that house. But desperation made people do crazy things. Like Lester had said, he couldn’t wait any longer. The Tormentor was after them, and they planned to feed Dawn to them. Does that mean what I think it means? I couldn’t let myself imagine it. One thing was certain: once they had everyone into this world, they would disappear. The next day, they would be long gone.
An hour into my sentence, I asked Tadd if I could use the restroom.
He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Fine. Make it quick.”
I walked past the bathroom and into my parents’ room.
“Hey! Bathroom’s right there!” he yelled.
“I’m using Mom’s bathroom.”
“Fine! Go!”
In my parents’ room, I plopped onto their bed, grabbed the phone off the nightstand, and called the police station.
“Riverton Police,” Doreen answered on the third ring.
“Hey, Doreen, is Sheriff Packard there?”
“He’s not here, Ret. He has a lot on his plate today. Anything I can help you with?”
I sank, defeated. The sheriff was my only chance. As my thoughts raced, I was silent.
“Ret? You still there?”
“Yes, sorry, Doreen. Will you please tell him I called? It’s urgent. Just have him call me as soon as you can.”
“Yes. I will.”
The phone ripped out of my hands and shot backward as Tadd yanked on the cord. He was pissed. He slugged me again, and this time, he tied my arms up with rope and told me if I had to pee or shit, I would have to go in my own pants and sit in it until Mom got home. Things couldn’t get worse.