Chapter 4: Betrayal in the Dark

On July 2nd, Dad texted me: Bring this document to my office—urgent.

I didn’t want to go, but with Natalie and Lillian out, I gave in. The sun beat down, the air heavy and close. I slipped on my sneakers and headed out.

Fifteen minutes later, I wished I’d ignored him.

A shadow loomed. Heat shimmered off the cracked sidewalk. Someone grabbed me from behind, rough hands clamping over my mouth and nose. My sneakers scuffed desperately against gravel as I was dragged behind the old train tracks. My world narrowed to the sound of my own breath, the taste of fear on my tongue.

I glimpsed a tattoo on the man’s arm—A&M—before everything went black.

When I woke, the document was shredded beneath me, blood glaring against my skin. The man was gone. I lay there, the world spinning. After a long time, I forced myself up, shaking, and limped home.

One thought pounded in my head: I have to get clean.

Night had fallen. No one noticed my torn clothes, the way I hugged myself. At home, I locked the bathroom door and stripped. Bruises bloomed across my body.

I stood under the shower, hot water stinging my skin, scrubbing until it felt raw. The pain only made the memory sharper. I scrubbed harder, but the filth wouldn’t wash away.

Staring at my battered reflection, I broke down, collapsing on the cold tile, sobbing into the hum of the bathroom fan. My skin burned. Bile rose in my throat—I retched over the toilet until I was empty. My fingers shook, my breath came in ragged gasps.

Eventually, I called Dad. I just needed him to care.

“Dad, I—”

He cut me off: “Where are you? We’re waiting at the restaurant for Aunt Natalie’s birthday. Why aren’t you here?”

My mind went blank. “I’ll give you thirty minutes. Take a Lyft or whatever, just get here—Oakwood Grill.”

Natalie’s voice was faint in the background: “Why are you angry at the kid…”

The call ended. I tried again. No answer.

Outside, cicadas screamed. I was frozen to the bone. No one would ever know what happened to me in the dark.