Desperation is a terrible thing.
That's what happened to us.
Desperation made Papa ask Uncle Lucas for a job.Then everything changed in a way no one expected.Ways he never expected. I know in my heart Papa never knew he was selling his soul to the devil or opening the gates of hell.Two nights ago, he got a rude awakening when he discovered what was happening to my mother when he was away working.We've been on edge ever since.
I'm pulled from my thoughts when Dominic gets up and walks in the opposite direction of his house.The ritual is over and like always, he's completely oblivious to me.
He'll never see me the way I see him, and he'll never know the real darkness of my world.
The terrified girl who lives inside me wants to call out for his help and beg him to fight the monsters, save me.I want to scream and tell him what happens when the lights go out.But I can't do that.
Only God knows how I wish I could take back the night when I disobeyed the rulesand my eyes were opened to the truth behind my mother's cries and the voices of those strange men in our home atnight.
They come when Papa's not here.
See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.
That was the one rule I grew up with.As the help, you know those three things.We know especially not to speak no evil.
I watch Dominic until I can't see him anymore and accept there will be no one to save me.When I stand, my bedroom door flies open and Mom runs inside, her eyes wide with panic.
"Candace grab a bag quick, we have to leave." The words tumble out of her mouth so fast it takes me a few seconds to register what she's saying.
"What? Mom, what's happening?"
"Please, just get a bag." She rushes back out the door.
My heart lodges in my chest, too afraid to beat.What is happening now? What on earth could be happening?
Instead of getting a bag like she asked, I follow her into the living room where Papa is pacing around with a rucksack.He's stuffing paperwork inside it.
A sickly green hue mingles with beads of sweat darkening his skin, and terror etches across his face, his shoulders, his body.
Mom walks over to the dinner table, brings her hands to her mouth, and starts crying.
"Mom, Papa, what's happening?"
Neither answers me.
"William, are you sure they saw you?" Mom asks Papa.
"Yes. They know it was me who took the information.We have to leave now." Papa looks from Mom to me and his gaze lingers on me.
I almost think he's going to tell me what is happening, but he doesn't say a word.
"William, what if they find us?They could. Where would we go to be safe?"
His gaze snaps back to my mother, who is now cowering into the wall like she can go through it.Like she can disappear, or it can save her.I've never seen her look so terrified, so I know whatever this is, is really bad.
"We have to try. We'll leave here and never come back," he answers, and it feels like invisible hands clamp around my lungs and squeeze.By the time he glances at me, I'm gasping."Candace, sweetie, get a bag."
My lips part to say something but the words freeze in my mind when I hear the loud voices of men outside on the porch.Seconds later our front door crashes open, smashing into the wall.
Mom screams and races over to me when masked men storm into the house holding guns.They all come in so fast there's not enough time or the chance to do anything besides scream and run.But run to where?
A burly man grabs my father. A scream tears from my lips when he hits him with the back of his gun and Papa falls to the ground holding his head.The man sends a round of kicks to my father's stomach and blood sputters from his lips.
Mom and I both scream out, pleading with the man to stop,but Papa becomes the least of our worries when I'm ripped from my mother's arms and a tall man grabs her by her hair and places a gun to her throat.