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Thesoft sobs filtering through the doorway crack my heart.

“Shannon?”Icall out.

Hedoesn’t answer asIenter their room glowing from lamplight.He’scurled up on the garnet-colored bedspread covered in a black swirl pattern, clutching crumpled paper to his chest.

Ifall to my knees on the floor beside the bed, slowly reaching out to brush his sweat-laden dirty blond hair away from his face. “Shan?”

“Sheleft me,” he wails.Hesearches, reaching for me, lifting his head enough to reveal a wet and reddened face.Isit on the bed and let him cling to me. “Sheleft me.”

Myheart breaks into two, letting the five-year-old memory bleed fresh. “Where’sDrea?”

“B-bed.”

Shannondrops the death grip on the paper to snake both arms around my waist.

Ihold him tight asIreach for the note, discovering a frantic short letter.

Shannon,

Idon’t know what to say, so this is it…

Ican’t do this anymore.I’mscared of whatI’vebecome and whatI’vedone.I’mscared thatI’llhurtDrea.

Pleasedon’t try to find me.Keepour baby safe.Iknow you will.

Ilove you so much butI’mdone.

K

Hisuncontrollable sobs soak my shirt.RightbeforeItoss the letter aside on the nightstand, a silver glint catches my eye.

Arazor blade lies beside the alarm clock.

Chapter30

“Are You Really Okay?”

–Sleep Token

Ablue huelights up the living room, blinking bright, then dark, then bright again in rapid succession from theTV.Shannonis spread across the couch with his head resting in my lap.Hishot tears drip through the blanket folded underneath his head, down to my thigh.

Eventually, he gets up from the couch and drags himself down the hall.Thebathroom door shuts quietly.

Itoss the tear-soaked blanket over the back of the couch before darting down the hall toAndrea’sroom.

Crackingthe door, she’s fast asleep with her favorite stuffed froggy.Thenight lights strategically placed all around her room eliminates any chances for shadow monsters to hide.Ijust hope she’s been in deep sleep this whole time and hasn’t heardShannon’ssobs for her mother.

It’shard not to linger at the bathroom door, just in case.ButImake myself return to the couch in the living room, sitting caddy-corner toTyon the loveseat.

Istare down the hallway, listening intently to the sink running andShannonsniffling.

Awarm hand touches my arm. “There’snothin’ in there.Itriple checked.”

Wordsescape me untilShannonreemerges from the darkened hallway.Hegroans softly as he lies down.

Myfingers rake through his shaggy hair asIhold out one ofAdrian’sabandoned vapes with my other hand.

“We’regonna need plenty ofHotCheetosand queso,”Shannonsays in a low, thick voice as he takes it.