Chapter 111
Laughter fills the air. The sun is warm on my face as I push the small swing, my hands steady on the back of a little boy with messy golden–brown hair and chubby cheeks. His laughter rings across the yard, a sound I could live in forever.
“Higher, Mommy! Higher!” he squeals, kicking his tiny legs with excitement.
I laugh, my heart swelling as I push harder. “You’re going to touch the sky, sweetheart p>
His laughter grows louder, echoing through the backyard, until suddenly, it stops.
My smile fades, and I freeze, everything in me going rigid. The swing sways empty in the breeze, with my baby boy nowhere in sight.
“Where are you, sweetheart?” I call softly, stepping forward.
“This isn’t funny. Come out, baby p>
No answer.
My heart picks up speed as panic grips me. I scan the garden, the swing set, the trees, and the tall grass, but he’s nowhere.
Tears start spilling as I run around the plush garden looking for him. Every nook and corner he’s known to hide in is empty.
I heave breathlessly as something inside me begins to shatter. Where is my son? Why can’t I find him? He was just here moments ago.
As if the atmosphere can sense my emotions, the sunlight dims, and the air grows thick with something cold and wrong.
“Where are you?” I cry out, fear bleeding into my voice. “Sweetheart, please, come out p>
The sky darkens to gray as the wind howls and the warmth drains from the world until the cold air sends chills down my spine.
“Please,” I whisper, rubbing my arms, trembling. “Don’t do this to Mommy. Please come back. I promise to take you out for ice cream p>
Just as I finish those words, a scream pierces the air. High–pitched, terrified.
The voice is unmistakable. It’s my son.
My blood turns to ice, a shout tearing from me as I sprint towards the sound.
The fog rolls in fast, swallowing everything… the house, the trees and the ground beneath my feet.
The cuts and aches on my bare feet barely register as I run. All I can think is that I need to find him; I just need to get to him.
I run for what feels like forever when I finally see him. He’s just ahead of me, being pulled backward into shadows by something I can’t see.
“Mommy!” he sobs, reaching for me. “Don’t let them take me! Please p>
I run, but for some reason my legs feel like they’re moving through quicksand. I stretch out my hand, just inches
Chapter B from his, when a shadow takes shape behind him.
My heart stops as her image becomes clear.
“Chloe?” I ask, surprised and terrified.
This can’t be real. She can’t be real. She should be dead. She is dead
Her pale skin glows through the fog. Her eyes are wild, her voice cold and venomous.
“He was never yours to keep.” She says, her eerie white eyes chilling me to the bone.
“No, please,” I beg, still trying to reach my boy, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t grab his hand.
“He was never meant to exist p>
I beg, tears falling down my cheeks. I watch helplessly as my son cries for me.
“Don’t say that p>
“Nothing will ever take Noah from me,” Chloe says, holding my baby boy close as he struggles in her arms. “Not you. Not him and not even death.” 2
“Chloe, Let him go. He’s innocent.” I scream.
But Chloe only smiles. That same triumphant, possessive smile, right before she drags my son back into the fog with her as his screams echo through the darkness. 15
I collapse to my knees, screaming his name until my voice breaks, my throat aches and I lose consciousness.
The first thing I hear is soft, hushed voices. They’re so low, almost like whoever is talking is afraid of waking me.
I blink slowly. The light is blinding at first, so I have to squint until my eyes finally adjust. When my vision clears, I realize I’m in a different room. The tangle of tubes that was once attached to me is gone.
I glance around and find Mom and Lilly a few feet away, their heads close together as they talk in low voices.
“You should go home, Aunt Ivy,” Lilly is saying softly. “Get some rest, maybe a change of clothes. You’ve been here for two days straight p>
Mom shakes her head, her tone firm even in her exhaustion. “I don’t want to leave. I want to be here when she wakes up again p>
“You’ve said that the last two mornings,” Lilly says, crossing her arms. “She’s going to wake up and find you passed out from exhaustion p>