laughing. Mary Katherine started hyperventilating. She could see ahead on the road. The deer were gathering. Mary Katherine ran through a stop sign. Another and another. 60 miles an hour.
“Please, this one time. Just tell me. Because I keep thinking about killing myself. I would never do it, but to think it is to do it. So, I just did it. Did I just do it? Did I just kill myself? Am I dead? Did I just sin now? Am I damned forever? If I’m damned forever, make me hit a deer.”
Mary Katherine flew through a red light. She passed a speed limit sign that read 25. She just couldn’t get the sin off her. She couldn’t outrun it. No matter how fast she drove. She couldn’t get the sin clean. She looked down at the speedometer. 70 miles an hour.
“God, please. I need You to tell me right now if I am having Your baby because I keep thinking about having an abortion. And that’s a mortal sin. But I keep thinking it, and if I keep thinking it, then I’m doing it. And I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to hurt Your child. Please! Please help me! God, if You want me to have an abortion, make me hit a deer. If You want me to kill myself. If You want me to die! If You want me to have Your baby! Just give me a sign, and I’ll do it! I’ll do anything for You, God.”
Mary Katherine saw the red light up ahead. The deer watched her car from the side of the road. Rather than slowing down, she hit the gas harder. She flew into the intersection just as the light turned green. 80 miles an hour. 90 miles an hour.
Her phone buzzed one last time. You’re going to die now, slut.
When she hit 100 miles an hour, Mary Katherine felt the world go quiet. She had no idea why she was doing this, but it felt like someone else was pushing the gas pedal. Someone else was picking up her phone. Someone else was furiously typing a text back to that random person who was bullying her.
WHO THE HELL IS THIS?! Mary Katherine typed.
She put the phone back down.
She was going 125 miles an hour.
She did not see the deer in time.
Chapter 64
Christopher’s mother rushed through the house, throwing essentials into a suitcase. Food. Warm clothes. Batteries. Water. She could leave everything else. They could always come back for the rest. But when things got dangerous, she knew the smartest thing to do was run. And this was more than dangerous. Something in Mill Grove was making the town crazy.
And it was killing her son.
“We’re leaving in one minute!” she yelled down the hall.
The wind howled outside. Christopher’s mother slid the closet door open. She grabbed all the winter clothes she could find and stuffed them into her suitcase. She was just about to close it when she saw the one designer outfit she bought at the outlet mall. The one she wore on her date with the sheriff.
The sheriff. You can’t leave the sheriff.
It was the voice again. Imitating her. Trying to slow her down.
“I’ll call him from the road,” she said out loud to make sure the thoughts were her own.
She passed over the designer outfit and high heels to grab a thick scarf, boots, gloves, and a thousand dollars in cash hidden in plain view in a fake aerosol can. She threw it all in her suitcase, then hurried down the hallway to Christopher’s room. She found him sitting on his bed. His suitcase empty. He hadn’t packed any of his clothes. Only the one picture of his father.
And the white plastic bag.
“What are you doing?!” she asked.
“Mom, the nice man says we shouldn’t go. Something bad will happen.”
“Tell him I’m sorry, but we’re leaving.”
“But, Mom—”
“This isn’t a debate!” she yelled.
She started filling his suitcase. Christopher held the white plastic bag to his ear like a seashell and listened. After a moment, he nodded and turned to his mother.
“He says when you spoke out loud, the hissing lady heard. She won’t let you take me away, Mom!”
“Watch me!” she yelled.
A tree branch scratched at the window.
“She’s coming, Mom.”
The wind howled outside. A branch brushed against the window like little baby fingernails.
“We’re leaving right now, Christopher!”
Christopher’s mother snapped the suitcase shut and grabbed it with her right hand. Christopher with her left. Christopher looked at the white plastic bag.