TWENTY-TWO YEARS AGO
Six-year-old Lee sat curled up in his cold corner, his thin arms wrapped around his knees. Even though it was an unpleasantly muggy night and he was wearing a sweatshirt, he still trembled like it was the middle of winter. His breath coming in shaky gasps, he stared at the door. Any moment now Reverend Bolton would walk in. He’d come for Lee.
Even though Mother knew what the reverend did whenever he came into Lee’s room, she did nothing to stop it. Lee often wondered what she did when his cries echoed in the house. Maybe she was still knitting that sweater for her dead child. The only one who’d ever tried to stop the reverend was Amara. No matter how many times Reverend Bolton shoved her to the wall or beat her with his belt, she always tried to protect Lee.
Lee wanted to cry out her name right now, but he knew it would be of no use. She wouldn’t come tonight. And it was all his fault. If only he’d been brave enough to tell the nice lady from the government everything that was going on when she’d asked him if Amara was telling the truth. If only he hadn’t been afraid that if he told the truth Reverend Bolton would kick Amara out of the house as he’d threatened. Now, they’d taken Amara away, and the reverend was still going to come and get him.
The doorknob turned slightly. With a whimper, Lee scrambled away from his corner and beneath the bed. Maybe if he hid far enough under the bed, Reverend Bolton wouldn’t find him. He tucked his face into his little hands. Maybe if he closed his eyes and didn’t see the door opening, the reverend wouldn’t see him either.
With a barely audible creak, the door opened. Trembling, Lee tucked himself closer to the wall. Another child might’ve prayed that nothing bad would happen today, he didn’t bother. If Reverend Bolton was the bridge to God as his church members always said, then Lee didn’t want to pray to the God who lived on the other side of that bridge.
Lee whimpered when he heard shuffling beside the bed. He almost screamed when he felt a hand on his arm. However, relief soon followed.
“Lee?” Amara’s voice pierced his terror. “Lee.”
Shocked, he drew his face from his hands and turned his head. The happiness that soared through him when he saw her face peeking underneath the bed was indescribable.
“Amara.” He slid out from under the bed fast and launched himself in her arms. “You came.”
“Of course I came.” She patted his back. “I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone.”
If Lee were older, he might’ve wondered how she’d escaped the custody of the social service workers who’d carted her away earlier in the day. But at his age all that mattered was that she was back.
She drew him away from the embrace, lifted him to stand then reached for his shoes. Helping him put them on, she whispered, “We have to leave.”
“To go where?” Lee asked as he watched her cross the room to grab his jacket from the closet.
“Far away.” She urged him to stretch his arms out so she could put the jacket on him.
Once he was zipped up and warm in the jacket, she took his hand in hers and led him to the open door. She pressed her finger to her lips, a silent command to remain quiet, before they stepped out of Lee’s room. The door to Reverend Bolton and Mother’s room was firmly shut, yet the sight of it was enough to send fresh fear pulsing through Lee. If he was alone, this would’ve been the point he would’ve frozen with terror. But he wasn’t alone. He had Amara.
Together they tiptoed down those stairs. Instead of heading to the front door, she guided him into the kitchen. Curiously, the back door was open. Usually that door was firmly shut, but Lee didn’t have to wonder how Amara had opened it. A few weeks ago, she’d showed him how to open doors with a hairpin.
As soon as they were out of the house, they sprinted across the backyard. Fortunately, the neighborhood was so secure that most people only had picket fences and gates that remained open through the night. The two children crossed the street.
Lee expected that they’d leave right away but Amara led him to the large oak next to the Johnsons’ house. She whispered, “Stay here.”
“Where are you going?” he cried out and grabbed her wrist when she tried to leave him.
“I’m coming back,” she soothed with a pat on his head. An odd almost angry light flashed in her eyes as she added, “I just want to make sure that they never hurt you again.”
Reluctantly, Lee let her go.
He didn’t know how long she was gone but it felt like ages. He drew out a relieved breath when she finally ran out of the house.
“Finished.” She beamed as she came to stand next to him.
Immediately, he noticed that she now smelled like… like… like… how it usually smelled when they went to the gas station. He wrinkled his nose. “You smell funny.”
“I do.” She lifted her sweatshirt to smell it. She shrugged. “Hmm.”
“Aren’t we leaving?” he asked.
“In a little while,” she said as she watched the house.
Moments later, he realized why she was watching the house so carefully, why she was waiting. Sudden flames jumped high in the kitchen.
Even though Lee could only see the fire through the window, he was close enough to see it hungrily devouring the room. He knew that they should go in there and save Reverend Bolton and Mother. But he didn’t want to. For some reason the thought of them burning in their beds brought a smile to his face. He looked up at Amara and found her glaring at fire with so much anger, he was surprised the fire didn’t explode.
As if she could feel him watching her, Amara glanced down at him. Her anger transformed into a smile. She tugged at his hand. “Let’s go.”
“Where?” he asked even as he let her lead him away.
“Away from everything.” Amara matched her strides to his shorter ones.
“But we don’t have money,” Lee pointed out.
“Come with me anyway.” Amara smiled down at him. “I’ll take care of you.”
If Lee was older, he might’ve wondered how that was possible. She was only nine years old. But for now, she was the one he trusted. The only one he trusted. He smiled and nodded.
Together, they walked away from that burning house and its monster.