Chapter 2 - The Cold Trap
Panic threatened to choke me as I stared at the ruined tires.
We were stranded in my parents' wealthy, isolated neighborhood with no immediate way out.
Tyler was crying softly, clutching his bruised chest.
Megan was shivering in her thin dress, her terrified eyes darting toward the front door of the house.
I knew Richard would not stay inside for long.
I grabbed my phone to call the police, but the screen was completely black.
It had been fully charged when I walked into that house an hour ago.
I realized with a sickening jolt that Natalie had borrowed my phone earlier to take a picture of the dessert table.
She had not just drained the battery; she had purposefully factory reset the device.
"Come on, babies, we have to run," I whispered, pulling them toward the dark woods at the edge of the cul-de-sac.
We scrambled through the freezing brush just as the front door flew open.
Richard marched out, holding a heavy metal flashlight.
"Get back here, you ungrateful little witch!" he bellowed into the darkness.
We hid behind a large oak tree, holding our breath as his flashlight beam swept across the street.
Suddenly, the piercing wail of police sirens echoed in the distance.
Relief washed over me, thinking a neighbor must have called them after hearing the screaming.
The squad cars pulled up to the house, and two officers stepped out.
My heart sank as I watched my mother run out onto the porch, pointing frantically toward the woods.
May you like
"She went that way, officers," Elaine cried, her voice trembling with fake sobs.
"My daughter has lost her mind, she attacked us, and she kidnapped my grandchildren!"
