Chapter 1 - The Weight of the DeadboltThe heavy wooden door of the laundry room shuddered as Julian slammed his shoulder against it. The old lock, a cheap brass fixture meant only to keep out curious hands, groaned under his weight.
"Mom? What are you doing in there? Open this door right now!" Julian’s voice wasn’t grieving anymore. It was sharp, stripped of any paternal softness, ringing with a cold, jagged panic that cut right through the darkness of the hallway.
I held Chloe closer. She buried her face in the crook of my neck, her breathing shallow and hot against my collarbone. Her tiny hands gripped the fringe of my black wool shawl so tightly her knuckles turned white.
"Grandma, he's going to put me back in the box," she whimpered, her voice barely a breath.
Not on your life, I thought, adrenaline surging through my veins with a violence that made my chest ache.
I looked frantically around the small, cramped laundry room. It was lined with bottles of detergent, a stack of folded linens, and a small, high window that led out to the side yard. It was latched tight from the inside, but it was old.
"Mom! I know you're in there! Open the door or I'll break it down!" Julian shouted again. The wood splintered slightly around the lock. Another hit like that and the door would cave in.
I didn't answer. I set Chloe down gently on the cold tiled floor, whispering, "Hold onto my hand, baby, don't let go." With my free hand, I grabbed a heavy plastic jug of liquid detergent and hurled it at the glass of the laundry room window.
Crash!
The sound shattered the quiet night air outside. Shards of glass rained down onto the grass below.
"What was that?!" Victoria’s voice shrieked from upstairs, followed by the rapid, heavy thud of her footsteps rushing down the stairs. "Julian! What’s happening down there?!"
"Your mother is in the laundry room! She’s locked herself in!" Julian roared, throwing his entire body against the door once more. The wood cracked open, the deadbolt tearing free from the frame with a loud, metallic pop.
I didn't wait to see him burst through. Pushing the remaining shards of glass away from the window frame with a folded towel, I hoisted Chloe up. The night air rushed in, smelling of damp earth and late-autumn chill. I pushed her through the opening first, catching her as she dropped softly onto the grass outside, before scrambling through the jagged frame myself, tearing the sleeve of my blouse and scraping my forearm.
"Mom!" Julian yelled as he burst into the dark laundry room, his hands grabbing empty air just as my feet hit the dirt outside.
"Over here! Catch her!" Victoria screamed from the front yard, having sprinted around the side of the house faster than I thought possible.
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My heart leapt into my throat. We were trapped between them. The house wrapped around us like a cage, and the dark, empty suburban street offered no immediate shelter.
Chloe let out a terrified cry as a hand suddenly lunged out of the darkness and grabbed her arm.
