Bound To Me (Consumed #3)

Prologue

My shaky voice went unnoticed as my parents argued in the backyard. I swam with my floaties on my arms, trying to find my Barbie that floated off while I became distracted by their yelling. I didn’t know what they were arguing about—my six year-old brain couldn’t comprehend what “cheating” meant. We weren’t playing Marco Polo, and we definitely weren’t playing a game of Monopoly.

Daddy took Mommy’s arm and pulled her inside. I was relieved that I couldn’t hear the yelling anymore. I finally found Barbie near the little hole that sucked up all my other toys; Mommy said it was the filter to keep the pool clean. Then I heard my Mommy screaming and a loud bang. My little heart started pounding in my chest. I only heard that kind of banging during the Fourth of July, but it was bright and sunny outside.

“Mommy?” I called out.

There was no response. My daddy ran out with drops of red on his shirt.

“Jackie, honey, I have to go. Don’t go inside, okay?” Daddy said, then he ran out the backyard gate.

Daddy was always coming and going like that so I didn’t think anything of it. But he always ran like that before a policeman showed up at our door. Mommy always made me go to my room and she was always crying.

I wanted a snack, so I got out of the pool and called for Mommy. I heard sirens in the distance as I opened the back door.

“Mommy?” I called out.

I searched the kitchen and the living room but she wasn’t there. I went down the hallway and into Mommy and Daddy’s room. I saw the red stuff all over again. And I saw Mommy lying down on the bed. Even my little six year-old brain knew it then: my mommy was dead.