What’s Left of Me (Pine Creek Falls #2)

Chapter 1

Farrah

AGE FOUR

Istand as still as I can. I don’t even blink.

The blue butterfly floats in the wind. It flaps its wings until it lands on my outstretched hand.

My grin stretches across my face.

Finally!

I’ve been waiting forever for this guy to land. He’s so beautiful with the summer sun shining down on his soft wings.

Daddy told me to stay at the pond today while he works. Normally, I stay home with Grammy, but she had to go to the doctor. She’s been coughing a lot.

I’m kinda getting hungry. I hope Daddy remembers to bring me a snack today. Last time I had to go with him, he forgot me, and I had to walk all the way back to Grammy’s by myself.

I look around the field. There’s a house on the hill. It’s really big. Way bigger than Grammy’s house. Daddy told me to stay put, but maybe there’s someone in the house to give me a snack.

I don’t know who lives there.

Maybe it’s Daddy’s boss. Daddy says he’s a meanie, ’cept he used a word I’m not ’post to say.

I bite my lip. I’m also really thirsty. The sun’s been super hot today.

I start walking to the house. Maybe there’s a hose outside. I could get a drink and come back to the pond. No one would know I was gone.

My dress swishes, tickling my knees. I twirl to make the skirt fly up around my legs. Daddy says I march to my own drum, but I don’t have a drum, so I don’t know what he’s talking about. I like to dance all the time. Maybe that’s what he means.

I do a little wiggle, singing my favorite song, even though I don’t know all the words.

It takes forever to walk all the way to the house. My legs are tired once I get there, but I see a hose outside. I race over to turn it on. I let the hot water run out first before drinking lots.

The front of my dress gets a little wet, but I don’t mind. It feels good after my long walk.

I turn the water off and look around the yard. There’s a dirty truck parked to the side of the two-story house. The porch looks like I could fall through it if I step wrong, and I start to get nervous that I shouldn’t be here.

Maybe I should go back to the pond. Daddy will prolly bring me lunch soon.

“Where the hell did you come from?”

The voice scares a cry out of me. A teenage boy stands at the railing, looking down at me with a side eye. He’s kinda skinny like me, but he’s super tall. His dark hair is shaggy, like he tried to cut it himself. Grammy made my hair look like that once.

“Who are you?”

“F-F-Farrah.”

“Where did you come from?”

I point down at the pond.

“Why are you on our property?”

“M-m-my daddy works h-h-h-ere.” My stutter is getting worse the longer this boy stares at me. Daddy thinks it’s funny. He always stutters back at me and then laughs. I laugh too, but I don’t really get why it’s funny. “C-c-c-c-can I have a-a-a-a snack?”

The boy’s eyes go wide. He looks me over for a minute. “When’s the last time you ate?”

I shrug. “I d-d-d-unno.”

The boy sighs. “Stay right there.”

I’m not sure I could move even if he asked. My legs are shaky after my walk.

He comes back out a minute later with his hands full. He jerks his head at me. “Come over here.”

I move slowly in case I trip. He might take my snack if I’m not careful, like Daddy does sometimes.

The boy sits on the steps. I sit next to him, my eyes widening when I see what he has in his hands. The fresh bread looks extra white against his dirty, tan skin. I don’t know what’s on that sandwich, but my stomach growls at the sight.

He holds it out to me, nodding when I hesitate. I take it slowly, even though I want to snatch it away fast. Once it’s in front of my nose, I can’t go slow. Bite after bite, I eat, my stomach hurting at first.

The boy rests his hand on mine, forcing me to chew and swallow what’s in my mouth. We sit in silence. Once those first few bites are down, I take my time. This is the best sandwich I’ve ever had in my life.

He holds up a plastic cup of water, and I take it too. Before long, my sandwich is gone, and I’ve drunk everything in the cup.

“Where the fuck did you go, Knox?” a man yells from behind the house.

The boy’s eyes grow wide. “Go on now. Run back to the pond. Don’t let anyone see you.”

I don’t ask questions. I know what that tone of voice means. I take off running, only looking back when I’m far enough away. A big man stands in front of the boy. The boy moved so that the man’s back would be to me.

Suddenly, the big man swings and punches the boy in his face. I slap my hands over my mouth to keep from screaming.

Then I turn and run.