mother and Jeanette ran away to her bedroom and cried. Kit felt powerless to help her, though he'd tried many times and g

ut, striking his mother across the face and sending her flying into the corner of the sideboard. Sh

ry had been so clear, but after years of suppression, the edges of his

e back of her head, slamming her cheek down onto the sideboard, telling her not to do anything stupid; his mother had yelped, closed her finger

o beg, her subtle French tones becoming more pronounced as she began to whimper. "Leave him a

k and Malcolm seized it from her hand. Yanking back on her hair he told her she was his good lit

the knife in his hand, making the blade glitter menacingly. H

and play son...I know you're hiding here somewhere..." Malcolm st

lcolm was six-foot-two, weighing nearly twenty stone, but the force of her attack sent him lurching into the wall

it was at the front door, reaching up to the latch and yanking it open before he could even think about his actions. With a last

ms; and then silence; terrible, ear-shattering silence. Freezing in terror, Kit stared back at his house, his face whit

e figure blocking the light from the hallway and even from his positioning, Kit could see he was deathly

l find you, Kristopher, I swear

like hours, Malc climbed into his car and sped away. To his horror, Kit saw blood

ly, he collapsed in some tall grass at a roadside. For two weeks he hid. He didn't want a

ith a run-down barn full of straw. He had no idea where he was, but he knew it was very lat

eone throw away, Kit crept up to the fence bordering their house and tapped lightly on the wood. He'd found somewhere like this before, but the

nce and tiptoed across the yard, being sure to keep to the shadows, in case the farm owners should happen to glance out their windows a

ripped him apart, but he knew, if he could just get up there, he'd be safe, at least for tonight. Gasping with exerti

it crawled to the middle of the straw pile and groaned as he fell down, giving in to his exhaust

ed he wouldn't wake up again, hoped he wouldn't have to face another day, reliving his memories; the shouting; the glitter of the knife i

when it fir

e as she sang. Lifting his head, Kit held his breath, unsure

ied neatly with dark blue ribbon, wearing her favorite pastel blue summer dress

is eyes. "Oh mama, I thought Malc had

caught him days ago...he cannot hurt you anymore. Hey, hush, no tears." Jeanette

nd soothing. There was no way she could be dead if she was here with him now and he told her so. "But mama...you can't be...you can't be dead...y

et upset. "Kristopher." She whispered softly, wiping the tea

." he

ger to his lips. "Hus

voice calming in itself. "I've been asked to give you a message Kit...a very important message. There are lots of people w