I tried to function. I tried to do

" I rasped, my voice raw. "W

ng wall. "No. Why would we do that? It would only invite ne

e to a shriek. "She's dead,

y in our own way, Sarah. We will hold a ceremony to release her spirit. The police will not

members nodded, their eyes full of a vacant, trusting faith. They brought me teas meant to "cleanse my grief" and stones

of my d

They talked about Lily's "ascension." Deborah stood before them, using my daughter's memory as a prop for her sermon.

for turning a potential tragedy into a profound teaching moment. They looked at me with a mixture of pity and su

e afterward, their embr

" my father said, avoiding my eyes. "Deb

That my daughter is dead because of negle

Sarah. It's not what Deborah would want. Yo

ailing. As I watched them smile and chat, sharing "blessed" snacks after celebrating my daughter's death, so

who loved pink dresses and blowing bubbles. They saw

ly of her, of baby powder and innocence. I picked up the bear and held it to my chest, my body shaking with silent sobs. There would be no justic

for Lily, I would ha

e charismatic guru, the revered leader, her empire built on false promises and the trust of

take it

had given it all up to marry Tom and move to this godforsaken town. I had been submissive, trapped by cir

ucts," the tinctures and salves she sold for exorbitant prices, were the foundatio

use their own system against them. I would use their faith, their trust, and their ignorance. I would dismantle De