Chapter 4

Sarah grabbed Leo's arm, her fingers digging into his thin coat, and dragged him around the side of the mansion. The pain in his head was a throbbing drum, but the grip on his arm was worse.

She pulled him toward a small, discreet flap set into the wall near the back of the house.

A doggy door.

"You want to see Ethan?" she sneered, pointing at the flap. "There's your entrance. Crawl."

The word hung in the freezing air, an unbelievable insult. My spectral form shuddered with a rage I couldn't express. No, Leo. Don't do it. Please, my baby, don't let her do this to you.

Leo stared at the doggy door, then back at Sarah's triumphant, cruel face. He was just a child, and she was an adult, a monster towering over him. He was hurt, scared, and desperate. The warmth and light of the house were so close. His father was so close. The magic pen was so close.

He hesitated. Tears of pain and humiliation streamed down his face, freezing on his cheeks. He could hear Chloe's happy laughter from inside.

"What's wrong?" Sarah taunted. "Too proud? I guess you don't really need to see your daddy after all. Go on, run back to your sick, useless mother."

The mention of me was the final push. He had to get the pen. For me.

With a sob that tore through my soul, Leo dropped to his hands and knees in the snow.

No. No. No. My silent screams were useless.

He crawled.

He pushed his small, injured body through the humiliatingly small opening. The edges were dirty and cold. He felt like an animal. He told himself it was okay. He was doing it for Mommy. Mommy would understand. He just had to be brave.

He emerged into a warm, brightly lit mudroom, covered in snow and dirt, with blood matting his hair. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing now. They were hot on his cold skin. He felt so small, so broken.

Sarah came in through the back door, a smug, victorious look on her face. She was holding her phone. She had filmed it.

"Good boy," she said, her voice laced with mock praise. She crouched down in front of him. "Now, what do good little dogs do when they want a treat?"

Leo just stared at her, his eyes wide with a pain that went far beyond the cut on his head.

"I asked you a question," she hissed, her smile turning vicious. "Bark for me."

He shook his head, a fresh wave of tears spilling over. He wouldn't. He couldn't.

"Bark," she commanded, her voice low and dangerous.

Just then, the door to the main house swung open.

"Sarah? What are you doing in here? I thought I heard..." Ethan's voice trailed off as he saw the scene.

Sarah instantly straightened up, her expression changing from monstrous to concerned in a heartbeat. She hid her phone in her pocket.

"Oh, Ethan, thank goodness!" she cried, rushing to his side. "I found him outside. He just showed up, looking like this! Poor thing. He must have fallen."

She was a brilliant actress. My own husband, the man who had loved me, was completely blind to the snake he was holding.