Aurora Magazine 2017

She looked at Adelaide hoping the little girl couldn’t see the worry on her face. “Sure,” Adelaide said sweetly. Becky stopped and let go of Preston’s hand to lock the front door. “Hold onto the railing, Pres- ton,” she said absently as she turned towards the door. She heard the shuffle of sneakers and the scramble of tiny feet and instantly whirled around with a jolt of panic. In the split second it took her to turn around on the tiny porch, Preston was already tumbling down the four short steps onto the sidewalk. “Preston!” she screamed as she rushed down the steps. She was down on her knees scrambling to pick the boy up when she heard Adelaide giggling behind her. “Adelaide!” she roared, “Get down here right now!” Becky sat on the ground rocking Preston in her arms trying to soothe him. The little boy was scared to death and crying uncontrollably. She was certain he had broken a bone or worse. Adelaide took her time coming down the steps to Becky. She looked up at Adelaide, infuriated. “Why did you do that? You could have killed him!” Adelaide stood and stared at her and the crying boy. After a few moments said calmly, “But I didn’t kill him, are we still go- ing to the park?” There wasn’t a trace of remorse on the girl’s face in spite of what she had done. Her indifference made Becky even more angry. “We most certainly are not going to the park! Get in the house right now!” she growled, trying to maintain what composure she had left. Becky struggled to her feet with Preston in her arms. She looked around for the tote she’d flung off her shoulder in her panic. She had no idea where it had landed. She looked down around her feet and saw blood on the sidewalk. She pried the little boy’s arms from around her neck, pulling him back just far enough to see his face. His mouth was covered with blood and she realized a considerable amount had run down her shoul- der and onto the front of her t-shirt. Gripped with fresh panic, she abandoned her search for the tote and rushed up the stairs, stopping only for a second to see Ad- elaide standing by the door staring at her. “Now, Adelaide!” she yelled as she held the door open to let the girl pass her into the

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