Page 12 of Their Pretty Little Monster

“You have been chosen.” He’s grinning again, while I’m feeling nauseous.

Pressing down on the door handle, I hurry inside, my heart shattering at the thought of leaving my mother behind.

The Viscount follows and pauses in the doorway, filling the space and watching me. I want to run, to escape, but where will I go? Leaving the village is impossible, and I have no one in the settlement who will hide me.

The warmth of the cottage feels bitter. I move to my mother’s side on the couch, watching her fragile chest rise and fall with each breath. Tears roll down my cheeks while my thoughts still haven’t caught up. I’ve heard stories of the previous Viscount taking other Offerings in the dead of the night, of them vanishing.

I choke on a breath, hugging my middle. Is that my fate?

“Love you so much, Mom,” I whisper, covering her with a blanket. “I’m going to find a way to come back.”

The words feel hollow, but I need to believe them. I wipe away the tears, not wanting to wake her, worried about what the Viscount might do. Instead, I hurry into the kitchen and sneakily get a pen and paper, scribbling on it in the dark.

Mom,

Please don’t be upset with me.

Tonight, I went out to collect your medicine, but the new Viscount found me. Now, he insists I’ve been selected as an Offering, and we must leave this very night. He says he’ll return to the village and help you, but I don’t trust him.

I promise that I will come back somehow.

Just remember, when you run out of your medicine, visit Jason Pines; he will sell you more for smoked meat. He’ll be on South Street by the cornfield every Wednesday at 10 p.m.

I’m sorry I didn’t wake you before I left, but I don’t want the Viscount to put you in danger. It’s better he doesn’t know I told you.

I love you to eternity and back, Mom.

Sage

Iplace the note with the medicine on the kitchen counter when the floor creaks behind me.

Ice forms in my veins, and I freeze.

“Ensure you add in your note that your mother is not to speak with anyone about our departure.” There’s finality and firmness in his voice, a strong warning.

So, with shaky hands, I add a line at the bottom of the note.

His footsteps retreat, and I move into the living room, shaken.

It’s dark, and the Viscount’s in the hallway now, studying me. I can’t see his features, yet somehow his eyes still glow.

“Are you ready?” he asks in a deep voice that leaves me trembling.

“No,” I answer truthfully, but I step forward reluctantly, knowing he has the final say in our village. Opposing him would bring far worse consequences to me and my mother.

Luckily, Mom has one friend, her neighbor, who sometimes aids her. She’s a woman who hasn’t been able to bear children. Many in the village look down on her for it, and I guess she and my mom bonded over that.

The Viscount walks out of my house.

I take one last look at my mom, her mousy-blonde hair draped across her forehead, her eyelids twitching, clear she’s in deep sleep. Tears well in my eyes, and my chin trembles, unsure how to say farewell. I’m terrified I won’t find my way back, scared for my mom’s health.

I drag myself outside, wondering if this is how all the Offerings from previous ceremonies felt as they walked out of their homes.

Each step away from my home feels heavier, the weight of my promise to my mother pressing down on me. I try to stay strong for her sake, but fear and uncertainty gnaw at my resolve.

Chapter

Four

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