Page 65 of Only Girl Alive

“Drop the knife,” Eve ordered sternly. The gun was shaking in her hands. The knife in Hannah’s was steady as she turned. The smile hadn’t left her face.

The blade lowered. Hannah moved it in a small figure eight motion, running it back and forth across the side of her dress.

“Aunt Linda brought me here. She didn’t want me to hurt the baby in her belly. It doesn’t have sin now but maybe someday it will suffer God’s penalty.”

She stopped moving the knife and lifted it slightly. Her left hand rose and she pressed her forefinger on the sharp side of the blade and sliced. She watched as the blood slowly appeared on the cut. She turned her palm to Eve.

“Jesus is coming for me. He doesn’t want you.”

Eve heard a sound on the stairs. She took a step to the head of the bed, closer to the wall so Hannah didn’t notice someone coming up the steps. Hannah watched Eve’s movement closely. She paid no attention to the gun, which remained pointed at her.

From the corner of her eye, Eve saw Clyde’s head rise several inches above the attic floor.

“Hannah, put down the knife so we can keep talking.” Her voice was calm even though she didn’t feel it.

“Why?”

“I need someone to talk to. Maybe you could help me.”

Hannah lowered her hand. Blood ran down her finger and spread to the dress.

“Do you want me to help you atone for your sins?” Hannah asked. “I don’t think you have anyone to pull you into heaven.”

Clyde stepped on the next ladder rung and his head rose six inches higher.

“Let’s sit back down,” Eve told her, trying to get Hannah’s back fully to the stairs.

“Are you going to shoot me now?”

Eve’s breath caught. Did Hannah want her to shoot?

“No, Hannah, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want to talk.” Her shaking fingers belied what she said. Her fear became centered around shooting a child. “I met your uncle Howard. Would you like me to call him?” She was thinking of anything that would keep Hannah’s attention on her.

“I like cutting things,” she said, and sliced another finger, barely looking at it. “Uncle Howard let me cut the deer and show him how I performed God’s retribution. He let me touch the blood.” Her hand went to her head, smearing red into the blonde. “I need to fix my hair.”

“I could do that for you. I know how to make it high.”

Clyde took another step. His body was half into the room now, his gun trained on Hannah.

“You don’t have yours fixed properly either. Jesus won’t like that.” Hannah lowered the knife slightly.

“It’s long like yours.” Eve scrambled for the right words. “You could help me fix it and I’ll help you.”

Please put the knife down. Please don’t make Clyde shoot you, Eve recited silently.

“Jesus would like that.” Her voice was once again innocent. Hannah turned to the steps suddenly and she saw Clyde. She jumped back and put the chair between them then turned her attention to Eve.

Clyde exploded the rest of the way into the room, Ray behind him.

“Don’t shoot,” Eve shouted.

Thirty

Hannah stumbled backwards when Eve yelled. Eve jumped between her and Clyde.

“Satan came to get you,” Hannah said, her voice breathy, showing strain. She leaned to the side so she could see around Eve and keep her eyes on Clyde. “I’m waiting for Jesus,” she told him. “He will make you leave the atonement room.”

“Hannah,” Eve said sternly, bringing the child’s attention back to her. “Put the knife on the chair. You will be punished if you don’t.”

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