Page 2 of Forsaken Oath

Billy reaches out, his fingers brushing against my cheek. I recoil, pressing myself harder against the wall.

"Don't touch me," I hiss through clenched teeth.

He laughs, a cold, hollow sound. "Feisty. I like that." His eyes glint with malice.

I swallow hard, but the bile rises anyway. This is it. I knew this day was coming, but I was hoping I had more time.

Time to graduate. To save more money and get the fuck out of this town. To help my sisters get on their feet and get away from Ma.

The other man laughs, “C’mon, girlie. Your momma won’t mind if we have a little fun. She said we could take a look at your sisters, but it seems like you wanna take their place.”

Rage and terror war inside me. I can't let them hurt my sisters.

Iwon't.

Who the fuck is going to take care of them if this asshole kills me now?

Billy leans forward, dropping his face so it’s right in front of mine. I watch as his pupils blow wide, saliva coating the corner of his mouth as his lips part. “Don’t worry, girlie. We ain’t gonna kill ya. You’ll just wish we had.”

There’s a ringing filling my ears, and my vision blackens around the edges.

My time is up.

Time slows down, broken into pixelated moments. One second he’s sneering over me, and the next, he’s on the ground, clutching his ankle. Blood blooms underneath his hand, a slash of bright red in an otherwise black-and-white picture.

But that’s not what steals my attention. It’s my ten-year-old sister pushing to stand, kitchen knife clutched in her hand and a blank expression on her face.

It’s the emptiness in her blue eyes that jolts me into action. “Margot!” I lunge forward, wrap my arm around her shoulders, and shove her behind me.

I keep my blade pointed at Billy as he writhes on the ground, his friend frozen behind him. My heart hammers against my ribs, the rush of adrenaline making my hands tremble.

Fuck. Fucking fuck. I don’t know what to do now. I’m spiraling with panic, my breaths coming in choppy and too fast.

“Get the fuck out of here,” I snarl, my voice steadier than I feel. “Or the next cut goes across his throat.”

It’s the biggest bluff of my life, but I don’t know what else to do to get them to leave. My heartbeat thunders in my ears, and I strain my hearing for sirens.

There’s a moment of hesitation, a charged silence. I shift my weight from one foot to the other, making sure my knife-wielding sister stays behind me. We’re going to be having aconversation about what she did, but later. Much later, when we’re far away from here.

“Help me up,” Billy grumbles, breaking the silence.

His friend reaches down and hauls him to his feet, pinning me with a glare that promises retribution. “This isn’t over.”

I don’t reply.

I don’t move until they hobble out the front door, slamming it behind them hard enough to rattle one of the picture frames on the wall.

I exhale a shaky breath, my hand trembling as I lower my knife. I turn to face Margot, my heart aching at the sight of her wide, haunted eyes.

"Margot," I say softly, reaching out to take the kitchen knife from her hand. "Are you okay?"

She nods slowly, her gaze distant. "I couldn't let them hurt you, Eloise."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes. My brave, fierce little sister. “That was the dumbest, bravest thing you’ve ever done.” I wrap my free hand around her and roughly tug her into a hug. I don’t let myself linger, not when my adrenaline is popping and fizzing like firecrackers inside my veins. The urgency to leave is pounding against my skull, and I just know that if I don’t leave now, we never will.

We’re gonna die in this shithole unless I get us out.

I release her and run to the door. Flicking both of the locks over, I point my knife at my sister. “Pack everything you can’t live without. Put it in garbage bags if you have to. We’re leaving. You, me, and Vivie. And we’re not coming back.”

---