Page 79 of Surge

"Anytime I try to get help, they stop it from happening." I was starting to blubber. "I don't know what to do."

"Sweetie, you need to calm down, I can barely understand you." I repeated myself. "Who is stopping it?"

"They want Dad. They won't stop until I turn him over or whatever. You need to make him come home."

"Riley, who?"

"The Tritons. They know about the knife and about me and-"

"You need to run."

"What?" I jumped up and stumbled, catching myself with a hand on the wall. "Run? Mom, what's going on?"

I heard a door slam on the other end of the phone and my chest hurt from how fast my heart was beating.

"I love you. Run."

The phone went silent and I looked at the ended call on the screen. I tried redialing the number, but all I got was a busy signal.

"Fuck!" I threw my phone on the couch and turned back to the back patio. My friends were laughing and having a good time. I couldn't go out there and ruin their fun.

There was a knock on the door and I wiped my tears before unsteadily walking to it. The last drink I'd had was really starting to catch up with me.

I flung the door open. I should have looked through the peephole.

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