Page 22 of Run with Me

“We found him lying on the road near the south side of town, Anna. I think one of the bulls dragged him there. I’m sorry.” Ben’s words sounded like the most hateful thing he could have said to me, yet they were sincere.

“Is this a joke?” I asked. “Because if it is, it’s sick. Mikey? Baby, please open youreyes.”

The scrapes on his knees were deep, but nothing that time couldn’t heal. A small open gash on his forehead was beginning to scab, and he wasn’t bleeding. “John, I… I don’t think he’s breathing.”

My voice shook as I held Mikey tightly in myarms.

“Anna, honey. Pass Mikey tome.”

“I’m not letting him go. Not again.” I smoothed my hand over his cheek.

“Mikey! Mikey! Wake up, baby! Wake up, sweetheart.” I squeezed his cold hand, harder than I usually would. I just wanted to feel him move a little. I waited for one small twitch of his finger or even a sign of his eyes moving underneath his eyelids, but he remained still. I wanted to feel his breath and hear his heartbeat, but I couldn’t find either.

“He’s just exhausted, right?” I was crying now, so hard that I couldn’t stop, but I couldn’t lose hope either. I never would. “Wake him up, John. Please wake himup.”

John knelt in front of me. He checked Mikey for a pulse and kissed his forehead. “Anna, I’m so sorry. Mikey’sgone.”

My heart stopped.

Reality didn’t hit me until I saw John’s face and the pain there that was also coursing through me. The unimaginable twisting pain that would neverend.

“No, no, no!” I cried. “Please, God! No!” I rocked my body back and forth, sobbing. I couldn’t let him go. For a while, a small crowd formed around us, but to me the time was beginning to feel warped. I couldn’t tell how long I’d been sitting there. It could have been minutes, and it could have been hours. One by one, people left. I felt like I was living in a never-ending nightmare. I cried until I could no longer shed a tear. I cried until all my strength was gone. John’s father was the one to take Mikey from my arms, and I felt empty. I slowly lifted my gaze at Ben, who had neverleft.

“You did this,” I said, underneath my breath.

John helped me stand up. There were a few townsfolk left nearby, including a doctor and the sheriff.

“You did this.” I pushed at Ben’s chest. He barely moved.

“I wouldn’t kill my son, Anna.”

“He’s not yours! He will never be yours. He’s mine. Do you hear me? He’s mine and…. Oh, myGod!”

I didn’t realize when I started sobbing again, because in the back of my mind I had known the truth for a while now, but it was difficult to say it out loud. It was difficult to admit that my son wasgone.

Where was he? I looked around, wanting to hold Mikey somemore.

“He’s at the church, baby,” John whispered from my side. “Come on, let’s go to the church.”

I whipped my body around. Ben stood a few feet away. His brother was leaning back against the wall of the Bistro, and his cousin was sitting on the small porch step. When I looked at Ben once more, I saw a soft smirk lift his lip, and I lostit.

“I’m going to kill you. I’m going to kill all of you! You hear me!” I yelled. John took me under my arm and led me back to the church. Somewhere, while looking for Mikey, I must have lost my shoes. My feet ached as I crossed the dirt road barefoot, but I didn’t notice they were bleeding until I stepped inside the church. My little boy was lying on a few pillows near the altar, where Father Francis was praying.

I collapsed into John’sarms.

There was nothing worse than a scorned mother’s fury. Nothing except for the fury and injustice a mother felt when she’d just found out that her child was dead. I couldn’t remember much of that evening. The pain was too strong.

When I came to, I was in my bed, and John was sitting besideme.

“I lost my engagement ring, too.” I let out a low cry. I could barely hearit.

“It doesn’t matter. I’ll get you a newone.”

I shook my head instead. I didn’t want a new ring. I wanted my son back. I wanted my baby, whose body was lying in the morgue by the church, alive again. And since I couldn’t have him, the only thing that remained on my list was revenge.

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