Page 67 of Everything She Feared

Katie was silent.

“Did she ask you about the boy?”

Katie nodded.

“What did you tell her?”

“I told her I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Did you tell her what happened? Did you say where it happened?”

Katie shook her head.

“I didn’t tell her anything, Mom, I didn’t. You told me not to talk about it ever, so I didn’t.”

Sara struggled, probing Katie on how much she actually recalled.

“Do you remember what you said to that boy?”

Katie nodded without looking from the screen. “He was so mean.”

“Do you remember everything that happened after?”

Katie nodded.

“And that what happened after had nothing to do with what you said?”

Katie nodded and kept staring at the TV.

“But today, in the car at the grocery store, you talked again about having had bad thoughts. You said that they were worse than what you had with the boy.”

Katie said nothing.

“You said you had them before Anna fell.”

Katie said nothing.

“Did you have them at the time she fell?”

Katie said nothing.

“Honey?”

Katie’s breathing quickened, making her nostrils flare. She pursed her lips, snatched the remote from her mother, resumed the movie and turned on the sound.

Sara closed her eyes, then opened them.

“I’m trying to help you, honey.”

“My thoughts scare me, Mom. They really scare me.”

Sara swallowed hard.

“Did you tell Dr. Sally about them?”

Katie shook her head and raised her voice. “No. I already told you, no! Geez, Mom!”

“Did you tell any of your friends about them?”

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