Page 61 of I Promise You
“What’s up, little man?” I squat, so we’re now face to face.
“I want to see my daddy and mommy. Please, mister.”
“I promise you, you’ll be with them soon. We’re taking you to a safe place where those bad guys will never see you again.”
“Can I ask more questions?”
“Yes, little man?”
“What’s your name? You look a little scary.”
I can’t tell him my real name. I’ll give him the short version.
“Grim.”
“That’s a funny name.”
“It is, isn’t it?”
“Are you a superhero?”
“No, little man, I’m a SEAL.” I ruffle his hair playfully, and he giggles. “You’re safe now, you all are. You’re going home.”
He stops giggling when the words of sanctuary register for him. Then he throws his little body around my shoulder, hugging me hard. At first, I go still. I don’t have too many interactions with children. But I interact with the little guy as if he was my son.
I hug the boy back, patting his little back.
“You’re not a seal—that’s an animal,” he tells me, puzzled.
“Not that kind of SEAL.” I break away from the hug, ruffling his black hair again. “I work for the Navy.”
He beams, amused, observing me for a few seconds. “I want to be just like you when I grow up…a SEAL.” He sniffles. He wipes his tears away with his little hand.
If I’m not already fucking broken, I am now.
I take off my mask. My face is still covered in camo paint with green, black, and brown layers, so I’m not worried about my identity being exposed.
I toss it over to the little boy, and his eyes light up like a Christmas tree. His brown eyes glimmer with joy through the holes of the front.
The disguise is too big for his little head, but he holds it into place with his hands, so it stops swaying.
“You already are a superhero.”
19
ARI
Life is a lovely lie.
Those words come back full force with a demonic presence.
“You fucking slut! I can’t believe you fucked him.”
I can feel a sharp, dull pain in my back. Smiling like a maniac, Nora twirls a thick blade in her hands like it’s a game. I’m trapped, and no one is here to save me.
All the memories come back, flashing one after the other repeatedly. It’s one of those nightmares where you try to open your mouth to scream, only for eerie silence to follow. That nightmare where you try hard to run but feel like your feet sink lower to the ground in slow motion.
I can see Shane hovering over me again, trying to rape me. Watching his possessed eyes send dread curling through my chest like an explosion of fear.
