Free Mayday by Jonathan Friesen

Cor,” I remember his whisper, as well as my toddler resolve.
    After that, I made a promise to myself.
I will never let Addy get hurt again.
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    â€œYou know,” Crow rasped. “You said you watched my silhouette through the window? That’s true. I pace to stay awake. If I sleep and he comes . . .”
    â€œYou don’t need to tell me.”
    â€œBut I do; I’ve got to tell someone. If I sleep, and Jude slips in . . . I don’t trust him. He wants to do a lot more than touch her, I just know it. I’ve told Mom again and again . . . how he looks at Addy, what I’ve heard in the hallway. She doesn’t believe me. Since Dad left, she believes nothing I say. But Mom’s not dumb. She sees it, and I see the knowing in her face, but Jude’s got her all tangled up in his psycho-babble. He says Addy needs a strong male in her life. He says I’m bitter and trying to turn the family against him, and Mom buys it because she wants to, she needs to. She buys it all and ignores it all and there’s not one person in this damn world who believes me.” Crow’s body shook. “I keep it from Addy ’cause I don’t want to scare her, but you, you’ve
got
to believe me.”
    â€œI do.” I rocked her gently and stroked her hair. “I so believe you, and you need to believe me. Nothing’s going to happen to Addy. We can stop him. . . . I promise you: we can do it.”
    Crow squeezed tighter and I squeezed back, and it felt so good to hug myself. I never let anyone get this close at thirteen, but she just let me in. Way in. Crow was changing, softening. And that might be good.
    Except that hardness alone kept me sane.
    â€œLast time you ate?” I asked.
    â€œTwo days ago.”
    Inside, I boiled. This woman who gave me shelter cared little about my life. Were all mothers like that? “Dove’s just letting you die back here!”
    Crow straightened. “No. She’s letting me live. My way.” She rose from the bed. “Gotta get home. The Monster will be home soon.”
    â€œI’ll go with you.”
    Crow pushed by me, wobbled, and regained her balance. She reached back and squeezed my arm. “You should have let me kill her.”
    I shook my head and grinned. “With a trophy? Where’s the glamour in that?”
    Crow chuckled and marched toward the door, paused but did not turn. “Don’t leave me, Shane.”
    â€œI’m not going anywhere.”
    â€œI’d ask you to sleep over tonight if I didn’t live with him.”
    â€œI’m not afraid.”
    Crow spun around, her lips curled. “All right. But I’ll tell you right now, I don’t sleep much.”
    â€œI know. We’ll watch together.”
    Side by side, we pushed out into the last rays of sunlight. One week till Mayday. One week to change Addy’s world.
Soon Crow, I’ll need you, too.

CHAPTER 8
    THE THOUGHTS OF C. RAINE
    Home is where one starts from.
    T. S. Eliot
    CAN YOU LIKE YOURSELF MORE WHEN YOU AREN’T YOURSELF?
    I only know that we stepped into Mom’s house at eight o’clock, and I had an admiration for Crow—for me—that I’d never before experienced. I was proud of her, which I guess meant I was proud of me. I had to admit, for a girl who defined life in terms of degrees of failure, it felt good.
    Awkward.
    â€œFollow me.” Crow walked into the kitchen and stopped. She spun and hustled me out, but a voice didn’t let us get far.
    â€œLook who dragged in!” Jude the Monster rose from the table and took a step forward. “You look half dead, Crow. Get some sleep tonight, will you?” His eyes roamed me, finally settling on my face. “And what’s your name, young lady?” He held out his hand.
    â€œI’m not a lady. I’m a girl. Then again, I’m told you’re not much