MOTHER

The sky was dark, clouds shielded the sun as they poured down on Halle’s skin, her bare skin.

There she stood amid the rain in nothing but her underwear, the gashes she knew she had in her back had stopped burning, the coolness of the rain helped with it but, she was cold, so cold that her legs were shaking and her eyes could barely stay open.

She wasn’t passing out, she was getting hypothermic and she knew another hour under the rain and she’d be past the point of no return.

Just as she had given up, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder, sharp nails digging into her flesh, and warm breath against her ear.

“I think you’ve learned your lesson!” A high-pitched voice said harshly, the nails digging deeper and creating more holes in Halle’s skin. She was dragged back, pulled away from the rain, and into the shield of a porch, her porch.

“Don’t you think so, Maria?”

“Yes,” Halle replied weakly, “Mother…”

…

“Miss Dean?”

Huh?

“Miss Halle Dean?” This time the voice became more persisten