My husband made dinner, and moments after my son and I finished eating, we both collapsed. Pretending to be unconscious, I heard him speaking on the phone. “It’s done… soon, they’ll both be gone.”
After he left the room, I whispered to my son, “Don’t move yet…”
What happened next was far beyond anything I could have imagined..
.
I kept my cheek pressed against the cold kitchen tile and forced myself to breathe slowly.
A few feet away, my son Lucas was lying beside his chair, one arm trapped beneath him. I watched the faint rise and fall of his ribs.
I counted three breaths before allowing myself to glance toward the hallway where Christopher had disappeared.
His voice drifted from the den. I couldn’t make out every word, but one sentence came through clearly.
“They won’t be a problem after tonight.”
The moment I heard his footsteps approaching again, I closed my eyes.
Christopher walked back into the kitchen and stopped beside me. I kept my entire body relaxed even though my mouth had gone so dry it hurt.
I felt him lift my wrist briefly before gently placing my hand back on the floor.
When he moved over to Lucas, I fought the urge to turn my head.
Christopher placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder and spoke softly, almost as if he were trying to comfort him.
“This will be easier for everyone.”
I heard him pick something up from the table before walking away once more.
I waited until the garage door closed before opening my eyes.
Lucas opened his eyes at the exact same moment.
I raised one finger to my lips, then slowly pushed myself up onto my elbows even though my arms were trembling beneath me.
Lucas tried to sit up, but I grabbed his sleeve before his chair could scrape against the cabinet.
“Phones,” he whispered.
I immediately checked my pocket, then searched the counter.
Both of our phones were gone.
Lucas reached toward the table, but I stopped him when I noticed the blue plate Christopher had served me. Several bites of dinner were still sitting on it.
I stared at the plate for a moment before pulling open the freezer drawer beneath the refrigerator.
My heel caught a grocery receipt lying on the floor. I shoved the useless piece of paper beneath the cabinet because my hands needed something normal to do.
I took a clean freezer bag from the drawer and carefully scraped some of the untouched food into it without disturbing the rest of the plate.
Lucas held the drawer steady while I sealed the bag and tucked it behind a half-empty package of frozen peas.
Then I placed the blue plate back exactly where Christopher had left it.
Next, I opened the narrow cabinet beside the pantry and reached behind a pile of old takeout menus for the corded phone Christopher was always complaining we should get rid of.
The dial tone was still there.
I called 911.
I gave the dispatcher our address in Oakridge and explained that my son and I had suddenly collapsed after eating the same dinner. I also told her that my husband had spoken as though he expected neither of us to wake up.
When she asked where Christopher was, I told her I believed he had gone outside, although I couldn’t be certain that he had actually left the property.
I kept the receiver pressed against my ear while Lucas crawled toward the window and carefully lifted one corner of the blind.
He looked back at me and shook his head.
I told the dispatcher that we would try to move toward the back door if we could do so safely. I didn’t hang up until she confirmed that help was on the way.
Lucas wanted to run immediately, but I stopped him.
I opened the freezer once more and slipped the sealed food bag into the waistband of my sweatpants beneath my shirt.
Then I checked the hallway before helping him stand.
His knees gave out once, and I caught him against the refrigerator until he was able to put weight on both legs again.
We moved slowly across the kitchen. Lucas held tightly onto my wrist while I kept my other hand against the counter for support.
I unlocked the back door.
Then headlights suddenly swept across the blinds.
I locked the deadbolt again and pulled Lucas away from the glass.
“Floor,” I whispered.
Lucas dropped beside his chair, and I lowered myself back onto the tile. I positioned his arm almost exactly as it had been before.
I moved the blue plate two inches closer to my place setting because that was where Christopher had left it earlier. Then I flattened my palm against the floor beside my face.
A car door slammed outside.
I heard Christopher’s keys scrape against the lock.
I kept my eyes tightly shut as Lucas became completely still beside me.
The back door opened.
Christopher stepped into the kitchen.
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Type PLATE and I’ll continue.
(I know you’re curious about the next part, so please be patient and read on in the comments below.)
