Chapter 24 The Mannequin

• Martha froze mid-step, her tiny hand tightening in mine. I grabbed her and pulled her back toward the hallway, my heart hammering so violently I thought it might burst right out of my chest. My breaths came in short, ragged gasps, and every nerve in my body screamed that something was horribly wrong.
• The living room… the living room was a nightmare.
• Blood was smeared across the floor in jagged streaks, dark and glistening in the dim light. The smell of iron hit me even before my eyes fully registered the scene. My stomach twisted violently, and a cold sweat prickled along my spine. I wanted to look away. I wanted to run, hide, disappear—but my legs refused to move, locked in place by fear and disbelief.