Entice by Amber Garza Read Free Book Online Page B

guilty about.
    “Kenzie,” Isaac’s voice was soft. “I’m really glad you told me the truth. It’s hard to be in a long distance relationship. We have to be able to be honest with each other.”
    He was so understanding, so sweet. “I miss you, Isaac.”
    “Christmas will be here before you know it,” he responded.
    As I drifted off to sleep that night, I fantasized about Christmas with Grandma and Isaac. The thought made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
     
    Bump. Thump. Crash.
    I sat upright in my bed. The covers fell from my shoulders and gathered around my waist. My room was dark. The light from the streetlamp shone through the cracks in the blinds, slashing across my walls.
    Footfalls. Another thump.
    The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. Sweat beaded along my shoulder blades. My heart hammered in my chest. I crept off my bed, and tiptoed out of the room.
    A crash made me jump. I clutched my chest, feeling my heartbeat bounce under my fingertips. I peeked into my mom’s room but she was gone. Her covers lie in a pile on the ground near the end of her bed. Her sheets were twisted as if someone had yanked her out of them. My stomach dropped.
    More noises came from the family room. What was going on? I tiptoed down the hallway, scarcely breathing. Cold hair slapped me in the face.
    The front door was wide open. The freezing night air rushed in. Our family room was ransacked. My Bible was flapping on the floor, and some of the pages were ripped out and littered the carpet. The end table was toppled over, a chair was overturned. A glass of water had spilled over and soaked the ground.
    Swallowing hard, I took a step forward. My defenses were up. I swiveled my head in every direction, ready for someone to spring from the shadows. A woman’s voice caught my attention. It sounded like Mom. I followed the voice, which came from outside.
    She stood on the grass, her sheer nightgown billowing around her like a cloud. Her blond hair framed her face in a ragged mess. She spoke in a monotonous voice like a chant. Almost as if she was reciting something. Her eyes were glassy, her pupils wide.
    “Mom?” I stepped onto the grass. It was cold and wet under my bare feet.
    She stared right through me. Her face was pale against the dark sky. Her flesh seemed to glow in the darkness.
    “Mom?” I repeated but again she was unresponsive. Her lips continued to move in her unintelligible chant.
    “Who did this? Did someone hurt you?”
    Tears pricked my eyes. I reached out my hand, and gently touched her shoulder. It was icy. She flinched, and recoiled.
    Blinking, she shook her head as if coming out of a fog. She looked at me like she just now noticed I was there. Her lips stopped moving and her eyes widened in confusion. “What’s going on?” She wrapped her arms around her body. She glanced around at her whereabouts, and seemed confused by them. “Oh my, what am I doing out here in my pajamas?”
    I watched her in disbelief, as she scurried back into the house. She screamed upon entering and I rushed to her side.
    “What happened?” She asked, her gaze shooting around the trashed family room.
When she turned to me, I shook my head. “I don’t know. I woke up and found the place like this and you were…you were standing outside completely zoning out.” I closed the door, locking the heat inside. “You don’t remember anything?”
    She shook her head. Her eyes watered as she took in the room. “Oh no. It’s happening again.”
    My stomach tightened. “What is?”
    She grabbed her head in her hands. “I need to get some sleep. We’ll talk later.”
    “Shouldn’t we call the police first? I think we might have been robbed.” Even though it appeared that nothing was missing, it was the only explanation I could come up with. I mean, who would break into a home just to make a mess?
    “No!”
    I reeled back from the strength of her words.
    “No.” She said more gently this time. “I’ll deal with