Chapter 1
I walked into my sister’s backyard and saw a little boy chained to a fence—then she slapped him across the face for begging me not to leave.
My name is Emily, and I drove to my sister Rebecca’s home outside Atlanta after she stopped answering my calls.
Her front door was open.
“Rebecca?”
No answer.
Then I heard crying behind the house.
I followed the sound into the backyard.
A boy was sitting beside the fence.
He looked about seven years old.
A metal chain was wrapped around his ankle and secured to a post.
I froze.
“Who are you?”
The boy looked terrified.
“Please don’t tell her I talked.”
Before I could move, Rebecca stepped onto the patio.
“What are you doing back here?”
I pointed at the chain.
“Rebecca, what is this?”
Her expression hardened.
“He keeps running away.”
The boy whispered, “I was trying to find my mom.”
Rebecca spun toward him.
“I told you to shut up.”
Then she slapped him across the face.
“Rebecca!”
I rushed between them.
The boy grabbed the back of my shirt.
“Please take me with you.”
Rebecca reached for him.
I pushed her hand away.
“You are not touching him again.”
She laughed.
“You don’t even know who he is.”
“Then tell me.”
Rebecca stared at me for several seconds.
“He was left here.”
“By who?”
She didn’t answer.
I pulled out my phone.
“I’m calling the police.”
Her face changed immediately.
“Emily, don’t.”
I looked down at the boy.
That was when I noticed the small necklace around his neck.
My hands went cold.
I had seen that necklace before.
Years ago, my mother had given an identical one to my missing brother.
I crouched beside the boy.
“Where did you get this?”
He looked toward Rebecca and started shaking.
Then he whispered, “My dad gave it to me before she took him away.”
I slowly turned toward my sister.
May you like
Rebecca backed away.
And the boy suddenly pointed at her and said, “She knows where my dad is.”
