Chapter 3

The drive home was silent. Leo had cried himself to sleep in the back seat. My hands trembled on the steering wheel. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't a hallucination. It was a memory. A second chance I didn't understand but couldn't afford to waste.

That night, just as I was locking the doors, a loud banging startled me. It was Mark, his face flushed, reeking of whiskey.

"Sarah, please," he slurred, leaning against the doorframe. "Just talk to me. What did I do wrong? We can fix this."

As he pleaded, a buzz vibrated against my wrist. Leo's emergency smartwatch. I had bought it for him after a scare at the park last year. It could only receive calls from pre-approved numbers. My number. The school's number.

But the screen read: UNKNOWN.

My blood ran cold. I answered it, my hand shaking.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sarah." The voice was sickeningly sweet. It was Lily. "My dad isn't home. Have you seen him? He gets so sad when he drinks."

I stared at Mark, who was still rambling at my closed door.

"He's here," I said, my voice barely a whisper.

"Oh, good," Lily chirped. "I was worried. You know, Sarah, I hate liars. And I know more than just Leo's phone number. I know you live at 24 Elm Street. It's a nice little house. Easy to get into."

A wave of terror washed over me. I slammed my hand against the door. "Mark, go home! Leave us alone! It's over! Don't you ever come back here!"

He looked stunned, then angry. "Fine! Be that way!" He stumbled away from the door and down the path.

I hung up the call with Lily without another word and sank to the floor, my heart hammering against my ribs. She had hacked Leo's watch. She knew where we lived. This wasn't just about protecting her father's attention anymore. This was a hunt.

I didn't sleep. Around 2 a.m., my doorbell began to ring. Not just once, but incessantly, a shrill, demanding peal that echoed through the silent house.

I crept to the window and peered through the blinds.

Lily stood on my porch, bathed in the yellow glow of the streetlamp. She was in her pajamas, clutching a teddy bear. She looked small and terrified.

A light flicked on in my neighbor Mrs. Gable' s house. Then another across the street.

Lily saw the lights and began to wail. "Daddy! Daddy, are you in there? I'm scared! I'm locked out!"

Mrs. Gable opened her front door. "Good heavens, child! What's going on?"

"I'm looking for my daddy!" Lily cried, pointing at my house. "My pet tarantula told me he came here! I'm so scared he's mad at me!"

Pet tarantula. The words sent a fresh spike of fear through me.

"Sarah!" Mrs. Gable called out, her voice sharp with disapproval. "What is the meaning of this? Let that poor girl in! Her father was just here, we all saw him."

More neighbors were gathering on their porches, drawn by the commotion. I was trapped. If I kept her out, they'd call the police, and I'd look like a monster. If I let her in...

I had to let her in. But not alone.

I opened the door, forcing a strained smile. "Lily, what a surprise. Mrs. Gable, Mr. Henderson, perhaps you could come in as well? I'm a bit overwhelmed."

They agreed, their faces a mixture of suspicion and pity. I let Lily in, and my neighbors followed.

"Is my daddy here?" she asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

"No, honey, he's not," I said calmly.

She proceeded to search my small house, her movements deliberate. She opened closets, peered under the sofa, even checked behind the shower curtain, all while my neighbors watched with growing sympathy for her.

Finding nothing, she turned to me, her act of a desperate child flawless. She threw her arms around me in a hug.

Her lips brushed my ear as she whispered, her voice a venomous hiss that no one else could hear. "This is your last warning. Stay away from my dad."

As she pulled away, her sleeve hitched up for a split second. I saw it clearly. A small, clear glass jar, tucked into the waistband of her pajama pants. Inside, a large, dark spider, its legs twitching. A Black Widow.

She smiled sweetly at my neighbors, thanked them for their help, and walked out the door, a perfect little angel disappearing into the night.