Locke 2 (Blackwater Boys #4)

Forty-Seven

Kali

T he room was bright. Aurora was skipping rope and singing a tune. I sat up slowly, squinting my eyes at the bright light. I looked around. We were in a room.

My heart seized.

We were in her bedroom. Balloons were scattered around us. Her birthday banner was hung on the wall. She was in her blue birthday dress she’d picked out. Her tiara was fitted nicely over her head.

She looked like a real princess.

“You’re up,” she squealed. “You made it, Kali! This is our farewell party. Are you excited?”

I looked at the table. A teacup party was arranged. But there was real cake on the table. It was the pink unicorn cake I’d saved up to get her. It was my birthday present to Aurora, and she never got to see it. But she was seeing it now and smiling—

◆◆◆

I cracked my eyes open and tried to breathe. My chest was tight and the pain radiating through my body was unlike anything I’d ever felt. There was blackness everywhere. I couldn’t see anything. I tried to move, but a knifelike pain radiated from my leg, causing me to cry out.

My body felt like one giant heartbeat. It pulsed and ached. I couldn’t breathe through the agony. I closed my eyes and tried to.

“Aurora?” I whispered.

Nothing but cold darkness greeted me.

I didn’t try to move my body again. It would just hurt too much. I could move my eyes though. Not that it helped me. I couldn’t see in front of me. I didn’t know what was there. The cement floor was cold and damp.

“Hello?” I whispered to the empty void. “Is anyone here?”

I had never felt so alone. Grief struck me, and I couldn’t breathe.

Until I heard the silence answer back. “Hello.”

I froze. Time froze. For a single second, I didn’t feel pain or horror. A rush of happiness hit me. Tears flowed down my face. “Lenny, is that you?”

He took a few seconds to answer. “Yes.”

Oh, my God. “Are you able to follow my voice? I’m right here. This is Kari, from class.”

“Kari?” His voice was tiny, uncertain.

“Yes, Len. Come to me. I’ve got my arms out. It’s me. It’s Kari. Remember, I like raptors and you like T-Rexes.”

I heard shuffling sounds. I swung my arms in all directions, telling him to come to me. My fingers suddenly hit cold flesh, and I moved now, pain be damned and wrapped my arms around the small body in front of me. “Lenny, oh, my God.”

I ran my fingers through his hair, breathing him in. I hugged him, feeling my fear spike at the bones protruding from his little body. My happiness faded abruptly. I ran my hands over him. “Are you hurt, Lenny?”

He didn’t respond, but I felt the slightest shake of his head. I wanted to ask him if the doctor had visited him. If he’d hurt him. If he’d seen anyone else, but none of that seemed to matter right now. We were down here, alone, in the darkness, and I could feel how weak he was.

“Lenny, talk to me,” I whispered.

“Tired,” he whispered back, and then he turned into me and buried his head into my chest. His fingers dug into my shirt and clung tightly. Everything ached and burned, but that didn’t stop me from hugging him tighter to me.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “We’re going to be okay.”

But the words sounded hollow, and all I could remember was the promise I made to Aurora. The one I broke. I sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly, trying to steady my breathing. He couldn’t sense my weakness. He needed my strength, and I could be strong for him.

I whispered to him, and he barely moved. The only thing stopping me from shaking him to see if he was alright was the feel of his chest moving against mine.

My body felt cold. I could feel the puddle of blood beneath my leg growing. My leg was destroyed, and the swelling made my skin feel tight. Despite the agony, I scooted back with Lenny, until I felt a cold wall against my back.

“It’s okay, buddy,” I whispered to him. “I’m here. It’s okay.”

No, it wasn’t okay.

We were going to die.