The Secret Within by Sean Platt & David W. Wright

Author:Sean Platt & David W. Wright
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

I’m sitting with Father, listening to him talk about an old TV show he used to watch, Quincy. He’s been talking to me for fifteen minutes about old cases he’s seen the detective solve. He can remember details of some damned mystery show from the 80s like he just watched it, but he can’t remember his own daughter.

Maybe they show Quincy reruns here. He does watch a lot of TV.

Still, I can tell he has no idea who he’s talking to, that he probably thinks I’m one of the people who works here.

I’m waiting in hopes that either Father comes back, or Brother Clarence does. Meanwhile, I’m sitting sideways with my phone on my lap where he can’t see me checking email while he continues to drone on and on.

A message from Gerard: Can I come by tonight?

Ugh.

Can’t tonight. With my father right now and it’s been a rough day.

The ellipsis appears and sticks around. He’s typing something super long. Then it suddenly goes away and I wonder if he paused or deleted what he wrote.

He finally replies. Sorry. Anything I can help with?

No. Sorry.

He reads the message and goes offline.

Okay, then.

At some point my father’s stopped talking about Jack Klugman.

I look over to see him staring at me, head tilted, eyeing me intently. I’m hopeful he’s back. “What is it?”

He’s looking at and through me. “That girl has the devil in her.”

“What? What girl?” I’m looking around, thinking maybe he was looking at one of the workers. Sometimes he says crazy shit and they’ve gotta bring his meds. “What girl has the devil in her?”

His eyes are locked on mine, and they’re welling up with tears.

He reaches out and touches my hand, squeezing it tight.

“What girl has the devil in her?”

“Anika.”

“What?”

“Don’t go near her.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t go near her, Delaney. It knows what you are.”

“What are you talking about?”

Father is staring at me, then through me again. His head tilts and he looks at me, confused. “Were you saying something, ma’am?”

He’s lost again.

And now, so am I.

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