Dear Lily,

I must move along. As sick as it sounds, I'd much rather tell you what comes next than linger on the image of Rose beaten and bloodied.

Then I heard the scream from the basement. It was Marcus and he was screaming as if he were feeling the worst pain in his entire life. I gently lifted Rose’s head, kissed her cheek and placed her back down. I’m not sure if I said it out loud or just in my head, but I told her that I loved her and that I would miss her.  I think they call it shock. Shock dictated everything I did next.

I stood up and easily found the staircase leading to the basement and, like a robot, I descended. I reached the bottom and turned to see Marcus handcuffed to a chair. Everett had his l...

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